Women portraying men and boys on stage is an old conceit, done at one time because "nice" women didn’t work on stage, done now in "Il Re Pastore," by the Opera Theatre of St. Louis for reasons known best by director Chas Rader-Shieber. The opera by a young Mozart (he was only 19) opened over the weekend and will be performed five more times until June 26 on the Loretto-Hilton stage.
In truth, the five young artists display glorious voices, and the action takes place in an English country house, with hosts and guests playing opera instead of charades. Soprano Heidi Stober, a brilliant singer, gets the "trousers-role" of Aminta, and Maureen McKay sheds her maid’s uniform to become Elisa, a young noblewoman desperately in love with Aminta. The 1775 opera had a castrato as Aminta, but there aren’t many of those around any more.
Watching over a flock of sheep seemed like a guarantee of happiness in those days of yore; shepherds were happy – and even sung opera — despite their rather lowly position in society. So demoting Stober and promoting McKay seemed to provide the proper balance. It doesn’t; a number of opera-goers were confused, others were disgruntled over the same-sex relationship, although Aminta is clearly identified as "he" in the program and the libretto, and the fact that they could not marry in Webster Groves, or even in Missouri. (Iowa is okay, however.)
Alek Shrader is splendid as Allessandro or Alexander (in his pre-the Great life), who wants to do the right thing, and the other lovers are Agenore (Paul Appleby), Alexander’s adviser, and Tamiri (Daniela Mack). Tamiri has a back story involving murder and exile, but while it might have had a meaning when the opera was first performed it has no relevance today. Mack, like Stober, is making her OTSL debut, and her rich mezzo came through brilliantly, as did her red gown.
Speaking of gowns, Stober wears a sparkling one that is a real plus for designer Robert Perdziola.
The English country house set is designed by David Zinn, and the first act shows off a plethora of flowers that add a lovely, often-humorous touch. We convert to a dining room set for the second act, and the fact that the table has only four settings becomes a little awkward when McKay sheds her uniform for a touch of royalty, and for a moment, it looks like a set for a game of musical chairs.
In many respects, all that is immaterial. Conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni brings rich, rolling sound from the St. Louis Symphony members in the pit, and Mozart’s melodies cover all other shortcomings.
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, June 13, 16, 18, 24, 26
-Joe