Picture this: the curtain rises, revealing a magic show in full swing. A woman sawed in half, a man suspended mid-air as his chair vanishes. Left alone on stage, their conversation unveils a startling truth—this married couple has endured for 157 years and counting. Welcome to the surreal, time-bending world of Love Life, Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner’s “concept” musical, now electrifying audiences in a rare staging by Opera North.
Prepare to embark on a kaleidoscopic journey through the ages as eternal spouses Sam and Susan Cooper navigate the ever-shifting landscape of love and modernity. In Matthew Eberhardt’s ingenious production, with minimalist yet striking designs by Zahra Mansouri, the Coopers remain in timeless black, their backdrop a stark assembly of steel girders and risers. In vibrant contrast, a colorful parade of vaudevillians takes the stage, their gilded theatricality accentuating each era’s concerns.
A Kaleidoscope of Talent
Love Life boasts a staggering ensemble of nearly 60 roles, masterfully embodied by Opera North’s chorus. They revel in a dizzying array of guises:
- Madrigal singers
- Magicians’ assistants
- A barbershop quartet crooning warnings of love’s demise
- A trio of Shirley Temple-esque tots heralding the neuroses of modern motherhood
Standout performances abound, from Themba Mvula’s snakily charming Magician to Justin Hopkins’ world-weary Hobo. Dancers Holly Saw and Max Westwell, choreographed by Will Tuckett, dazzle in a pas de deux straight out of Hollywood’s golden age.
Eternal Lovers, Timeless Trials
At the heart of this whirlwind lie Sam and Susan themselves, deepening in emotional resonance with every encounter. Quirijn de Lang’s Sam cuts a sardonic figure, his sinewy baritone belying the unease beneath songs of smug satisfaction like “Here I’ll Stay” and “This Is the Life”. Opposite him, Stephanie Corley’s Susan radiates slow-building grit, even as vocal indisposition places her stunning musical moments in the spotlight of chorus member Katie Sharpe.
“Good economics … awfully bad for love”
– Barbershop Quartet, Love Life
Bringing Weill’s Vision to Life
Under the baton of Weill specialist James Holmes, the Orchestra of Opera North navigates the score’s genre-bending terrain with aplomb, its jazz stylings especially scintillating in the Roaring Twenties. That this rarely staged work will gain immortality via Opera North’s forthcoming cast recording, the first of its kind, is a fitting tribute to Love Life‘s enduring themes and Weill’s groundbreaking vision.
As the Coopers waltz through the decades, their journey a surreal yet strikingly relevant mirror for our own, one thing becomes clear: in Opera North’s hands, Love Life is a dazzling dance with time itself—and an unforgettable night at the theatre.
