Juilliard FALSTAFF

The gist of the plot— the essence of Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor with a bit of Falstaff à la Henry IV thrown in for good measure— is that ever impecunious Falstaff devises a plan to lure two married wealthy women to submit to his imagined charms and become his bottomless bank. The women (Soprano Page Michels as Alice Ford and Mezzo-soprano Sophia Baete as Meg Page) discover they are both being wooed by buffoonish Falstaff at the same time, and join forces to plan his comeuppance. Meanwhile, Ford’s jealous husband (sung by Baritone Titus Muzi), fearful of being cuckolded by Falstaff, goes into disguise to trap Falstaff as well. Ford also is trying to force his daughter Nannetta (Soprano Shiyu Zhuo) against her will to marry the unpleasant Dr. Caius (Tenor Chester SeungYup Han) instead of her real love interest Fenton (Tenor Adam Catangui). As the action unfolds, Falstaff gets unceremoniously thrown into the river (a convenient opening in the stage floor) and later surrounded by threatening spirits in the woods, which is the most able chorus of Juilliard students. It’s not all’s well that ends well, but rather “All the World’s a Joke”— Verdi's contrapuntal fugue finale, in which the entire cast gets to joyfully sing together.

Juilliard Opera Is a Chance to See Top Opera Talents in Early Career

How satisfying!— especially to see the ensemble end the opera together in jubilant tone.

We also do get to see some students stand out both in the parts they are given and their delivery. In this reviewer’s assessment, we are seeing many of the top talents who will be gracing opera stages around the world in the decades to come. Reading the program notes we see that many already do! Minki Hong in the title role is tasked most with carrying the day, which he seems to do with great ease. Mezzo-soprano Lauren Randolph as Mistress Quickly— the messenger for the mischief concocted by the two wives— not only sings beautifully but adds expressive gestures we more expect to see in physical theater comedies. Audience favorite Shiyu Zhuo’s voice — so clarion and sweet — is an audible billboard of why opera is so lovable.

Editor’s Note: There are pre-performance talks for Juilliard Opera productions, in this case led by a violin/viola graduate student and ear training teacher at Juilliard. Her presentation included quotes from interviews with both a member of the orchestra (who likened the experience to a super-sized chamber ensemble) and a chorus member (who talked about learning how to stand absolutely still). The excitement and engagement of the students’ quotes was a welcome hors d’oeuvre for the upbeat performance that followed.