More than a year of preparation and a two-hour long piece. Saturday January 25, at 8:30 p.m., then Sunday January 26 at 3 p.m., the Aniciens vocal ensemble will return to the Puy-en-Velay theater, after 10 years of absence, during two particularly anticipated performances. The choir will perform The Princess of Trebizonda play in three acts by the German composer, Jacques Offenbach. “It’s an opera buffa which is relatively little known today,” explains Judith Peyron, the musical director of the Aniciens. Yet at the time, it was one of the most performed works,” she assures.
An original and current staging
The troupe will therefore try to put it back in the spotlight. To achieve this, she will rely on two key people who participated in the last show, namely Lionel Alès for the direction and Raphaël Brunon for the direction of the Ateliers des Arts orchestra. The two men immediately said “Yes” to come back and support the association. “We have been participating for some time and we always look forward to these moments,” explains Raphaël Brunon, admiring the work of the troupe which, in addition to rehearsing, participates in the creation of the sets and costumes.
And new this year, the orchestra will be made up of three quarters of female musicians and many young people will participate in the show. On the staging side, the Aniciens therefore chose a safe bet to direct the adaptation. If the original story tells the life of fairground people who, after winning the jackpot in the lottery, buy a castle only to end up regretting their previous life, Lionel Alès will add his touch to propel the story into the world of today. “We had the idea of moving the story into a factory occupation,” explains Lionel Alès. So, after having walked off the job and while they occupy the premises, the workers tell each other their dreams and end up playing the lottery. The scenes will follow one another in an industrial setting.
In total, 25 people will take over the stage of the Théâtre du Puy with members of the association and professional soloists who will come especially for the occasion. Among them, we can count Richard Savoine, Stéphanie Bruni, Julien Courtois and Michel Huet. A few weeks before going on stage, impatience now reigns in the troupe. “For some, it’s the first time they’re going to play in the theater. So obviously, there is anticipation and excitement,” concludes Judith Peyron.
All the information.
The two performances will take place on Saturday January 25 at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday January 26 at 3 p.m. at the Théâtre du Puy-en-Velay. Prices range from 5 euros (under 18s and students) up to 28 euros depending on positioning in the room. Reservations are still available on the site: spectacle-envelay.com.
