If “How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days,” “Clueless,” or “When Harry Met Sally” aren’t tugging the heartstrings like they used to, consider another kind of romcom this Valentine’s Day.
The Toledo Opera will perform Donizetti’s 1832 classic “The Elixir of Love” on Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at their website https://www.toledoopera.org/ or by calling 419-255-7464. The production is located at the Valentine Theatre on 400 N. Superior St., Toledo.
New to the company is acclaimed soprano Marnie Breckenridge, who will be playing the lead role of Adina.
The American soprano has been enthusiastically praised from outlets like The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, and The Chicago Tribune. Experienced in contemporary and classic opera alike, this production marks her first time performing “The Elixir of Love” since graduate school.
Breckenridge is deeply fond of Donizetti’s music: “‘Lucia di Lammermoor,’ one of his great operas, is one that I’ve done the most. I’ve done five different productions. It is near and dear to my heart.”
While “Lucia di Lammermoor” and “The Elixir of Love” are both about matters of romance, the two could not be more tonally different.
“It’s nice to do a buffa,” says Breckenridge, “It’s kind of a sweet romcom.” Opera buffa, comic opera in Italian, is a genre of opera that contemporary romcoms are indebted to. The incredibly unrealistic yet endearing tropes of romcoms (e.g. enemies to lovers, the fake relationship) are also a staple of works like “The Elixir of Love.”
The opera’s title is itself a signpost for what to expect – desperate, unrequited adoration between the protagonist and his love interest. In “The Elixir of Love,” Nemorino is a commoner trying to win the heart of Adina, a wealthy woman who prefers to keep her options open.
“Adina is a difficult role but slightly thankless. Nemorino has the big ‘Una furtiva lacrima’ aria which is so popular, and everyone kind of knows that one, but she’s just working the whole time – running here and there, singing all this fast, hard, super-high, super-low music.”
“So it’s difficult for a singer, but it’s great, it’s a great challenge and very fun.”
Just as the role demands much from the singer, Adina asks a lot from her potential suitors.
“She spends a lot of her time trying to avoid being serious with Nemorino. She thinks life is a joke, is fun, and just likes to flirt with people and have a good time.”
“She’s trying to deny her feelings for him because she’s a different class than him, she’s a reader, and he’s kind of this sweet little country bumpkin.”
“Adina is asking Nemorino to put on his big boy pants and ask her out. He’s acting so mopey and all dopey around her, ‘I love you but I can’t do anything about it because I don’t have the confidence yet.’”
“And she’s like, ‘Wake up dude, just go for it,’ and he’s not doing it because he’s so insecure. ‘Well, fine, I’m going to flirt with this rich sergeant, he’s more on my level anyways.’”
Having confessed his love and suffering rejection, Nemorino turns to traveling snake oil salesman Dr. Dulcamara. He is sold a “love potion” and finds that after drinking it, he possesses unusual charisma and confidence. Of course, the elixir is nothing more than red wine.
“Once he drinks the elixir, and all these girls are around him – he’s basically just drunk and acting funny – the girls realize ‘Oh wait, he is cute.’ One of the girls finds out that his rich uncle just died, then he gets a whole lot cuter.”
Adina’s image of herself, that she’s above the idea of settling down, crumbles after honest reexamination. “His love is true, and that’s the kind of guy [Adina] wants to end up with.”
Though the elixir has no magical properties, coincidence and the inertia of romantic fate bring the two together in the end. It’s the kind of happy ending that never gets old.
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.