Of Mice and Men – Opera Australia

John Steinbeck’s 1936 novella Of Mice and Men, as well as being a staple high-school reading text, has had numerous adaptations: two movies, two television versions and even an off-Broadway musical. American composer Carlisle Floyd’s 1970 opera premiered in Sydney to critical acclaim earlier this year, and Melbourne audiences are lucky to see the same production hot off the presses, as it were.

Presented by: Opera AustraliaVenue: State Theatre, the Arts Centre Opening Night, Thursday, 26 November 2011
John Steinbeck’s 1936 novella Of Mice and Men, as well as being a staple high-school reading text, has had numerous adaptations: two movies, two television versions and even an off-Broadway musical. American composer Carlisle Floyd’s 1970 opera premiered in Sydney to critical acclaim earlier this year, and Melbourne audiences are lucky to see the same production hot off the presses, as it were.
Set in depression era America, Of Mice and Men is the story of two itinerant farm workers, Lennie and George, who dream of one day owning their own small farm. George has promised to look after Lennie, a grown man with the mind of a child but the strength of a giant, who is fated to kill the things he most loves. They arrive to work on a ranch owned by Curly, but “the best laid plans of mice and men” go awry through the mindless actions of Curly’s frustrated wife. 
Leading the cast is the superb American tenor Anthony Dean Griffey. Having already performed the role numerous times in international productions, Griffey epitomises the tragic, pitiful character of Lennie Small with acting and stagecraft of a quality that we rarely get to see on the Australian opera stage. Griffey’s sweet lyric voice compliments the sensitivity of his characterisation, but has enough power to project effortlessly over the dense orchestration. In addition his diction is flawless (Australian singers, look and learn!), making it possible for the audience to ignore the surtitles and concentrate on the drama. 
As the boss of the ranch, Australian tenor Bradley Daley also shines. His confident commitment to the text in no way diminishes the power of his ringing voice, which is perfect for the domineering Curly. Barry Ryan (George), Jud Arthur (Candy) and Luke Gabbedy (Slim) are all excellent, as is Jacqueline Mabardi as the neglected Wife. 
Floyd’s libretto dispenses with much of Steinbeck’s dialogue, creating a sparse but emotionally powerful representation of the intrinsic dilemma of the characters. The score has a melodramatic quality that speaks strongly of 60’s movies and the unsubtle musical telegraphing of impending drama takes some getting used to.  The intensity is broken up however with moments of light orchestration and even silence – a welcome quiet before the inevitable next storm. Orchestra Victoria play gloriously under the baton of Tom Woods, but as is often the case in the State Theatre, the words of many of the singers are lost when the music takes flight. 
Director Bruce Beresford and designer John Stoddart have created a realistic representation of masculine farm culture, with settings that reinforce the bleakness of the depression era. Unfortunately the American accents of many of the principals are inconsistent, and but for Griffey and Daley, we could possibly be in Australia. However during the prolonged entr’actes we are firmly relocated in the US with the projection on a front screen of various Thomas Hart Benton paintings. Benton’s stylized representations of ranch life are a highlight of the show, and provide a welcome distraction from the thumping noises of the scene changes that they mask.  
The final projection though dispenses with Benton, and has instead a short movie of the pursuit of Lennie by George and the rest of the men. This hyper-realistic medium is incongruous with the imaginative space we’ve inhabited for two hours, plus the pursuit is through a forest and the next stage scene finds Lennie emerging from a corn field. Lennie’s climactic scene is then marred by a clumsy entrance and exit of the posse – what a pity these last minutes let down what till then is a moving night of theatre.  Until 10 December, 2011