Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor was thunderously received on its opening night performance this past Saturday, November 12, and there is a lot to report. Under the direction of Tomer Zvulun, the opera has been updated to a time period when the men are constantly wearing military jackets, red sashes, and a blonde Lucia wears pink hoop dresses. The sets, which came to Atlanta via Opera Cleveland, were composed of concrete walls accented partially with stacked stone, which coupled with projected backgrounds helped define the space for the audience. Only for the fact that the stark setting allowed the director to lavish in some striking imagery (the final scene resembled watered down Edward Gorey, which I, a former goth kid, enjoyed) the need for this update escaped me. Other aspects of Zvulun’s production are likely to either wow or offend depending on the sensibilities. Scene changes were enhanced with samples of Sir Walter Scott’s novel projected against the curtain, and judging from the whispering around me this innovation grew tiresome as the evening wore on, especially for those unfortunate patrons trying to read what was presented to them in its entirety.
Lucia (Georgia Jarman) sees an apparition (Alana Cheshire). Photo by Tim Wilkerson.
