New Zealand Opera: Rossini’s Le Comte Ory

So the lads are out of town for a while, and they’ve left their ladies behind.

Enter Count Ory: a schemer to be sure, but more than a little hapless. He’s dead set on making the most of the men’s absence – and he’s especially keen on winning the affections of Countess Adèle. Unfortunately for him, Adèle wasn’t born yesterday, so she’s not having a bar of his nonsense. And while he’s so fixated on his own schemes, Ory’s completely clueless about the fact that his supposedly trusty sidekick, Isolier, also has grand plans for the countess.

Intrigued? You will be. A whirlwind blend of silly and sublime, Le comte Ory’s music and script are bursting with Rossini’s trademark pizzazz, with a contemporary (and very Kiwi) staging by Simon Phillips and Tracy Grant Lord breathing new and vivid life into the work. And let’s not forget our pièce de résistance: an outrageous three-in-a-bed romp with over fourteen minutes of slow-burn musical sensuality.

There’s a lot we can’t give away just yet, but we’ll say this: prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of deception, intrigue, and a dash of playful flirtation, all wrapped up in some of the smoothest Rossini tunes you’ve ever heard.