Seduction - or the game play behind seduction and betrayal - is the hallmark of the Broadway revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, now at the Booth Theater. Set in 1780s France, it focuses on two main characters -- Le Marquise (a noteworthy Janet McTeer) and Valmont (Live Schreiber) -- who treat love and passion as sport.
Affairs are de rigueur in their set - and they approach such unions with chess-like stealth. It's all about the endgame. In the case of Le Marquise, she wants vengeance on a former suitor, so she enlists Valmont to seduce his fiancé, Madame de Tourvel (Birgitte Hjort Sorensen).
Such machinations are child's play to the skilled duo; both Le Marquise and Valmont hunt their respective prey with charm, though Valmont is more predator than romancer with the virginal Celile (Elena Kampouris).
Then again, the destruction of others in pursuit of singular aims is what gives the play its sinister quality. The problem: director Josie Rourke's version lacks a sense of menace evident in earlier productions.
Indeed, the Broadway vets bring star power to their roles, but the nasty pleasure the two exact isn't equally calibrated. That doesn't negate the pleasure of watching McTeer glide into a room. She can attract attention with a simple hand gesture.
Schrieber is an earthlier actor. The two embrace different techniques, which means their chemistry is a bit off. That's important, because the close friends and past lovers are working the game from all angles. For them, all sexual politics is personal.
On the plus side are Michael Bruce's music, a haunting set by Tom Scutt and a sound supporting cast. Les Liaisons Dangereuses is about the arrogance and presumed privilege of the ruling class -- and the dangers it wreaks. In short, it's timeless.
Mozart was equally intrigued by the libertine sins of the rich, and one of his greatest operas, Don Giovanni, based on Don Juan, addresses the issues with comedy, melodrama and a dollop of the supernatural.
For a limited run this weekend, VP Productions has staged an impressive Don Giovanni at The Sheen Center in Greenwich Village. It's an ideal venue for the show, which boasts a swagger Claudio Mascarenhas as the decadent, murderous nobleman, who plays his part to perfection.
So do the women he casually seduces. Donna Anna (Roseanna Ackerley), Donna Elvira (Viktoriya Koreneva) and Zerlina (Emma Lavandier), combine excellent voices with spot-on performances. (Various singers perform on different days.)
Leporello (Charles Gray), Giovanni's hapless servant, is an able foil to his master's excesses.
Vocal Productions is a unique company that gives young opera singers a chance to develop their repertoires. Led by artistic director Valentin Peytchinov, a principal artist for the Metropolitan Opera, VP champions global talent and nontraditional casting.
This intimate production employs projections as set designs, with translations screened on the back wall. VP's Don Giovanni is entertaining and engaging; it boasts talent that is a pleasure to watch, aided by an accomplished orchestra.
Keep an eye on VP's upcoming 2017 season: Faust and Messa da Requiem. It should be on every opera lover's list. (vocal productionsnyc.org)
Photo: Joan Marcus