A scene from Guangzhou Opera House's production of Le Docteur Miracle. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Guangzhou Opera House staged its production of Le Docteur Miracle by French composer Georges Bizet from Dec 31 to Jan 1, offering audience with this delightful work at the start of the New Year.
Bizet wrote the piece when he was just 18 for a competition. He shared first prize with Charles Lecocq. His reward was to have the piece performed 11 times with the premiere taking place in 1857 in Paris.
Set against the backdrop of the middle of the 19th century, the operetta in one act opens with the Mayor, his second wife Veronica, and his daughter, Laurette, sitting on their terrace. They hear a loud noise and see a door-to-door salesperson, Doctor Miracle, selling his cure-all remedy. Unknown to the family, Doctor Miracle is really Silvio, a military captain in disguise who is in love with Laurette.
Laurette is soon lost in her own thoughts, singing of her love for Silvio. However, her father already has plans for her to marry the local chemist. Silvio has to disguise himself again — as a chef — making a "poisoned omelet" to spend some time with Laurette. Doctor Miracle appears again, offering the remedy, but only if the Mayor is granted Laurette's hand in marriage.
A scene from Guangzhou Opera House's production of Le Docteur Miracle. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Soprano Jiang Jiatian, 20, plays the role of Laurette, her first major performance at the Guangzhou Opera House. A winner of the Young Voices Alpe Adria International Vocal Competition 2024, Jiang is pursing her studies at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing under the guidance of soprano Song Yuanming.
Guangzhou Opera House's production of Le Docteur Miracle was first staged at the venue in September with a successful sold-out premiere.
A special section becomes a highlight of the production, when the characters freeze in a pose (freeze frame shot), and the audience is invited to throw paper airplanes with messages written on them toward the stage. They offer suggestions and advice to the characters who read the messages aloud and improvise responses, integrating them into the operetta.
A scene from Guangzhou Opera House's production of Le Docteur Miracle. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
