Much of that was due to Manase Latu’s charm as the profligate Ory, quite the comedian in a plot that could have fuelled a Feydeau farce. His first challenging aria showcased his musician-esque tenor against the finessed backdrop of Auckland Philharmonia.
Emma Pearson as Adele complemented a gift for physical comedy with a cool, clear soprano that was a total joy from her first aria - even if it was sometimes undercut by audience laughter provoked by the director’s own surtitles, a veritable lexicon of Kiwi vernacular, sometimes on the coarse side.
Could any baritone have opened proceedings more rousingly than Moses Mackay as Raimbaud, balanced by Andrea Creighton’s savvy Ragonde, Adele’s put-upon PA? Wade Kernot was in strong form as the co-owner of Chateau Whareora, the so-named wellness retreat.
Hanna Hipp, in the trouser role of Isolier, was a spirited physio, a particularly pro-active participant in the beautifully sung and dramatically edgy second-act trio.
Top marks, too, for the indefatigable chorus, relishing the many patter songs that propel proceedings with appropriate Rossinian merriment.
Le comte Ory was also a treat for the eye thanks to Tracy Grant Lord’s set and costumes. It’s not every opera that opens with a train delivering characters to the stage, and the spa setting of the second act was put together with positively virtuosic skill, with panoramic South Island views and long versatile couches suitable for all manner of frolicking.
