We already have two performances of Don Pasquale behind us; both with nearly sold-out houses! The premiere was a resounding success for our director, Johannes Pölzgutter, and a great deal of fun for me. I've wanted to do this role ever since I wrote a character study of Malatesta back in college. I had such luck to do it for the first time with a director who allowed the show to be light, humorous, charming, and logical while still creating something totally original. That may seem obvious to many American or British opera goers who know a bit about opera buffa, but in German-speaking houses this does NOT go without saying!
Most of the characters in opera buffa are pulled directly out of the Italian commedia dell' arte tradition. Our director's ideal was that the each character (Pasquale, Norina, Ernesto, and Malatesta) would slowly morph into their corresponding commedia dell' arte characters (Pantalone, Colombina, Pagliaccio, and Dottore) throughout the show. A simple, but effective idea, which gave us more to play than just the conversations between the characters, which can become tiresome if too dutifully-played. More photos can be found in my Galleries section, but also here at the Luzerner Theater website, where you can also find more production photos.
Translated reviews will follow soon in my "Reviews" section. Check back soon for updates!