Barrie Kosky delights Berlin audiences once more with his new Perlen der Cleopatra , based on the operetta by Oscar Straus and currently being performed frequently in the Komische Oper Berlin.
Kosky fills the stage with witty and clever opulence, nodding — not for the first time — to the era of the Weimar Kabarett. Gorgeous and great fun — soloists, chorus, dancers and orchestra are all simply wonderful in this production. Dagmar Manzel as Cleopatra is unfailingly perfect; humor, voice, stage presence.
It is all there. Her hilarious Berliner dialect and charming asides have the audience roaring. Manzel is herself a Berliner, born in East Berlin in , and this role could have been written for her. Adam Benzwi conducts from the piano. Manzel lends an elegant chanson air to the evening.
Benzwi's re-writing of the opera greatly expands the role of the dancers, giving them much to do — and they add great brilliance. A member of the Komische Oper Ensemble since this man is a wonder of nature, performing in many varied roles, fantastically.
In this opera alone he performs two roles, bringing great character to the stage along with his superb tenor. Talya Lieberman, the only other female soloist in the opera, certainly holds her own and is very charismatic as Charmian, even performing repeatedly on the trumpet. Her English inserts into the dialogue add fun to the chaos. Dominik Körniger, at times clad only in pearls and always flicking his blond tresses to great comic effect, sings his role beautifully — a wonderful combination of artistry and good fun.
