Showing posts with label Utah Opera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Utah Opera. Show all posts

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Utah Opera's The Marriage of Figaro

I generally prefer the tragic operas where everyone dies at the end but there are a few comedic ones that I really love and Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is definitely one of them!  I had the chance to see Utah Opera's current production of this hilarious tale about a licentious nobleman and his scheming servants last night and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Figaro (Adam Lau) and Susanna (Madison Leonard) are soon to be married but she is concerned because their employer, Count Almaviva (Michael Adams), wants to revive the feudal custom of bedding a servant on her wedding night.  The two of them devise a plan to get back at the Count by making him jealous of a fake dalliance between the love-sick page boy Cherubino (Mary Beth Nelson) and the Countess (Katherine Whyte).  Chaos ensues when the characters continue to plot and scheme, impersonate each other, and hide (often in plain sight!) in order to eavesdrop on conversations until there is a powerful and emotional moment of love and reconciliation at the end.  This opera features a lot of physical comedy, which had the audience laughing out loud, and I especially loved all of the over the top choreography as Cherubino tries to evade almost every character (a scene where he tries to hide in a chair is so funny).  The four leads are outstanding and, while this opera is definitely a farce filled with many recitatives, it does feature some lovely arias such as "Grant, love, some comfort" and "Where are they, the beautiful moments" sung very poignantly by Whyte and an emotional rendition of "Countess, forgive me" by Adams (a nice contrast to his caddish portrayal in earlier acts).  I also really enjoyed Lau's amusing version of "If you want to dance, Sir Count" as he vows to outwit Almaviva as well as the hilarious duet "After you, brilliant madam" between Leonard and Nina Yoshida Nelsen (as Marcelina, the Count's housekeeper who has designs on Figaro).  The costumes have a Downton Abbey feel to them (which makes sense for a libretto about class divisions in society) and the simple set featuring mirrored panels that rotate is very effective (although it was sometimes distracting when the stage lights are caught in the reflection).  Former Utah Symphony Associate Conductor Conner Gray Covington is making his Utah Opera debut with this production and his light touch with the orchestra is perfect for Mozart's instantly recognizable music.  Even though this opera is over three hours long, it is a lot of fun to watch so the time flies by and I think it is one that most audiences will enjoy.  There are two more performances and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Utah Opera's The Little Prince

Last night I took a short break from Sundance to see Utah Opera's production of The Little Prince.  I loved this opera when I saw it in 2019 so I was really excited to see it again and it was as enchanting as I remember!  The story begins with a Pilot (Shea Owens) telling a group of school children (Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School) about his drawing of a snake eating an elephant.  Every adult thinks it is a hat which proves that adults can't see anything!  Then he describes crash landing his plane in the desert and meeting the Little Prince (Miles Keeton) who asks him for a drawing of a sheep to eat all of the bushes, especially the baobab trees, threatening to overtake his planet.  The Prince then recounts his life story on his planet which contains three volcanoes, one active and two dormant, and his beautiful but vain and petulant Rose (Jasmine Rodriguez).  When the Rose treats him badly, the Prince decides to visit other planets.  On the first planet he meets The King (Kevin Thompson) who has no subjects and only issues orders that can be followed, such as commanding the sun to set.  On the second planet he meets the Vain Man (Christian Sanders) who wants to be the most admired man on an otherwise uninhabited planet.  On the third planet he meets the Drunkard (Jeremiah Thompson) who drinks to forget his shame over drinking too much.  On the fourth planet he meets The Businessman (Tshilidzi Ndou) who fails to see the beauty of the stars because of his need to count and catalog them to prove ownership.  On the fifth planet he meets The Lamplighter (Jeremiah Tyson) who blindly follows orders to light and extinguish a lamppost every 30 minutes to correspond with day and night on the planet.  The Prince finds all of these adults to be ridiculous so he decides to visit Earth and lands in the desert.  He meets a Snake (Christian Sanders) who tells him he can send him home any time he wishes, a rosebush (Sarah Scofield, Julia Gershkoff, and Jasmine Rodriguez) which makes him think his Rose is just ordinary, and a Fox (Sarah Scofield) who tells him that you can only see with your heart not your eyes and that spending time with his Rose has made it special.  He decides that he misses his Rose and wants to go back home so he takes the Pilot to a well to find Water (Julia Gershkoff) which saves him and makes arrangements with the Snake to return home.  The Pilot is upset but the Prince tells him not to worry that he has died because his body is just a shell that is too heavy to return to his planet.  The Snake strikes, the Prince disappears, and the Pilot fixes his plane.  The story ends with the Pilot telling the children that he can always see the Prince by looking at the stars.  There are so many wonderful themes that can be extrapolated from this opera (I love the importance of seeing beyond the surface to appreciate the true essence of things) and the music is incredibly beautiful.  My favorite part of this particular production is the amazing vocal performance from Keeton as the Prince.  I was actually stunned when I heard him sing for the first time because his voice is so clear and I especially loved his poignant rendition of an aria describing his love for the Rose.  I also enjoyed Owens as the Pilot because his performance is warm and comforting.  The rest of the adults all shine in brief roles but the standout for me is Sanders because his characterization and physicality as both the Vain Man and the Snake are so much fun to watch!  The children who make up the chorus are outstanding and they are used very effectively in the staging of each number, particularly when they pass the lamppost around in a circle to represent a day and when they hold candles to represent stars.  I loved the bright and colorful costumes, especially the King's long train and the Rose's petal-like tutu, as well as the set, which consists of a book-lined study that transforms into hundreds of pages to represent the desert.  This is a magical production that would be a perfect introduction to opera for children and I cannot recommend it enough!  There are two more performances (go here for tickets) at Capitol Theatre on Friday and Sunday.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Utah Opera's La Boheme

I love the opera La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini (I actually flew to San Francisco just to see it performed by one of the best opera companies in the world and it was incredible) so I was really excited to see Utah Opera's production last night!  Marcello (James Westman), a painter, and Rodolfo (Christopher Oglesby), a poet, are penniless and live a hand-to-mouth existence with their friends Colline (William Guanbo Su), a philosopher, and Schaunard (Tshilidzi Ndou), a musician, in a Parisian garret.  When the others leave to celebrate Christmas Eve at Cafe Momus in the Latin Quarter, Rodolfo receives a visit from their neighbor Mimi (Laura Wilde) who is looking for a light for her candle.  She faints from breathlessness because she is suffering from consumption and Rodolfo catches her in his arms.  They fall madly in love and decide to join the others in their revelry at Cafe Momus.  Marcello sees Musetta (Marina Costa-Jackson), his former lover, in the cafe with her new suitor, a rich old man named Alcindor (Danny Belcher), and is jealous but refuses to look at her.  She tries desperately to get his attention by flirting with every man in the restaurant and they eventually leave together while Alcindor is left with the bill!  After a few months, Marcello is jealous of Musetta's flirtation with other men and Rodolfo feels guilty for being too poor to care for Mimi adequately so the couples separate (one acrimoniously and one amicably).  Later Musetta brings a dying Mimi to the garret because she is desperate to see Rodolfo.  Marcello, Musetta, and their friends go for the doctor but Mimi ultimately dies and Rodolfo collapses in despair while calling her name.  The story is unbelievably romantic but also tragic and this is what makes it so compelling and the music is breathtaking!  I loved everyone in the cast (it is one of the best I've seen from this company) and they all sing their roles beautifully!  I had tears in my eyes after "O soave fanciulla" at the end of Act I because Ogelsby and Wilde have amazing voices and tremendous chemistry together as they visibly fall in love and I laughed out loud during "Quando m'en vo," ("Musetta's Waltz") during Act II because it is staged so well and Costa-Jackson has hilarious facial expressions and an over-the-top physicality.  Ndou and Su are also outstanding as the other bohemians and I was very moved by Su's rendition of "Vecchia zimarra" in Act IV.  The costumes are fantastic and I especially loved Musetta's red dress and feather boa because it really pops against the muted tones of the other costumes.  I was really impressed by the clever transformations, from a humble garret apartment to the boisterous Cafe Momus to a dreary gated checkpoint into the city, that happen with the addition of a few elements to the multi-level set.  I loved this production and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for one of the three remaining performances.

Note:  If you have never been to an opera before I think this is a good one to start with because it is very accessible (the musical RENT is based on it).

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Utah Opera's Rigoletto

I was so excited to see Utah Opera's production of Rigoletto last night because it is one of my favorite operas and it certainly didn't disappoint!  The hunchback Rigoletto (Scott Hendricks) is a jester in the court of the licentious Duke of Mantua (Matthew White).  He amuses the Duke by mocking the husbands and fathers of the women the Duke has seduced but this often earns their anger, especially Count Monterone (Christopher Clayton) who places a curse on Rigoletto in retaliation.  Rigoletto returns home to his beloved daughter Gilda (Jasmine Habersham) and, even though he is fiercely protective of her, she manages to meet and fall in love with a man she sees at church.  This mystery man, who is none other than the Duke, contrives to meet her that night and professes his undying love to her.  The courtiers, who want to teach Rigoletto a lesson, kidnap Gilda and bring her to the Duke.  Rigoletto is distraught and arranges for an assassin named Sparafucile (Kevin Thompson) to help him get revenge.  However, the plan goes horribly wrong leading Rigoletto to despair because Monterone's curse has come to pass.  The music in this opera is incredibly beautiful and I especially loved "Caro nome," in which Gilda declares her love for the Duke (who she thinks is a penniless student), because it uses coloraturas to mimic the themes played by two flutes, "La donna e mobile," in which the Duke accuses women of being fickle, because even though it is light and charming it is really an indictment of the Duke's behavior, and "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata," in which Rigoletto tearfully begs the courtiers to release his daughter, because it is so affecting.  I also really loved the themes played by a solo cello, a solo bass, and the woodwinds when Rigoletto first meets the assassin Sparafucile because it is so sinister.  The entire cast is outstanding (I was particularly struck by the ensemble in the number "Scorrendo uniti," in which the courtiers tell the Duke that they have kidnapped Rigoletto's daughter, because the staging is so humorous) but the three leads are absolutely phenomenal.  I loved White's voice but the choice to have such a young, charismatic, and handsome actor play the villain was very effective because it made his behavior seem even more reprehensible.  Habersham was absolutely luminous and her rendition of "Caro nome" just about brought the house down.  Hendricks has tremendous stage presence and he was brilliant at portraying both the foolish jester and the devoted father willing to do anything to protect his daughter (he made me laugh multiple times and brought a tear to my eye).  The period sets and costumes reflected the both opulence of the Duke's court (lots of luxurious red and gold fabrics) and the simplicity of Rigoletto's house and Sparafucile's workshop.  This production is heartbreaking but powerful and I enjoyed everything about it!  There are two more performances and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to one of them!

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Utah Opera's The Daughter of the Regiment

I had never seen The Daughter of the Regiment by Gaetano Donizetti before so I was really excited for Utah Opera's production last night.  I usually prefer the tragedies but I loved this delightful performance!  The Twenty-First Regiment of the French army is stationed in the Tyrolean region during the Napoleonic Wars.  Sergeant Sulpice (Matt Burns) is concerned because Marie (Madison Leonard), a canteen girl who has been raised by the regiment since they found her abandoned as a baby, has fallen in love with a Tyrolean named Tonio (Jack Swanson).  Since she has pledged to marry a member of the regiment, Tonio enlists but it is all for naught when Marie discovers that she is the long lost niece of the Marquise of Berkenfield (Elise Quagliata) who insists that she accompany her to learn to be a proper lady.  Tonio, distraught at losing Marie, puts himself in harm's way and is promoted for bravery.  He formally asks the Marquise for Marie's hand in marriage but complications ensue when he learns that she has been betrothed to a Duke.  Leonard is outstanding in the role because not only is her voice beautiful but she has really great comedic timing and wonderful chemistry with Swanson.  I loved the duet between Marie and Tonio, "Depuis l'instant où, dans mes bras," because it is both tender and really playful.  I also loved the hilarious scene where the Marquise has Marie practice being a lady by singing an aria but she breaks out into the regimental song instead (after singing very badly).  I was also really impressed with Swanson's brilliant vocal performance in "Ah! Mes amis," where he tells the regiment that he loves Marie, because he gave me goosebumps every time he hit those high notes!  There is a lot of comedy in this opera, especially a recurring bit whenever Sulpice tells the story of finding Marie (it is even funnier when Marie does it).  I also enjoyed Kevin Nakatni's performances as Hortensius, the Marquise's butler, because his facial expressions are hilarious and Anne Cullimore Decker steals every scene she is in as the venerable Duchess of Krackenthorp because she is so disapproving!  The costumes, which were all made by the Utah Opera costume department, are fabulous!  I loved the attention to detail on the uniforms worn by the regiment and on the gowns worn by Marie, the Marquise, and the Duchess.  The staging is very clever because Act I features a backdrop of forests and mountains and then when the action shifts to the Marquise's chateau in Act II there are windows placed in front of the same backdrop to show the view.  I had so much fun watching this production, often laughing out loud, and I think everyone, even those not familiar with opera, would enjoy it.  There are two more productions with lots of tickets available (go here).

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Utah Opera's The Flying Dutchman

I have always wanted to experience a live performance of one of Richard Wagner's operas so I was thrilled to see The Flying Dutchman (the only Wagner opera small enough in scale to fit on the stage at Capitol Theatre) last night.  I really loved the music and the performances.  The Dutchman (Michael Chioldi) is doomed to roam the ocean endlessly on a ghostly ship as punishment for defying God but he is offered a chance for redemption every seven years when he is allowed to come ashore.  If he can find a wife who will be true to him, he will be released from the curse.  He encounters a sea captain named Daland (Kristinn Sigmundsson) who has found refuge from a storm several miles from home and, when he learns that Daland has a daughter, he offers him a treasure chest full of gold in return for her hand in marriage.  Daland is dazzled by the treasure and agrees.  Daland's daughter Senta (Wendy Bryn Harmer) is pursued by the Huntsman Erik (Robert Stahley) but she is enchanted by the legend of the Flying Dutchman and refuses him.  When Daland returns home with the mysterious stranger, Senta is transfixed by him and agrees to the betrothal.  During a homecoming celebration on the shore, Erik renews his vows of love to Senta and reminds her that she once loved him.  The stranger overhears them and, believing that all hope is lost, reveals that he is the Flying Dutchman and returns to his ship.  Senta then throws herself into the ocean vowing to be true to the Dutchman in death and her sacrifice breaks the curse.  The music is incredibly dramatic and the Utah Symphony, under the direction of Ari Pelto, performs it brilliantly.  I especially loved the leitmotifs used for the storm-tossed ocean (very powerful), the Dutchman, and Senta.  Chioldi has an amazing voice and the aria "The time has come" where the Dutchman bitterly laments his fate gave me goosebumps!  His rendition of "As from the distant dawn of my creation" with Harmer, where the Dutchman allows himself to hope that the curse might be broken and Senta longs to be the one who ends his suffering, is also quite stirring and his aria "It's hopeless! Ah! It's hopeless," where the Dutchman believes that Senta has betrayed him, is filled with so much pathos that it brought a tear to my eye.  The rest of the cast is also outstanding, particularly Sigmundsson.  This show features a large ensemble and I enjoyed the scenes with the ghosts on the Dutchman's ship because they are quite scary (perfect for the spooky season) and the scenes where Daland's crew pull his ship to shore.  The set is very minimal because projections are used instead and, even though the sudden appearance of the Dutchman's ship through the fog is unbelievably thrilling, I was just a little bit underwhelmed by this because the stage often looks empty (I fear the use of projections is becoming the norm).  I also think the final scene between the Dutchman and Senta, where they are meant to ascend to Heaven, is a bit anticlimactic because they simply walk across the stage and take each other's hands.  It took the audience a few minutes to even realize that the opera had concluded.  My criticisms are minimal because I was completely overwhelmed by the grandeur of Wagner's magnificent music and I definitely recommend getting a ticket to one of the three remaining performances of this haunting tale (go here).

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Utah Opera's The Pirates of Penzance

Utah Opera is closing out the 2021-2022 season with Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance and I had a chance to see this delightful production last night at the Capitol Theatre.  Frederic (John Reisen) has reached his 21st birthday and wishes to leave the band of pirates to whom he has been mistakenly apprenticed.  After leaving the pirates, Frederic meets Major-General Stanley (Hugh Russell) and his daughters, falls in love with the youngest daughter Mabel (Madison Leonard), and enlists the Sergeant of Police (Kevin Nakatoni) and his constables to arrest the pirates.  Chaos ensues when the Pirate King (Craig Irvin) and Ruth (Meredith Arwady), Frederic's former nursemaid, tell him that he was born during a leap year and, since he has only had five birthdays, he must continue to serve his apprenticeship.  The staging of this show is so much fun and I laughed out loud during the scene where the pirates attempt to seduce the Major-General's daughters and when the constables and the pirates both hide from the Major-General in the graveyard.  Reisen is incredibly engaging as Frederic and, not only does he have a fantastic voice, but he has great comedic timing as the straight man in the show.  I especially enjoyed his interactions with Ruth when he tries to find out if she is beautiful when compared with other women.  Leonard has a beautiful voice as Mabel and I loved her rendition of "Poor wand'ring one."  Russell is absolutely hilarious in "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" and I loved the choreography involving his umbrella.  Irvin also has great comedic timing and I especially enjoyed his fancy footwork in "Oh, better far to live and die."  The large chorus, performing as pirates, daughters, and constables who sing and dance, is outstanding and so much fun to watch.  I loved all of the costumes, especially all of the colors and patterns used for the daughters' dresses and the argyle socks worn by the Major-General.  The set is quite simple consisting of a ship, the seaside, and a graveyard, but the proscenium is meant to look like a vaudeville theatre and is very effective at creating an amusing mood even before the show begins.  Hurrah for this production because I loved everything about it and I highly recommend it to anyone, even children, who might be intimidated by opera because it is very accessible.  There are only two more performances (go here for tickets) so act quickly.

Note:  Utah Opera recently announced the 2022-2023 season and it includes The Flying Dutchman, The Daughter of the Regiment, Rigoletto, and The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.  I am incredibly intrigued by the last one.

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Utah Opera's Tosca

Utah Opera is slowly but surely converting me into a fan of modern librettos and more artistic interpretations of traditional operas but I will always be a fan of the classic tragedies where desperate lovers die for love and I will always prefer productions that stay true to the time and place in the source material.  For this reason, I have been looking forward to Tosca for what seems like forever!  Not only is this one of my very favorite operas but the performance last night was amazing!  Floria Tosca (Katie Van Kooten) is a fiery and passionate singer with two men in love with her:  her lover, the painter Mario Cavaradossi (Dimitri Pittas), and the Police Chief, Baron Scarpia (Stephen Powell), who wants to possess her at any cost.  Scarpia arrests Cavaradossi for aiding a political prisoner and sentences him to death.  He tells Tosca that he will release him if she submits to him, promising her that the firing squad will be a ruse.  She agrees but when he embraces her, she stabs him with a knife.  She visits Cavaradossi in the Castel Sant'Angelo to tell him that he must pretend to die and then they can run away together when the guards leave.  However, Scarpia has betrayed her and Cavaradossi is actually killed by the firing squad.  Knowing that she will be accused of Scarpia's murder and unwilling to live without Cavaradossi, Tosca leaps to her death from the parapet of the Castel Sant'Angelo.  The music by Giacomo Puccini is incredibly beautiful (Conductor Steven White has a very light touch and I really enjoyed his interpretation of the music) and the three main actors give brilliant performances!  There were so many moments that took my breath away, including a scene in the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle at the end of Act 1 where Scarpia reveals his plan to execute Cavaradossi and possess Tosca while a procession sings the Te Deum (I loved the Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School in this scene), Tosca's aria "Vissi d'arte" at the end of Act 2 where she asks God to help her, and the scene in Act 3 where Cavaradossi sings the aria "E lucevan le stelle" reminiscing about his love for Tosca while awaiting execution (my favorite moment in the opera).  The sets of the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, Scarpia's study in the Palazzo Farnese, and the Castel Sant'Angelo are very elaborate and they add to the overall dramatic feeling of the opera.  I also loved the sumptuous costumes, especially Tosca's magenta dress (which is unceremoniously removed by Scarpia).  I loved everything about this opera and I highly recommend getting a ticket for one of the remaining performances (go here).

Note:  The young man sitting next to me was attending his very first opera.  He definitely picked a good one!

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Utah Opera's Flight

I usually do not like operas based on contemporary librettos or ones that are sung in English so when Utah Opera announced the 2021-2022 season I was not very interested in Flight.  However, the more I heard about it, the more excited I became to see it.  I had the opportunity last night and, to my surprise, I really loved it.  A Refugee (John Holiday) has been living at an international airport for weeks because he lacks the documentation to leave while a Controller (Abigail Rethwisch) watches everything that happens from high above in her tower.  She enjoys having the power to send planes into the sky while he is powerless.  Soon they are joined by Bill (Daniel O'Hearn) and Tina (Julia Gershkoff), a couple going on a tropical holiday to try and rekindle the spark in their marriage, an insecure Older Woman (Deanne Week) waiting for her much younger fiance, whom she met on holiday in Mallorca, to join her, a Steward (Evan Hammond) and Stewardess (Edith Grossman) involved in a passionate relationship whenever they can find a stolen moment to be together, and the Minskman (Stephen Pace) and his pregnant wife, the Minskwoman (Elise Quagliata), on their way to a diplomatic assignment in Minsk until she has second thoughts about going and he leaves without her.  When a dangerous electrical storm grounds every flight, they are stranded in the terminal together all night.  This brings out the worst in them and the Controller laments the fact that her domain has been invaded by people.  In the morning, when flights are resumed, the Minskman returns because he cannot live without his wife and she goes into labor.  The birth of the child causes everyone to regret their behavior the night before, particularly their behavior towards the Refugee.  When the Immigration Officer (Seth Keeton) arrests the Refugee, many of them intercede on his behalf but the officer is unmoved.  The Refugee then relates how he came to be in the airport which causes the Controller to plead for mercy.  The officer ultimately decides to turn a blind eye and allow him to remain at the airport and, after the others board their flights, the Refugee is welcomed home by the Controller.  I found this narrative to be incredibly compelling and, while I certainly enjoyed the beautiful music and the outstanding performances by everyone in the cast, I loved the search for belonging that is a theme running through every character's arc.  It is very powerful, especially when the Controller finds belonging with the Refugee.  I also loved that the airport represents a sort of limbo (anyone who has ever had a long layover before reaching a destination can attest to this) for the characters which allows for an intriguing exploration of human nature.  The minimalistic set, which is a modern departure lounge of an unnamed international airport with large windows showing a plane on the tarmac, arrival and departure monitors, a gate, a podium, and rows of black seats (which reminded me of those at LAX), is highly effective and the costumes are fun, especially the uniforms worn by the Steward and Stewardess.  Finally, I loved the lighting effects used to mimic the takeoff and landing of a plane.  I am so glad that I gave this opera a chance (I probably would not have gotten a ticket if I wasn't a season subscriber) because I loved it so much more than I thought I would.  There are two more performances (go here for tickets) and I definitely recommend taking a flight with Tri-Star Airlines!

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Utah Opera's The Barber of Seville

Last night I had so much fun at The Barber of Seville, Utah Opera's first full-length production since the pandemic started, because it is absolutely hilarious!  Count Almaviva (Matthew Grills) has fallen in love with Rosina (Sarah Coit) but her guardian Dr. Bartolo (Matthew Burns) wants to marry her himself and keeps her under constant supervision.  Almaviva disguises himself as a poor student named Lindoro and hires a band in order to serenade Rosina under her balcony.  She falls in love with him, too, but they lament the fact that they cannot be together.  Almaviva enlists the help of Bartolo's barber, Figaro (Michael Adams), in order to infiltrate his household to get close to Rosina.  Figaro devises several plots, including having Almaviva impersonate a drunken soldier with orders to be billeted at Bartolo's house and having him impersonate a music teacher to replace Rosina's regular teacher, Don Basilio (Adam Lau).  Chaos ensues!  This is the funniest opera production I have ever seen and I loved it!  I normally do not like it when the source material is changed for effect but sometimes it works and, since the libretto for this opera is actually quite nonsensical, the changes work really well here.  The setting is now the 1960s and the production design is inspired by the movies of Pedro Almodovar with sets that feature bold patterns and colors and costumes that are reminiscent of the circus (one member of the ensemble is on stilts, another sells balloons and cotton candy, and others throw confetti whenever they are on stage).  The entire cast is incredibly strong and they sing their roles beautifully (Adams is especially charismatic) but I was most impressed with how adept each of them are with the physical comedy!  I especially loved the scene where Almaviva practices yoga and plays the sitar as a hippie music teacher, the scene where Bartolo gives an eye exam (he is an ophthalmologist) to a terrified patient while trying to discover what Rosina is up to, and the scene where the police come to arrest Almaviva for causing a disturbance and then create an even bigger disturbance.  I laughed out loud the entire evening!  I think this particular production is one that most everyone will enjoy (I saw quite a few laughing children in the audience) because it is very accessible.  The plot is easy to follow since it is basically a love triangle, the music is instantly recognizable, the recurring sight gags (mainly involving chickens) are laugh-out-loud funny, and the length is under three hours (including the intermission).  Even if you are not a fan of opera I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of the two remaining performances (go here).

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Utah Opera's La Tragedie de Carmen

The very first opera that I saw performed live was Georges Bizet's masterpiece Carmen so it will always be one of my very favorites.  I was, therefore, understandably intrigued when I heard the announcement that Utah Opera would be performing La tragedie de Carmen by Peter Brooks to close out the 2020-2021 season.  This is a pared down version of the classic (there are only four singing roles and no chorus) that is much more intimate with a particular emphasis on fate.  I procured a highly coveted ticket  (seating is limited to 30 percent capacity to accommodate social distancing) to last night's performance and I was thrilled to be back at Capitol Theatre.  Unfortunately, the director, Omer Ben Seadia, chose to change the setting from Spain in 1820 to Spanish Harlem in the present day and Don Jose is a police officer instead of a soldier, Carmen appears to be a cross between a prostitute and an exotic dancer rather than a factory worker, and Escamillo is a famous singer instead of a bullfighter.  Micaela (Julia Gershkoff) travels from a small town to the city in search of her betrothed Don Jose (Isaac Hurtado) and, while he has fond memories of his hometown, he seems to reject her.  He and his commanding officer Zuniga (Brandon Bell) are called to a commotion on the street and find Carmen (Kristin Chavez) singing about the fickle nature of love.  Zuniga insists that Jose arrest her but she tries to convince him to let her go by promising to dance for him.  Jose is beguiled by her and lets her go, which gets him demoted, then meets her at a club owned by Lillas Pastia (Daniel O'Hearn), who may or may not be Carmen's pimp (he is a sleazeball wearing a red track suit and gold chains).  Carmen dances seductively for Jose but becomes enraged when he says he must go back to work.  When Zuniga comes looking for him, Jose kills him in a fight while Carmen becomes enamored with Escamillo (Efrain Solis) when she hears him singing at the club about a bull fight.  Jose is jealous when Escamillo invites her to his next performance and challenges him but Carmen intervenes and Jose declares his love for her.  They begin a relationship but when Carmen's husband Garcia (Brnadon Bell) appears, Jose kills him.  After a tarot card reading that predicts her death, Carmen leaves him to meet Escamillo at the stage door of his performance at Madison Square Garden.  When Jose finds her there, she knows that he is desperate and has nothing to lose but she refuses to submit to him.  Jose embraces her in a long goodbye, with Fate (Edith Grossman) looking on, before stabbing her to death.  I am not a fan of altering the source material for artistic purposes so I didn't really care for the changes made to the story or to the characters.  I was also really confused by the staging.  While I did like the projections on a scrim at the back of the stage (a chamber orchestra performed on stage behind this scrim), I had a hard time figuring out what was happening with two large panels, especially when the characters would write on them.  However, the beautiful music more than made up for these complaints and the four leads sang their roles brilliantly.  I especially loved Gershkoff's aria "Parle-moi de ma mere," Chavez's rendition of the habanera, and Solis' performance of the famous "Toreador Song."  Even though this production was a bit of a miss for me, I was still so happy to be in an audience listening to beautiful music performed live by a talented cast. There are a very limited number of tickets available to the two remaining performances (go here).

Friday, October 16, 2020

Utah Opera's The Human Voice and Gentleman's Island

The Utah Opera 2020-2021 season was meant to begin with Wagner's The Flying Dutchman but, since it is a large and complicated production, it was replaced by a more intimate double bill of The Human Voice by Francois Poulenc and Gentleman's Island by Joseph Horovitz in order to comply with Covid-19 guidelines.  I usually prefer the classic tragedies sung in German or Italian but I was very intrigued by the premise of both of these operas because they both explore the theme of isolation which is very appropriate for these times.  The evening began with The Human Voice which is based on the play La voix humaine by Jean Cocteau but updated to feature modern technology to emphasize the isolation between two people.  The audience overhears Elle's (Wendy Bryn Harmer) side of a phone conversation with her lover of five years who has called her to inform her that he is getting married to someone else the next day.  She goes back and forth between many different emotions as she professes her love for him, expresses remorse for hurting him, threatens suicide to manipulate him, rages against his betrayal, and then succumbs to sorrow as he hangs up.  Harmer conveys these emotions brilliantly with subtle variations in her voice and it is surprisingly very compelling.  The set consists of a bedroom in an apartment with a city skyline projected on a screen behind it.  At various points in their conversation, images from her iPad are also projected on the screen as she reminisces about their life together and one of the most poignant moments occurs when she deletes pictures of him.  The score, which features just the piano, is sometimes incredibly beautiful and sometimes strident depending upon Elle's mood.  After a brief pause to change the set (there is not an intermission to avoid gathering in the lobby) the evening continued with Gentleman's Island which is very different in tone but also explores the isolation that happens when social conventions are taken too far.  Mr. Gray (Brian Stucki), a tea taster, and Mr. Somers (Christopher Clayton), an indigo importer, are the only survivors of a shipwreck and land on a deserted island.  Since they have not been formally introduced, etiquette forbids them from talking to each other.  They each claim a portion of the beach, one where there is an abundance of oysters and one where there is an abundance of turtles, but they each prefer the other's food supply and cannot abide their own.  Rather than risk a social faux pas, they each resign themselves to starving to death.  Stucki and Clayton give incredibly playful performances as proper Victorian Englishmen and the music is quite light and airy.  The set is very minimal with the seashore projected on a screen with the musicians behind it instead of in the pit.  It was a delightful performance after the heightened drama of The Human Voice.  I was so happy to be back at Capitol Theatre and I was very impressed with the precautions taken to keep the audience safe (socially distant seating, contactless ticketing, mandatory masks, and digital programs).  I highly recommend this production which continues through October 18 (go here for tickets).

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Utah Opera's Silent Night

Last night I had the opportunity to see Utah Opera's wonderful production of Silent Night which depicts an actual ceasefire that happened on Christmas Eve in 1914.  World War I is very meaningful to me because of my great-grandfather so I knew that I would enjoy this opera but I absolutely loved it because every aspect of this production is outstanding.  I was moved to tears multiple times.  In Berlin, an opera performance featuring Nikolaus Sprink (Andrew Stenson) and Anna Sorensen (Abigail Rethwisch) is interrupted by the news that Germany is at war.  In a small town in Scotland, William Dale (Stephen Pace) dreams of glory and urges his younger brother Jonathan (Jonathan Johnson) to enlist with him.  In Paris, Madeleine Audebert (Quinn Middleman) is angry that her husband (Efrain Solis) is leaving to go to war while she is pregnant with their first child.  The war commences with some dramatic sequences, including an ill-fated battle between the German, Scottish, and French troops where William is shot.  Jonathan is forced to leave him behind and is comforted by Father Palmer (Troy Cook).  Lieutenant Audebert writes his report of the battle and laments that he has lost his wife's photo (in an incredibly beautiful aria that moved me to tears and not for the last time).  Nikolaus sings of his despair to his memory of Anna.  As all of the soldiers go to sleep, snow begins softly falling (it is a beautiful image).   Anna has arranged for Nikolaus to perform with her for the Kronprinz on Christmas Eve but, after the performance, he insists that he must return to his men so she joins him on the battlefield.  He hears the Scottish regiment singing (with bagpipes) a song filled with longing for home so he begins singing a German Christmas carol.  Soon all of the soldiers are singing, prompting the leaders of the three regiments to meet in no-man's land to arrange a ceasefire for Christmas Eve.  Father Palmer leads them in a mass and then Anna sings an a capella song of peace by candlelight (another beautiful moment that moved me to tears).  My audience literally held their breath through this song and then there was an audible sigh when all of the candles were blown out.  In the morning the ceasefire is over and Jonathan is almost shot in no-man's land.  When it is discovered that he was burying William's body, the leaders once again agree to a ceasefire so that each regiment can bury their dead.  All of the soldiers salute the dead and then there is a plaintive sound of a bagpipe (this just about did me in).  The soldiers come to see the futility of war but each regiment is berated by their commanding officer and ordered to resume the hostilities.  The story is incredibly poignant, the music is simply gorgeous (particularly the music depicting a sunrise on the battlefield), and every singer gives a lovely performance (I was especially impressed with Rethwisch and Solis).  The costumes and all of the props are authentic to the period (I was impressed with the number of guns) and I really enjoyed the use of projections (especially during the battle sequences.)  The Scottish, French, and German bunkers are made of granite and are placed in three tiers on top of each other.  (Spoiler alert!)  These tiers are then transformed into a monument to the fallen at the end of the opera and when the last soldiers leave the stage they reveal poppies at the edge of it (moving me once more to tears).  This opera is beautiful, moving, and very powerful!  I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of the two performances remaining (go here).

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Utah Opera's La Traviata

Last night I was able to attend opening night for Utah Opera's production of Verdi's tragic masterpiece, La Traviata, and it was a magnificent performance!  Violetta Valery (Anya Mantanovic) is a beautiful and glamorous courtesan who lives only for pleasure.  Even though she is suffering from consumption, she hosts a lavish party at her home and encourages her guests to sing a wild drinking song.  When she grows too tired to dance, a young man named Alfredo Germont (Rafael Moras) stays behind and declares his love for her.  She resists him because she likes her simple life of pleasure.  However, when he leaves she realizes that she is in love with him.  They leave Paris and live happily together until Alfredo's father Germont (Michael Chioldi) comes to ask Violetta to leave Alfredo because their relationship is scandalizing the family and ruining his daughter's prospects for marriage.  Violetta tearfully agrees to sacrifice her love for the sake of Alfredo and returns to Paris.  She attends a masquerade ball hosted by her friend Flora (Quinn Middleman) with one of her former patrons, Baron Douphol (Christopher Holmes).  When Alfredo sees her with the Baron, he treats her with such contempt that his father tells him of her sacrifice.  Later, Alfredo begs Violetta to forgive him and she dies in his arms.  I loved everything about this production!  The music in this opera is very well known and the three leads sing their roles brilliantly.  Mantanovic is incredibly passionate as Violetta in Act 1, especially in the aria, "Sempre Libera," and tragic in Act 3 when she sings "Addio, del passato bei sogni rrdenti."  Moras has such a beautiful voice and I enjoyed his interpretation of the impetuous Alfredo.  His version of "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" is incredibly stirring.  I was also very impressed with Chioldi because his rendition of "Di Provenza il mar" gave me goosebumps!  The chorus is also outstanding, especially at the end of Act 2 when they denounce Alfredo for his treatment of Violetta ("Di donne ignobile insultatore").  As always, the sets and costumes are wonderful and I especially liked the juxtaposition between the opulence of Violetta's Paris home with the more modest villa she shares with Alfredo in the country.  Another aspect of this particular production that I enjoyed was the collaboration with the Ririe Woodbury Dance Company.  Members of this company (Dominica Greene, Nicholas Jurica, Megan McCarthy, Brian Nelson, Bashaun Williams, and Melissa Rochelle Younker) perform a waltz during Violetta's party and the gypsy and matador dances at Flora's masquerade and these dances are exquisite.  Even if you are not a big fan of opera you are sure to recognize many of the arias in La Traviata and I highly recommend seeing Utah Opera's production!  It runs at the newly renovated Capitol Theatre through October 20 (go here for tickets).

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Utah Opera's Norma

Last night Abravanel Hall was magically transformed into a forest for Utah Opera's production of Norma.  I had never seen this opera before and I didn't really know anything about it but I am glad that I decided to get a ticket.  It is spectacular!  The Druids of Gaul are occupied by the Romans and wish to overthrow them.  The Druid Patriarch Oroveso (Adam Lau) sends his daughter Norma (Marjorie Owens), the High Priestess, to speak with the Proconsul Pollione (Jonathan Burton) but he is her secret lover and the father of her two children.  She loves him and so she urges her people to seek peace.  However, Pollione has fallen in love with Adalgisa (Annie Rosen), Norma's acolyte and best friend.  He convinces Adalgisa to renounce her vows and follow him to Rome and she eventually confesses to Norma that she is in love.  Remembering how she felt when she fell in love with Pollione, Norma releases her until she discovers that it is Pollione who she loves.  The three of them have a passionate scene where Norma demands that Pollione return to Rome, Pollione begs Adalgisa to go with him, and Adalgisa refuses to leave Norma.  Adalgisa begs Pollione to reconcile with Norma but he refuses.  Norma wants vengeance for this betrayal so she rallies her people to war but this requires a human sacrifice.  She decides that she must sacrifice herself because she has broken her vow of chastity and throws herself on a pyre.  Pollione, moved by her sacrifice, realizes that he still loves her and joins her in death.  This opera is incredibly emotional and powerful with themes of love, friendship, jealousy, loyalty, and betrayal.  Bellini's music is beautiful, especially when the Druids are called to war, and it is performed brilliantly by the Utah Symphony.  The title role is one of the most difficult in the repertoire (which is why it is not performed very often) because it requires a great range and involves many different emotions.  Owens sings it so passionately, especially the aria "Casta Diva," and I was moved to tears several times.  Because the Capitol Theatre is undergoing some renovations, this opera is being performed at Abravanel Hall and is semi-staged with projections rather than scenery.  I think these innovative projections add to rather than detract from the story, especially the flames at the end.  The costumes are designed by Bradon McDonald, a Project Runway finalist, and they are gorgeous, particularly Norma's cloak which looks like a giant tree (his inspiration for the cloak was imagining what Lady Gaga would wear to the Met Gala if the theme was Norma).  Seeing this opera is a very unique experience and I highly recommend it!  There is one performance left on Monday (go here for tickets).

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Utah Opera's The Magic Flute

Even though The Magic Flute is not one of my favorite operas (I much prefer the tragedies to the comedies), I have seen it several times because the Utah Opera programs it often.  You might think, then, that I would have no interest in Utah Opera's current production but two things compelled me to attend a performance last night.  First, Thierry Fischer, Director of the Utah Symphony, is the conductor and, second, Celena Shafer, a Utah fan favorite, plays the Queen of the Night.  The story, essentially, is a simple one in which the main character goes on a journey of discovery but it does contain some very powerful themes including light vs. dark and good vs. evil.  The Queen of the Night (Shafer) persuades Prince Tamino (Andrew Stenson) to rescue her daughter Pamina (Zulimar Lopez-Hernandez) from the clutches of the high priest Sarastro (Matt Boehler) but she really just wants Sarastro's power.  The Queen's bird-catcher Papageno (Joo Wan Kang) accompanies Tamino and her three ladies (Abigail Rethwisch, Melanie Ashkar, and Anne Maguire) give them a magic flute, silver bells, and three spirits (Oliver Laughlin, Theodore Hyngstrom, and Liam Khor-Brogan from the Madeleine Choir School) to help and guide them.  Tamino has fallen in love with Pamina but Sarastro requires him to undergo trials of initiation involving fire and ice (which are dramatically staged) before he can be with her and, using the magic flute, he prevails which banishes the Queen of the Night.  Papageno fails his trials but, by using the silver bells, he is rewarded with his ideal match, Papagena (Grace Khal), anyway.  The libretto may be fantastical but the music is absolutely glorious.  Thierry Fischer has such a light touch so his interpretations of Mozart are always beautiful and last night was no exception.  I had goosebumps multiple times.  Shafer was brilliant as the Queen of the Night, especially in the famous aria "Der Holle Rache."  It was received with cheers and an extended round of applause from the audience.  In addition to Shafer, I was really impressed with the entire cast, particularly Lopez-Hernandez as Pamino and Boehler as Sarastro.  I also really enjoyed the physical comedy (more than I usually do) and the gorgeous costumes.  There is only one performance left but I would recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Utah Opera's The Little Prince

Last night I went to see Utah Opera's production of The Little Prince.  I almost didn't get a ticket because I don't usually like modern operas with librettos in English and my only experience with the novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, upon which the opera is based, is when I was forced to read it in French when I was a senior in high school (I didn't understand it at all).  I am so glad that I decided to get a ticket any way because I loved it!  The story begins with a Pilot (Jared Bybee) telling a group of school children (Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School) about a drawing of a snake eating an elephant.  Every adult thought it was a hat which proves that adults can't see anything!  Then he tells them of crash landing his plane in the desert and meeting the Little Prince (Nitai Fluchel) who wants a drawing of a sheep to eat all of the bushes, especially the baobab trees, threatening to overtake his planet.  The Prince then recounts his life story on his planet which contains three volcanoes, one active and two dormant, and his beautiful, but vain, Rose (Grace Kahl).  When the Rose treats him badly, the Prince decides to visit other planets.  On the first planet, he meets The King (Tyrell Wilde) who has no subjects and only issues orders that can be followed such as commanding the sun to set.  On the second planet, he meets the Vain Man (Joshua Lindsay) who wants to be the most admired man on an otherwise uninhabited planet.  On the third planet, he meets The Drunkard (Addison Marlor) who drinks to forget his shame over drinking too much.  On the fourth planet, he meets The Businessman (Jesus Vicente Murillo) who fails to see the beauty of the stars by his need to count and catalogue them to prove ownership.  On the fifth planet, he meets The Lamplighter (Addison Marlor) who blindly follows orders to light and extinguish a lamppost every 30 minutes to correspond to day and night on his planet.  The Prince finds all of these adults to be ridiculous (the allegory was lost on me when I read it in French) so he decides to visit Earth and lands in the desert.  He meets a Snake (Joshua Lindsay) who tells him he can send him home any time he wishes.  He sees a rosebush which makes him think his Rose is just ordinary.  Finally, he sees a Fox (Melanie Ashkar) who tells him that you can only see with your heart not your eyes and that spending time with his Rose has made it special.  He decides that he misses his Rose and wants to go back home.  He takes the Pilot to a well to find Water (Melissa Heath) which saves him and makes arrangements with the Snake to return home.  The Pilot is upset but the Prince tells him not to worry that he has died because his body is just a shell that is too heavy to return to his planet.  The Snake strikes, the Prince disappears, and the Pilot repairs his plane.  The story ends with the Pilot telling the children that he can always see the Prince by looking at the stars.  This story of friendship, loneliness, love, and loss is so touching (I definitely need to read it again in English!) and Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman's music is incredibly beautiful.  I loved the costumes, especially the king's long train, and the set, which consists of a book-lined study and transforms into hundreds of pages from books to represent the desert.  The Choristers of the Madeleine School Choir, especially Fluchel who is amazing, are so talented and their voices add so much to the story.  It is a magical production and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Bernstein's Candide

I ended a really fun week of culture and the arts last night with a semi-staged version of Leonard Bernstein's opera Candide performed in collaboration with the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera.  I sometimes teach the satirical novella by Voltaire, upon which this opera is based, to my seniors so I have been looking forward to this since the 2018-2019 season was announced.  It was absolutely delightful and I laughed out loud more times than I can count!  Candide (Jonathan Johnson) is an illegitimate young man living in Westphalia with his uncle, the Baron Thunder-ten-Tronck and his son, Maximilian (Mark Diamond), daughter, Cunegonde (Amy Owens), and an accommodating serving girl named Paquette (Alecks Romano).  The four young people are taught by an eminent philosopher, Dr. Pangloss (Hugh Russell), that life equals happiness.  When Candide falls in love with Cunegonde, the Baron disapproves and banishes him.  Candide then wanders around the world, including Bulgaria where he is pressed into service in the army, Lisbon where he faces the Spanish Inquisition, Paris where he inadvertently kills two men, Spain where he flees arrest, Uruguay where he inadvertently kills Maximilian, El Dorado where he discovers golden sheep, Suriname where he buys a leaky boat, and Venice where is is reunited with everyone.  While he is having his adventures, he wonders why all of these bad things keep happening to him when life is happiness.  He finally realizes that life is just life and settles down with Cunegonde to grow his garden.  The music in this opera is beautiful and I especially enjoyed "The Best of All Possible Worlds," "It Must Be So," "Glitter and Be Gay," "My Love," "Universal Good," and "Make Our Garden Grow."  Both Johnson and Owens are spectacular and I also really enjoyed the Utah Opera Chorus who provide much of the comedy.  This performance is absolutely hilarious and my favorite bit of business is when Candide borrows Maestro Thierry Fischer's baton to use in a sword fight!  The costumes are fabulous and the staging is incredibly innovative for such a small space.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I highly recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance (go here).

Note:  I really enjoy watching the principal timpanist (translation: I have a small crush on him).  At this performance an adorable older lady sitting in front of me turned and asked me if she was obstructing my view by leaning forward slightly.  When I said no, she went on to say that her favorite member of the orchestra plays the timpani and since he was in the corner of the stage she couldn't see him without leaning forward.  I laughed and said that I liked him, too!  She mentioned, while blushing, that she had met him and that he was just so charming.  I told her that we could swoon together!

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Utah Opera's Romeo and Juliet

I was really excited when Utah Opera announced their 2018-2019 season because it includes two operas that I haven't seen before as well as two classics, including Romeo and Juliet which I had the opportunity to see last night.  This opera tells the well-known Shakespearean tale of how Romeo and Juliet fall in love despite the centuries old feud that has divided their families and how they are ultimately destroyed by that hate but with the addition of Charles-Francois Gounod's glorious music.  I really loved the music!  It is wild and exuberant during the masked ball where Romeo and Juliet meet, it is incredibly romantic during the scenes outside Juliet's balcony (especially the harp), it is thrilling during the fight scene between Tybalt and Mercutio, and it is plaintive and heartbreaking during the scene in the tomb.  Anya Matanovic, as Juliet, and Joshua Dennis, as Romeo, sing their roles brilliantly, especially during their arias and duets at the balcony and in the tomb.  I was also very impressed with Adam Lau as Friar Lawrence and Christopher Oglesby as Tybalt and the chorus sings beautifully during the Prologue and the fight scene.  I loved the costumes which feature sumptuous fabrics in rich jewel tones and the sets are very effective at portraying fair Verona.  I enjoyed this production so much more than I expected to because Romeo and Juliet is one of my least favorite Shakespeare plays.  I highly recommend it for the amazing music and performances.  It runs at Capitol Theatre through October 21 (tickets may be purchased here).

Note:  Yesterday I also bought tickets to see the Colorado Avalanche.  When you think about it hockey and opera are not that different because they both appeal to a small group of crazed aficionados who mostly go in for the violence.  Ha ha!

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Utah Opera's Die Fledermaus

Utah Opera ended their 40th Anniversary Season, rather appropriately, with the pop of a champagne cork in a delightful production of Johann Strauss Jr.'s Die Fledermaus.  I was able to see this opera last night and it was the perfect way to end a stressful week.  Prince Orlofsky (Abigail Levis) is throwing a ball and Falke (Troy Cook) is using it as an opportunity to play a practical joke on his friend Eisenstein (Daniel Belcher) as revenge for abandoning him in the middle of town wearing a bat costume.  He contrives to get Eisenstein to go to the ball as Marquis Renard instead of reporting to jail for insulting an official.  He also arranges for his wife Rosalinde (Sara Gartland) to attend as a masked Hungarian countess, as well as his maid Adele (Abigail Rethwisch) and the warden of the prison (Christopher Clayton) who are also using assumed names.  Hilarity ensues as everyone attempts to conceal their identities while having fun at the ball (with a little champagne).  Meanwhile, Rosalinde's former lover Alfred (Robert Breault) has reported to jail in Eisenstein's place to keep from compromising her.  When Eisenstein arrives at the jail in the morning and discovers him there, he confronts Rosalinde over her behavior bust she reveals that she is the Hungarian countess that he flirted with at the ball!  The story is so much fun to watch (it sounds convoluted but it is actually very easy to follow) and I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions.   The music is incredible and all of the songs are sung in English in this production.  My favorites were "Adele's Laughing Song" and the "Champagne Song."  The entire cast is wonderful but my favorite was definitely Levis as Orlofsky, whose antics are completely over the top.  The choreography, and the addition of four professional dancers to the cast, greatly enhances the party atmosphere and I loved the opulent costumes and sets.  I had so much fun watching this opera, almost as if I had also had a glass of champagne!  I highly recommend getting a ticket to the one remaining performance (go here)!
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