A COMIC REVIVAL OF
FALSTAFFIAN PROPORTION

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Chicago Opera Theater (COT) has given Antonio Salieri’s unjustly neglected Falstaff, ossia Le tre burle its outstanding Chicago premiere. Similarly, Lyric Opera just gave Cherubini’s Medea its Chicago premiere. These operas were first staged in 1799 and 1797, respectively. Beyond these coincidences, the two couldn’t be more different. 

Andrew Morstein (Mr. Ford) and Laureano Quant (Mr. Slender)Christian Pursell (Falstaff)

Falstaff, of course, is based on Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor. Librettist Carlo Prospero Defranceschi has considerably simplified the Bard’s plot, which unspools over five acts, into just two. Not only has Defranceschi cut most of Shakespeare’s colorful characters, he invented two new ones: Mistress Slender, who has replaced Mistress Page, and her servant Betty. Gone is the subplot concerning Anne Page and her three suitors. Instead, as the title suggests, the opera focuses on the eponymous Falstaff and his attempted seductions of Mistress Ford and Mistress Slender. The opera’s subtitle refers to the three tricks the women play on Falstaff.

Christian Pursell (Falstaff) and Vanessa Becerra (Mrs. Ford)Christian Pursell

As one would expect from an adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy, Falstaff is an opera buffa. COT’s production offers plenty of laughs, not only from the cast, but from the production design and the supertitles, too. These sometimes border on the ridiculous, as when Ford arrives on stage driving a child’s electric car. Most refreshing is the contemporary language of Cori Ellison’s supertitles, which eschew formality for slang (“shit show”) and the occasional pop culture reference (“The Dude”), The supertitles, however, do not rise to the sophistication of Shakespeare’s word play.

Laureano Quant (Mr. Slender) and Andrew Morstein (Mr. Ford)Laureano Quant (Mr. Slender), Denis Vélez (Betty), Andrew Morstein (Mr. Ford),
Vanessa Becerra (Mrs. Ford), and Tzytle Steinman (Mrs. Slender)

Without any pretense of historical accuracy, Director Robin Guarino has set the action at a luxurious tropical resort, with clear nods to HBO’s The White Lotus. While the TV series certainly aims for laughs, primarily of the awkward sort, there is always something sinister going on just below the surface–and that’s not a characteristic of Falstaff. Costume Designer Jessica Pabst provides a mixture of colorful, sometimes sexy, resort chic for the women and their husbands, while Falstaff and his servant Bardolfo are distinguished by their sartorial shabbiness.

 Peter Morgan (Bardolfo), Christian Pursell (Falstaff), and Denis Veléz (Betty)

In his COT debut as the sleazy Falstaff, baritone Christian Pursell clearly carries the production on his capable shoulders. His acting is delightful, while his tone, technique, and diction are excellent. The worst one could say is that he might be too good-looking to play a paunchy sleazeball. Peter Morgan as Bardolfo delivers just the right amount of wry humor, but his tone sounds a bit hollow, lacking in depth. 

The company of Chicago Opera Theater's production of Salieri's FalstaffTzytle Steinman (Mrs. Slender), Vanessa Becerra (Mrs. Ford), Denis Vélez (Betty)

Denis Veléz and Laureano Quant as Betty and Master Slender, respectively, both alumni of Lyric’s Ryan Opera Center, have perhaps the strongest voices of the cast. Clearly a rising star, Veléz nearly bursts out of her small role, which she fills with charisma and charm. While Quant sang beautifully, his acting underwhelmed. 

Tzytle Steinman (Mrs. Slender) and Vanessa Becerra (Mrs. Ford)Vanessa Becerra (Mrs. Ford) and Christian Pursell (Falstaff)

As Falstaff’s love interests, Vanessa Becerra as Mistress Ford acquitted herself more capably than Tzytle Steinman as Mistress Slender, though the name clearly fit the latter’s willowy frame well. Whereas Becerra oozed sex appeal, Steinman came off stilted, buttoned up. Moreover, these leading ladies’ pretty voices don’t have quite enough polish or maturity to completely pull off their respective roles.

Vanessa Becerra (Mrs. Ford) and Christian Pursell (Falstaff)

COT General Director Lawrence Edelson deserves to be commended for confronting head-on the myth of the mediocre and murderous Salieri, which has overshadowed this talented and inventive composer for too long. One hopes that this production of Falstaff will be the first of many Salieri revivals to smile on Chicago.

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photos by Michael Brosilow

Falstaff, ossia Le tre burle
Chicago Opera Theater
Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building 410 S Michigan Ave
2 hours and 30 minutes with 1 intermission
ends on December 7, 2025
for tickets,($50-$150) visit COT

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago

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