SCANDAL ON THE STAGE
Julie, an opera about a liaison between a rich woman and a servant, gets North American debut,
A valet who seeks to improve his lot in life by marrying his rich employer’s daughter is at the heart of the tragedy of Julie, an opera receiving its North American premiere Tuesday at the Bluma Appel Theatre.
August Strindberg’s celebrated play Miss Julie was considered so scandalous in 1888 it was thought it could never be produced. The story of a love triangle between the valet, his servant fiancée, and the titular rich woman has gone on to become a classic that is still produced.
It was transformed into an opera by Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans in 2005. Matthew Jocelyn directed that production, which travelled throughout Europe to great acclaim.
He’s on hand, as the artistic director of Canadian Stage, to introduce the work to North American audiences in a unique alliance between the theatre company and Soundstreams, which specializes in contemporary music.
It’s the first opera ever produced by Canadian Stage.
“I have spent 20 years of my life in opera. For our audiences, it will be a new adventure,” Jocelyn says.
The underlying theme is how “we create our own prison,” he adds.
It is a classic love triangle with the valet in two relationships: his fiancée, a cook with whom he has domestic squabbles, and the lovelorn Julie, ditched by her fiancé. The setting of Strindberg’s play has been moved to the 20th century so the story isn’t “historically quaint,” says Jocelyn.
The libretto, written by Luc Bondy, and Marie-Louise Bischofberger, is sung in English, accompanied by an 18-piece chamber orchestra.
Canadian mezzo-soprano Lucia Cervoni makes her Canadian debut as Julie. She graduated from the University of Western Ontario, studied in the United States and moved to Europe where she established her career.
Mississauga baritone Clarence Fra- zer plays the valet Jean and Ottawaborn coloratura soprano Sharleen Joynt is the cook, Christine.
Cervoni said she feels empathy for her character, who is easily manipulated by Jean.
“Her whole objective is to gain love and security,” says Cervoni. “She goes about it in all the wrong ways.”
It isn’t all doom and gloom. There are snatches of humour in the opera. Frazer says it’s quite humorous to see Christine sleeping in the kitchen, mouth wide open and snoring, during a love scene between Jean and Julie.
Christine is the only satisfied, grounded character in the opera, says Joynt, adding that the cook is religious, pragmatic and unwavering once a decision is made.
“In my voice type, a lot of my roles can too easily fall into the wisecracking coquette category so it’s very rewarding to play someone as complex as Christine,” she added.
All the action takes place in the kitchen of a mansion in a state of semi-repair — on striking sets lent to Canadian Stage by the Théâtre d’Orléans in France — indicating that money is a little tight, says Jocelyn.
Frazer said the music is a challenge. “The rhythms of Boesmans are very speech-related, meaning how one would say the line while talking.”
“The music is fiercely difficult,” added Joynt. Julie is at the Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front St. E., Nov. 17 to 29. Go to canadianstage.com or call 416-368-3110 for tickets.