Is opera stuffy? Maybe, when it’s performed in the red- velvet splendor of the Met. But in a less formal setting, with cocktails alongside arias, opera can be downright fun.
One of Manhattan’s finest mini-companies, Opera Omnia, has pulled just such a switch, staging Cavalli’s 1649 opera “Giasone” at funky downtown cabaret Le Poisson Rouge.
This English-language version of the tale of mythological hero Jason downplays his quest for the Golden Fleece, centering on his romances with long-suffering baby mama Hypsipyle and celebutante sorceress Medea.
It’s a thin story for a show that runs three hours with two short intermissions. But trimming isn’t easy, since the best tunes go to a gaggle of lowlife sidekicks on the sidelines of the plot.
Finest of the comic crew was tenor Isai Jess Muñoz in the decidedly non-PC role of stuttering hunchback Demo, whose rambling aria recounting his “death” during a shipwreck was the evening’s funniest moment.
Other hilarious types included countertenor Karim Sulayman in ratty drag as Medea’s foul-mouthed confidante Delfa, and nimble bass Patrick Murray as the wily spy Orestes. In the tiny role of the maid Alinda, Sharin Apostolou’s dark eyes glittered as brightly as her coloratura soprano.
Among the more serious characters, Matthew Singer impressed with an even, bright baritone as Aegeus, Medea’s wimpy ex, and Cherry Duke revealed a warm, dark mezzo in the trouser role of Giasone.
The leading ladies, Hai-Ting Chinn as Medea and Katharine Dain as Hypsipyle, acted with vigor but sounded wobbly in the club’s dry acoustic.
Avi Stein’s leadership of a seven-member string orchestra provided sensitive accompaniment, and Crystal Manich kept the action straightforward, with a patchwork quilt of landscape paintings serving as backdrop.
Carla Bellisio and Emily Rosenberg’s costumes caught an East Village thrift-shop vibe, highlighted by Medea’s carrot-colored pajamas.
“Giasone” may be no “Don Giovanni,” but it goes down well with a $12 plate of Kobe beef sliders and a $15 manhattan.