Orpheus in the Underworld

When operatic comedy is done well, there is nothing like it. The combination of farcical stage business and bel canto coloratura are apparently what the funny bone is made of. Central City Opera's current production of Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld is a perfect example.

Edward Mout as Orpheus and Joanna Mongiardo as Eurydice Photo: Mark Kiryluk

Conceived as an irreverent parody and scathing satire on Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice as well as the starched performances of classical drama at the Comédie Française and the societal scandals and authoritarian politics of the Second French Empire, the operetta offended the critics but was adored by the public.

Ryan MacPherson as Pluto and Joanna Mongiardo as Eurydice Photo: Mark Kiryluk

The exotic Public Opinion (Joyce Campana) begins by explaining that Orpheus (Edward Mout) and Eurydice (Joanna Mongiardo) did not actually like one another. What follows is a hilariously well-conceived backstory that turns the classical Greek myth on its head. The lusty celebration culminates in the famous risqué galop infernal (widely used as the background music for the Can-can dance).

Joanna Mongiardo as Eurydice and Matthew Worth as Jupiter Photo: Mark Kiryluk

Mongiardo is a laugh a minute as the bright, coquettish Eurydice tries to escape her husband's music, which she hates, for her daily trysts with the shepard boy Aristeus (Ryan MacPherson), who turns out to be Pluto. Her vocal acrobatics thrill, one of many delictable confections that fill the evening. MacPherson takes camp to a new level. It's hard not to side with a Mephistophelean wit as sharp as this. His vocal range is phenomenal as well.

Despite his own marital infidelities, Orpheus vows to put an end to Eurydice's liaisons and is ecstatic when she ends up in the underworld, that is, until Public Opinion demands that he retrieve her. Meanwhile, at the pinnacle of Mount Olympus, the gods and goddesses bemoan their sedate fate, sipping ambrosia and dealing with Jupiter's double-standards. The chief god finally relents after his minions air some scathing revelations regarding his behavior and they all head for a holiday in Hades.

Joannna Mongiardo as Eurydice and citizens of the Underworld. Photo: Mark Kiryluk

The settings (Arnulfo Maldonado) and costumes (Sara Jean Tosetti) almost steal the show from the fine cast and a sublime and spirited festival orchestra.

Central City Opera's exquisite production of Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld runs through August 8th, in repertory with Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Jake Heggie's Three Decembers. 303-292-6700 or centralcityopera.org.

Bob Bows