The Consul
Gian Carlo Menotti
2014
Seattle Opera
Creative Team:
Conductor: Carlo Montanaro
Choreographer: Mark Haim
Set Design: David P. Gordon
Costume Design: Melanie Taylor Burgess
Lighting Design: Duane Schuler
Cast:
Magda Sorel: Marcy Stonikas / Vira Slywotzky
John Sorel: Michael Todd Simpson
Lucille Beer: Mother
Sarah Larson: The Secretary
Secret Police Agent: Steven Labrie
Mr. Kofner: Colin Ramsey
Foreign Woman: Deborah Nansteel
Anna Gomez: Dana Pundt
Vera Boronel: Margaret Gawrysiak
Nika Magadoff: Alex Mansoori
Critics noted the production’s emphasis on “two contrasting worlds”—a stark realism set against “unsettling dreams”—highlighting Kazaras’s psychologically driven approach to staging. His direction was further characterized by a willingness to “take risks” and actively challenge performers, resulting in a theatrically compelling and atmospherically rich realization of Menotti’s drama.
“This isn’t an opera for people who like to just sit back and not get involved. It’s an opera for people who yearn for the genuine connection of a theatrical experience”
Photo Credit: Elise Bakketun