Arguably, opera is a dying art.
Many of the younger generation are simply unable to relate to the themes of traditional opera, which is now often perceived as outdated, problematic, and unwilling to move with the times. Sadly, this means that many of the greatest operas of all time are unappreciated by modern audiences, causing them to be at dire risk of extinction.
But this doesn’t have to be the end of opera; there are many fascinating reinterpretations of traditional operas which have been great hits with modern audiences. While modern reinterpretations have been criticised by some viewers for making changes to the originals, operas need to be able to engage with diverse audiences in order to remain relevant and embrace new perspectives.
In this article, we will explore some of the best modern interpretations of traditional operas, through the lens of a contemporary audience.
1. Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man
Bizet’s Carmen was arguably very forward-thinking for its time in its approach to female sexuality and representation of Roma culture. The musical score is vibrant and immersive, plunging the audience into the thrill of the love triangle between the seductive Carmen, and her lovers José and Escamillo.
But, through the eyes of a modern audience, it can also be viewed as a cautionary tale against female promiscuity, resulting in the dramatic death of Carmen and the subsequent execution of her shunned lover and murderer José. This has consequently led to it falling out of favour in recent years.
Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man is a complete re-imagination of Bizet’s dramatic opera. Set in the ’50s, this gender-bent ballet features ‘The Car Man’, Luca, a garage employee and drifter, who is engaged in a passionate love triangle with the wife of his employer, Lana, and Angelo, a worker. The owner of the garage, Dino, discovers his wife Lana with Luca, and they murder him, blaming Angelo. Angelo is quickly arrested but breaks out of jail to hunt down his old lovers.
This reimagining of Bizet’s classic has all the steamy drama of the original, with a new bisexual twist. The ’50s backdrop has made this reinterpretation more engaging for modern audiences while retaining all the visual and musical flair of Bizet’s Carmen.
2. Phil Chan’s Madama Butterfly
Puccini’s Madame Butterfly is, undeniably, a classic in the world of opera, but not without its flaws from a modern perspective. This iconic opera has been widely criticised for its ‘Orientalist’ perspective of Japanese culture, along with feminist critiques of Butterfly’s tragic fate by suicide.
In Chan’s reinterpretation of Puccini’s original, the plot is set against the background of WWII San Francisco, on the eve of Pearl Harbour. Butterfly is reimagined as a nightclub performer, who tries in vain to make it big in the city before she is imprisoned in an internment camp.
Chan’s reinterpretation scraps the controversial suicide scene, instead opting for an equally tragic, but poignant scene, where Butterfly hands over her mixed-race son to an American family, saving him from a future of internment.
Phil Chan’s Madama Butterfly is an excellent subversion of racist tropes in opera, and a critical insight into the experience of Asian-Americans during WWII. Chan transforms the character of Butterfly from a fetishised, doomed, and hopelessly romantic Geisha figure, to an empowered woman with her dreams of a career in show business.
3. Mark Ravenhill’s La Bohème
Ravenhill’s queer adaptation of La Bohème retains the tragedy of the original, set during the AIDs crisis of the 1990s.
Ravenhill’s reimagination of La Bohème bears distinct similarities to the musical Rent, which was developed during the same year. But in many respects, Ravenhill’s adaptation remains truer to Puccini’s original opera, featuring Puccini’s original score, with a new English libretto by David Eaton, Adam Spreadbury-Maher, and Philip Lee.
The opera centres around several characters, Rob, a struggling writer, Mimi, his lover, and Rob’s straight housemates – Marcello, and aspiring model Musetta. Swapping tuberculosis for AIDS, and the female lead of Mimi for Lucas, who is known by Mimi on his Grindr profile,
Ravenhill’s reinterpretation is equally as devastating, while masterfully integrating moments of humour in the form of pop-culture references. The opera retains its quintessential themes of hedonism, passion, and artistic poverty while updating its appeal for a modern queer audience.
Ravenhill’s adaptation is heartfelt and undeniably vulnerable, echoing his own lived experience of losing a loved one to AIDS. But despite the bleak subject matter, he can conjure brief moments of joy and passion, in an earnest tribute to Puccini’s classic opera.
This modern reinvention of Puccini’s classic is a glimpse into the lives of the people and communities affected by the AIDS crisis, artfully woven together by a devastating, yet touching plot.
Want to see what opera can offer modern audiences? Why not give one of these shows a try!
Superlocrian 