By Lora Oehlberg
Town Crier Intern
Stage director Christopher Harlan plays with philosophical questions of good and evil in West Bay Opera’s upcoming production of “Faust.”
“I’ve cut away everything that’s expected,” said Harlan. “With ‘Faust,’ everyone asks, ‘How does the devil arrive? How do the magic tricks happen?’ I’ve flipped everything around that from the very get go.”
Charles Gounod’s French opera “Faust” opens at 8 p.m., Friday, and continues through Oct. 21. The opera is abundant with lustrous melodies, brilliant arias and duets, ecstatic professions of love, the mocking songs of a sardonic Mephistopheles, and the sweeping melodies of the famous waltz.
The opera follows Goethe’s drama of the philosopher Faust (Benoit Gendron and Gabriel Reoyo-Pazos), who turns to the devil Mephistopheles (John Minagro and Michael Morris) in order to win the heart of Marguerite (Karen Frankenstein and Deborah Mayhan).
While Marguerite’s brother Valentin is away at war, Marguerite is left in the care of Siebel (Sonia Garieff and Margaret Lisi), who professes his love to her.
“The real hero in ‘Faust’ is God. A great deal of God’s role has been forgotten, though the original story is a bet between God and the devil. Faust the person is just a pawn,” Harlan said. In Harlan’s interpretation of the opera, God resumes his vital role as the victor over man’s soul.
Morris, who is also the choir director at Los Altos United Methodist Church, has performed in 17 other roles for West Bay Opera - from Figaro in “The Marriage of Figaro” to the Dutchman in “The Flying Dutchman.”
He played the four villains in “The Tales of Hoffman” in West Bay Opera’s last season.
“In a role like (Mephistopheles), the real trick is not to make him look unattractive. There has to be a reason why these people want his services, why they want him to stick around,” said Morris. “The director [Harlan] has brought out some of the humor in the score and his character, as well as some of the prankster. The evil, demonic side only comes out a couple of times.”
Gounod used two types of harmonic devices - tri-tones (augmented fourths), which were once known as “the devil’s interval,” and diminished sevenths - to convey musically Mephistopheles’ dark side to the audience.
In addition, Gounod used the bass voice for Mephistopheles instead of a tenor since the bass is considered to have more presence.
West Bay Opera will continue its season with an English translation of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” in February, followed by Puccini’s “La Bohème” in May.
“Faust” (in French with supertitles) will be performed at the Lucie Stern Center in Palo Alto at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday. Performances are also scheduled for 8 p.m., Oct. 19 and 20, and 2 p.m., Oct. 21.
Tickets are $38, with a special $19 ticket for those under 18 for Sunday matinees.
For more information, call the West Bay Opera box office at 424-9999, 1-6 p.m., Monday through Friday, or logon to www.wbopera.org.
Tickets may also be purchased directly at the Holt Building, 221 Lambert St., Palo Alto.
