True ‘Tales’?

Joyce Scherer

This is a story with all the ingredients of a modern-day film: A

tortured, hard-drinking poet on a quest to find his perfect love. But all

he experiences is a string of seemingly failed and slightly bizarre

relationships that he shares with a group of tavern buddies. And in the

end, he realizes true fulfillment lays only in his poetry.

But Jaques Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffman,” presented by Opera Pacific on

Tuesday through April 23 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, is

not a cliched, contemporary story, but rather a witty and satirical

masterpiece penned more than 100 years ago.

“‘Hoffman’ is a truly inspired and fantastic opera -- melodious and

tuneful from beginning to end,” said artistic director John DeMain, who

conducts the production created by noted Shakespearean director Ian

Judge.

“The presentation is based on the critical edition by Fritz Oeser,”

Demain said. “In essence, Fritz Oeser’s edition is a combination of what

I think is the best of the new edition while preserving the best of old

edition. Of course we will never know what Offenbach wanted, but the

flavor of his theatrical style is there.”

“Tales of Hoffman” was only partially completed when Offenbach died in

1880. The production, which premiered a year after his death, was

completed by Ernest Guiraud, DeMain said. The 1819 German-born Offenbach,

whose father was a synagogue cantor, moved to Paris in 1833 to hone his skills as a cellist. However, a few years later he decided to pursue

composition and in 1839 wrote “Pascal et Chambord,” a vaudeville piece

which made him a popular salon musician. Eventually he would compose 113

stage works (some incomplete) and more than 200 (each) vocal and

instrumental works.

Among them “Orpheus in the Underworld,” which gained him international

status and the “Tales of Hoffman” considered his masterpiece and

containing the popular “Barcarolle.”

“He had quite a career as a Paris operatic king with tons of hit shows.

He was a precursor of our musical comedy today,” DeMain said. “But there

is no doubt his star had somewhat waned and he was looking for a way to

recapture his position musically. That is when he decided to really take

on a much more serious, more dimensional subject to capture the

imagination of the audience. And that is why we call ‘Tales of Hoffman’

his grand opera.”

DeMain also lauds Judge’s skills as a director, saying he injects fresh

vitality into the story of Hoffman and his four dysfunctional loves.

Judge is the recipient of eight Laurence Olivier Award nominations (Great

Britain) and three Green Room Awards (Australia).

Newport Beach resident Chad Berlinghieri, who has been with Opera Pacific

for six seasons, agrees with DeMain about Judge’s skills.

“He is phenomenal in his directions,” said the 27-year-old tenor who

plays Cochenille, the stuttering assistant to a scientist who creates one

of Hoffman’s loves, a beautiful, but mechanical female.

“I am like Igor was to Dr. Frankenstein,” he said. “I have some spoken

dialogue in French which I have to stutter through which is terribly

difficult, but totally funny.”

Starring in the production is Vinson Cole as Hoffman (April 18, 20, 22)

and Adam Klein who makes his Opera Pacific debut as Hoffman on April 23.

Soprano Jan Grissom portrays all four of Hoffman’s loves: Olympia,

Antonia, Giulietta and Stella, which according to DeMain is one of the

most significant aspects of Oeser’s score, restoring Offenbach’s

intention of having a single soprano portray all four loves who -- in

reality -- are different sides of the same woman. In addition, Richard

Bernstein sings all four of Hoffman’s nemeses and Zheng Cao portrays the

Muse and Nicklausse.

WHAT: Opera Pacific’s “Tales of Hoffman”

WHERE: Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town

Center, Costa Mesa

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and April 22; and 2 p.m. April 23

HOW MUCH: $32-$107

PHONE: (800) 346-7372