Rats! Street Scene wasn’t as good as it could’ve been

From January 30–February 2, UBC Opera put on their version of Street Scene at the Chan Centre and unfortunately, it was a slightly underwhelming affair — save for select standout performances.

Street Scene was first written by Elmer Rice as a play — which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama — in 1929. Kurt Weill then adapted it into an opera of the same name, which premiered in New York in 1947. At the time, The New York Times reportedly reviewed the production as “A musical play of magnificence and glory . . . . With its music and dances, its chorales and lyrics, it finds the song of humanity under the argot of the New York streets,” per the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music.

The production follows Mrs. Maurrant, a mother stuck in an abusive relationship and having an affair to make up for it. All of her neighbours on the New York street have taken note of her infidelity and accuse her daughter, Rose, of the same when she is pursued by her married boss. Rose, however, is in a friends-to-lovers situation with their neighbour, Sam, who is desperately in love with her (to a fault). Eventually, Mr. Maurrant finds his wife and her lover in bed together and, in a fit of rage, kills them both. To avoid the police, he flees and when Rose finds out the fate of her parents, she breaks up with Sam to save him the future heartbreak she fears he’d face. The opera ends in a full circle moment, almost as if nothing had happened.

The script’s pacing was slow and some of the songs seemed unnecessary. Thematically, the depictions of class felt relevant today, but the reinforcement of gender norms and toxic relationships were extremely dated, especially since it didn’t leave the audience with any sense of reflection on why they were problematic.

However, considering the reputation enjoyed by UBC Opera, we were disappointed in the production value and overall performance.

Much of the choreography felt awkward — even just walking across the stage looked unnatural for some performers. The dance numbers, although part of the opera, took the audience by surprise, at times breaking our concept of narrative progression and leaving us to pick up the pieces.

With the play’s themes being toxic relationships, we expected some sort of physical manifestation of that on the stage. What was unexpected was how uncomfortable both the audience and performers were with it. When Rose was romantically pressured by her boss, or a suitor showed affections for Mae Jones, knots formed in our stomachs and not just out of empathy for the characters.

These scenes left us wondering if the production had an intimacy coordinator — someone to facilitate these scenes and ensure wellbeing for the production — especially considering the range of ages in the cast. There was not one listed in the production team.

There was still some good — the supporting cast did a great job and the opera felt strongest when the whole ensemble was there. “Wrapped in a Ribbon and Tied with a Bow” and “Ice Cream Sextet” were well-done numbers and there was obvious passion for the opera from the cast, rewarded with audience enthusiasm for both.

Supporting performer Trinity Collie as Mrs. Jones, another neighbour, stole the show — her stage presence and articulation consistently captivated us and always left us waiting for her to return. When she did, we were never disappointed; Collie’s performance led the audience’s entry and exit in and out of the fatigued streets of New York to the tune “Ain’t it Awful, the Heat?”

The UBC Symphony Orchestra accompanying the production was also delightful. Led by conductor Jonathan Girard, the symphony transported audiences to the bluesy 1940s time period and their range to support a variety of different musical numbers was impressive.

Overall, while there was a lot to be enjoyed, the show left audience members with a boorish feeling, not up to the standards of other UBC Opera shows. Although we are sure we can attribute some of that to the script, the production and casting had a part to play as well.

First online Feb. 13, 2025, 9:31 a.m.