Monday night I went to the opera Cosi fan Tutte by my favorite composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, at the Capitol Theatre. Two soldiers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, are betrothed to a pair of sisters, Dorabella and Fiordiligi, respectively. When they brag about the fidelity of their fiancees, Don Alfonso scoffs and devises a plan to test their loyalty. He tells the women that the men have been called to war and then has the men, posing as Albanians (with elaborate mustaches which are, of course, the true symbol of manhood), try to woo them. Don Alfonso enlists the help of Dorabella and Fiordiligi's maid, Despina, to aid the Albanians in their pursuit and thus ensues some hilarious physical comedy. Even though the women eventually succumb to the Albanians' charms, Ferrando and Guglielmo decide to marry them anyway, because "women are like that." The entire cast is outstanding, particularly Aaron Blake as Ferrando. Some of his comedic elements were a bit over the top but his aria, "A Loving Breath," was the highlight of the production for me. I thought the sparse set was very effective and I loved the beautiful costumes. Susan Memmott-Allred dressed the cast in clothing from the 1920s and I especially loved the spats worn by the men. This production is exceptionally well done but I definitely prefer the tragedies over the comedies. I want a grand passion with desperation and betrayal, not mere flirtation, and I need someone to die in the arms of their lover! However, the assembled audience at the Capitol Theatre seemed to enjoy this opera immensely (hoots of laughter greeted many of the antics on stage) so I suspect you will, too! There are performances tonight and Friday night at 8:00 pm and a matinee on Sunday at 2:00 pm. Go here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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