De Nationale Opera - L'étoile

Those who used to read my previous blog will know I used to go to the opera quite frequently. It all started with the fact I had a friend working at the ENO, then there were the cheap last minute Access All Arias tickets (I hate planning things 6months in advance which is what you have to do to go to the ROH - I did go there 3 or 4 times), then there was a (very musical) friend whose boyfriend was an opera singer... One thing lead to another and I must have gone to over 20 operas (at least 33, I went to my post to count them and I know I missed a couple).
As a leaving gift my colleagues did a collection and got me a ticket to go to the opera here in Amsterdam. I know my friend was heavily involved in that! So yesterday I went to see L'Étoile at the National Opera. As Wikipedia put it, L'étoile is an opéra bouffe in three acts by Emmanuel Chabrier with a libretto by Eugène Leterrier and Albert Vanloo. It was sang in French and was surtitled in both English and Dutch; you can also download a free (!!) programme from the website. It was indeed a very funny opera, the sets and costumes were really very good and I really liked the voice of  Stéphanie d’Oustrac (Lazuli).  All other singers were pretty good as well. The choir was not always very easy to understand. The venue is smaller and newer than the Coliseum (or the ROH) with good acoustics and very comfy with loads of leg room! Unfortunately the seats are sooo good, comfy, there is so much leg room and there aren't many stairs (and they are not Amsterdam style) that you have to seat forward most of the time to be able to see the stage if you are in the 2nd balcon on the seats on the side. However, there were loads of empty seats, which was a shame, but meant I (and many others) moved to seats to those that were facing the stage and you can see better from those.

Me all ready to start singing!!! (yes carrying the new Hugo Boss Bag Berlin)

Muzikale leiding: Patrick Fournillier
Dramaturgie: Agathe Mélinand
Koor: Koor van De Nationale Opera
Instudering: Nicholas Jenkins
Ouf I: Christophe Mortagne
Lazuli: Stéphanie d’Oustrac
La Princesse Laoula: Hélène Guilmette
Siroco: Jérôme Varnier
Hérisson de Porc-Épic: Elliot Madore
Aloès: Julie Boulianne
Tapioca: François Piolino
Patacha: François
Soons Zalzal: Harry Teeuwen
Le Maître: Jeroen van Glabbeek
Le Chef de la Police: Richard Prada
Les Demoiselles d'Honneur: Hrafnhildur Árnadóttir*, Lilian Farahani*, Zinzi Frohwein*, Sidsel Aja Eriksen*, Merlijn Runia*, Chloe Schaaf*