Candide, at Huntington Theatre Company this fall, is amazing. Amazing. AMAZING!  I have not gone to a more visually stunning and musically moving show in a long while. Candide runs through October 16th as the kickoff to Huntington’s 30th Anniversary Season. Huntington welcomes a production that is clearly part remount, part newly produced, bringing several Chicago artists to Boston – most notably Mary Zimmerman and Doug Peck, from the show’s previous run at the Goodman Theatre.

Mary Zimmerman, directing and re-imagining this original Voltaire adaptation with music by Leonard Bernstein and others, proves once again why she won a Tony for Metamorphoses and why she has been officially described as a Genius, winning the MacArthur Fellowship years ago. Peck, the Joseph Jefferson Award winning Music Director, brings the Bernstein music to life with a passion and force that many musicians envy – or should!

Candide follows the life of the naïve young man, removed from his home of wealth for his romantic entanglements with his cousin. In his travels, he experiences the funny, the serious and also the horrifying world of war, religion, sex and power in Europe through the heavy-handed philosophical eye of the original author, Voltaire (d. 1778).

The production design of Candide is stunning. Utilizing a deep stage space and projections, the space is at one moment a small classroom space, then an empty ballroom, then the dirty streets of several European cities in progression.  Daniel Ostling’s set design, moving seamlessly and speedily through time and space with more than a few stunning reveals, is beautiful. Opening with a series of simple projections, the audience is tricked into a calm expectation for the design of this opera. In the first scene, the attention to the color palette is breathtaking.  This first moment takes place far downstage in a small study populated by aristocrats within a comparatively simple set – desk; chairs; hand-props – then, in a moment as Candide himself is shunned from the palace after a brief moment of sexual impropriety – the stage is bare and wooden, giving a stark look into the emptiness behind the beauty of the aristocratic life.

Like most of Zimmerman’s re-creations of classic tales, this production is not short on spectacle, visual assault and surprise, and unexpected vocal, physical and emotive choices. Each and every actor is put through their paces with the physical and vocal demands of this production.  I would love to be backstage to see the movement choreography that surely must have developed to keep the onstage world so quickly transforming.  Though Zimmerman’s tale provides spectacle, it is not ever for spectacle’s sake. Her use of visually moving stimulus, and unique movement and vocal direction, is always at the service of the story and the audience. Candide is no exception to this practice.

Doug Peck’s musical direction of the music by Bernstein and others is transformative. At intermission, I overheard several conversations from patrons that this was the most exciting opera they had been to in years – undoubtedly due to Peck’s brave musical choices and interpretation of this great piece. The young musical director, already with four Joseph Jefferson Awards under his belt, should hands-down be considered for any and every award Boston has to offer. Peck has been considered the “musical wonderkind” of Chicago for almost a decade(1), and hearing this production of Candide, one has to hope that he will grace Boston again with his brave musical prowess.

This review would be remiss if I did not compliment the amazing fusion of casting. The cast of Candide brings together some of Chicago’s best with some of Boston’s best actors. Erik Lochtefeld* is hilarious as the vain Maxmillian; Lauren Molina’s entire performance rivots – particularly her vocal power; and Jeoff Packard carries the show with strength, focus, and more than a few moment of physical hilarity.  Kudos to the ensemble and to the production team for bringing them all together!

1. See “Chicago Theatre Addict,” chitheatreaddict.com.

Members of the cast of the Huntington Theatre Company’s CANDIDE. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

As the final curtain fell, the house lights rose, and I began my way out of the Loeb Drama Center, my ears couldn’t help but hone into the conversation happening behind me. A woman remarked to her theatergoing companion, “Well, I give it an A for effort.” In the moment, I couldn’t help but focus on the tactlessness of such a statement while still inside the theater. However, upon further thought, I have to agree with the tactless stranger. The credit for this A undoubtedly goes to the cast of consummate professionals who brought this work to life at the American Repertory Theater. As adept as they were, though, their talent alone could not save this haphazard production.

For the purposes of full disclosure, I absolutely did read Stephen Sondheim’s open letter to The New York Times regarding the “blasphemous” treatment of Porgy and Bess by this creative team, and I entered the theater very tentatively the evening of this performance. I am not an aficionado of Porgy in its original form, but many of the changes preview interviews were indicating made me uncomfortable. I am pleased to be able to report that the hype is incredibly disproportionate to the actual changes, and that during previews taking place before I saw the show, Diane Paulus restored the show’s original ending, opting for Bess to not return as Porgy sets off in search of her.

Audra McDonald was absolutely resplendent as Bess, commanding the audience’s attention whenever she took to the stage. Her acting was impeccable—she really brought a tender depth to the character making every intention crystal clear. Likewise, Norm Lewis as the lame beggar Porgy (New! Improved! With a cane!) was a delight. The journeys these two characters take together are deftly executed by their actors, and deepened by the wonderful on-stage chemistry the two share.

The rest of the cast was nothing to shake a stick at, either. Nikki Renée Daniels, as Clara, set the tone for the entire show with her beautiful and fresh rendition of the signature “Summertime” while holding a real live baby (Special kudos are owed here—the infant didn’t make a peep). Mariah, played by NaTasha Yvette Williams, brought a maternal tenderness to each of her scenes and songs. David Alan Grier as the “happy dust”-peddling Sportin’ Life brought a seedy finesse to the character, he really makes the audience see the allure Bess sees in him. Phillip Boykin’s Crown did leave something to be desired, though. His acting was decidedly more “opera” than “theatre,” and not quite up to par with his peers on stage. The ensemble, as they gathered to gamble, picnic, or hunker down for a storm, was in top shape vocally, though when they were executing Ronald K. Brown’s distracting choreography, their ability to aid the storytelling was lessened.

Diane Paulus’ unfocused direction really was the iceberg in this Titanic situation (I’m not joking—the scenery actually tips up at one point, causing this reviewer to go to the only logical place he could: Yeston and Stone’s musical Titanic). There were so many moments I sat in my seat thinking, “Wow, what a wonderful opportunity to create some sexy dramatic tension,” yet the dramatic tension’s invitation to this dinner party clearly got lost in the mail.

The new book scenes contributed by playwright Susan Lori-Parks added between the songs simply serve to halt the flow of the show instead of helping it move forward. The dialect in the book scenes is noticeably different from the dialect in the lyrics of the songs, and the two do anything but play nicely together on stage. It was very jarring to see the characters begin singing in “demeaning 1930s black people talk” and then, by contrast, appear 300 times more articulate when speaking to one another, only to switch back when they began singing again. On the topic of music, William David Brohn & Christopher Jahnke’s orchestrations were played beautifully by the 18-member pit band led by conductor Sheilah Walker.

The real star of the production team is Christopher Akerlind, for his beautiful lighting design. It is an inside joke among my friends that when I am searching for something nice to say about a production, I will immediately default to “Well, the lighting was good.” In this case, however, I am incredibly earnest in this statement. His beautiful use of horizontal-facing lights to create shadow plays on Riccardo Hernandez’s towering set was very effective, as was the lighting effects to create a full-fledged hurricane at the pinnacle of the second act (I was more afraid of the rain on the stage of the Loeb than I was of Tropical Storm Irene).

Overall, I keep coming back to the “A for effort” statement. Temporarily removing my “critic” hat (and what a fabulous little number it is, too), seeing a production of this reimagined American classic with such an impeccable cast was amazing. With some tweaks to the work itself and some serious direction doctoring before it hits Broadway in December, it’s possible this becomes one of the roles that defines McDonald’s career as an actor. The opportunity to see her play this role should not be missed.

Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis share an intimate moment at “Bess” and “Porgy”.

The centerpiece for the bi-annual Boston Early Music Festival is Niobe, Regina di Tebe, a baroque opera by Agostino Steffani, first produced in 1688. People come from across the world for BEMF’s production every other year full of excitement at what will be produced. I could hardly maintain my composure as I sat down in the illustrious Cutler Majestic Theater for this production and waited to be swept away by the period music, costumes and scenery waiting behind the velvet curtain. Let me say, I was not disappointed at what I saw in the 4 hour production that followed!

First off, Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, the Co-Musical Directors for the show deserve the most praise. They continually bring these ancient masterpieces to life with verve and pomp and with so much style, one would never know how much of the music was missing before they laid their hands on it. Their combined geniuses when completing these pieces is unmatched and the orchestra is perfect at every turn. It is no wonder they lead these operas to such high acclaim time and time again.

Gilbert Blin, BEMF’s foremost Stage Director, continues to add to his reputation for artistic style with this production. His signature hand movements and 17th century picture perfect poses create a breathtaking view for Niobe and truly whisk the audience to a world so far removed from the present it’s hard to believe it’s actually happening in front of us and not in a dream. The costumes by Anna Watkins and superb set design (complete with baroque flying machines!!!) by Blin fill out the picture and are used to the fullest extent possible throughout the show. The set itself changed with grace and silence unmatched in so many productions in this area and the artistry in the painting of it is unmatched. While changes in costume are not in baroque practice, I feel different costumes for the main characters would have been a very welcome addition to this piece.

The singing was par for the course, and what I mean by that is superb! Philippe Jaroussky, the French counter-tenor playing Anfione, the king, stole the night. Breathtaking, dynamic, easy, romantic, stunning… I’m not sure I can praise him enough for all that he did on the stage. He could have sung the same two words the entire four hours instead of the show and I would have been just as happy. Amanda Forsythe, a regional favorite in period music, was come si come sa… She sang lovely, but the part of Niobe seemed a little too low for her voice and she did not showcase her strengths well. I also thought her non-dynamic acting presence was ill-advised for this show. I completely missed the ways Niobe used herself, her body, her voice and her intellect to get what she wanted when she wanted and therefore set up the drama for the propulsion of the show. Yulia Van Doren was a stand out for me with a powerful voice and innocence on stage as Manto, though I heard on other nights she was not as consistent. Colin Balzer as Tiberino made me smile with his antics and his voice alike. Charles Robert Stephens was arguably the biggest voice on stage playing Tiresia, but I noticed at times though he was supposed to be blind he was looking at where he was or things he was doing with his hands to make sure it was done right – especially when tying the lovers ribbons in the wedding scene. Poliferno played by Jesse Blumberg was my least favorite of the night. His core singing voice was there, but he was usually off tempo with the orchestra and his coloratura was no where close to remarkable. My favorite person on stage was José Lemos portraying Niobe’s nurse, Nerea. He perfected his womanly charm and attitude and made me burst out with laughter more than once with glee. There is no question that part was made for him! The dancers were a joy to watch through the evening, but at times it seemed were overused. Applause goes out to the choreography of Caroline Copeland and Carlos Fittante. The Niobids were lovely. The kids ranging in age were extremely cute and one could tell how much work they put into making things perfect. All that time and energy paid off and completely added to the show, especially in Jaroussky’s aria at the beginning of scene XIII extolling study – GOREGOUS!

I cannot thank Boston Early Music Festival enough for their strength and courage in taking on this piece and other opera’s like it. The shear beauty combined with the amount of work to make this production even possible is staggering to me. It was lush, energetic and stunning. I would never ask for my time back and would offer more of it to stay in the world they created just a bit longer. Thank you and you’ll see me with bells on in two years!

Boston Lyric Opera has been pushing the excitement factor for their new production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for quite some time. I totally bought into it and have been holding my breath for the show that was to come. Not only did  BLO have their regular outreach programs at the Library and MFA, but they did something extraordinary for the public in anticipation of the premiere event. Working with Opera America, an organization that educates, promotes and works with the opera community, they created a 4 session online class for people to learn more about the background of the show, production and music. It was a great way for the company to get recognition in the outer opera world and to drum up excitement.

This year’s productions from BLO have consistently blown me away with their musicianship. This show was par for the course. David Angus was welcomed back to the podium as the official BLO music director and he had a superb ensemble to work with. The instrumentalists were flawless and created the mood Britten wrote beautifully for this Dream. I was very impressed with them as well as the singing, but, the ensemble of voices had very unclear diction that made me rely on the monitors flanking the stage to understand the words, which I consider shameful for a production sung in English.

The visual realm created by Stage Director, Tazewell Thompson left me feeling deceived. It was an unimagined, painstaking simple set that did not help create a mood, feeling of space or place in time. Moons of different sizes, shapes, colors and degrees of fullness adorned the height of the stage and were constantly changing which left me confused as the entire show traditionally takes place throughout one day. The lighting of Robert Wierzel was well done in the space, though. Inversely, the costumes of Kaye Voyce were tragically unfitted and amateur looking. The whole production seemed very amateur and I’m shocked that it was allowed to move forward without a crisp, finished and high end look to it. A metaphoric presentation combined with an already complex show is the wrong direction to take. Furthermore, the pacing of the show was extremely slow, to the point where my companion snoozed through the first act!

Despite my displeasure at the chorus’ lack of diction, several singers managed to catch my ear. Heather Johnson’s Hermia stole my heart. Her voice rang through the theater and her face and eyes had a consistent sparkle that stole my attention whenever she was on stage. John Gaston as Oberon was lovely as well. His countertenor voice rang crisp and cleanly, though a little soft at times. Chad A. Johnson as Lysander was very pretty to look at, but seemed a little unrehearsed as one could see on his face when he made a mistake in the music. Helena, portrayed by Susanna Phillips, seemed a little uncomfortable on stage, but paired with such an ill fitting and poorly colored dress, I can’t blame her. In the end, my favorites were Andrew Shore as Bottom – his acting and singing combined was consistent, happy and energetic and opposite him, Nadine Sierra’s Tytania was breathtakingly beautiful and accurate. The children’s chorus of fairies was charming, but I can’t stress diction enough in a professional production. I’ve saved Puck, Karim Sulayman, for last. He was entertaining to watch, was dressed the best of anyone on stage, and stole the show with his antics and tone. Though I found his antics a little too quick to follow at times, his performance left a smile on my face.

I cannot help but feel a little disappointed by the season that Boston Lyric Opera has offered this year. Though I know when I walk into the theater that the music is going to be exquisitely presented, my expectations of fantastic showmanship in production value have been consistently unmet. The BLO name has a high reputation in the city for having the best shows, but it seems they’ve tried to push themselves to be something they’re not this year with very contemporary presentations dressed up in avante garde costumes and sets. I have missed the sophisticated and nuanced productions I have come to look forward to from BLO, and I hope they come back to their classical roots in this upcoming season.

Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream  Photo by Erik Jacobs for the Boston Lyric Opera.

I will admit, I’ve had a lot of trouble deconstructing my thoughts on this piece. I struggle to be the one to speak against the popular opinion, notably those in awe of the use of technology in this supposedly progressive piece.  But does that really make something new and unique? Does it make something with an obtuse plot, poor sound quality, and what in essence is remote control cars a major step forward for opera?

I’ve been battling these questions in my mind ever since I saw Tod Machover’s work, and I keep going back to what my companion’s response to the opera was. Upon leaving the theater he said “The visual effects were really cool, but I have no idea what happened on stage. Was that supposed to affect me in some way?” I also have thought of what I’ve told my peers and coworkers about the show. “I liked watching it, but I wouldn’t recommend you see it.”

Now, what has made me think that? Well, the music for one. Being an opera and classical music enthusiast, I thought it was beautiful. The modern composition was flawless and was so well written for singing I was floored. Tod Machover ingeniously put together a score that was not muddled, or too avant guarde, and the singers performed it with an ease and grace that I haven’t heard in modern music ever.

The plot is where Robert Pinsky and Randy Weiner jumped the shark. I read the synopsis before walking into the theater, so I knew what was coming and the background of each scene, but without that prior knowledge, I would have no idea what was happening. The characters were just shells, there was no back story other than a 30 second image montage for each character at the very beginning of the piece called the “download” and it did not give any insight to their thoughts or feelings on themselves or the world. This piece was supposed to be about death, evolution, technology and the path to immortality but none of that came through. The only striking human moment was when ” the miseries” – a large hoard of ragged people flopped around the empty stage for one scene.

The singing was wonderful with James Maddalena, Emily Albrink and Sara Heaton standing out the most. I question the use of counter-tenor Douglas Dodson as “The United Way”. Why not have a woman instead? The jaunting look and sound of his voice paired with his physical presence was distracting and there didn’t seem to be a reason for him being a man. The Orchestra, headed bu Gil Rose, worked perfectly with the music and the singers and I truly applaud the musicianship of the whole piece. The use of lighting and multi-media and robotic set pieces,created by Peter Torpey, Ben Bloomberg and Matt Checkowski was powerful to see. I did expect the robots themselves to have electronic voices, but was disappointed to find that their singing was just from the human singers backstage in a sound booth with a microphone.

The directing suffered from a bad script and a lackluster story, but I don’t know what one can do with a piece that has so little bulk to it. It all comes back to the writing itself. It’s so lack-luster compared to the story they were trying to tell that even the entire opera isn’t worthwhile. I hate that I feel so strongly about it, because of all the good that’s involved. But no amount of high flying technology or musicality can overcome a badly written, though imaginative story.

The Operabots. Photo by: Jonathan Williams.

Boston Lyric Operas production of Agrippina was nothing at all like I imagined it to be. Full of slap stick humor, ridiculous random props and over dramatized staging this was not your typical Handel opera. The audience fell in love with the comedy that Lillian Groag, fresh off directing the same production for the New York City Opera, worked into every nook and cranny, but did they miss out on the beautiful singing and music by paying attention to histrionics?

I cannot rave enough about the cast members. Kathleen Kim debuts in Boston as Poppea, the title characters nemesis, and stole the show with her voice and her acting skills. I could listen to her all day and fell in love with her from the moment she stepped out in 5 inch heels to sing a coloratura entrance. Anthony Roth Costanzo as Ottone had a clear and strident voice that was unimaginable coming from such a slight figure. Bravo! Christian Van Horn as Claudio’s rich baritone Claudio rang through the room and David Mcfrerrin, as his servant Pallante, did not get enough material to sing – please bring him back as a Figaro! David Trudgen was the one I had the least care for. His characterization of Nerone was over the top, a-sexual, and overly boyish especially for one that is doing cocaine, heavy drinking and playing Russian Roulette on stage. He did redeem himself with a beautiful rendition of a great “Come nube che fugge” in Act III. The star of the night was Caroline Worra’s performance as Agrippina. Her voice soared the entire night and never faltered. When not singing, she left a lot to be desired and sometimes looked a bit bored, other than when getting Poppea drunk. This was a great role for her, though and she stood up to the challenge especially after falling short in Idomeneo.

The set, by John Conklin was a strange combination of crumbling facades, clean lines and random hanging squares presumably to show depth on the stage, but just causing confusion in the audience. What were those random squares for, really? The pieces swiveled well on stage, but next time, perhaps more rehearsal is needed so the stage hands don’t crash. Jess Goldstein’s costumes also left me and my companion with question marks over our heads. The main characters looked stunning in gowns, three piece suits and colors perfect for a 1930’s feel Italy, but the stage hands dressed as 17th century eyes wide shut masked men were completely off from the rest of the production. The lighting was great, including a moment in the second act when Ottone was leaning on a black wall with a single lit column. Gorgeous, Robert Wierzel! Gary Thor Wedow was a very present conductor in the raised pit and showed great strength in keeping everything reigned in even with so much going on stage.

All in all, it’s par for the course when the Boston Lyric Opera is concerned. I did not respond favorably to the stage direction, but the music was fantastic. This certainly was not the opera Handel had envisioned, but there were some great moments coupled with overly acted segments and added farce to fill in the “boring” Opera Seria arias. Ms. Groag certainly made a choice, and I must respect her for following through with it completely.

Now there’s only one thing to do…wait for the masterpiece coming in April, Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’m already bouncing with anticipation for this show and can’t wait to see what Boston Lyric will do with it – especially with David Angus conducting!

Agrippina (Soprano Caroline Worra),  Nerone (Countertenor David Trudgen), Pallante (Baritone David McFerrin) and Narciso (Countertenor José Álvarez) Photo taken by Jeffrey Dunn for Boston Lyric Opera © 2011

Getting thunderous applause from a Wednesday evening audience can sometimes prove a difficult task, but Boston Lyric Opera’s production of Puccini’s Tosca effortlessly evoked the praises of the packed Shubert Theatre. Beginning slowly, the production quickly gained momentum as it raced toward and eventually reached its epic climax.

This new adaptation of a Scottish Opera production receives its North American debut as the opener of BLO’s 2010-2011 Season, and trades the libretto’s original 1800s setting for Mussolini’s Italy, to great effect. The popular tale tells of the titular diva’s tug-of-war between lover Cavaradossi, a painter aiding and abetting an escaped convict, and Scarpia, the chief of police enamored of Tosca’s beauty.

Bradley Garvin, as Scarpia, commanded the attention of the entire audience whenever he was on stage. His imposing presence and rock-solid acting paired with his powerful bass-baritone voice made his performance the highlight of the evening.

Playing against Garvin, Diego Torre as Cavaradossi possessed a contrasting tenderness that made him immediately likable. His Act III aria, E lucevan le stelle, was particularly affecting.

Rounding out the love triangle, Jill Gardner’s Tosca was appropriately sung and experienced some beautiful acting moments, but failed to live up to the chops of her male counterparts. Kudos must be paid to Ms. Gardner, however, for her impeccable commitment to Tosca’s iconic leap at the close of the third act.

Conductor Andrew Bisantz had the orchestra in fine form. David Lefkowich’s stage direction was spot on, and worked the concept into the libretto beautifully. Peter Rice’s gorgeous sets and costumes were lit impeccably by Paul Hackenmueller.

Tosca proved to be an amazing opening to what seems to be a fabulously programmed season for BLO. I eagerly anticipate its remaining productions, beginning with its Opera Annex performance of Viktor Ullman’s The Emperor of Atlantis, featuring a world premiere, BLO-commissioned prologue by Richard Beaudoin.

I had high expectations for Boston Opera Collaborative’s production of Little Women.  BOC is well known for having great musicians and this production had Michael Sakir, a favorite of mine,  as the music director. It was housed in a beautiful newer hall in Dudley Square that I’ve been wanting to visit,  and it is a classic American story that takes place in Massachusetts.  I was looking forward to a lush and sophisticated design that BOC offered in last season’s production of A Little Night Music. Unfortunately they fell a little short in production value and had me wishing the production was  concertized  instead of  fully staged.

The singing was fantastic. Beth Lytwynec as Jo, was so consistent I was mesmerized whenever her mouth opened. Christina English’s Meg sang a beautiful “Things Change” that I was very excited to hear, I was disappointed that she didn’t have any other moments to stand out. Emily Burr was clear as a bell singing Amy and I can’t wait for her to take on larger roles in the future. Brendan Buckley’s Laurie had a pingy and exaggerated tone that I enjoyed, but was a little pinched at times. I give the most props to Rachele Schmiege singing Beth. Her breathtaking aria stole the show!

The musical direction was wonderful. The orchestra sounded flawless under Sakir’s baton and I could tell his coaching of the singers really paid off. The space, on the other hand made all of his hard work much more difficult to recognize. The sound in the room was so muddled that the intricate melodies and chords sound like an imprecise mush. It was worst during “Ours the Hours” and The Barristers Quartet.

The production value itself left a lot to be desired. The emotional tone of the piece was flat and stayed angry from start to finish. Jo especially didn’t seem to grow or change as the character grew from the beginning to end of the piece. Beth’s death had no impact on me; she wasn’t a truly integrated part of the show. The happily married couple of Meg and Brooke seemed lost and childish and Friedrich Bhaer felt like an after thought.  While there was good use of the stage and the sparse set design of Kathryn Kawecki seemed very useful, I reiterate I could’ve watched the same show with no movements or staging and had the same reaction. I’m not sure if that is the fault of the stage director, Emilia Allen or the Librettist Mark Adamo.  The best visual aspect, hands down, was the hair design of Rebecca Teeters and costume design of Cara Pacifico.  It stood out as superb where other aspects of the production were severely lacking.  It seems that a company like BOC, with a shoestring budget, could have better served themselves by conserving resources for future productions so that the production value could compliment their superb musical talents.

Little Women seems like a wonderful show to put on when you have so many magnificent female singers to work with, but great musicians alone cannot make a great full production. Boston Opera Collaborative is still a great avenue for young singers to show their stuff  and I would recommend opera goers see their offerings and have a look at what talent is on the rise.  I’m hoping to see a little more finesse in the staging of the next production- I can’t wait to see these talented performers shine on a stage that deserves them.

Idonemeo is one of the greatest operas ever written. A Greek tragedy complete with meddling gods, monsters, love triangles and chaos with a silver-lined ending, it’s everything I expect in an Opera Seria piece and more. Mozart’s soaring music and vision fill the piece and mesmerize any audience member. Boston Lyric Opera’s new production of this classic opera was beautiful and inventive, though lacking in through thought. It was a very good effort with wonderful singers that rounded out Boston’s premiere opera company’s Idonemeno.

BLO took a set originally built for Glimmerglass Opera’s production of Orphee et Eurydice that was stunningly beautiful and perfect for this setting. Great lighting and multiple entrances added depth to the space and kept the audience guessing where to look next. I wish I could see more sets like this as it fit the stage well and did not stand in the way of any action – wonderful!

The singers were fantastic. Camille Zamora as Ilia made a soaring starting point for the opera to lift off. Her presentation, while over the top at times, was exciting, energetic and anything but boring. Ilia is one character that can seem boring, self deprecating, and daft, but Zamora infused power and motivation to create a journey that her character traveled throughout the piece. Sandra Piques Eddy was a surprising Idamante. Her stage presence read masculine at every moment and Idamante’s character and character flaws were easily visible. Jason Collins as Idomeneo was the stand out voice on stage. His aria in the first act was very human and distraught, his second act mellizmatic aria looked easy as pie and beamed from low to high with perfect Tenor placement. Caroline Worra as Elettra had a beautiful voice and presence on stage, though I would have loved for her character to further walk the line between crazed, loving, and confused. Her rage aria before the finale was something I was told would be stand-out fantasic; and it was sung well, but did not make me jump out of my seat as I was expecting to. Worra had good effort, but her energy had a constant decrescendo from the beginning through the end of the 3 hour production.

Lillian Groag’s stage direction was very exciting in the first act. Creating a play within a play that read to the audience as such is an extremely hard task, but I wanted to hop out of my seat at the end of Act 1 and applaud her. The action was so intense yet still a play within a play that I was left with my mouth open at the simplicity of her staging. I’m saddened that it ended after the curtain closed the first time. The second and third acts lost all their charm and left me questioning if we had traveled into the story completely or were still watching players on a stage. That paired with a company energy level declined left me with a slight bad taste in my mouth.

On the other hand, the musical direction of David Angus was spectacular. Those who knew the music well before coming to the theater could be seen on the edges of their seats with an expectant look in their eyes for the thrilling music and upon the curtain drop sat back with a content smile of satisfaction on their faces. The Orchestra and the Chorus benefited greatly from Angus’ baton and blossomed in key moments of every act. Bravo on a job well done and flawless conducting on such a long and intense score!

My only other area of contention was the supertitles. While much of the music was cut from the opera, the words and statements being sung on stage were changed and reinterpreted on the screens in English. There were distinct moments when the audience was laughing at what the “translation” said while the words and thoughts being expressed on the stage were the exact opposite. Reinterpretation of passion to sarcasm, hatred to sexy, loving to boredom: these are not things that should be changed so easily.

All in all, this was a beautiful piece of music, wonderful to listen to, wonderful to see in action and well done by Boston Lyric Opera. With only a few complaints, but more smiles from me, I would love to see more productions on par with this Idomeneo. Both David Angus and Lillian Groag are great additions to the company of BLO and I would be happy to see their return to the helm in the future.

Now, on to next season!

Boston Lyric Opera’s 2010-2011 Season: Tosca- The Emperor of Atlantis – Agrippina – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The star-crossed lovers Idamante (mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy) and Ilia (soprano Camille Zamora)
share a bittersweet moment before Idamante heads off to battle

Boston Lyric Opera’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos has made headlines around the world as it is a revival of the European Welsh National Opera. I was very excited to have the chance to see this production come to life here in Boston, and am still delighted that I had the opportunity.

Revival director and choreographer Denni Sayers used the set and costumes brilliantly and created a rich and vibrant Act 1 to this opera. Set backstage at a main stage theater 30 minutes before curtain, the scenery was full of life. There were dressing rooms, staircases, many entrances and exists as well as props, extra scenery, racks of costumes, makeup, food and drink, it went on and on and was used flawlessly.

The second act gave quite a bit less visual interest to play with. A barren stage with a chair created the dessert island that Ariadne was stranded on but introductions of props from the Comedia Dell’ Arte group gave more life and color to the space, as did the occasional appearance of the motley crew themselves. The final scene of transformation, while cliché,  worked so well and was so stunning to look at that I left with my jaw still hanging open.

While visually stimulating, I did have some issues with the actual staging of the piece. The main problem with the directing came from the slow moving pace of the music, which in fact has nothing to do with the directors, but the conductor, Erik Nielsen. Nielsen, who has been touted as James Levine’s selection for projects in the past including The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and soon to be conducting for the Metropolitan Opera must have been too busy preparing for these large and prestigious events, taking little regard of this show in Boston. The orchestra all but fell apart during some moments of the show. With one dynamic of “loud”, articulation of mud, and one very distinct and slow tempo, he made a mockery of Strauss’ music. I missed the Rubato in the second act that Ariadne needed to put emotion into her laments, I missed the soft and coherent strings underscoring the beautiful women’s trio, I missed too much for words to describe.

But, and this is a big but, the singers were so remarkable I can almost forgive the mistakes of their conductor. With ease Marjorie Owens took the stage as Ariadne. Her rich voice flew over the mistakes of the orchestral ensemble under her and her breath and power shown so bright I wept. Brandon Jovanovich’s Bacchus was effortless and tasteful. Rachele Gilmore’s bright high soprano filled the hall as Zerbinetta and made me wonder at how it’s possible for such a voice to come from such a slight and beautiful woman. She, with the added comedy and voice of Julius Ahn, glowed, and used her troupe as a spring board to add life to the slow moving whole.

The only other area of contention was the personification of the characters. Ariadne and Bacchus seemed so human and genuine, almost touchable to the lowly audience member while Zerbinetta and her compatriots seemed to float above them as untouchable. This should have been the complete opposite for me as a viewer with the vulgar troupe being at my level and the God and Princess being upheld and beautiful.

All in all, the singing was beautiful, the scenery made me giggle and cheer, and the musical interpretation by Nielsen left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Perhaps he’ll take more care when it comes to the Met.

Bacchus (tenor Brandon Jovanovich) and Ariadne (soprano Marjorie Owens) share a transformative moment as the commedia dell’arte troupe and Ariadne’s nymphs watch in awe.