‘Turandot’ is Almost, But Not Quite, Fabulous (Review)
metroweekly.comTurandot may be the premiere of a new ending, but it still has to be about the 95% that comes before the big reveal.And despite capturing Puccini’s hauntingly grand motifs and some choral spectacles akin to standing behind the engines of an Airbus A30, this production is only almost, but not quite, fabulous.
There is design, color, movement, and moments of aural loveliness under the rock-steady hand of director Francesca Zambello, but somehow it all lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.Wilson Chin’s sets may be a satisfyingly intricate pipework-like creation made striking when washed in the saturated colors of Amith Chandrashaker’s lighting, but the moon — offered hugely in S.
Katy Tucker’s projection — feels flat when it needs splendor. Although the soldier dancers are sprightly and fill the space with darting movement, they lack a certain precision, diluting the sense that this land is ruled by an iron hand.And then there is the choice to offer a peasant-chorus clothed in beige and overtly multicultural.
It may be intended to reflect the many people passing through this ancient Beijing, but the message feels too self-consciously modern and too bland for the power of their vocal presence.
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