Operatic and Shakespearean performing arts organizations share the concern of maintaining current patrons’ interest and asserting relevance to the next generation. Thus, both genres frequently place classic works in new contexts, as evidenced by the profusion of Shakespearean-based movies (e.g. Lurhmann’s Romeo + Juliet, 10 Things I Hate about You) and operaticregietheater (a production of Puccini’s Tosca set in Nazi Germany is a less absurd example).
It is no surprise that prominent companies such as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (CST) and the Metropolitan Opera follow this trend. However, these companies employed remarkably similar, yet apparently unrelated, twists for, respectively, Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and Verdi’s Falstaff (which Verdi based on the aforementioned Shakespeare). Both set their works, which opened in December and continue to run this month, in post-WWII England.
CST’s production, directed by founder Barbara Gaines, features not only 1940s costumes and scenery but also incorporates the era’s pop songs and dance. Gaines felt the hope and spirit of this music parallel “the heart and soul of our Merry Windsor”, and her interpretation won the critics praise, including that of the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones. Reception of the Met’sFalstaff – co-produced by leading companies including the Royal Opera House and Teatre alla Scala – received more varied reviews. New York Times’ critic Anthony Tommasini praisedFalstaff as a “high point of Peter Gelb’s tenure as general manager”, while critic Norman Lebrecht’s blog criticized both the relevance and the execution of the concept.
CST’s The Merry Wives of Windsor runs through Jan. 19. The Metropolitan Opera’s Falstaff ends Jan. 11 and will be viewable through Met Opera on Demand and on PBS this spring.
