Madame Angot’s Daughter

Madame Angot’s Daughter is a successful 19th century-opéra comique, written by Charles Lecocq in the style of his greatest rival, Jacques Offenbach. This love story features Clairette, a sharp-tongued orphan, and Pomponnet, the neighbourhood’s hairdresser – a nice man deemed unattractive by Clairette. While these two are fictitious, some other characters actually existed: the rebel poet Ange Pitou, actress Mademoiselle Lange, and a whole other range of Parisian figures. The story takes place at the end of the French Revolution, when the Incroyables and Merveilleuses ruled over the French capital as it was slowly recovering from the Reign of Terror. In this frenzied atmosphere, sweet romance and humorous ensemble numbers go hand in hand. Fuelled by the liberty emanating from the piece, director Richard Brunel’s action takes place in May 68, a time just as relevant to his contemporary French audience as the post-Revolution years used to be for Lecocq’s. Through the lens of class struggle, deployed through a long tracking shot, the piece recounts the journey of a woman determined to live life on her own terms.

Language: French Surtitles French

An opera-comique in 3 acts by Charles Lecocq
Libretto by Clairville, Paul Siraudin and Victor Koning
Premiered in Brussels in 1872
New production Opéra de Lyon
Coproduction with Opéra de Lyon, Opéra-Comique, Editions musicales Palazzetto Bru Zane, Nice Opera, Avignon Opera

Lyon Opera Orchestra and Chorus

An opera by: Charles Lecocq
Conductor (December 14, 16, 19 and 21): Karine Locatelli
Conductor (December 23, 29, 31 and January 3): Benedict Kearns
Director: Richard Brunel
Set and costume designer: Bruno de Lavenère
Lighting designer: Laurent Castaingt
Choreographer: Maxime Thomas
Dramaturg: Catherine Ailloud-Nicolas
Chorus master: Benedict Kearns

Distribution:
Clairette Angot: Hélène Guilmette
Mademoiselle Lange: Déborah Salazar (Lyon Opera Studio soloist)
Pomponnet: Pierre Derhet
Ange Pitou: Fabien Hyon
Larivaudière: Matthieu Lécroart
Amaranthe / Hersilie: Héloïse Poulet
Louchard: Antoine Foulon
Trénitz, an Incroyable: Geoffrey Carey
Cadet / Un officier / Buteux (spoken) / Guillaume: Stefan Petković (Lyon Opera Studio soloist)
Buteux (sung): Cătălin Pop (Lyon Opera Studio soloist)

Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes – 1 intermission