Mr X.E. - Kyle Pfortmiller
Boy Angel - Kyle Bielfield
Girl Angel - Rosie K
Vocal ensemble - Rachel Kwok, Law Tsz-ying, Dominique Chan, Eleanor Chu, Keith Pun, Guddy Chan, Irwin Chan, Caleb Woo, Carlos Li
Hong Kong New Music Ensemble
Daniela Candillari (conductor)
Michael Joseph McQuiken (director)
The spectacular stage effects, which employed in this Asian premiere of Angel's Bone, were most impressive and a much desirable upgrade from the first performance at New York City in 2016. it gave the staging a chic outlook by using multimedia effectively. The use of revolving stage, simple furniture sets, sophisticated light designs, artistic projections and fluid choreography allowed a seamless and flowing performance. Proportionally it also made a spacious visual impression even the stage size is not particularly big.
The flexibility and progressiveness that this production successfully delivered serve as a good example for local opera companies to learn from than the clumsy unimaginative dramaturgy that has been prevailing. It has also demonstrated that chamber opera production, whether contemporary, classical or baroque, allows the repertoire list to expand and more mobile to be catered at smaller theatres.
Despite no printed programme was given except an online one, the story seems relatively straightforward to follow. Two shaken angels were taken into a religious driven household but terrified by the threatening Mr X.E.. The discontented Mrs X.E. desired to be socially glamorous than being an obedient housewife. She gradually seek comfort and satisfaction from the boy angel, yet the close affection got her pregnant. The girl angel was tormented by encounters with strangers and with the boy angel both emotionally broken. They were eventually thrown out by a raged and disgusted Mr X.E. at the discovery of his wife's infidelity. Mrs X.E. continued to struggle and begged for forgiveness to no avail.
Alike Elektra, it was a progression of mad house scenario. The domino effects of psychological break down and desperation culminated to a gripping and intensive end. Yet sentimentally I did not find the protagonists deserve the emotional pity. The narration was heavily bombarded by the emphasis on broken minds and driving to madness as with Mr X.E.. There were emotional corners when Mrs X.E. pleaded for redemption but lacked a convincing reason.
I also only realised the angels association to human trafficking and their abuse after reading the programme. At first the chanting, mention of annunciation and virginal conception in relation to Mrs X.E. and the boy angel were more apparent of a surreal psychological crisis. The use of amplification is debatable and it could have been less heavy to allow dynamic contrast and accommodate tenderness.
Under the direction of Dnaiela Candillari, the musical performance was dramatically rendered and sailed through some tricky music corners effectively. It was a great opportunity for local sourced musicians to showcase their talents along an international casted lead singers within a progressive stage experience. More is certainly welcomed in the future.
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