Who says opera and operetta can’t be fun? The Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, NY, opened its 2024 season with two lighthearted productions, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance (1879) and Francesco Cavalli’s La Calisto (1651), both featuring inventive staging, magnificent voices, and lots of frivolity.
Cavalli’s rarely performed La Calisto is almost as frothy as Glimmerglass’s G&S offering. The silly plot recalls the woodland, supernatural hijinks of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In disguise as the goddess Diana, the randy god Jove changes genders and seduces the nymph Calisto, a virginal follower of Diana. Jove’s jealous wife Juno descends to earth to wreak her vengeance while the mortal shepherd Endymion pursues the real Diana and nymphs and satyrs indulge in frolicsome carnal play. The story is forgettable, so the emphasis in Mo Zhou’s well-paced production is on enjoying the superb music (beautifully conducted by Ron Ainsley) and voices. Eric Sean Fogel’s sensual choreography adds to the sexual spice of the proceedings.
Pirates cast members Craig Irvin and Eve Gigliotti show their versatility with powerful renditions of the lusty Jove and outraged Juno. Emilie Kealani displays a silky soprano range as the innocent Calisto, ascending to celestial heights as she is transformed into a star at the opera’s climax. Schuyler Vargas has the right mischievous, randy glint and dark tones as Jove’s lecherous henchman Mercury. Taylor Raven skillfully embodies both the chaste Diana and the amorous Jove in disguise. Costume designer Carlos Soto cleverly differentiates between the two in the garments for the dual characterization, adding war-like touches to Diana’s diaphanous drapery.
Counter tenor Kyle Sanchez Tingzon sustained Endymon’s difficult notes while Winona Martin gave a sharp comic spin to the young nymph Linfea (Soto went with a contemporary style for her costume, giving her Auntie Mame-ish lounging pajamas. She was also equipped with a modern long cigarette holder, wielded to humorous effect.) Amanda Sheriff was an impish satyr, vying for Linfea’s affections.
Calisto’s sexual politics reflect both a 17th century and 21st view of gender roles. Callisto can enjoy physical pleasure when Jove is transformed into a woman, yet she is also a victim of the male god’s lust and his wife Juno’s wraith. Juno casts a spell on the poor girl, turning her into a bear. But Jove redeems her by making her a starry being once the bear transformation wears off. As noted, the ridiculous story is not the main point of this production which is to display the magnificent voices and Cavalli’s sublime music.
