 |
Wichita Grand Opera
Century II Concert Hall
225 W. Douglas Ave.
Wichita , Kansas 67202
316.683.3444 Admin Office
316.262.8054 Box Office
|
|
The Elixir Of Love Extended Synopsis |
|
|
|
|
|
The Elixir Of Love Synopsis
ACT I:
Adina, a wealthy country girl, sits with her friend Gianetta and other peasants while resting from their farm work. A young farmer named Nemorino sits at a distance admiring her. He bemoans that his shyness and poverty leave him with only love to offer her. Sadly, she rejects him again and again. At the requests of the peasants, Adina tells the story of Tristan and Isolde. The legend of the love potion that united the characters amuses her listeners. Soldiers led by Sergeant Belcore enter at the end of the story. Belcore, a conceited and pompous soldier, is smitten with Adina’s beauty, and proceeds to woo her. He proposes marriage, and she, flattered by the attention, insists upon more time to think about his offer. When the platoon and villagers leave, Nemorino asserts his love for Adina. She laughs at his declaration, and tells him that she is simply too fickle.
Dr. Dulcamara arrives in the town square and begins to sell his medicine, a remedy, he claims, for all ills. Villagers purchase his inexpensive stock. Nemorino, sick with love for Adina, asks Dulcamara if he carries the love potion from Adina’s story. Dulcamara, not to be left without a sale, provides Nemorino with a bottle of wine, and claims that it is indeed the elixir of love that he seeks. Dulcamara warns that it will not take immediate effect (so as to leave the village before Nemorino realizes that he has been swindled). Nemorino hastily spends the last of his money and drinks the entire bottle. Adina enters to meet a tipsy and confident Nemorino, who tells her that his heartache will be healed within a day. Adina, outraged at his indifferent behavior, flirts with Belcore and agrees to marry him six days later. Belcore then receives an order to leave the village the next day; Adina agrees to marry him earlier. Nemorino then begs Adina to wait just one more day (so that the potion takes its effect). Ignoring his pleas, she invites everyone to the wedding that very day.
Act II:
At Adina’s farmhouse, preparations for the wedding are being made. Dulcamara has invited himself to the event, and asks the couple to sing a duet together. The notary arrives, and Adina, who wishes to sign the contract in front of Nemorino to cause him pain, delays signing. The bride, groom, and guests leave Dulcamara alone. Nemorino then enters and begs Dulcamara for help. Though he gives a prescription for another bottle of the love potion, Nemorino cannot afford to buy it. Dulcamara tells him to find the money within a quarter of an hour. Belcore walks in, irritated that the wedding has been delayed until later that evening. Seeing the saddened Nemorino, he convinces him to join the army to alleviate his financial woes. Nemorino enlists and rushes off to buy another bottle of the elixir.
Gianetta meets with other peasants in the town square with a new piece of gossip: Nemorino’s rich uncle has died and left his entire fortune to him. He enters, tipsy from his second bottle of wine, and is overwhelmed with attention from the local girls. Unaware of his new fortune, he believes it to be the effects of the elixir. Adina and Dulcamara enter, and she is shocked and jealous at the affection showered on Nemorino. Dulcamara explains that these are the effects of his patented love potion, and offers to sell one to her to win him back. When she discovers that Nemorino has sold his freedom to win her, she is moved, and realizes that she loves him in return. She tells Dulcamara she does not need a love potion; her feminine wiles are enough. Nemorino notices a tear in her eye, and believes that the love potion has worked on Adina. She then buys his enlistment papers from Belcore, and confesses her love to Nemorino. Belcore accepts the loss of Adina with ease, as there are thousands of women who would gladly take her place. Dulcamara informs the happy couple of Nemorino’s fortune, which only adds to their happiness. He then explains that all this is a result of his elixir, and the villagers quickly buy up his wine before he leaves the village with his own new fortune. |
|
