A night of “well-grounded comedic action”

Nili Riemer stars a Marie, Photo by Cory Weaver

The reviews are in and it’s official, The Daughter of the Regiment is HILARIOUS!  See what the reviewers are saying below, and if you don’t think the reviewers got it right leave your own review in the comments section.

Robert Trussell of The Kansas City Star hails “Laughter flows frequently in comic opera because of the sense of humor of director Dorothy Danner…Riemer’s arresting soprano was gorgeous and blended well with Robertson’s tenor, which he exercised with masterful control, even when flawlessly reaching for high Cs.” Read the entire review here.

Paul Horsley of The Independent raves The Daughter of the Regiment “is an entertaining evening with strong singing and a generous portion of well-grounded comedic action.”  Read the entire review here. (You may need to scroll down to find the review.)

Tom Ryan of Present Magazine exclaims “This is enjoyable opera for first tasters and veterans of seasonal campaigns.”  Read the entire review here.

Sarah Tyrrell of KCMetropolis.org writes “Nili Riemer’s versatility was once again in full display on the Lyric stage.  From the start Riemer thoroughly embodied a carefully developed character; her Marie was a petulant, bright-eyed, utterly charming tom-boy.”  Read the entire review here.

Angie Fiedler Sutton of KCStageBlog writes “From the moments of the first sounds of the overture to the last moments, the music was flawless.”  Read the entire review here.

Do you agree, think the reviewers left something out, or want to share your opinion?  Write your review of The Daughter of the Regiment in the comments section.

The Daughter of the Regiment Piano Dress

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!