Opera Australia – Sydney Opera House July 18 to
August 15th 2013
Performance
18th July 2013 reviewed by Bill Stephens
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| Ji Min Park (Ernesto), Rachelle Durkin (Norina) Samuel Dundas (Dr Malesta), Conal Coad (Don Pasquale) (Photo: Branco Gaica) |
What a
little gem is this new production of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale”. Director Roger
Hodgman has set the action in sunny Italy in the 1950’s; with plenty of visual
references by designer Richard Roberts to the 1953 film “Roman Holiday”. Though
“Don Pasquale” has nothing to do with “Roman Holiday”, it works a treat.
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| Rachel Durkin (Norina) Conal Coad (Don Pasquale) Photo; Branco Gaica |
Rachelle
Durkin is thoroughly delightful as the conniving Norina, wickedly funny and
hilariously infuriating as she effortlessly tosses off sparkling cadenzas in
all directions. She is given terrific back-up by Ji-Min Park as her petulant
lover, Ernesto and Samuel Dundas as the handsome notary Dr Malesta who assists
them in their plan to trick Don Pasquale into a sham marriage.
It would
be hard to imagine a better Don Pasquale than Conal Coad in excellent voice and
despite being the butt of most of the jokes, never misses a laugh. Benjamin
Rasheed rounds out the cast with a fine performance as the Notary.
(An edited version of this revue was broadcast in "Dress Circle" by Artsound FM 92.7 on 21.7.13)