Lakme: An Operatic Family Reunion
Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing my niece, Laura Whittenberger, sing the title role in Leo Delibes’ Lakme at Peabody Opera Theatre. The performance brought back many memories of Baltimore Opera’s 2002 production of the same piece – my first show as a member of that company’s chorus. Laura and her mother, Ellie, were among those who came to support me in my first BOC outing. At the time, none of us had the first clue that Laura would be the star of the show eleven years later!
Peabody’s production is solidly traditional; the elegant sets mesh nicely with the architecture of Friedberg Hall and the saris are so lovely that I had a serious case of costume envy. Both singers and orchestra acquitted themselves very well, and several audience members who were new to opera remarked that they genuinely enjoyed themselves and realized that, hey, this is really just another form of musical theater (hooray!) Needless to say, I thought Laura sounded fabulous. If you’re looking for an unbiased review, perhaps you shouldn’t consult the leading lady’s aunt!
You have two more chances to see Peabody’s current production of Lakme: tonight and tomorrow night; curtain time is 7:30.
