Returning to the San Francisco Opera nine years’ after its company premiere, French director Vincent Boussard’s production of Massenet’s “Manon” became the third offering of the 2026/27 season.
Amina Edris’ Manon
[Photo: Amina Edris as Manon; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Egyptian-born New Zealand soprano Amina Edris returned to the San Francisco Opera to perform the title role for the seven scheduled performances of Jules Massenet’s most famous opera, “Manon”. Edris provided a masterful portrait of Manon, both vocally and dramatically, which confirmed the international reputation for the French operatic repertory that she has gained since her San Francisco Opera debut season ten years ago.
Her acting and vocal delivery throughout the opera delineated the evolution of Manon’s personality – the young girl destined for a nunnery, whose lyric-coloratura aria ‘Je suis encore tout etourdie’ Edris performed stylishly. Edris’ poignant aria ‘Adieu notre petite table’ displayed Manon’s affection for her lover, Chevalier des Grieux, whom she was in the process of betraying.
The middle acts include the scene at Paris’ Cours-la-Reine Festival, in which Manon, as De Bretigny’s mistress, is at the height of her wealth and social standing. Edris’ Manon sings the Gavotte with its lively aria ‘Obéissons quand leur voix appelle’. Edris’ most impactful moments were in the opera’s later scenes – described below – the fourth and fifth act duets with Pene Pati’s Chevalier des Grieux after his reconciliation with Manon.
Ten years ago, while an Adler Fellow, Edris made her San Francisco Opera debut role as Carmen’s companion, Frasquita [Review: A Spanish “Carmen” from Calixto Bielto, San Francisco Opera, May 28, 2016] and subsequently appeared both in ‘comprimario’ roles and in the principal role of Cleopatra in John Adams’ new opera [World Premiere Run Review: Adams’ “Antony and Cleopatra” – San Francisco Opera, September 18, 2022].
In a career-enhancing move, the San Francisco Opera scheduled her to perform Juliette in the last of seven performances of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” opposite her husband Pene Pati
This season’s performances by Edris of the title role of Massenet’s “Manon”, a role in which she has gained international recognition, is her most important San Francisco Opera assignment to date. Manon was the role she performed for her European debut at Opera National de Bordeaux in 2019, and, subsequently, at the Opera National de Paris in 2020 and 2025, at the Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 2023, and, with her husband Pene Pati as the Chevalier des Grieux, at the Wellington Opera (New Zealand) in August 2026.
Pene Pati’s Chevalier des Grieux
[Photo: Peni Pati as the Chevalier des Grieux; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Samoan-born New Zealand tenor Peni Pati took on his second major French role for the San Francisco Opera, following that of Gounod’s Roméo [Review: Pene Pati and Nadine Sierra Brilliant in Gounod’s “Roméo and Juliet” – San Francisco Opera, September 6, 2019].
The highlight of the whole performance was the Act 3 scene at Paris’ Saint-Sulpice church. Pati’s character, seemingly having lost Manon forever, has entered the priesthood. Haunted by his remembrance of Manon, he sings one of the greatest French tenor arias, ‘Ah! fuyez, douce image’. Pati produced one of the memorable San Francisco Opera tenor performances heard this decade.
This was just the first part of the Saint-Sulpice scene. Edris’ Manon’s sudden appearance rekindled the Chevalier’s love for her, leading to the passionate duet ‘Toi! Vous! — N’est-ce plus ma main’. Later, in the final scene where Manon is dying, the extraordinary pairing of Pati’s and Edris’ voices continues in a duet that ends the opera
Previous San Francisco Opera performances starring Peni Pati, in addition to his Roméo, include his Nemorino [Review: Donizetti’s Delightful, ‘Must See’ “Elixir of Love” Starring Pene Pati and Slatka Zamecnikova – San Francisco Opera, November 19, 2023] and his Rodolfo Review: A Superbly Performed “Boheme”, Starring Pene Pati, Karen Chia-Ling Ho, Andrea Carroll and Lucas Meachem – San Francisco Opera, June 15, 2025].
Vitor Bispo’s Lescaut
[Photo: Vitor BIspo,as Lescaut; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Brazilian baritone Vitor Bispo, in his San Francisco Opera debut season, played Manon’s rascally cousin, Lescaut. The character uses his self-appointed title of “guardian of the family honor” to engage in several plot-enhancing activities. Musically, Bispo’s Lescaut is best remembered for his third act aria ‘Ô Rosalinde, il me faudrait gravir le Pinde’, which Bispo performed sympathetically.
James Creswell’s Comte des Grieux
[Photo: James Creswell as the Comte des Grieux; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Washington bass James Creswell brought authority to the Comte des Grieux, a role he first sang here in this production’s 2017 mounting. His sonorous bass and impressive acting once more brought dramatic plausibility. His duet with Edris’ Manon was one of the performance’s musical highlights.
Creswell had made his San Francisco Opera debut in 2012 performing smaller roles, and did not appear here again until the 2017 “Manon” performances. In 2019 he returned for Friar Laurence in the “Roméo et Juliette” cited above, and as Doctor Bartolo [Review: Strong Cast, Arresting New Production for “Marriage of Figaro” – San Francisco Opera, October 13, 2019]. Two years later, he was Rocco [Review: Beethoven’s “Fidelio”, An Excellent Cast for Matthew Ozawa’s Powerful Production – San Francisco Opera, October 17, 2021.]
Elsewhere, I had praised Creswell’s performances in several roles at the Santa Fe Opera including as Prince Gremin [Review: Santa Fe Opera’s “Eugene Onegin”, Musically Appealing, Visually Striking – July 24, 2021] and as Vodnik [Review: Ailyn Perez Leads Vocally Splendid Cast in Pountney’s Alternative Vision of “Rusalka” – Santa Fe Opera, July 26, 2023] and as Publio at the Los Angeles Opera [Review: Ovations for Los Angeles Opera’s “Clemency of Titus”: Impressive Singing, Stylish New Production, March 2, 2019,]
Stephen Gaertner’s De Brétigny, Steven Cole’s Guillot, and Other Cast Members
[Photo: De Brétigny (Stephen Gaertner, right) offers Manon (Amina Edris, left) riches and protection to become his lover; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Georgia baritone Stephen Gaertner, in his San Francisco Opera debut season, took on the ‘comprimario’ role of De Brétigny with a sturdy performance,
[Photo: Steven Cole as Guillot de Morfontaine; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Maryland character tenor Steven Cole was Guillot de Morfontaine, whose arresting portrait of a licentious nobleman drew from his many roles over a long career.
I had first seen Cole 46 years ago as Monostatos in Mozart’s “Magic Flute”, in his San Francisco Opera debut season. Between that 1980 Monostatos and 2026’s Guillot, Cole had performed at the San Francisco Opera in 11 roles during nine seasons.
Among my performance reviews posted on this site that have praised Steven Cole performances is that of the artisan Flute in Britten’s Shakespearean opera [Review: Incandescent “Midsummer Night’s Dream” – Houston Grand Opera, January 25, 2009]
[Photo: Javotte (Laura Krumm, left), De Brétigny (Stephen Gaertner, second from left) Pousette (Sofia Gotch, center), Guillot de Morfontaine (Steven Cole, second from right) , Rosette (Taylor Raven, right) in Massenet’s “Manon.”; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
California soprano and Adler Fellow Sofia Gotsch sang the role of Pousette. California mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm sang the role of Javotte, as she did in the 2017 San Francisco Opera mounting of the Boussard production. North Carolina mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven sang the role of Rosette. Delaware baritone and Adler Fellow Olivier Zeroulli was An Innkeeper. California soprano Cheryl Cain was An Old Lady. Minnesota baritone William Lee Bryan was A Porter.
California soprano Jesslyn Thomas, Oregon mezzo-soprano and Virginia mezzo-soprano Sally Mouzon were Female Travelers. Missouri tenor Chester Pidduck, California tenor Eric Levintow and California baritone Andrew Thomas Pardini were Male Travelers (and Pardini was also the Third Guard).
Pennsylvania tenor Michael Jankosky was the First Guard and First Sergeant. California tenor Kevin Gino was the Second Guard and Second Sergeant. California mezzo-soprano Silvie Jensen was a Maid-servant. California baritone Nicholas Hackley was a Dealer, A Voice and the Third Sergeant. Florida baritone Daniel Cilli was the First Gambler and Louisiana baritone B Schaubhut was the Second Gambler.
Two members of the San Francisco Opera Dance Corps, Florida dancer Blanche Hampton and Japanese dancer Chiharu Shibata respectively played a Ballerina and a Prostitute.
Maestra Eun Sun Kim and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus
[Photo: Maestra Eun Sun Kim; edited image, based on a Cody Pickens photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
San Francisco Opera’s Music Director, South Korean Maestra Eun Sun Kim, conducted the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a vigorous, nicely paced performance. The Opera Orchestra’s confidence was evident with Massenet’s dense orchestration that enhances the dramatic flow of the opera’s storyline.
This was Maestra Kim’s eighteenth opera conducted since her 2019 debut with Dvorak’s “Rusalka” [Review: “Rusalka”- Beautiful Singing, Insightful Drama – An Opera “Not to be Missed” – San Francisco Opera, June 16, 2019], The eighteen operas include five by Verdi and three by Wagner, the two composers on whose works Maestra Kim has announced her intention to concentrate.
Two of the operas are by Puccini, Italy’s leading post-Wagnerian, just as the current opera’s composer, Massenet, is France’s most prominent post-Wagnerian. Both Puccini and Massenet are associated with Wagner’s last opera “Parsifal”, and both created operatic masterpieces that incorporated Wagnerian principles.
The San Francisco Opera Chorus, under the direction of Pennsylvania Chorus Master John Keene, gave a sonically and dramatically impressive performance.
Director/Costume Designer Vincent Boussard and Set Designer Vincent Lemaire
[Photo: Manon (Amina Edris) has descended from a high wall holding a bouquet of balloons; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
This is the company’s third mounting of productions created by the team of director/designer Boussard and designer Lemaire, which, in addition to the 2017 “Manon”, includes Bellini’s operatic homage to Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” [See Review: Joyce DiDonato, Nicole Cabell Sing Beautifully in Bellini’s Bel Canto “Capulets and Montagues” – San Francisco Opera, September 29, 2012 and A Second Look Review: “Capulets and Montagues” at San Francisco Opera, October 14, 2012].
Both Boussard and Lemaire are committed to creating productions that tell a story with visual structures and costumes that mix different time periods in which the story might take place. Lemaire’s set design is dominated by a high, sloping wall, in which action takes place both at stage level and at the top of the wall.
In a striking event in the third act Cours-la-Reine scene, Edris’ Manon is at the top of the wall, holding a bouquet of balloons, when she descends to a landing just above the stage floor, still holding the balloons..
Photo: Vincent Lemaire’s design for the Parisian apartment of Chevalier des Grieux (Pene Pati, front left) and Manon (Amina Edris, front right); edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.
Often a setting is created with minimalist ideas – the Parisian apartment that Chevalier des Grieux and Manon share contains a large mattress on the floor and the “little table” that is the subject of Manon’s aria.
The resulting production proved as dramatically effective as was the musical performance.
Recommendation
I enthusiastically recommend both the operatic performance and the production to the veteran opera-goer and the person new to opera.