La Belle Hélène
La Belle Hélène (2000) Théâtre du Châtelet. Offenbach / French
153 mins
This is a joy from beginning to end. Although there are many tricks and ideas from Laurent Pelly, as always he seems to still retain the Offenbach magic. La Lott and Monsieur Beuron are a joy, but so is everyone else. The Patriotic Trio by the sea is both a hoot and wonderfully sung, the score seems truly complete yet never flags and the finale sequences for especially acts 1 & 2 are a joy of movement and sound fused as one glorious Offenbachian moment.
Eric Huchet
Achille, roi de Phthiotis
Alain Gabriel
Ajax premier, roi de Salamine
Laurent Alvaro
Ajax deuxième, roi des Locriens
José Canalès
Philocome
Laurent Pelly
Director