Stellar performances anchor dark debut of 'Breaking the Waves' at Detroit Opera

Rough story, awesomely presented — that’s “Breaking the Waves,” playing Friday, April 12 and Sunday, April 14 at Detroit Opera.

It’s based on a heralded 1996 Lars von Trier indie film that was adapted for the opera stage by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek. In the program for the production, there are sections titled, “Asking the Difficult Questions” and “Not Your Grandmother’s Opera.”

Von Trier’s depressing, distressing story examines the passionate love affair between a conservatively raised Scottish woman and the offshore oil rig worker who falls for her, and the unexpected turn their lives take when he finds himself permanently disabled from a serious accident. The unexpected turn is that he asks her to instead make love to other men and then describe it to him, which leads her to some of humanity’s darkest and most dangerous recesses until, finally, one encounter proves fatal.

There’s a logic to the patient’s request, but ultimately, also a question as to why such misogyny need be presented. The spectacular performers leave you feeling like you’ve seen something superior — and, in many ways, you have — but there’s no good feeling to be found walking out of this show.

It absolutely must be said — while the screenwriters’ story leaves a deeply bitter taste, Detroit Opera presented a masterful production.

Kiera Duffy is nothing short of amazing as heroine Bess, and Benjamin Taylor is a refreshing and surprisingly three-dimensional casting choice as her ill-fated Jan.

Together and apart, the two navigate tricky musical passages and extraordinarily difficult acting requirements to flesh out their roles, and they deliver with remarkable achievement.

An opera based on an acclaimed film (Emily Watson received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 1997 for creating the role of Bess) surely demands top-tier acting, and director Tom Morris and revival director Diana Wyenn absolutely draw that out of his ensemble. Gabrielle Barkidjija as Dodo and especially David Portillo as Dr. Richardson deliver exceptionally commanding performances among the supporting cast.

Conductor Stephanie Childress powerfully leads a particularly game Detroit Opera Orchestra through some extensively powerful, surprising and thoughtful moments in acts two and three. And, perhaps most affecting of all, Soutra Gilmour’s dazzling, rotating, ever-morphing Escher knot of a set did a tremendous amount of heavy lifting in establishing time and space, aided mightily by Richard Howell’s foreboding lighting design.

What can you say when the performers, the orchestra, the conductor and the set are magnificent but the story itself leaves one devoid of hope?

It’s an opera worth seeing, because everything about the presentation is on par with Detroit Opera’s consistently excellent production standards. But make grand plans for after the show … you won’t want to go home and straight to sleep. For instance, I’m glad I saw it … but it’s haunted me for days since, and not in the best way.

“Breaking the Waves” plays two more performances this weekend, Friday at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m., both at the Detroit Opera House. The production features explicit language, nudity and sexual content, some of a violent nature, and is recommended for mature audiences only. Tickets start at $30.

Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Review: Performances anchor 'Breaking the Waves' at Detroit Opera