After the notable success of past popular productions “Carmen and “Zorba the Greek, the Cairo Opera House has decided to take literary adaptations to the next level with “Odysseus, the dance opera based on Homer’s granddaddy of Greek literature “The Odyssey.
Literature has constantly provided opera with rich material of various scopes, reproducing a form of artistic presentation that transcends the boundaries of both media.
The defining classical epic of Western literature is a tour de force of universal themes and struggles of individuals across a number of times and places. Employing dance, music, operatic singing, ballet and video art seems to barely cover the magnitude of complexity and detail of the epic.
Italian artistic director Renato Greco, who premiered his piece in Rome four years ago, used the expertise of the Cairo Opera House company to bring his adaptation to Egypt. “Odysseus is a collaborative effort between the Cairo Opera House and Renato theater group in many aspects, namely, the operatic singing, the ballets solos and the actual set.
Presenting a proper adaptation of “The Odyssey is no doubt a daunting task for any artistic director. That’s why a separate narrator was employed to offer background information to the ambiguous structure of the epic.
Unfortunately, the narrator was inarticulate and in many instances audiences missed details and clues.
The piece is divided into two main acts: seven scenes in the first act and five in the second. The performance doesn’t follow “The Odyssey to the letter with several alterations and additions that Greco inserted.
Dino Scuderi’s music is mostly faithful to the mood and setting of the historical narrative. The solo arias sometimes borderline pop ballads, breaking the mythological mood of the story.
Egyptian Soprano Dalia Farouk gave a fine performance at the very beginning of the show, ushering in the start of the Greek hero Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca after the fall of Troy. Mezzo-Soprano Hanan El Guindy carried her aria with vigor and charisma. The same can’t be said about Soprano Jacqline Rafik whose light vocals and shaky vibrato seemed a little out of place.
The commendable Baritone Elhamy Amin gave a skillful performance of his aria. Yasser Shabban’s over the top performance though was perplexing in the midst of the controlled and tight performances of the other singers.
The choreography doesn’t veer from the classical ballet moves except in certain scenes where a number of Greek battles are suddenly transformed into an Irish highland routine.
Choreographer Maria Teresa Dal Medico’s master scene involves Odysseus traveling with his men through the land of the Sirens, the enchanting ‘women-birds,’ who lure sailors by their songs and music before ripping them to pieces. The accompanying background music of whispers and chanting, along with video projection of the sea bed, gives the illusion of genuine enchantment.
Zorab Mikeladze is the principle dancer of this scene who is clearly more dexterous and comfortable dancing solos than being paired with other dancers.
The set design should be lauded for accommodating the ever changing settings of the epic. The only blunder of the design is spotted at the very beginning of the performance where large panels are lined with stone bricks that resemble a ghetto’s graffiti.
The costume design follows the traditional attire for the singers, the chorus and the Corps de Ballet. Apart from the scene featuring the witch Crice, the choice of costumes is slightly outlandish (a yellow leotard with leopard prints on the sides).
The video art is the weakest point in the show. The hallucinogenic projection in most of the scenes is kitschy and tacky; a cross over between psychedelic patterns and crudely edited photos and videos. The function and placement of the videos remained seriously in question throughout the performance.
The Sirens scene is the only moment where video art actually serves as a viable dramatic element.
Overall, director Renato Greco has tried to present an extraordinary tale that captured humanity for the past two millennia through the use of a wide range of artistic mediums and styles. As a result, Greco has spread it thin through a post-classical vision that attempted to utilize both classical and non-classical elements. The clash between those elements, however, doesn’t undermine the true idyllic, entertaining nature of the piece.
Catch “Odysseus tonight, 8 pm, at the Cairo Opera House’s Main Hall. Tel: (02) 2739 0212. The show is travelling next to the Sayed Darwish Theater in Alexandria for two performances on Oct. 13 and 14.
