manon at lyric

This is going to sound strange, for all the repeat-offending ticket buying I do for certain shows, but I don't really like to see operas multiple times. The exception to that rule is La Traviata (which I have seen twice at Lyric without Renee, three times at Lyric WITH Renee, once in Houston, once in New York, and once in Rome) and Thais, three times at Lyric with Renee, and soon to be at the Met once with Renee. Unless it is fabulous or features a singer that I am crazy about, once is usually enough for me. Although I would totally have seen Dr. Atomic again, had the chance presented itself, because I was fascinated by it... But very rarely does something operatic connect that deeply with me that I have to go see it a million times.

Anyway. I had seen Manon some years ago in New York, with Renee, and I saw Puccini's vastly inferior Manon Lescaut which, frankly really sucked. It wasn't so much the production or the singers (I am trying very hard to like Karita Matilla, but she did not do it for me in this role) but parts of the actual plot. Very similar to Massenet's Manon, but in ML, Manon gets deported at the end (long story as to why)and she and Des Grieux end up in Louisiana. Not so unusual, since it was French territory at the time, okay, whatever. But then she and Des Grieux are wandering around in the deserts of New Orleans(?) where there are no signs of life and one or maybe both of them dies. Huh? New Orleans is a port, yes? So if you are deported and you get off the boat wouldn't there be like a settlement there? In the port? Why all this wandering around? And how the hell did they find a desert under sea level? I know opera plots leave a lot to be desired in the reality department, but this just really really bothered me. Because they go out of their way to identify Louisiana as the god forsaken desolate place, and there is not any desert there. Swamps, maybe. Manon Lescaut was just not a great opera for me, perhaps in part because of my seat location and the annoying people surrounding me.

The Massenet one is far better, and Lyric's current production features the French soprano Natalie Dessay was in the title role. I had seen her a few seasons back in Lucia (gorgeous, chill inducing)and back in the day in Alcina and she is wonderful. An actress as much as a singer. She's done Manon so many times, it seems second nature to her. But not like she's phoning it in, or like it's easy, just like the character is part of her. Very fun to watch.

At the start of the opera last night, Bill Mason himself appeared in front of the curtain. Uh oh. Usually they send out somebody else to deliver the bad news. Bill assured us all that Natalie was fine, but that her Des Grieux, Jonas Kaufman, was very badly ill and not able to sing. I was very disappointed because Mr. Kaufman is an opera hunk and a half. However, the young American tenor they put on in his place was great though. He more than held his own opposite Natalie.

I don't remember a lot about Manon (aside from the plot) from the first time I saw it. Usually I remember every little detail, but all I remember is being happy to watch Renee, how great she was, her massive dress in Act 4, etc. There was a lot of weirdness in the Lyric production at the beginning that I don't remember at all, I will have to watch the dvd to see, but I think the stage nonsense in the production was dreamed up by the director. Why, I have no idea. It was distracting and confusing.

Massenet does not have the lovers actually deported, poor Manon dies while still on French soil, so there's none of that crap about the wilds of New Orleans which makes me much happier.

Go watch Lyric's video of the performance here