Houston Grand Opera’s production of Britten’s Peter Grimes is garnering mixed reviews.

Everett Evans of the Houston Chronicle in his review titled, Musical genius overcomes misguided production concept in HGO’s Peter Grimes was most critical of the concept of the production:

“The reservations arise from director Neil Armfield’s production concept.

His decision to update the action, from the original 1830s to World War II, when Britten composed the opera, is not the problem. Tess Schofield’s workaday costumes aptly reflect the privations suffered in those years. Nor is it particularly damaging to make the small role of Dr. Crabbe (named for George Crabbe, author of the poem on which the opera is based) into an actual representation of the author, serving as silent witness throughout the proceedings – though not everyone will get the point.

The misjudgment is that Armfield has placed the entire opera within a large, nondescript meeting room of the town hall, as if the villagers are enacting the tale there. According to a program note, Armfield’s goal was to capture the raw excitement of a final rehearsal hall run-through and encourage the audience to imagine the tale’s seaside settings rather than having them depicted literally.”

While in his review, Houston Grand Opera delivers gripping, vivid Peter Grimes, Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News wrote:

“I can’t remember an evening in a theater more gripping than Houston Grand Opera’s Peter Grimes. Saturday night’s performance, at the Wortham Center, had red-hot singing, characters vividly realized, and electrifying choral singing and orchestral playing.”

Did you see HGO’s Peter Grimes?  What did you think of this production?

Every year the London Theater Society recognizes the best of London Theater with these awards named after legendary actor Laurence Olivier.  This year the nominees in musicals and opera are:

New Musical: Dreamboats and Petticoats, Priscilla Queen of the Desert,  Spring Awakening,  Sister Act.

Musical Revival: Annie, Get Your Gun,  Hello Dolly!,  A Little Night Music, Oliver!

Actress-Musical: Melanie C, Blood Brothers; Patina Miller, Sister Act; Samantha Spiro, Hello Dolly!; Hannah Waddington, A Little Night Music; Charlotte Wakefield, Spring Awakening.

Actor-Musical: Rowan Atkinson, Oliver!; Aneurin Barnard, Spring Awakening; Bob Golding, Morecambe; Alexander Hanson, A Little Night Music; Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Supporting Role-Musical: Sheila Hancock, Sister Act; Maureen Lipman, A Little Night Music; Kelly Price, A Little Night Music; Iwan Rheon, Spring Awakening.

Audience award for Most Popular Show: Billy Elliot, The Phantom of the Opera, War Horse, We Will Rock You, Wicked.

New Opera Production: Der Fliegende Hollander, Royal Opera; Lulu, Royal Opera; Peter Grimes, English National Opera; Tristan und Isolde, Royal Opera.

Did you catch any of these productions?  Who do you think should win?