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Tchaikovsky's opera Pique Dame, based on a ghost story by Alexander Pushkin, is a study in obsession and madness--themes that this extraordinary production explores brilliantly and in depth. Everything works together, although on paper the combination may look risky: a cast of Russian men and English women; staging that combines the elegant realism of 18th-century costumes with a surreal set design; realistic props (a staircase, a bridge railing, gambling tables) enclosed in stark white walls covered with abstract black squiggles. In some scenes, it looks like there is furniture clinging to the ceiling, and one scene is lit garishly but appropriately in shades of red. The air of macabre madness reaches its peak in the climactic scene where the old Countess (Felicity Palmer) is literally scared to death by the young, tragic hero Herman (Yuri Marusin). Both perform with spectacular impact, and the effect is reinforced even by the chair--shaped like a human skeleton--in which she is seated. Marusin and Palmer stand out dramatically in performances calculated for theatrical impact rather than pretty sound. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, and video director Victir Maniura deserves special mention for some outstanding camera work. Andrew Davis's music direction is expert, though less spectacular than the video production. --Joe McLellan
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