{"id":16299,"date":"2025-04-18T14:07:55","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T12:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/?post_type=production&#038;p=16299"},"modified":"2026-04-14T12:49:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T10:49:36","slug":"letoile","status":"publish","type":"production","link":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/","title":{"rendered":"L&#8217;\u00c9toile"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div class=\"eye-block onpagenav \">\r\n    <div class=\"container p-sm-0\">\r\n        <nav id=\"onpage-nav\" class=\"navbar navbar-expand text-center\" aria-label=\"Inhoudsopgave\">\r\n            <div class=\"collapse navbar-collapse\" id=\"navbarSupportedContent\">\r\n                <ul class=\"nav navbar-nav\">\r\n\r\n                    <li class=\"nav-item with-logo\">\r\n                        <a class=\"nav-link custom-action\" href=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/themes\/operazuid\/images\/oz-logo-white.svg\" alt=\"Home cirkel inpagenav\"><\/a>\r\n                    <\/li>\r\n                                            <li class=\"nav-item\">\r\n                            <a class=\"nav-link\" href=\"#info-section\">I<strong>n<\/strong>fo<\/a>\r\n                        <\/li>\r\n                                            <li class=\"nav-item\">\r\n                            <a class=\"nav-link\" href=\"#cast-section\">Cast<\/a>\r\n                        <\/li>\r\n                                            <li class=\"nav-item\">\r\n                            <a class=\"nav-link\" href=\"#creatives-section\">C<strong>r<\/strong>eatives<\/a>\r\n                        <\/li>\r\n                                            <li class=\"nav-item\">\r\n                            <a class=\"nav-link\" href=\"#media-section\"><strong>M<\/strong>edia<\/a>\r\n                        <\/li>\r\n                                            <li class=\"nav-item\">\r\n                            <a class=\"nav-link\" href=\"#photos-section\">Photos<\/a>\r\n                        <\/li>\r\n                                            <li class=\"nav-item\">\r\n                            <a class=\"nav-link\" href=\"#video-section\">Vid<strong>e<\/strong>o<\/a>\r\n                        <\/li>\r\n                                    <\/ul>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            <div class=\"dropdown\" style=\"visibility: hidden;\">\r\n                <a class=\"dropdown-toggle btn btn-primary no-arrow\" id=\"dropdownMenuButton\" data-bs-toggle=\"dropdown\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><i class=\"fas fa-ellipsis-v\"><\/i><\/a>\r\n                <div class=\"dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-right\" aria-labelledby=\"dropdownMenuButton\">\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/nav>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"eye-block highlighted-review \">\r\n    <div class=\"review-wrapper\">\r\n        <div class=\"flickity-carousel review-carousel review-slider-carousel\">\r\n\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ghostkit-video ghostkit-custom-ZlElQV\" data-video-type=\"yt_vm_video\" data-video=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=34fucAfc-rM\" data-video-aspect-ratio=\"16:9\" data-video-volume=\"100\" data-click-action=\"plain\"><div class=\"ghostkit-video-play-icon\"><svg class=\"ghostkit-svg-icon\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M5 4.83167C5 4.0405 5.87525 3.56266 6.54076 3.99049L17.6915 11.1588C18.3038 11.5525 18.3038 12.4475 17.6915 12.8412L6.54076 20.0095C5.87525 20.4373 5 19.9595 5 19.1683V4.83167Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/div><div class=\"ghostkit-video-loading-icon\"><span class=\"ghostkit-svg-icon ghostkit-icon-spinner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\r\n<div class=\"eye-block eye_empty_space eye_empty_space--small pt-md-3 pb-md-3 pt-2 pb-2\" ><\/div>\n\n\r\n<div id=\"info-section\" class=\"eye-block menu-section\" title=\"info\" data-section-name=\"info\"><\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<div class=\"ghostkit-grid ghostkit-grid-gap-md\"><div class=\"ghostkit-grid-inner\">\n<div class=\"ghostkit-col ghostkit-col-md-12 ghostkit-col-6\"><div class=\"ghostkit-col-content is-layout-flow wp-block-ghostkit-grid-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/20250226_Campagnebeeld-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16286\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Bjorn Frins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"ghostkit-col ghostkit-col-md-12 ghostkit-col-6\"><div class=\"ghostkit-col-content is-layout-flow wp-block-ghostkit-grid-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"eye-block info-popup \">\r\n        <div class=\"in-page-content\">\r\n        <div class=\"text\">\r\n            \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"info\">I<strong>n<\/strong>fo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-invented birthday present: to have a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf&#8217;s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not let that happen: Lazuli&#8217;s life is protected at all costs. He is pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This absurd fact forms the basis of <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em>: a witty, socially critical opera. This Op\u00e9ra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humor and sharp satire. Chabrier\u2019s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resonates and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a \u2018tickle trio\u2019 and a \u2018sneeze aria\u2019, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human foolishness.<br><br>Is <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the madness of fate and the transience of existence are exposed in a shrewd manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> as \u2018brilliant music theatre\u2019. With his versatile experience in theatre and music theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully familiar world of Chabrier\u2019s first grand opera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Orchestra Philzuid provides the music in <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> under the direction of the French conductor Nicolas Kr\u00fcger.<br><br><em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> lasts approximately two and a half hours including intermission and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English subtitles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director Matthew Eberhardt can\u2019t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully familiar world of <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em>. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What do you think <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> is about?<\/strong><br>\u2018First of all, I think <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What do you think <em>L&#8217;\u00c9toile<\/em> is about?<\/strong><br>&#8216;First of all, I think <em>L&#8217;\u00c9toile<\/em> is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.&#8217;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?<\/strong><br>\u2018His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is particularly refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier\u2019s work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can you give an example of those surprises in music?<\/strong><br>\u2018Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in his music in a very creative way, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. For example, in <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria\u2026! How did you come up with that?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How did you actually get into opera?<\/strong><br>\u2018As a child, I loved listening to music and imagining the stories that were being told and what they would look like. I started as a theatre director, but soon worked on musicals and then on opera. I think opera is such a beautiful art form because everyone works together. I find the way all the art disciplines come together and the many ways in which you can convey the content in opera endlessly fascinating!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n        <div class=\"popup-buttons\">\r\n        <a type=\"button\" class=\"popup-btn\" data-bs-toggle=\"modal\" data-bs-target=\"#informationModal120\">\r\n            <i class=\"fa-sharp fa-regular fa-plus-large\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/a>\r\n                    <a href=\"#playlist-section\" class=\"btn btn-outline\"> TICKETS<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"modal fade\" id=\"informationModal120\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-labelledby=\"informationModal120Label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\r\n        <div class=\"modal-dialog modal-dialog\">\r\n            <div class=\"modal-content\">\r\n                <div class=\"modal-body\">\r\n                    <a type=\"button\" class=\"close\" data-bs-dismiss=\"modal\" aria-label=\"Close\"><i class=\"fa-sharp fa-regular fa-xmark\"><\/i><\/a>\r\n                    \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"info\">I<strong>n<\/strong>fo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-invented birthday present: to have a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf&#8217;s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not let that happen: Lazuli&#8217;s life is protected at all costs. He is pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This absurd fact forms the basis of <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em>: a witty, socially critical opera. This Op\u00e9ra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humor and sharp satire. Chabrier\u2019s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resonates and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a \u2018tickle trio\u2019 and a \u2018sneeze aria\u2019, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human foolishness.<br><br>Is <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the madness of fate and the transience of existence are exposed in a shrewd manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> as \u2018brilliant music theatre\u2019. With his versatile experience in theatre and music theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully familiar world of Chabrier\u2019s first grand opera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Orchestra Philzuid provides the music in <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> under the direction of the French conductor Nicolas Kr\u00fcger.<br><br><em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> lasts approximately two and a half hours including intermission and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English subtitles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director Matthew Eberhardt can\u2019t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully familiar world of <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em>. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What do you think <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> is about?<\/strong><br>\u2018First of all, I think <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What do you think <em>L&#8217;\u00c9toile<\/em> is about?<\/strong><br>&#8216;First of all, I think <em>L&#8217;\u00c9toile<\/em> is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.&#8217;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?<\/strong><br>\u2018His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is particularly refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier\u2019s work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can you give an example of those surprises in music?<\/strong><br>\u2018Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in his music in a very creative way, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. For example, in <em>L\u2019\u00c9toile<\/em> there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria\u2026! How did you come up with that?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How did you actually get into opera?<\/strong><br>\u2018As a child, I loved listening to music and imagining the stories that were being told and what they would look like. I started as a theatre director, but soon worked on musicals and then on opera. I think opera is such a beautiful art form because everyone works together. I find the way all the art disciplines come together and the many ways in which you can convey the content in opera endlessly fascinating!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\r\n                                            <p class=\"text-end\">\r\n                            <a href=\"#playlist-section\" class=\"btn btn-outline close-modal\"> TICKETS<\/a>\r\n                        <\/p>\r\n                                    <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<script>\r\n    jQuery(function ($) {\r\n        $('.close-modal').click(function () {\r\n            $('#informationModal120').modal('hide');\r\n        });\r\n    });\r\n<\/script><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"ghostkit-divider ghostkit-divider-type-solid ghostkit-custom-1u5gaJ\"><\/div>\n\n\n\r\n<div id=\"cast-section\" class=\"eye-block menu-section\" title=\"cast\" data-section-name=\"cast\"><\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cast\">Cast<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"eye-block people_block-wrapper \">\r\n\r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"row\">\r\n                <div class=\"col-12 col-lg-6\">\r\n\r\n                    <table class=\"table table-borderless people-table\">\r\n                        <tbody>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Ouf I<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/erikslik.com\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration: none\">\r\n                                                                                <strong>Erik Slik<\/strong>\r\n                                                                            <\/a>\r\n                                                                <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Lazuli<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Brenda Poupard<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">La Princesse Laoula<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/annaemelianova.com\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration: none\">\r\n                                                                                <strong>Anna Emelianova<\/strong>\r\n                                                                            <\/a>\r\n                                                                <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Siroco<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/martijnsanders.com\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration: none\">\r\n                                                                                <strong>Martijn Sanders<\/strong>\r\n                                                                            <\/a>\r\n                                                                <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">H\u00e9risson de Porc-\u00c9pic<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanderdejongtenor.nl\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration: none\">\r\n                                                                                <strong>Sander de Jong<\/strong>\r\n                                                                            <\/a>\r\n                                                                <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Alo\u00e8s<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nienkenasserian.com\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration: none\">\r\n                                                                                <strong>Nienke Nasserian Nillesen<\/strong>\r\n                                                                            <\/a>\r\n                                                                <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Tapioca<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Jeroen de Vaal<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Choir<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Theaterkoor Opera Zuid<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Orchestra<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Philzuid<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                <\/tbody>\r\n                    <\/table>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"col-12 col-lg-6\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"flickity-people\">\r\n                            <div class=\"flickity-carousel people-slider-carousel\">\r\n                                                                                                            <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-2.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Erik <br>Slik<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Ouf I<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/erikslik.com\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>\r\n                                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-10.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Brenda <br>Poupard<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Lazuli<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-3.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Anna <br>Emelianova<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>La Princesse Laoula<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/annaemelianova.com\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>\r\n                                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-9.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Martijn <br>Sanders<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Siroco<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/martijnsanders.com\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>\r\n                                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-7.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Sander <br>de Jong<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>H\u00e9risson de Porc-\u00c9pic<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanderdejongtenor.nl\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>\r\n                                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-6.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Nienke <br>Nasserian Nillesen<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Alo\u00e8s<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nienkenasserian.com\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>\r\n                                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-8.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Jeroen <br>de Vaal<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Tapioca<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/PhilZuidZW_Simon-van-Boxtel.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Philzuid<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Orchestra<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                <\/div>\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n                                    <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n            \r\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ghostkit-divider ghostkit-divider-type-solid ghostkit-custom-sSADs\"><\/div>\n\n\n\r\n<div id=\"creatives-section\" class=\"eye-block menu-section\" title=\"creatives\" data-section-name=\"creatives\"><\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"creatives\">C<strong>r<\/strong>eatives<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"eye-block people_block-wrapper \">\r\n\r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"row\">\r\n                <div class=\"col-12 col-lg-6\">\r\n\r\n                    <table class=\"table table-borderless people-table\">\r\n                        <tbody>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Conductor<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nicolas-kruger.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration: none\">\r\n                                                                                <strong>Nicolas Kr\u00fcger<\/strong>\r\n                                                                            <\/a>\r\n                                                                <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Director<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/mattheweberhardt.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration: none\">\r\n                                                                                <strong>Matthew Eberhardt<\/strong>\r\n                                                                            <\/a>\r\n                                                                <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Set- &#038; costume design<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zahramansouri.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration: none\">\r\n                                                                                <strong>Zahra Mansouri<\/strong>\r\n                                                                            <\/a>\r\n                                                                <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Light design<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Danny Vavre\u010dka<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Hair &#038; make-up design<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Pilo Pilkes<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Assistant musical direction &#038; choir leader<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Bianca Chillemi<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Assistant direction<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Nicole Morel<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                    <tr>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 55%\">Assistant director &#038; language coach<\/td>\r\n                                <td style=\"width: 45%\">\r\n                                                                            <strong>Geoffrey Boissy<\/strong>\r\n                                                                        <\/td>\r\n                            <\/tr>\r\n                                                <\/tbody>\r\n                    <\/table>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"col-12 col-lg-6\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"flickity-people\">\r\n                            <div class=\"flickity-carousel people-slider-carousel\">\r\n                                                                                                            <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-13.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Nicolas <br>Kr\u00fcger<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Conductor<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nicolas-kruger.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>\r\n                                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-11.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Matthew <br>Eberhardt<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Director<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/mattheweberhardt.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>\r\n                                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-16.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Zahra <br>Mansouri<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Set- &#038; costume design<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>\r\n                                                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zahramansouri.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>\r\n                                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-5.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Danny <br>Vavre\u010dka<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Light design<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/20251107_Doorloop-Dreigrosch_HR-1-2-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Pilo <br>Pilkes<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Hair &#038; make-up design<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-12.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Bianca <br>Chillemi<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Assistant musical direction &#038; choir leader<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-15.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Nicole <br>Morel<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Assistant direction<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                                                <div class=\"cell-wrapper\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                                                <div class=\"people-card\">\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__header\">\r\n                                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Etoille-portraits_LR-14.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"people-card__body\">\r\n                                                        <div class=\"people-card-content\">\r\n                                                            <div class=\"top\">\r\n                                                                <h3 class=\"h4\">Geoffrey <br>Boissy<\/h3>\r\n                                                                                                                                    <div>Assistant director &#038; language coach<\/div>\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                            <div class=\"bottom\">\r\n                                                                                                                            <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                        <\/div>\r\n                                                                                                <\/div>\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n                                    <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n            \r\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ghostkit-divider ghostkit-divider-type-solid ghostkit-custom-1ozUcB\"><\/div>\n\n\n\r\n<div id=\"media-section\" class=\"eye-block menu-section\" title=\"media\" data-section-name=\"media\"><\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"media\"><strong>M<\/strong>edia<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"eye-block all-reviews \">\r\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ghostkit-divider ghostkit-divider-type-solid ghostkit-custom-pQc0W\"><\/div>\n\n\n\r\n<div id=\"photos-section\" class=\"eye-block menu-section\" title=\"photos\" data-section-name=\"photos\"><\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"foto\">Photos<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"eye-block photo_slider-wrapper \">\r\n\r\n                \r\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ghostkit-divider ghostkit-divider-type-solid ghostkit-custom-Z2toeJX\"><\/div>\n\n\n\r\n<div id=\"video-section\" class=\"eye-block menu-section\" title=\"video\" data-section-name=\"video\"><\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"video\">Vid<strong>e<\/strong>o<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"eye-block video_slider-wrapper \">\r\n\r\n                        <div class=\"flickity-carousel video-slider-carousel\">\r\n                \r\n                    <div class=\"carousel-cell\">\r\n                        <div class=\"slider-video\">\r\n                            <iframe class=\"slider-video-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/YsdM2eNLWF0?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n            \r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"featured_media":16289,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"class_list":["post-16299","production","type-production","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>L&#039;\u00c9toile - Opera Zuid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In 1993, Opera Zuid performed the Dutch premiere of L\u2019\u00c9toile. More than thirty years later, the witty comedy by the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier returns to the Opera Zuid stage. Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-conceived birthday present: having a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf\u2019s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not allow that to happen: Lazuli\u2019s life is protected at all costs. He is thoroughly pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess! This absurd premise forms the basis of L\u2019\u00c9toile: a witty, socially critical opera. This Op\u00e9ra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humour and sharp satire. Chabrier\u2019s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resounds and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a \u2018tickle trio\u2019 and a \u2018sneeze aria\u2019, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human folly. Is L\u2019\u00c9toile a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the folly of fate and the transience of existence are shrewdly exposed. Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises L\u2019\u00c9toile as \u2018brilliant musical theatre\u2019. With his versatile experience in theatre and musical theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully recognisable world of Chabrier\u2019s first major opera. Orchestra Philzuid provides the music for L\u2019\u00c9toile, conducted by French conductor Nicolas Kr\u00fcger. L\u2019\u00c9toile lasts approximately two and a half hours, including the intermission, and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English surtitles. IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT Director Matthew Eberhardt can\u2019t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully recognizable world of L\u2019\u00c9toile. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises! What do you think L\u2019\u00c9toile is about? \u2018First of all, I think L\u2019\u00c9toile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.\u2019L\u2019\u00c9toile contains criticism of the division of power and the social situation of nineteenth-century France. Will we recognize anything in that?\u2018The world of L\u2019\u00c9toile is easy for us to understand. The audience will undoubtedly recognize certain things. A slightly crazy government, for example, and the strong hierarchy in society. I also think that the audience - unfortunately actually - will see certain people from our time in the characters. I don\u2019t have to refer to that explicitly at all. And in addition, L\u2019\u00c9toile is about how people deal with concepts such as time, death and transience. Whether you are a king or an orphan, you will ultimately have to find your own way in it. That is of course recognizable to everyone.\u2019The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?\u2018His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is very refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier&#039;s work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way. &#039;Can you give an example of those surprises in the music? &#039;Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in a very creative way in his music, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. In L&#039;\u00c9toile, for example, there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria\u2026! How did you come up with it?&#039; How did you actually get into opera? &#039;As a child I loved listening to music and imagining what stories were being told and what they would look like.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"L&#039;\u00c9toile - Opera Zuid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In 1993, Opera Zuid performed the Dutch premiere of L\u2019\u00c9toile. More than thirty years later, the witty comedy by the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier returns to the Opera Zuid stage. Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-conceived birthday present: having a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf\u2019s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not allow that to happen: Lazuli\u2019s life is protected at all costs. He is thoroughly pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess! This absurd premise forms the basis of L\u2019\u00c9toile: a witty, socially critical opera. This Op\u00e9ra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humour and sharp satire. Chabrier\u2019s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resounds and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a \u2018tickle trio\u2019 and a \u2018sneeze aria\u2019, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human folly. Is L\u2019\u00c9toile a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the folly of fate and the transience of existence are shrewdly exposed. Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises L\u2019\u00c9toile as \u2018brilliant musical theatre\u2019. With his versatile experience in theatre and musical theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully recognisable world of Chabrier\u2019s first major opera. Orchestra Philzuid provides the music for L\u2019\u00c9toile, conducted by French conductor Nicolas Kr\u00fcger. L\u2019\u00c9toile lasts approximately two and a half hours, including the intermission, and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English surtitles. IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT Director Matthew Eberhardt can\u2019t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully recognizable world of L\u2019\u00c9toile. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises! What do you think L\u2019\u00c9toile is about? \u2018First of all, I think L\u2019\u00c9toile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.\u2019L\u2019\u00c9toile contains criticism of the division of power and the social situation of nineteenth-century France. Will we recognize anything in that?\u2018The world of L\u2019\u00c9toile is easy for us to understand. The audience will undoubtedly recognize certain things. A slightly crazy government, for example, and the strong hierarchy in society. I also think that the audience - unfortunately actually - will see certain people from our time in the characters. I don\u2019t have to refer to that explicitly at all. And in addition, L\u2019\u00c9toile is about how people deal with concepts such as time, death and transience. Whether you are a king or an orphan, you will ultimately have to find your own way in it. That is of course recognizable to everyone.\u2019The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?\u2018His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is very refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier&#039;s work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way. &#039;Can you give an example of those surprises in the music? &#039;Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in a very creative way in his music, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. In L&#039;\u00c9toile, for example, there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria\u2026! How did you come up with it?&#039; How did you actually get into opera? &#039;As a child I loved listening to music and imagining what stories were being told and what they would look like.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Opera Zuid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/operazuid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-14T10:49:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Campagnebeeld_LEtoile_Opera_Zuid_vierkant_Bjorn_Frins-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2556\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@operazuid\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/performance\\\/letoile\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/performance\\\/letoile\\\/\",\"name\":\"L'\u00c9toile - Opera Zuid\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/performance\\\/letoile\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/performance\\\/letoile\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/Campagnebeeld_LEtoile_Opera_Zuid_vierkant_Bjorn_Frins-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-18T12:07:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-14T10:49:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"In 1993, Opera Zuid performed the Dutch premiere of L\u2019\u00c9toile. More than thirty years later, the witty comedy by the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier returns to the Opera Zuid stage. Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-conceived birthday present: having a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf\u2019s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not allow that to happen: Lazuli\u2019s life is protected at all costs. He is thoroughly pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess! This absurd premise forms the basis of L\u2019\u00c9toile: a witty, socially critical opera. This Op\u00e9ra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humour and sharp satire. Chabrier\u2019s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resounds and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a \u2018tickle trio\u2019 and a \u2018sneeze aria\u2019, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human folly. Is L\u2019\u00c9toile a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the folly of fate and the transience of existence are shrewdly exposed. Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises L\u2019\u00c9toile as \u2018brilliant musical theatre\u2019. With his versatile experience in theatre and musical theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully recognisable world of Chabrier\u2019s first major opera. Orchestra Philzuid provides the music for L\u2019\u00c9toile, conducted by French conductor Nicolas Kr\u00fcger. L\u2019\u00c9toile lasts approximately two and a half hours, including the intermission, and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English surtitles. IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT Director Matthew Eberhardt can\u2019t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully recognizable world of L\u2019\u00c9toile. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises! What do you think L\u2019\u00c9toile is about? \u2018First of all, I think L\u2019\u00c9toile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.\u2019L\u2019\u00c9toile contains criticism of the division of power and the social situation of nineteenth-century France. Will we recognize anything in that?\u2018The world of L\u2019\u00c9toile is easy for us to understand. The audience will undoubtedly recognize certain things. A slightly crazy government, for example, and the strong hierarchy in society. I also think that the audience - unfortunately actually - will see certain people from our time in the characters. I don\u2019t have to refer to that explicitly at all. And in addition, L\u2019\u00c9toile is about how people deal with concepts such as time, death and transience. Whether you are a king or an orphan, you will ultimately have to find your own way in it. That is of course recognizable to everyone.\u2019The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?\u2018His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is very refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier's work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way. 'Can you give an example of those surprises in the music? 'Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in a very creative way in his music, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. In L'\u00c9toile, for example, there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria\u2026! How did you come up with it?' How did you actually get into opera? 'As a child I loved listening to music and imagining what stories were being told and what they would look like.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/performance\\\/letoile\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/performance\\\/letoile\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/performance\\\/letoile\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/Campagnebeeld_LEtoile_Opera_Zuid_vierkant_Bjorn_Frins-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/Campagnebeeld_LEtoile_Opera_Zuid_vierkant_Bjorn_Frins-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":2556,\"caption\":\"Foto: Bjorn Frins\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/performance\\\/letoile\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Producties\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/voorstellingen\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"L&#8217;\u00c9toile\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/\",\"name\":\"Opera Zuid\",\"description\":\"Authentic opera theatre\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Opera Zuid\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/Artboard-1-copy-3L.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/Artboard-1-copy-3L.png\",\"width\":1306,\"height\":646,\"caption\":\"Opera Zuid\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/operazuid.nl\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/operazuid\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/operazuid\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/operazuid\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/nl.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/stichting-opera-zuid\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/operazuid\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"L'\u00c9toile - Opera Zuid","description":"In 1993, Opera Zuid performed the Dutch premiere of L\u2019\u00c9toile. More than thirty years later, the witty comedy by the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier returns to the Opera Zuid stage. Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-conceived birthday present: having a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf\u2019s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not allow that to happen: Lazuli\u2019s life is protected at all costs. He is thoroughly pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess! This absurd premise forms the basis of L\u2019\u00c9toile: a witty, socially critical opera. This Op\u00e9ra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humour and sharp satire. Chabrier\u2019s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resounds and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a \u2018tickle trio\u2019 and a \u2018sneeze aria\u2019, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human folly. Is L\u2019\u00c9toile a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the folly of fate and the transience of existence are shrewdly exposed. Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises L\u2019\u00c9toile as \u2018brilliant musical theatre\u2019. With his versatile experience in theatre and musical theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully recognisable world of Chabrier\u2019s first major opera. Orchestra Philzuid provides the music for L\u2019\u00c9toile, conducted by French conductor Nicolas Kr\u00fcger. L\u2019\u00c9toile lasts approximately two and a half hours, including the intermission, and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English surtitles. IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT Director Matthew Eberhardt can\u2019t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully recognizable world of L\u2019\u00c9toile. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises! What do you think L\u2019\u00c9toile is about? \u2018First of all, I think L\u2019\u00c9toile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.\u2019L\u2019\u00c9toile contains criticism of the division of power and the social situation of nineteenth-century France. Will we recognize anything in that?\u2018The world of L\u2019\u00c9toile is easy for us to understand. The audience will undoubtedly recognize certain things. A slightly crazy government, for example, and the strong hierarchy in society. I also think that the audience - unfortunately actually - will see certain people from our time in the characters. I don\u2019t have to refer to that explicitly at all. And in addition, L\u2019\u00c9toile is about how people deal with concepts such as time, death and transience. Whether you are a king or an orphan, you will ultimately have to find your own way in it. That is of course recognizable to everyone.\u2019The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?\u2018His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is very refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier's work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way. 'Can you give an example of those surprises in the music? 'Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in a very creative way in his music, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. In L'\u00c9toile, for example, there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria\u2026! How did you come up with it?' How did you actually get into opera? 'As a child I loved listening to music and imagining what stories were being told and what they would look like.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"L'\u00c9toile - Opera Zuid","og_description":"In 1993, Opera Zuid performed the Dutch premiere of L\u2019\u00c9toile. More than thirty years later, the witty comedy by the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier returns to the Opera Zuid stage. Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-conceived birthday present: having a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf\u2019s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not allow that to happen: Lazuli\u2019s life is protected at all costs. He is thoroughly pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess! This absurd premise forms the basis of L\u2019\u00c9toile: a witty, socially critical opera. This Op\u00e9ra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humour and sharp satire. Chabrier\u2019s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resounds and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a \u2018tickle trio\u2019 and a \u2018sneeze aria\u2019, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human folly. Is L\u2019\u00c9toile a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the folly of fate and the transience of existence are shrewdly exposed. Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises L\u2019\u00c9toile as \u2018brilliant musical theatre\u2019. With his versatile experience in theatre and musical theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully recognisable world of Chabrier\u2019s first major opera. Orchestra Philzuid provides the music for L\u2019\u00c9toile, conducted by French conductor Nicolas Kr\u00fcger. L\u2019\u00c9toile lasts approximately two and a half hours, including the intermission, and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English surtitles. IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT Director Matthew Eberhardt can\u2019t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully recognizable world of L\u2019\u00c9toile. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises! What do you think L\u2019\u00c9toile is about? \u2018First of all, I think L\u2019\u00c9toile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.\u2019L\u2019\u00c9toile contains criticism of the division of power and the social situation of nineteenth-century France. Will we recognize anything in that?\u2018The world of L\u2019\u00c9toile is easy for us to understand. The audience will undoubtedly recognize certain things. A slightly crazy government, for example, and the strong hierarchy in society. I also think that the audience - unfortunately actually - will see certain people from our time in the characters. I don\u2019t have to refer to that explicitly at all. And in addition, L\u2019\u00c9toile is about how people deal with concepts such as time, death and transience. Whether you are a king or an orphan, you will ultimately have to find your own way in it. That is of course recognizable to everyone.\u2019The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?\u2018His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is very refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier's work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way. 'Can you give an example of those surprises in the music? 'Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in a very creative way in his music, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. In L'\u00c9toile, for example, there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria\u2026! How did you come up with it?' How did you actually get into opera? 'As a child I loved listening to music and imagining what stories were being told and what they would look like.","og_url":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/","og_site_name":"Opera Zuid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/operazuid","article_modified_time":"2026-04-14T10:49:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":2556,"url":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Campagnebeeld_LEtoile_Opera_Zuid_vierkant_Bjorn_Frins-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@operazuid","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/","url":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/","name":"L'\u00c9toile - Opera Zuid","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Campagnebeeld_LEtoile_Opera_Zuid_vierkant_Bjorn_Frins-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-18T12:07:55+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-14T10:49:36+00:00","description":"In 1993, Opera Zuid performed the Dutch premiere of L\u2019\u00c9toile. More than thirty years later, the witty comedy by the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier returns to the Opera Zuid stage. Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-conceived birthday present: having a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf\u2019s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not allow that to happen: Lazuli\u2019s life is protected at all costs. He is thoroughly pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess! This absurd premise forms the basis of L\u2019\u00c9toile: a witty, socially critical opera. This Op\u00e9ra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humour and sharp satire. Chabrier\u2019s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resounds and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a \u2018tickle trio\u2019 and a \u2018sneeze aria\u2019, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human folly. Is L\u2019\u00c9toile a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the folly of fate and the transience of existence are shrewdly exposed. Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises L\u2019\u00c9toile as \u2018brilliant musical theatre\u2019. With his versatile experience in theatre and musical theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully recognisable world of Chabrier\u2019s first major opera. Orchestra Philzuid provides the music for L\u2019\u00c9toile, conducted by French conductor Nicolas Kr\u00fcger. L\u2019\u00c9toile lasts approximately two and a half hours, including the intermission, and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English surtitles. IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT Director Matthew Eberhardt can\u2019t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully recognizable world of L\u2019\u00c9toile. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises! What do you think L\u2019\u00c9toile is about? \u2018First of all, I think L\u2019\u00c9toile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.\u2019L\u2019\u00c9toile contains criticism of the division of power and the social situation of nineteenth-century France. Will we recognize anything in that?\u2018The world of L\u2019\u00c9toile is easy for us to understand. The audience will undoubtedly recognize certain things. A slightly crazy government, for example, and the strong hierarchy in society. I also think that the audience - unfortunately actually - will see certain people from our time in the characters. I don\u2019t have to refer to that explicitly at all. And in addition, L\u2019\u00c9toile is about how people deal with concepts such as time, death and transience. Whether you are a king or an orphan, you will ultimately have to find your own way in it. That is of course recognizable to everyone.\u2019The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?\u2018His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is very refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier's work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way. 'Can you give an example of those surprises in the music? 'Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in a very creative way in his music, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. In L'\u00c9toile, for example, there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria\u2026! How did you come up with it?' How did you actually get into opera? 'As a child I loved listening to music and imagining what stories were being told and what they would look like.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Campagnebeeld_LEtoile_Opera_Zuid_vierkant_Bjorn_Frins-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Campagnebeeld_LEtoile_Opera_Zuid_vierkant_Bjorn_Frins-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":2556,"caption":"Foto: Bjorn Frins"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/performance\/letoile\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Producties","item":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/voorstellingen\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"L&#8217;\u00c9toile"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/#website","url":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/","name":"Opera Zuid","description":"Authentic opera theatre","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/#organization","name":"Opera Zuid","url":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Artboard-1-copy-3L.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Artboard-1-copy-3L.png","width":1306,"height":646,"caption":"Opera Zuid"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/operazuid","https:\/\/x.com\/operazuid","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/operazuid\/","https:\/\/nl.linkedin.com\/company\/stichting-opera-zuid","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/operazuid"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/production\/16299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/production"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/production"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/production\/16299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18805,"href":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/production\/16299\/revisions\/18805"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}