Shameless, hilarious and a little bit cheeky! In the comical opera Orphée aux Enfers, master satirist Jacques Offenbach puts a twist on this classic myth. Eurydice hates the music of Orpheus, rejects her civilized life and therefore travels to the underworld with her lover Pluto. The gods, bored with their rich and powerful lives, decide to follow Eurydice. Their appearance in the underworld leads to an extravagant and liberating party, during which the “Galop infernal” dance (now better known as the can-can) erupts to a euphoric climax. 

Following the success of Fantasio (2019), Benjamin Prins directs another opera by Offenbach at Opera Zuid. Orphée aux Enfers is a parody of the ancient times and depicts the conflict between hell and paradise. ‘There is no good without evil, no responsibility without pleasure. Our current positive image of humanity is so one-sided, while humans are quite ambivalent. That’s what Offenbach wants to show us.’ The magic of the gods fits seamlessly with Offenbach’s vibrant music. ‘The music is vulnerable as a bubble ánd extremely extravagant.’

The opera is not only set in ancient times, the piece also touches on current events. ‘I play ping-pong with timelines’ says Prins. With a trip to the 18th century, a nod to 21st century politicians, and then returning to the Athenian Acropolis in the ancient times.

Offenbach’s famous operette gently mocks both mythology and humanity and features mortals in love, gods in disguise and lively melodies.

Source : Theater aan het Vrijthof Website