The Boston Opera Collaborative was at its most spectacular this past weekend with their production of A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim’s charming and funny tale of love across generations.  The show is a favorite of opera companies for its musical intricacies and a favorite of audience members for its clever dialog, witty puns and fun music.  One need not know me that well to know that I am not a fan of Sondheim in general, regardless of his status as the grandfather of musical theatre, but I have a soft spot in my heart for A Little Night Music.  To me, the show represents a time when Sondheim wasn’t trying too hard to be discordant and complicated- and was focused on good storytelling and interesting music instead.  I was really looking forward to BOC’s production, having had my interest piqued during their production of The Crucible this past fall.  This production though, blew The Crucible out of the water and across the seas.  It was a delight from light’s up to curtain call.

The simple stage dressings and carefully thought-out lighting (by Julia Noulin-Mérat and Chris Brusberg respectively) were the perfect compliment to the simple yet elegant costumes by Rebecca Landau.  I love the unfussy way the stage was set, and the thoughtful way that director, David Gram used the space to compliment its assets and downplay its flaws.  Even the running up and down the aisles wasn’t as annoying as I usually find that sort of thing to be (though I could have done without the slamming doors- a piece of gaff tape would have done the trick).  There was a little bit of a volume problem with the bulk of the “chorus”, but I found the principles to be confident and present throughout the production.

Stephanie Piraino as Anne Egerman was captivating, with a light and crystal tone that instantly endeared the audience to her.  The trio she shares with Fredrick and Henrick, “Soon”, was the best I have ever heard it (and I was far more looking forward to it than to the more famous “Send in the Clowns” in the second act.)  Kristina Riegle was a statuesque beauty with a delicate and sophisticated voice and beautiful presence.  Her portrayal of Desiree Armfeldt was exactly as I would have envisioned her.  Ellen PutneyMoore was a wonderful Mme Armfeldt, causing bubbles of infectious laughter to burst across the audience with her every line.  She was extremely believable as an older woman; in fact, seeing her treatment of the character up against Meena Malik’s depiction of young Frederika Armfeldt was particularly impressive- the two really did seem to be several generations apart.  Katrina Holden and Brandon Cordeiro were a dramatic pair as the Count and Countess Malcom.  They both had strong voices with excellent characterization.  I loved seeing their interactions.  The knock-out, inspired performance of the night, though, goes to the incomparable Keith Potts as Henrik Egerman.  I almost fell out of my chair when I read that he is only in his sophomore year of studies because he was fantastic.  Besides his spirited cello work in the first act (extremely sexy, I might add) his voice was wonderful, and his acting was nuanced and full to the brim with emotion.  His angry outburst at the beginning of the second act was the highlight of the show.  There is not a question in my mind that Potts has a great career on the stage ahead of him.  I would have paid to see him perform alone, but luckily I didn’t have to, because the whole cast complimented each other, making the show feel even more polished and professional.

I must commend directors David Gram (stage) and Emily Hindrichs (music) for this production.  Rather than trying to wow the audience with flashy mechanics or modern marvels, the pair focused on clear and controlled character choices, and thoughtful comic timing to deliver the story.   There was never a moment where I thought, “why is this happening this way,” (a problem I had with The Crucible) because at every moment the directors thought about giving the best presentation of the story that they could, even when that meant a simpler or more traditional choice in staging or music.  I was so impressed and delighted.

My colleague, who did the review of BOC’s The Crucible, warned OperaBoston and BLO to “watch out” for Boston Opera Collaborative, and I have to echo his sentiments.  If this is the future of Opera in Boston, sign me up.

The excellent Samuel Bowen and Kristina Riegle share an intimate moment.