Review by William Chan
The Macau Experimental Theatre’s Gianni Schicchi – Giacomo Puccini’s only comic opera – performed last weekend (April 18-19), was astounding.
The opera* is a one-act show lasting merely an hour, which is not only ideal for the Black Box Theatre at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM), where audiences are comfortable with a more direct, single-sitting experience, but also well-suited to the preferences of contemporary viewers. This makes it one of the best classical operas to be adapted for modern times.
The overall performance was very fluent, though the first few sections felt weaker due to the need to introduce the story quickly. The side performers arguably varied in their singing skills, and the staging appeared a bit chaotic. However, Gianni Schicchi has some degree of intentional chaos written into the ensemble scenes, so the production choices were not unfaithful to the opera. The plot itself became well understood by the end.
The opera was performed in Italian, its original language. Instead of an orchestra, a piano was used due to production constraints. The pianist managed to hold everything together, but the acoustic songs lacked the comedic feel of a full orchestration – especially from the wind sections – an understandable trade-off.
Then the performance’s main character, Gianni Schicchi, stormed onto the stage. Played by Hong Kong baritone Michael Lam Chun Ting, he was perfectly cast – very comedic in his acting, but also a true testament to how a singer’s voice can convey a character’s personality in an instant. Lam immediately captivated the entire audience. The initial sections, carried by witty direction and good stage settings, set the comedic tone. Lam, alongside local classical soprano Vivian Ng Wai Hang (who played Lauretta, Gianni Schicchi’s daughter), carried the latter sections with their incredible, emotion-filled singing voices. Ng’s solo “O mio babbino caro” (“Oh, my dear daddy”) and Lam’s playful vocal delivery – especially in “Si corre dal notaio” (“Let’s run to the notary”) – elevated the entire production to another level.
Lastly, credit must be given to the show’s director, Johny Tam (譚智泉), whom the Post interviewed weeks ago** when he shared the production process with us.
Gianni Schicchi was a great choice for the local audience, and it felt like a very well-crafted Hong Kong family inheritance drama that resonated with local viewers. His intimate staging in the black box theatre created a “music salon” atmosphere. Tam aimed to challenge conventional perceptions of opera, demonstrating its flexibility and relevance in a more accessible, life-like context – and he was quite successful.
Sitting in the back row of the black box theatre, I still felt the full force of the singers, something I can hardly say for the Grand Auditorium, and even the Small Auditorium, at the Macau Cultural Centre. The stage settings were also very clean and efficient.
With only two shows being held in a 160-seat venue, this puts additional constraints on the production budget. Nevertheless, it was a relief to see that both performances achieved a full house — and that a well-crafted performance, as well as an appreciative audience, still exists in Macau.
*In Puccini’s one-act comic opera Gianni Schicchi, the wealthy Buoso Donati has just died, and his greedy relatives gather to mourn – though they are far more interested in his fortune. When they discover that Buoso’s will leaves everything to a local monastery, they fall into despair. Desperate to rewrite the will, they turn to the clever, working-class Gianni Schicchi for help. After his daughter Lauretta pleads with him in the famous aria “O mio babbino caro,” Schicchi agrees to impersonate the dead man. He summons a notary and dictates a new will – but outsmarts the scheming relatives by leaving the most valuable assets to himself. The relatives are left empty-handed and furious, while Schicchi, having secured his daughter’s dowry and her future with her beloved Rinuccio, cheekily asks the audience for forgiveness. – DeepSeek
**
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Hong Kong baritone Michael Lam Chun Ting sings, accompanied by local pianist Sandra Poon Ho Suet at the final section of Gianni Schicchi.
Director Johny Tam (centre) speaks to the audience after Saturday’s performance at the Black Box Theatre II.
Soprano Vivian Ng Wai Hang sings what is by far the most famous aria from the entire opera (and one of the most beloved soprano arias in all opera): “O mio babbino caro” (“Oh, my dear daddy”) . – Photos: Bob Wong
