In ‘Semele,' Heartbreak Is Dressed Up in Lace and Diamonds

Yahoo

10-07-2025

— No opera is short of heartbreak, but in 'Semele,' sorrow is wrapped in beautiful fabrics.
The Handel opera from 1744 has been reimagined by Oliver Mears, the director of opera at the Royal Ballet & Opera, with a twist — this time it's set between the '60s and '70s.
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The story follows Semele, played by Pretty Yende, who works for Jupiter and his wife Juno in their palatial house. She falls in love with Jupiter and is further seduced by his powers — he's in disguise, for he is a god.
Semele grows weary of Jupiter and asks him to reveal himself to her, to which he declines because it would result in her death. Jupiter showers her in materialistic clothes and jewelry, but Semele persists by pressing for answers.
Her wardrobe is unlike the French rags of an opera. Semele is dressed up in a silk, pale pink off-the-shoulder dress with black roses; a jacquard shift dress in white and lilac, and a white wedding dress decorated with small white flowers.
Her most powerful and touching costumes, however, are her silk nightie that she rots in bed in and Jupiter's white shirt that she wraps around herself as she yearns for him.
'We wanted the opera to have this very dark, but kind of strange atmosphere with the reds and pinks,' said costume designer Annemarie Woods.
She wanted the costumes to allude to death as a premonition of Semele's future, where she's burnt alive by Jupiter and Juno in the chimney.
'Semele starts off as a staff member at the house and then she becomes glamorous. Her hair and clothes become more glamorous. She's becoming this taken-care-of woman, but it's not making her happy. The sadder she becomes, the more decorated she is,' said Woods.
The costume designer pored over photography books and images from the '60s to help her shape Semele's world. She also looked at the costumes of 'Mad Men' for Jupiter's sharp tailored suits that add to his charmingly, toxic demeanor.
'[The costumes are] absolutely crucial because we wanted to make a show about power and hierarchy, and costumes are the main way to tell that story on stage — from the servants in Jupiter's household to Jupiter and Juno himself,' said Mears, who has been collaborating with Woods for 14 years.
'The principal characters look decadent and dark and sexy, to convey so much of the show's essential atmosphere, as well as their own psychologies,' he added.
The collaboration between Mears and Woods was second nature.
'We know exactly what sort of shows we like to make. [We] have very similar aesthetics and senses of humor, and very similar views on what's important in the theater. I trust her completely — especially if she feels something's not working yet,' said Mears.
The pair started working on 'Semele' three years ago, but it only hit the stage this year with its debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris in February.
Woods has seen her fair share of tragedies on stage. She's worked on 'Orfeo,' 'Il Trovatore' and 'The Rape of Lucretia,' but found 'Semele' to be even more brutal.
'All the women always die in opera, that's a big criticism, but Semele has a lot to do with real female stories. When you die of a broken heart, that's kind of silly, but in this story, she's murdered and it's so sad because she doesn't even put up a fight. She's been destroyed by this very wealthy man and his wife,' she said.
In the end, there's nothing left of Semele — not her pretty frocks or diamond necklaces — only her ashes and lessons in heartbreak.
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