A Handel opera can always be a hit (Ariodante) or a miss (Messiah). The operas were written at a time when the stage directions were essentially this: one person comes on stage, sings a solo standing perfectly still, and then exits before the next person enters. We are all quite grateful for how much the art form has evolved since then. However, the lack of prescribed movement in the original can give a canny director a lot of space to be creative. This is exactly what director Johanna Wehner did in the Bayerische Staatsoper’s production of Alcina.
The set (from stage designer Benjamin Schönecker) was two stories tall, with entrances from multiple sides, a spiral staircase, and a mezzanine for characters to swan about. The colors in the costumes (from costume designer Ellen Hofmann) and set reminded me of a 1970s Florida home, but only in the best way. Per the program, the directing team is known for their “idiosyncratically bizarre worldviews,” and this came across delightfully. Alcina is the ruler of a magical island kingdom; this felt like exactly the time to lean into a colorful palette.
Soprano Jeanine De Bique was absolutely marvelous in the title role. She commanded the stage as the legendary queen in a hot pink satin pantsuit. She was powerful and dynamic in a baroque role that could have been played stiffly. Countertenor John Holiday (and fellow Texan!) was delightfully louche and flamboyant as the enspelled Ruggiero.
Fun story: I almost missed the opera entirely because I went to the wrong theater; the production was at the smaller Prinzregententheater rather than the main Nationaltheater. Luckily, the Munich public transit system came in clutch, and I made it with a few minutes to spare. It would have been a shame to miss it.
Opera: Alcina
Composer: George Frideric Handel
Venue: Bayerische Staatsoper
Date: July 28, 2026
Link: https://www.staatsoper.de/en/productions/alcina/
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