Past Production Reviews
5Seattle Opera director Chris Alexander and designer Robert Dahlstrom continued their unbroken string of hits last weekend with the new “Don Giovanni,” aided by a brilliant opening-night cast and a genuine star in the title role. Alexander’s staging underscores the ambivalence of all the characters toward Kwiecien’s Don, who both attracts and repels them all. Even the righteous Donna Anna (Pamela Armstrong) swoons in his arms; the vengeful Donna Elvira (Marie Plette) longingly wears his cloak after Don Giovanni meets his downfall. On Sunday, the alternate cast had a tougher time of it. Morgan Smith’s virile Don was outstanding, and Heather Parker was a winning Zerlina, but Franzita Whelan’s Anna veered out of control in her high notes; Dana Beth Miller’s mighty Elvira developed a hard edge; and Patrick Miller’s Ottavio didn’t deliver the emotional content of the music. But Brian Kontes proved an engaging Leporello. A resounding bravo for the imaginative lighting design of Robert Wierzel, Wade Madsen’s choreography and Marie-Therese Cramer’s just-right costumes.
Beginning last Thursday, the New York City Opera staged its resurrection following a dark year, financial jeopardy and management disarray. With straitened means and only a few months to plan (George Steel, the company's general manager and artistic director, started work last February), City Opera's comeback season was pared to 30-odd performances of five operas, two this month and three in the spring. The company also hopes to get a lift from the acoustical and other improvements in its renamed David H. Koch Theater. "Don Giovanni," the season's only new production, performed on Sunday afternoon, came off the best. Director Christopher Alden's abstract, updated concept was convincing, and a good solution to some of the challenges of this piece. Paul Steinberg's set—two walls angled to create a triangular playing space—also seemed to aid vocal projection, and the strong cast made the most of it. The powerhouse cast embraced the concept with verve. Perhaps there's something to be said for engaging singers on short notice: This was a uniformly strong group, with six of the eight principals making their City Opera debuts. Keri Alkema was a rich-toned, passionate Donna Elvira and Stefania Dovhan pushed her soprano to the edge, giving Donna Anna more than a hint of madness. With his suave baritone, Daniel Okulitch made Don Giovanni both lethal and careless; Jason Hardy played Leporello as his cringing slave rather than alter ego. Gregory Turay's Don Ottavio was unusually forceful and interesting. Joélle Harvey and Kelly Markgraf made the peasant couple, Zerlina and Masetto, discover their power to resist and their own sexual connection. Bass Brian Kontes was an imposing Commendatore. Conductor Gary Thor Wedow led a vibrant performance, skillfully balancing the voices and the orchestra.
It’s a smartly written tale about how the humble servant Figaro and his friends try to outsmart the handsome and powerful Count Almaviva in such a way that all can live happily ever after. You might be put off a bit because it’s in Italian. But somehow with the text above the stage, the mode of the music, and the artistic lighting, I’m sure you’ll understand every word and feeling. It’s been over 200 years since this work had its premier, and yet it almost feels like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is standing in the wings. Almost as amazing as the opera is the talent brought together to make this production a reality. As I watched, I felt like everyone on stage had been singing and performing together for years. However, after reading their biographies, you realize that these extremely talented individuals have traveled many different paths to find themselves in Pittsburgh for our enjoyment. The audience was made up of opera lovers of all ages from teens to retirees. There is no dress code for going to an opera. A small percentage of those in attendance wore jeans and another small group were in formal attire. The Benedum is a gorgeous and an extremely comfortable venue for enjoying any kind of performance. Every time an opera singer takes a part in a production as famous and popular as The Marriage of Figaro, they are compared to the many talented performers who have sang that same part in days gone by. Let the experts compare. All I want to do is to say thanks to all the talented folks that gave me an evening I won’t soon forget. A special thanks to Tyler Simpson, who played Figaro, Joelle Harvey, who sang the part of Susanna, and Christian Bowers who brought to life Count Almaviva. All three were making their Pittsburgh Opera Debut. And a special thanks goes to Pittsburgher Danielle Pastin, who sang the roll of Countess Almaviva. I have always enjoyed opera music, but I sort of kept it to myself. I started to believe being an opera fan must be a cool thing when I learned that the great race car driver, Mario Andretti was an opera fan. Now, I don’t need someone else to validate my appreciation of the art form; I simply enjoy it. And I’m sure you would too.
Austin’s vocal unsteadiness seemed to unnerve the Cio-Cio San, Dina Kuznetsova, who was making her Pittsburgh Opera debut in this production; she had a rough first act with high notes that went wildly askew. However, her total control of the rich middle of her voice never faltered, and her exquisite pianissimos were stunning, carrying effortlessly through the theater. It is hard to imagine a lovelier sound than hers in the brief passage where Butterfly entrusts her son to Pinkerton’s American wife. The carefully conceived, detailed characterization of the young Japanese girl’s plight culminated in a devastating performance of her final aria, ‘Tu? Tu? Piccolo iddio!’ The roles of Suzuki and Sharpless took on greater importance than is the norm, and Laurel Semerdjian and Michael Mayes turned in top-notch performances. Semerdjian’s Suzuki was sensitively acted and very well sung, her lovely mezzo-soprano blending perfectly with Kuznetsova’s voice in the Flower Duet. Mayes made a powerful impact as the US consul who is increasingly dismayed over his fellow American’s callous, self-indulgent indifference to the plight of his fifteen-year-old bride. With Sharpless’ vocal lines exposed, Mayes showed off his tightly focused baritone to its full advantage. The supporting roles were also strongly cast, and the singers went about their business as if nothing was amiss. Julius Ahn’s Goro was all obsequious, self-serving efficiency, vividly acted and sung. Brian Kontes’ bass boomed as he raged at his niece’s abandonment of her traditional gods and conversion to Christianity in her attempt to become a true wife to Pinkerton. Two fine baritones, Ben Taylor and Tyler Zimmerman, both Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artists, sang the roles of Prince Yamadori and the Imperial Commissioner. Another of the company’s young artists, Antonia Botti-Lodovico, accomplished the impossible, turning Kate Pinkerton into an almost sympathetic character by the end of her short time on stage. There were a few ragged entrances from the chorus and coordination problems with the orchestra in the first act. Like the rest of us, conductor Anthony Walker must have been wondering what would come next from Austin’s Pinkerton. Once settled, Walker turned in a carefully sculpted performance, with the Humming Chorus and the orchestral interlude that followed one of the musical highlights of the evening.
Linda Brovsky directed this straightforward but affecting production, with smaller details selling the show. Falling flower petals at key moments and Pinkerton’s son saluting him after the Butterfly’s death were particularly evocative. Conductor Antony Walker kept singers and instrumentalists exactly together while allowing Puccini’s more indulgent lines to breathe. Making her Pittsburgh Opera debut as Cio-Cio-San (the Butterfly) was Russian-American soprano Dina Kuznetsova, who delivered her arias with inspired legato, tapering the ends of each phrase with finely polished lyricism. She plucked each pitch out of thin air, seemingly effortlessly, with a penetrating but soft tone that caressed the ear and carried through to the back of the Benedum. Her counterpart, Cody Austin, brought a bright but undersized tenor to the role of Lt. Pinkerton, his performance strengthening after the first act. Mr. Austin played Pinkerton as a straight but unwitting villain — contrasting coldly with Michael Mayes’ Sharpless (the America consul in Japan), who recognizes the amorality of Pinkerton’s actions but does nothing. Mr. Mayes brought depth but no agency to this incarnation of Sharpless, his rich baritone ringing a touch hollow in the face of Pinkerton’s betrayal. Laurel Semerdjian as Suzuki — Cio-Cio-San’s maid — immediately stood out as one of the strongest voices, a forceful, plush mezzo bringing emotional heft to the production. John Gunter’s set, an open house on the coast of Nagasaki, tilted jauntily to keep each character in view regardless of placement, felt static. The house occupied nearly the full stage, so characters and chorus members seemed crammed to the side. The pacing mostly clipped along but dipped at the end of the second act as Cio-Cio-San prepares and waits for Pinkerton to return. Overall, a strong production of “Butterfly.” This opera is a window into another more troubling time, yet it remains one of the most popular operas in the repertoire. It sells tickets to be sure — the Benedum looked quite full — but the portrayals of Japanese culture are dated. Still, in today’s charged climate, discussing the differences between the time of “Butterfly” and now can make ripe fodder for post-show conversation, whether you’ve seen it once or a hundred times.
