The stage is a set

The opening night performance of Opera Hong Kong's Aida on Tuesday lived up to expectations. A well-known classic film set in Ancient Egypt served as the backdrop, setting the tone for this cinema-inspired production of Aida. Cameras were wheeled in and out from time to time. The beginning of Act III created the feel of watching movie rushes. However, the homage to the movies came into its own with the ballet in Act II. The set being a throwback to Rome's Cinecitt Studios in the 1950s, the costumes were, well, fetching. The ballet, choreographed and performed well, was cheekily integrated with the film-set concept.

The opening night cast featured the tenor Riccardo Massi as Radames and Violeta Urmana as Amneris. Reginald Smith Jr. was a deep-voiced resonant Amonasro. This relative newcomer has a commanding stage presence. Tian Haojiang's deep, suave bass gave us a somewhat more empathetic-than-usual high priest.

But the night belonged to the soprano He Hui as Aida. Her voice was rich, lush, and as burnished as Egyptian copper. The director, Jean-Louis Grinda, wanted an Aida relevant for contemporary audiences, and He Hui gave him that. She created a believable character in whose thoughts and emotions the listener becomes inescapably entangled. When she sang, "O patria, quanto mi costi!" (My country, how much have you cost me!), the audience seemed to know exactly the extent of her suffering. The final applause seemed affectionate as well as enthusiastic.

(HK Edition 10/13/2017 page1)