My family has a penchant for the dramatic, and a deep love of opera. It was the soundtrack to my childhood, with my mom and her eldest sister playing excerpts to each other over the phone.
I know the music, but I’m no expert so I went off to watch Aida knowing that it was among their favourites – and because I wanted to see what Gregory Maqoma had achieved with the choreography.
Image by Oscar O’Ryan.
For many, opera is an acquired taste. In my youth, I was put off watching it because of unconvincing acting, far-fetched stories and languages I didn’t understand.
However, the genre has undergone a quiet revolution over the past 30 years, transforming from an elite, tradition-bound art form into something far more accessible, inclusive, and culturally resonant.
Today’s audiences are discovering opera through digital streams, social media, and cinema broadcasts – far beyond the velvet seats of grand opera houses.
Productions are bolder, more experimental, and often infused with contemporary themes that reflect modern lives.
Directors are reimagining classics with diverse casting and innovative staging, making timeless stories feel urgent and new.
Image by Oscar O’Ryan.
Magdalene Minnaar’s direction succeeds in every respect. Kudos also go to Nadine and Louis Minnaar for set and prop design, Roman Handt for costume design, Albino Animation for projection design and animation and Oliver Hauser for lighting design.
Set in ancient Egypt, Aida is a tragic love story caught in the web of war, loyalty, and forbidden desire.
Aida, an Ethiopian princess, has been captured and enslaved by the Egyptians, serving as a handmaiden to Princess Amneris, daughter of the Pharaoh. Unknown to most, Aida is deeply in love with Radamès, a valiant Egyptian military commander, who loves her in return.
Radamès is chosen to lead Egypt’s army against Ethiopia, unaware that Aida’s father, King Amonasro, is leading the opposing forces. As Egypt celebrates its victory, Amonasro is captured, but his identity remains hidden.
Torn between her love for Radamès and her loyalty to her homeland, Aida is forced to betray Radamès when her father tricks her into revealing military secrets.
Image by Oscar O’Ryan.
Radamès, accused of treason, refuses to defend himself and is sentenced to death by entombment. In the opera’s heart-wrenching final scene, Aida secretly joins him in the tomb so they may die together – united in love, if not in life.
In Minaar’s programme note she says, “Aida is more than just grand opera – it is a deeply political and psychological exploration of love, power, nationalism and the human cost of war. In our imagined futuristic world we explore the effects of politics, global warming and displacement in Egypt and the greater Africa.”
We are privileged in Cape Town to enjoy world-class opera performances supported by equally outstanding orchestral accompaniment, under the baton of Indian-American conductor and pianist Kamal Khan in this instance.
I'll never forget watching him coax the required level of “sensuality, theatricality and harmonic richness” from the “luscious curves in the vocal line for all five principals” and the extensive and highly diverse choral accompaniment from my seat in the eighth row.
He says The Beatles' All You Need Is Love came into his life at the same time as this opera. He learned the score very young, against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, and has always felt this to be “one of the great anti-war works of the western canon.”
“Maybe that’s why Amneris’ desperate plea for peace, with which Verdi brings in the final curtain, strikes me as the message we have for the public at the end of so much richness, grandeur and depth. Verdi is asking us to give peace a chance, and showing us the consequences of when we fail to do so. For this reason, Aida is always relevant and needed.”
Image by Oscar O’Ryan.
On a choreographic note, Maqoma’s determination to stick to his own dance language adds volumes to this staging. The dancers add value in their movement, helping to make sense out of a story also briefly displayed as text in English and Xhosa for audiences to follow.
Both acts, however, include a seated pause during scene changes they didn’t anticipate or necessarily understand. The longer it took, the more restless they became and the louder they conversed, failing to notice when Khan was ready to start the action again.
I sensed his frustration and was not surprised when he called a halt and waited for quiet, causing the curtain to rise twice at the beginning of Act II.
I was disappointed that the matinee audience – a full house of seemingly seasoned opera goers were oblivious to what was going on and can only suggest that future directors include instructions to that effect in the same digital display used to convey the story.
In short, opera’s appeal lies not only in the music and drama, but in the experience – grand, raw, and immersive.
In an age of instant gratification, the genre offers slow, powerful storytelling that lingers. Presented by an all-star cast on and off stage, this production of Aida is highly recommended.
It is an unforgettable spectacle in every way, with powerful moments delivered especially by the leads still strong in my memory.
Thirty years ago, opera was revered. Today, it's being rediscovered – and redefined – by a new generation that values both its tradition and its bold leap into the future.
