PIRATICAL and DRAMATICAL

Cast of The Pirates of Penzance -- a Utopia Opera production

We have often written about how rare it is to find a composer who can set the English language in a musical way. One must capitalize upon its punchy rhythm and unique rhymability. Who beside Stephen Sondheim has done that? One must go all the way back to Victorian days to the works of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan to find such heights of delight.

As many times as we have seen Pirates of Penzance, the production by Utopia Opera was the absolute best, hands down. For one thing, the small theater at Hunter College (the Lang Recital Hall) permitted an up close and personal viewing. For another thing, the enunciation of the language was so crisp that we didn't miss a single clever rhyme. Also, the performances were filled with energy, thanks to some dynamic direction by the super talented William Remmers and some excellent casting of singers with comedic chops. Furthermore, the staging was filled with so much invention that we never missed the sets. 

Musical values hit the mark with Music Direction shared by Mr. Remmers with John Cuk who conducted the lively score, placing the string quartet plus bass at ground level and the winds and percussion on one side of the stage.

The singers were superb. As the Pirate King, Erik Contzius created a lovable rascal to whom Frederic (fine tenor Daniel Kamalic) was apprenticed at a very young age. For those of you who don't know the story, Frederic's nursemaid Ruth (a very funny Amy Maude Helfer) thought she was apprenticing him as a pilot, not a pirate.

Having reached his 21st birthday, Frederic assumes he has fulfilled his duties and is free to abandon the crew of pirates whom he loves individually but deplores as a group. This crew is a strange lot, never attacking a weaker party and having a soft spot for orphans, a feature which becomes an interesting plot point.

Frederick falls in love with Mabel, one of five daughters of Major-General Stanley, hilariously portrayed by Mr. Remmers, thus absenting himself from his usual task of conducting the orchestra. This role is the most challenging one of the opera, involving a patter song ("I am the very model of a modern Major-General") that we have never heard sung so rapidly, nor so crisply. 

The role of Mabel was sung by the splendid soprano Kathleen Norchi who was given songs that seemed to send up the tropes of bel canto opera. She easily negotiated the elaborate fioritura and made a worthy love object for young Frederic.

Trey Sandusky created the character of the Sergeant of Police who adopted a "dese, dem, and dose accent" whilst singing "When a felon's not engaged in his employment". We don't know why a cockney accent wasn't chosen to contrast with the plummy British accents of the other characters but it worked and was very funny.

Juan José López Delgado was equally excellent as Samuel, the Pirate King's lieutenant and the second in command to the Sergeant of Police. As Major-General Stanley's other daughters we had a comely group of young women--Kayla Faccilongo, Leslie Ratner, Shannon Gaffney, and Jane Hoffman.

We love seeing imagination taking the place of major expenditures and give credit to Eric Lamp and Angel Betancourt for their clever costuming.

Perhaps one reason that this comic opera is so successful in the United States is that the objects of skewering are not as unknown to Americans. Satirizing a sense of duty is more familiar than the inner workings of British political bodies. As a matter of fact, the work premiered right here in New York in 1879, shortly before it played in London. It has been popular ever since.

We are thrilled that Utopia's audience voted to see this work. By now, we hope you know that the audience selects works for Utopia Opera to produce. Although the audience is always enthusiastic, we have never heard such wild applause. The production absolutely deserved that acclaim.

We urge you to attend the final performance--today's matinée-- if tickets are still available. Photos of the performance are on our Facebook page, Voce di Meche. Utopia Opera's ninth season continues with a Mozart/Salieri double bill in the Spring.

© meche kroop

WE HEART AMORE OPERA

Jose Heredia, Dilara Unsal, and Jonathan Green (photo by Nathan Hull) in Tosca

Every small opera company in New York occupies a different niche and we value Amore Opera for bringing the classics up close and personal while utilizing a full orchestra. Some operas belong on the stage of The Metropolitan Opera and some seem to demand a more intimate venue. We never thought so about Tosca but last night's experience demonstrated what a very personal story this is.

We were asking ourselves what is so special about Tosca that we never tire of it. First of all, Puccini's work is so melodic that the tunes dance around one's head long after one leaves the opera house, and his orchestrations are lavish. The libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa is filled with romantic and political passion--so refreshing in the current era of irony; the story was adapted from an earlier play by Sardou.

The opera had a difficult conception with lots of turmoil but somehow the conflicts got resolved and we were left with a work of astonishing power and a straightforward arc from start to finish without the longueurs that plague some other operas. One dare not snooze in Tosca, not even for a minute.

Furthermore, the opera offers three starring roles that allow great singers the opportunity to show their vocal and dramatic chops. Opening night of Amore Opera's production took place in the comfortable Riverside Theater and put three superlative singers onstage. There are alternating casts for tonight's performance and for the Sunday matinee and the production will go onstage next week Wednesday through Sunday. We looked over the casting and feel comfortable recommending all of them, having recognized singers of whom we hold a high opinion.

But let's talk about last night. In the title role, soprano Dilara Unsal was in full command of her prodigious talents--a sizable soprano with great power to cut through Puccini's dense orchestration, and a total commitment to her character. She was every inch a diva, self-possessed and demanding of attention and adoration--but also very loving and devoted to her man. Caught in Scarpia's net, she sang "Vissi d'arte" as finely as we've ever heard.

In the role of the painter Mario Cavaradossi, tenor Jose Heredia used his fine instrument well, creating a warm and full-throated sound without the pushing that bothers us in so many young tenors. He begins the opera as a carefree young man in love, delighting us with "Recondita armonia". Then he must mollify the jealous Tosca with a beautifully rendered aria "Qual'occhio al mondo".

He must then cope with his panic stricken friend Angelotti (portrayed by bass Kofi Hayford) who has just escaped from prison. Then he must deal with cross-examination and torture ordered by the evil Scarpia and his anger at what he believes to be Tosca's betrayal. And finally he must deal with a premature death.  "E lucevan le stelle" was sung with great depth of feeling.

Tosca's arrival at the prison has him praising her tenderly with "O dolci mani". All of these emotional shifts were captured by Mr. Heredia with vocal coloration and dynamic variation.

With his excellent baritone, Jonathan Green made a persuasive Scarpia, the man we love to hate. Scarpia is one of the most loathsome characters in the operatic canon. He uses his political power to intimidate and force himself on Tosca. (We think of the current Harvey Weinstein scandal in Hollywood. Plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose.) When Tosca stabs him and cries "Mori, mori", we smile with satisfaction.

Tenor Marc Khuri-Yakub made a believable Spoletta, acting on Scarpia's orders and taking his abuse. Bass Trey Sandusky performed the role of Sciarrone, Scarpia's orderly.

Baritone Gennadiy Vysotskiy added some humor in Act I, portraying the judgmental and devout Sacristan of the church in which Cavaradossi is doing his painting.

Isabella Reichenbach was inaudible as a young shepherd.

Which brings us to the issue of the orchestra.  The Riverside Theater is a comfortable theater but the orchestra "pit" is not exactly sunken and only the strong voices of the principals were consistently audible. Maestro Richard Cordova did his best to control the volume but Puccini's orchestration is dense. The brasses came on strong in the beginning and we enjoyed the work of the winds and percussionist. But oh, those strings! There were significant problems with intonation.

Direction by Nathan Hull was as apt as ever. Costume Design by Cynthia Psoras was a propos. The opera is set exactly a century before it was written, at the time of the turn of the 18th c. when Napoleon was returning to take over the papal province of Rome from the Neapolitans. The Empire costuming seemed just right.

Sets were probably left over from the days of Amore's predecessor, Amato Opera; they seemed shopworn but served the purpose. We came for the singing which was glorious, not for the sets.

Although Amore Opera is famous for its productions of the classics, we would be remiss if we did not mention La Zingara, a rarely produced opera by Donizetti which we absolutely loved last Spring during its American premiere! (The review is archived and available through the "search bar".) There will be a reprise on October 24 and a matinee on October 28th. If you missed your chance last season, now's your chance for a fun evening which balances the Puccini tragedy quite well.

(c) meche kroop