In the mid-twentieth century Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were the Beyonce and Jay Z of their time. Their stormy marriage and Communist political leanings garnered just as much press as their explosive creativity which catapulted Mexican art forms to the forefront of the art world. Years after her death Kahlo’s visage with her signature thick unibrow, would gaze hauntingly from gallery walls and street murals everywhere. Kahlo became a cult icon in the afterlife.
Lyric Opera of Chicago’s recent production of Gabriela Lena Frank’s El Ultimato Sueno de Frida y Diego, the Final Dream of Frida and Diego in English, is a sensation bordering on sensory overload. Blending elements of Grand Opera, spirituality, mysticism and Mexican ritual, it brings to life a story that transcends time and place.
Directed by Mexico’s Lorena Maza with sets designed by Jorge Ballina, and conducted by Mexico’s Roberto Kalb, the Ardis Krainik stage literally vibrates with the spirit of these two titans of modern art.
Eye-popping costumes by designer Eloise Kazan incorporate elements of Mexican ritual that further elaborate the mystical elements that drive the storyline.
Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz wrote the story which opens with a grief-stricken Diego (Mexican baritone Alfredo Daza) standing before a shrine commemorating the death of Kahlo (Argentine mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack).
Lyric favorite Ana Maria Martinez dominates the stage as Catrina, the caretaker of the spirits of the dearly departed.
It is not a stretch to note that the story unfolds on Mexico’s Day of the Dead, during which the dead are allowed to surface from the underworld for a single day to reunite with their loved ones.
In the opera, a sickened Diego wrestles with the prospect of reuniting with Kahlo for one last time.
The proposition is an especially fraught one for both Diego and Frida. It is not only so because of their stormy marriage, but also because of the almost daily pain Kahlo endures from a tragic bus accident which occurred when she was a teenager. The accident made her a virtual invalid throughout her life. Although she flourished in her art, she was tormented by agonizing pain both physical and emotional.
The supernatural subtext is brightened by counter tenor Key’mon Murrah who sings Leonardo, a dead actor who vamps as Greta Garbo. His antics along with the sarcastic wit and vocal gymnastics of Martinez lift the tone of the oftentimes grim affair.
Lyric Opera’s outstanding Chorus is seen and heard throughout and are an integral part of Frida y Diego. That, along with the scintillating music from Lyric’s fine orchestra makes this one of the most exciting offerings of this Lyric Opera season. For more information visit lyricopera.org.
