L.A. OPERA QUITE AN ADEPT 'WIDOW' MAKER.Byline: Rick Mortensen Staff Writer The operetta operetta (ŏpərĕt`ə), type of light opera with a frivolous, sentimental story, often employing parody and satire and containing both spoken dialogue and much light, pleasant music. that inspired a style of corset corset, article of dress designed to support or modify the figure. Greek and Roman women sometimes wrapped broad bands about the body. In the Middle Ages a short, close-fitting, laced outer bodice or waist was worn. By the 16th cent. brought down the house at its opening performance Sunday night Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists. . Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Opera's English-language production of Franz Lehar's Viennese classic ``The Merry Widow'' transported audience members back to the gay '90s, making them laugh, clap in time to the music and care about the main characters. Opening with a polka, the first act remained light as air. Highlights included Rodney Gilfry's dashing entrance as Count Danilo. Witty and good-humored through his drunkenness, he looked like Cary Elwes in ``The Princess Bride.'' With impeccable diction, his light baritone painted the picture of a life devoted to pleasure. Wearing a red dress and an ostentatious os·ten·ta·tious adj. Characterized by or given to ostentation; pretentious. See Synonyms at showy. os hat, Carol Vaness entered as Anna into a sea of eager tuxedos. The scene was pure ``Hello, Dolly!'' and the similarities continued in the lyrics that rhymed ``flattery'' with ``assault and battery.'' Gilfry and Vaness made the most of their first scene together, quickly establishing the nature of their relationship with a duet. Their near kiss in the scene seemed a bit unmotivated and out of place, but for the most part, the couple's energy stayed genuine and consistent. With cabaret singer Jason Graae in a sort-of court jester role, the four Pontevedrian dignitaries were appropriately ridiculous. As they pondered the fate of their tiny country, they established a Marx Brothers-esque sense of comic timing that pervaded the rest of the operetta. Lyric soprano Virginia Tola Tola (tō`lə), in the Bible. 1 Son of Issachar. 2 Judge of Israel. , as Valencienne, immediately won the audience over with her beautiful, light voice and alluring manner. She both resisted and enjoyed her paramour's advances, intriguing him and the audience with a mixture of purity and coquettish co·quette n. A woman who makes teasing sexual or romantic overtures; a flirt. [French, feminine of coquet, flirtatious man; see coquet. charm. While he was an ardent Camille de Rosillon, Charles Castronovo's voice sounded a little forced in his first duet with Tola. It righted itself, however, in the brilliant second act. The second act delved deeply into the emotions of the main characters. It featured Gilfry prancing about the stage as a horse and Vaness as rider singing the duet ``Silly, Silly Cavalier,'' which had a poignancy under its silliness. It led to ``Anna's Waltz,'' displaying the pair's real romantic chemistry and further exploring their characters. The romantic energy reached its apex in Castronovo's second duet with Tolo. His stirring profession of love, sung in a rich tenor, melted through Tolo's flirty veneer, completely seducing her. Tolo's relenting reply floated above Lehar's gorgeous orchestration. Vaness' finest vocal moments came near the end of Act 2, when she pretends to be engaged to Camille and sings a bouncy, sardonic song about ``marriage a la mode Paree.'' Gilfry's stinging denunciation DENUNCIATION, crim. law. This term is used by the civilians to signify the act by which au individual informs a public officer, whose duty it is to prosecute offenders, that a crime has been committed. It differs from a complaint. (q.v.) Vide 1 Bro. C. L. 447; 2 Id. 389; Ayl. Parer. of marriage, followed by a more elegant but no less stinging ballad about a faithless prince, laid bare his character's anger and hurt. His voice made use of the emotion without becoming over-inflected, and he varied the emotional level of both songs, which kept them from becoming bombastic. The sparkling ensemble number at the end of the act, culminating in Anna's triumphant declaration of ``he loves me,'' convincingly exposed the emotions of all the main characters and brought the act to a rousing close. It was the humor that held the show together, and, in at least two places, stopped it. Gilfry's interrogation interrogation In criminal law, process of formally and systematically questioning a suspect in order to elicit incriminating responses. The process is largely outside the governance of law, though in the U.S. of the three married ladies displayed brilliant comic timing. He also shone in the men's show-stopping septet ``How Should a Woman Be Treated,'' which featured can-can choreography. Graae got his chance to shine in the third act with his ode to Gay Paree and mock sophistication so·phis·ti·cate v. so·phis·ti·cat·ed, so·phis·ti·cat·ing, so·phis·ti·cates v.tr. 1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly. 2. . ``THE MERRY WIDOW'' Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center (which is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States). The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. , 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Dec. 12 and 19; 1 p.m. Dec. 15 and 22. Tickets: $34 to $165. Call (213) 972-8001; losangelesopera.com. Our rating: Three and one half stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Rodney Gilfry and Carol Vaness in L.A. Opera's production of ``The Merry Widow.'' |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion