Vagabond Opera Enchants Joe's Pub
by Melanie Wong
What do you get when Moulin Rouge meets a traveling carnival and Shakira? Vagabond Opera, of course—the Bohemian troupe combining traditional opera with cabaret, gypsy-style folk music, and Arabic belly dancing—whose performance at Joe’s Pub Sunday night was just as eclectic and dazzling as it sounds.
Although their name suggests otherwise, this particular group of vagabonds actually claims a home in Portland, Oregon. Even so, these vaudeville carnies display a mesmerizing character that instantly transports its audiences to a world more akin to a 19th-century Parisian burlesque. Case in point: Among guest performer Ashley Lopez’s many roles Sunday night were a corseted courtesan and a booty-shaking/belly-dancing/contortionist extraordinaire—all while singing as a beautiful mezzo-soprano.
Though their character is that of the late 1800s, Vagabond Opera did make good use of some 21st-century developments: the bass player used a skinny, black electric upright, and both the cello and accordion were plugged into electronic devices that allowed them to record and loop parts of their performance at will—an increasingly popular trend as of late.
Alas, all good things must come to an end, and at the announcement of the final song, “Goodnight Moon,” the audience—reluctant to leave the coziness of the lounge—gave a unanimous sigh of disappointment. If you missed Vagabond Opera this time around, be sure to look out for them in the future or catch them during the remainder of their summer tour along the East Coast.