No production can equal the US premiere three years ago in Berkeley.  Mark
Morris' adaptation, direction and choreography of Rameau's "Platee" in
Zellerbach Hall was among the most delightful shows in any opera fan's
experience.  But "Platee" is back and even without the startling novelty
of the premiere, it's really terrific.

The funniest swamp since Pogo, a Julie Taymor fantasy (without a Disney
budget), a prequel to the anthropomorphic zoo of "The Cunning Little
Vixen," this revived, re-energized ancient work is bristling with life,
from the orchestra pit to Mercure's balloon descending from the top of
the stage.  Down below, Nicholas McGegan directed an urgent, sprightly,
cohesive performance of his Philharmonia Baroque and Marika Kuzma's UC
Berkeley Chamber Chorus.  Adrianne Lobel's fanciful set, Isaac Mizrahi's
fantastic costumes still dazzle, and with one exception, the cast is as
brilliant or better than back then.

To celebrate the wedding of Louis XVI-to-be to the famously plain-looking
Maria Teresa of Spain, Rameau whipped up an opera about the misalliance of
Jupiter and a water nymph so ugly that eventually she is laughed off the
stage - all this to convince Juno of Jupiter's fidelity.  Makes no sense?
Yes, it doesn't.  But what we know for sure is that serving the court of
Louis XV, Rameau provided a spectacle and entertainment, an excuse, really,
for dance and general merriment.

This is just fine with Morris, whose Dance Group performs a veritable
evening-length ballet, those marvelous dancers flying around with
infectious vitality, in the manner of "Hard Nut" for grownups.  Lizards,
alligators, peacocks, blue jays, ducks, robins, and satyrs combine
winningly in that amazing Morris mix of deceptively primitive, intricate,
occasionally dazzling choreography.  This time around, the standouts among
dancers included Marjorie Folkman (alligator, the rear of the Jupiter
horse, and manic baby on order of the GotMilk.com cutie) and the Leapin'
Aquilons - John Heginbotham, Peter Kyle, Bradon McDonald, Gregory Nuber.

After so many appearances in the title role - with all the swamp life,
Jupiter as both ends of a dancing horse or as the hilarious owl, copulating
turtles, etc.  around him - Jean-Paul Fouchecourt is as vocally excellent
and consistently endearing as ever, giving ugly amphibians a good name.
Philip Salmon's Mercure is even more of a vocal/theatrical triumph than
Mark Padmore provided back in 1998.

A wonderful improvement is Amy Burton's Folie (and, less, L'Amour) over
the occasional wobbles from the once-great Nicole Tibbels in the premiere.
Burton is simply flawless, and to do that in this vocally tortuous role is
an amazing accomplishment.  Lisa Saffer did very well as Thalie/Clarine,
but I did miss Christine Brandes in those roles (performances that
established the young singer's potential and credibility on stage after
many triumphs in the smaller settings of churches and recital halls).

Bernard Deletre is reprising his resounding Momus/Jupiter, his voice is
even richer.  Right up there:  Mary Philips' Junon, Marcos Pujol's
Satyr/Citheron, John McVeigh's Momus.

If you want to appreciate Morris' work, try to picture "Platee" in the
static, restrained, stately setting it must have been produced in its time.
What makes Morris' contribution so valuable is not just the jazzing up,
the whirlwind of breathless action, but rather his surprisingly faithful
realization of the text, albeit with twists and hilarious subtexts.  Anyone
can "modernize" an opera, but few can bring it to LIFE as well as Morris
did here.

Janos Gereben/SF
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