If only European generals had possessed the tactical skills of Opera Orlando’s leaders, perhaps World War I might have been a shorter and less bloody affair.
Opera Orlando waited until it felt the nonprofit had the necessary resources to bring us the local premiere of the World War I-set “Silent Night,” general director Gabriel Preisser told me before last weekend’s performances. It was a smart move that paid off with a gripping production, not to mention the company’s largest to date, with action and music that filled Steinmetz Hall.
The 29(!) singers-playing-soldiers spilled over the main stage to set up bunkers at the hall’s sides. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, some 50-odd of them, blasted sounds of the pit to create moments of war — and reflection.
Other production elements equally enthralled. Grant Preisser’s scenic design made a literal no man’s land — the scrap of acreage that trench-trapped soldiers spent years fighting over — that could swing around to give us a new perspective on things.
Philip Lupo’s lighting design brought the flashes of bombs bursting in air to life, and his thoughtful projection design emphasized the natural world that man’s inhumanity impinges on — clouds, stars and snow, which, when combined with a theatrical snowfall, provided a dazzling effect.
Grant Preisser, who also directed, didn’t shy away from the high stakes of the situation: Bodies on the ground and a particularly thrilling fight scene, ably choreographed by David Sterritt for maximum impact.
Karin Kopishke’s costumes popped as well, borrowed from the world-premiere production by Minnesota Opera. Gabriel Preisser performed in that original production, back in 2011, and returned to the stage here, playing Lt. Audebert.
A French army officer, Audebert must leave behind his pregnant wife when war breaks out. He’s one of the characters whose personal stories we follow. Another is Scotsman Jonathan Dale, played by Elijah William Brown, who does more with the character than the libretto does.
But the most interesting figures are a pair of opera singers: a tenor conscripted into the German army, and his beloved. Embodied by Brendan J. Boyle and Julia Radosz, who bring lovely poignancy to their acting and their arias, the pair reflect the audience’s emotions over the horror of war.
The famous Christmas truce of 1914 is at the center of the show, but the characters are fictional; composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell based the opera on the movie “Joyeux Noel.”
Opera Orlando’s cast, however, makes those characters feel like actual flesh and blood — in particular, Gabriel Preisser’s conflicted Audebert and Andrew Craig Brown, who powerfully captures the complexity of his character, a German lieutenant.
Grant Preisser beautifully elevates the moments of humanity: A friendship between Audebert and his assistant (Brian James Myer, in a lovely turn that’s sentimental without being sugary) resonates. The compassion and conviction of a Scottish priest (Richard Crawley) shine forth.
A couple of nitpicks: Offstage voices near the show’s start should have been louder; a time or two conductor Robert Wood — who did excellent work at holding together this unique and complicated modern score — let the orchestra overpower the onstage action; and at least one of the character’s story lines feels strangely unresolved at show’s end.
But maybe that’s because there is no happy ending here; in fact, the show deliberately leaves us with a sense of foreboding — the Scots are dispatched to the front lines, the French regiment is sent to Verdun, where one of the bloodiest battles of the war will occur, and that German lieutenant is Jewish. So we know the unspeakable horrors that await him in just a few years.
Better to reflect on the truce and how we are capable of showing humanity if we try hard enough. Better, too, to think about how far Opera Orlando has come in its decade of existence — and how lucky we are to have a company capable of producing art of this magnitude.
Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment or sign up to receive our weekly emailed Entertainment newsletter.
Coming up
• What: The next mainstage production from Opera Orlando is ‘The Merry Widow.’
• When: April 24 & 26
• Where: Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando
• Cost: $40.92 and up
• Info: operaorlando.org
