Last night, February 15th, the first dress rehearsal of The Daughter of the Regiment occurred at the Lyric Theatre. This first dress is also a piano dress rehearsal, which means the singers are accompanied only by a piano instead of the full orchestra that will be joining them for the second dress rehearsal today. Some recognition should go to Mark Ferrell, the piano accompanist, who has filled this role for a number of years.
Watch the video below to view a clip from a popular Act I aria, known as the regimental song (“Chacun le sait“) or “La la la,” sung by the talented Nili Riemer (Marie), who returns to the Lyric Opera after starring as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance (2009).
You may have noticed that everything is being sung and spoken in English. This opera was originally performed in French, but the Lyric Opera will be performing an English version. This is being done for a few reasons. Originally the Lyric Opera performed all operas in English as a way to make opera more accessible to opera newbies. This tradition lasted until the late 90′s, when the company decided to start producing operas in their original language. Another reason for performing this opera in English is that it is very heavy in dialogue, and we felt the comedic elements of the show would be better appreciated if performed in English. Being the second to last opera in the Lyric Theatre, this approach seems an appropriate way to honor our history and produce a truly accessible opera.
Enjoy!
