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If you want to see innovation in opera, look no further than Opera San Jose’s new production of “The Marriage of Figaro.”
Fusing Mozart’s brilliant comedy with the splendors of Indian classical dance, the company is launching its 2022-23 season on a high — one that promises a vibrant new take on a classic.
Directed by Brad Dalton, the production is set in colonial India during Victorian imperial rule — a setting designed to highlight the class and gender divides central to Mozart’s opera. The production, featuring dancers from Mosaic America and conducted by Viswa Subbaraman in his first Opera San Jose appearance, runs Sept. 10-25 at the California Theatre, with a cast that includes Maya Kherani as Susanna, Efraín Solís as Figaro, and Eugene Brancoveanu as Count Almaviva.
“The Marriage of Figaro,” with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte based on a 1786 play by Pierre Beaumarchais, highlights the struggle of servants Figaro and Susanna; they want to marry, but their master, the powerful Count Almaviva, wants Susanna for himself.
Dalton, who has staged many past hits for Opera San Jose, says the idea for the new production came out of a conversation with the company’s former general director, Khori Dastoor (now general director and CEO of Houston Grand Opera), a few years back. “She proposed the idea, after her travels in India,” Dalton explained, “and we discussed the ways a servant besting the aristocrats was truly revolutionary.”
That notion carries through in this staging. Dalton highlights the class divide in the opera’s first scene, illuminating the Count’s predatory and racist tendencies. “The servants don’t usually appear in this scene,” he said, “but we wanted to show that the Count’s not only going after Susanna, he’s devaluing the servants.”
Dalton is making Indian culture integral to the production, from the “flourish of dance” that opens the show to the wedding celebration that brings the opera to a joyous close.
Antara Bhardwaj, a dancer, teacher and filmmaker who is serving as choreographer and cultural consultant, says that the spirit of Indian dance infuses the production.
A longtime practitioner and teacher of kathak and other Indian classical dance forms, Bhardwaj is the founder and artistic director of Mountain View’s Antara Asthaayi Dance. She’s presented and performed in many productions — but says this one breaks new ground.
“It’s a very unique combination to take classical Western music and bring it together with Indian dance,” she explained. “It’s brilliant, and working on this production has been so inspiring. Kathak is a solo dance form, and it’s traditionally improvisational. So I’m amazed at how quickly my dancers are picking up the choreography, and I’ve become a real fan of opera.”
Bhardwaj has worked with numerous companies, including San Jose’s Mosaic America, with which she has a close relationship. But she says this fusion of opera and Indian dance is unique in her experience.
“I’m really excited, because I don’t know if this has ever been done before. It’s not just the dance element. We’re part of the scene, part of the story. At the start of the opera, Brad’s chosen to open up that first scene so all the servants are in the room. To me, that’s great — we’re not disconnected, we’re weaving the dance into the production. It’s so dynamic.”
Shawna Lucey, who succeeded Dastoor as Opera San Jose’s general director, says that the new production represents a leap for the company. “I’m so excited for this production,” she said. “It’s a perfect example of how opera can happen. I can’t stress enough how beautiful the sets and costumes are. I’m excited about the visual elements — and the cast is so glittery.”
“A theme of our season is the strength and resilience of women — an important theme for today,” she added. “And the real genius of ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ is in the women characters. We’re so excited to have this cast of Indian and South Asian artists — it’s a vibrant, exciting way to celebrate Mozart.”
Dalton agrees, adding that the response from the South Bay’s Indian community has been gratifying. “You can’t imagine the emotional outpouring,” he said. “It’s a project full of enthusiasm and love.”
‘THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO’
By Mozart, presented by Opera San Jose; directed by Brad Dalton, conducted by Viswa Subbaraman and choreographed by Antara Bhardwaj
When: Sept. 10-25
Where: California Theatre, 345 S. 1st St., San Jose
Tickets: $55-$195; 408-437-4450, www.operasj.org
Originally published at Georgia Rowe