Romeo and Juliet: A Review

“Romeo and Juliet” by Minnesota Opera is at the Ordway from now through November 10^th, 2024. This nearly three-hour-long Charles Gounod opera somehow flies by, pulling viewers through the familiar and ever-tragic tale of Juliet and her Romeo.

Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet” is a favorite of Minnesota Opera, which has now been staged by the company four times. The 2024 production is a remount of Matthew Ozawa’s 2016 adaptation, which is a prime example of the elegance and minimalism that often serves as a trademark for Minnesota Opera.

The design of this production is returning for a reason. There is an airy quality to the set that is hard to effectively capture with words. Most of the recurring elements of the set are floating. Whether it is the swords, frames, and oversized roses or the sheer, waterfalling curtain suspended from the rafters, there is a relentless weightlessness to the visual storytelling in this staging of “Romeo and Juliet” that is incredibly compelling.

Sarah Bahr’s costuming is gorgeous, leaning deep into elegant period styles with understated hues of Capulet red and Montague blue. Juliet’s deconstructed dress is easily the pièce de résistance here. Her all-white dress is modernized with its sheer sleevelets, lacy wristlets, and a shrug-style vest and collar that give Juliet’s dress a trendy peekaboo effect while maintaining the overall aesthetics of the time.

Performances are great across the board. Victoria Vargas as Gertrude is as funny as she is threatening. Charles H. Eaton is a charismatic rogue of a Mercutio. Adam Lau’s bass is to die for and his comedic chops as Friar Laurence are so good.

Due to an extreme height difference, Romeo (Evan LeRoy Johnson) and Juliet (Jasmine Habersham) are initially a jarring visual mismatch. The scene in which they fall in love was almost unnerving, with Johnson alternatively lurking in the background and towering over Habersham. That said, both performers worked hard to establish chemistry between their Romeo and Juliet and the intensely complementary quality of their voices makes it clear why the casting was made.

Spoiler alert for anyone who somehow doesn’t know the ins and outs of the Western world’s favorite love story, but Romeo’s fight to the death with Tybalt (Angel Vargas) after Mercutio was slain was quite possibly my favorite part of this production, so kudos to Fight Director Mason Tyer for his work on that.

I recommend “Romeo and Juliet” to anyone who saw and loved the 2016 production, people who love minimalist set design, and anyone who needs to escape into a beautiful piece of art for a few hours this weekend.

You still have three chances to see “Romeo and Juliet” at the Ordway. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased by phone ((612) 333-6669) or online — website listed below.

mnopera.org/romeo-and-juliet