Sweden Evelyn Jons and Sven Fridolfsson, Julglitter och operakaos (Tinsel and Tumult): Soloists of Gothenburg Opera, Gothenburg Opera Chorus and Children’s Choir / Lars Kvensler (conductor). Gothenburg Opera most important stage, 16.12.2022. (NS)
Production:
Lyrics, Book and selection of Music – Evelyn Jons
Composition and Musical association – Sven Fridolfsson
Director – Mattias Palm
Choreography – Gustaf Jönsson
Set and Costume design – Lars Peder Lindström
Makeup design – Lill Dahlgren
Lighting design – Joakim Brink
Sound design – Dennis Barkewell
Cast:
Claude Teatrale – Lars Hjertner
Beate Bella Bravura – Carolina Sandgren
Santa Claus – Åke Zetterström
Olga Koljada – Annalena Persson
Fredrik Polyeten – Sami Yousri
Ellen Osynlig – Ingalill Wagelin
Vera Sorgmod – Micaela Sjöstedt
Signe Sorgmod – Karin Mårtenson Ghods
Julia Sorgmod – Julia Carlström
Snyggo-Lusse – Benjamin Lyche/Eskil Rosengren Lundqvist/Ella Lisak/Lina Reinedahl
Rumper, Trumper, Slumper, Klumper (Santa’s reindeer) – Henrik Andersson, Dardan Bakraqi, Marcus Liljedahl,
Herrbjörn Tordarson
Violinist – Anna Wirdefelt
Tinsel and Tumult is a Christmas musical premiered for Christmas 2021 and revived this 12 months. With a brief working time of 1 hour and quarter-hour it’s squarely ‘family friendly’ however nonetheless proved completely pleasurable to your grown-up, childless correspondent. Evelyn Jons’ e-book and lyrics inform a easy story with humour aimed each at youngsters and adults but in addition enable the characters to develop some depth. The music is especially preparations of much-loved carols, to which the lyrics have clearly been lovingly crafted.
The motion is about on the Gothenburg Opera throughout rehearsals for a Christmas present, the place frictions erupt with the prima donna (Carolina Sandgren) and the singer enjoying Santa Claus (Åke Zetterström). Santa Claus is dissatisfied together with his typecast character and needs to reinterpret Santa Claus as extra fashionable and fewer fats. The harassed director Claude Teatrale (Lars Hjertner) takes a break in a storeroom for units and runs into three ghosts, the sisters Sorgmod. To them he opens up – it seems that Claude Teatrale, graduate of a fancy conservatoire in Paris, is an invention; he’s actually Sonny Karlsson, a farmer’s son from a rural backwater who had no formal coaching however a pure directing expertise which led to success in novice theatre. But nation bumpkin Sonny couldn’t break into the snooty world of opera so needed to create himself a personality with a brand new title and a faux CV to make use of his expertise the place it belonged. And now he finds his skills being wasted on a dumbed-down Christmas present for kids. Mr Hjertner eloquently and humorously defined this in ‘Jag är tråkig och heter Sonny’, to the tune of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’.
The sisters Sorgmod (Micaela Sjöstedt, Karin Mårtenson Ghods and Julia Carlström) make an excellent trio however are additionally well-characterised as people. Many years in the past the three women had been left on the opera by their mom who disappeared, and pined away for lack of affection thus turning into ghosts who hang-out the opera home. This backstory is movingly described to the tune of the Wexford carol in ‘När dunkla minnen väcks till liv’. But faint recollections of affection and marvel are overwhelmed by the director’s distress and their very own sense of abandonment, main the sisters to swear revenge by sabotaging the Christmas present. This scene was terrifically spooky, with the sisters elevating the roof along with a vividly costumed Gothenburg Opera Chorus and an onstage violinist (‘Vi ska hämnas’).
Not solely the (grownup) refrain however above all of the Gothenburg Opera Children’s Chorus are central to many scenes. The youngsters had been splendidly versatile, equally excellent in a contemplative processional in ‘När dunkla minnen väcks till liv’ as they had been in a boisterous choir observe session together with two solos including fart jokes to the lyrics, a lot to choir chief Olga Koljada’s (Annalena Persson) fury. Olga Koljada’s character was properly drawn, with each an amusing tackle voice coach jargon and hidden depths that see her main a counterattack towards the magical theft of Beate Bella Bravura’s voice and Santa Claus’ bells by the sisters Sorgmod. Fredrik Polyeten the rehearsal pianist (Sami Yousri) and Ellen Osynlig the PA (Ingalill Wagelin) had been additionally humorous however sympathetic characterisations of a few of the ‘invisible’ people who find themselves important to an opera home.
Of course this Christmas story ends fortunately. Carolina Sandgren gave a hilarious portrayal of the foibles of prima donna Beate Bella Bravura however was additionally convincing as her character revealed a higher generosity than one would anticipate in sincerely welcoming the sisters Sorgmod into the opera group. Åke Zetterström’s Santa Claus acquired his approach in “updating” his characterisation with a contact of rock star as he led a improbable association of Per Umaerus’ music ‘Schyssta paket’, with its transferring message to ‘give what you need – kindness’ for Christmas. The Gothenburg Opera Orchestra beneath Lars Kvensler’s baton had been clearly having fun with themselves and produced a wealthy sound whereas preserving a wonderful steadiness with the singers. I hope this pleasant musical is revived once more for Christmas 2023.
Niklas Smith