Exquisite music remarkably performed by principals, chorus, and orchestra to tantalize the ears.  A colorful and tragic plot based on real history to provoke the mind.  Dazzling staging to please the eyes.  What’s not to like about San Francisco Opera’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera.

Like much 19^th century Italian opera, Ballo suffered birthing pains because of censorship.  Popular with the masses but not with nobles, Gustavus III of Sweden, who is the focal character of Ballo, was assassinated in 1792.  But to placate the censors, Verdi re-set the story to Colonial America, a rare venue for opera in its era.  Today, many companies, including San Francisco Opera use the originally intended setting.

In the central thread, Gustavus and Amelia love one another, but she is married to his best friend and military chief Renato.  The furtive couple’s love is unconsummated, but when discovered in a rendezvous, Renato’s fury leads him ultimately to regicide.

While it lacks the number of memorable set pieces of Verdi’s fertile middle period trio, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, and La Traviata, the 1859 score of Ballo teems with uncommon innovation and rare Verdi eclecticism.  The first bit of genius is its rare balance of drama with comedy.

Throughout, the page Oscar is a flighty, humorous figure, but his shenanigans don’t disrupt the overall tone.  Performed with spritely charm and precise soprano voice by Mei Gui Zhang, Oscar is a trousers role, a device that Verdi deplored.  One possible reason for this exception was to create vocal balance.  Another is that this was a code of the sort often employed to subvert censors.  In real life, Gustavus was a flamboyant bisexual, and placing the Oscar character close to him implies that by indirection.

Ballo brims with beautiful and complex ensembles from duets to quintets with and without chorus.  Yet, many aficionados would be surprised at the near absence of love duets in Verdi’s canon, a much later exception being Otello’s “Già nella notte densa” (“Now in the dark night”).  However, that and Ballo’s passionate “Teco io sto…Non sai tu” (“I am with you…Don’t you know”) when the couple meet in Act 2 make up for the otherwise absence.

As Gustavus, world-acclaimed tenor Michael Fabiano brings his burnished, dark-hued, and penetrating tenor to the fore throughout and particularly in the duet.  Lianna Haroutounian is Amelia who here and elsewhere demonstrates why she also is famed, in her case for her spinto versatility and agility that contribute to both the great dramatic and lyric demands of her role.

Although Verdi had eased away from the rigid conventions of bel canto in his middle period, he does revert here to some cavatina-cabaletta set pieces like the just mentioned, as well as some coloratura.  Integrating an additional style, some of his lighter music from Act 1 and the ballet from Act 3 reflect his experience in mid-century French opera form, which he had applied in Les Vêpres Siciliennes. 

Renato turns from ally to antagonist upon finding that his wife and the king are in love.  Meanwhile, gathered conspirators who seek to assassinate Gustavus taunt Renato with their “laughing” chorus “Va’ se di notte qui colla sposa” (“If you are here at night with your bride”).  Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat makes his SF Opera debut as Renato and offers a deep resonant voice that fills the house, especially in his signature aria “Eri tu” (“It was you”) which bemoans Gustavus’s betrayal.

The fifth key principal, Ulrica the fortuneteller, foresees the assassination by the next person who shakes the king’s hand, but whose prediction Gustavus rebuffs.  Judit Kutasi brings her strong presence and electrifying mezzo to the fore as Ulrica with shrieking highs and drops to depth charge lows that animate the memorable character.

Apart from the principals, both Eun Sun Kim’s orchestra and John Keene’s chorus are formidable.  Director Leo Muscato is responsible for the overall presentation, and some of the elements of Federica Parolini’s staging are particularly striking.  Although the setting seems prosaic early on, the purplish-lit, steam-infused field where the tryst and assassination conspiracy occur stands out.  The final scene reveals the revolving stage that had cleverly been in use throughout, but what sets that scene apart is Silvia Aymonino’s stunning costumery with the chorus in black-and-white ball garb and the dancers in varied bright dress.  In all, the combination of artistic elements supports the full breath of Verdi’s music and results in a totally compelling opera.

Un Ballo in Maschera, composed by Giuseppe Verdi, with libretto by Antonio Somma, is produced by San Francisco Opera and plays at War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA through September 27, 2024.

Before getting to the bulk of my review that actually requires time, thought, and other effort, let me start by saying that the Berkeley Playhouse production of The Prom is scintillating, heartfelt, and ultimately uplifting.  That in itself is a bit of a spoiler, but probably most people who will attend this wonderful musical have advance knowledge of the story and go because of thematic interest or its widespread reputation.

Some shows seem to connect with cast and creatives in such a way that their inspiration drives them to heights, and this appears to be such a case, as the show hits on all cylinders.  There are an incredible number of moving parts, and Co-Directors Christina Lazo and Megan McGrath assemble them with great skill.  And granted that the opening night audience was stocked with friends, family, and other partisans, but even allowing for the anticipated positive bias, the whole crowd went wild for The Prom.

What disturbs about the plotline is that other than shifting the venue from the real Fulton, Mississippi to the fictional Edgewater, Indiana and some other choices made for dramatic effect, the essence is a true story.  In the musical version, a couple of Broadway performers suffer the closure of their show after opening night.  Their manager notes that the reason for the failure is that they are unlikeable, because they are such narcissists.  Although they argue that narcissism is ubiquitous among entertainers, they decide to try to do something highly visible that will portray them in a less self-indulgent light.

Culling through various options, the actors learn about a girl in Indiana whose high school cancels its prom because the espoused lesbian student plans to attend with another girl as her date.  Along with their manager (played by Billy Raphael) and two other acting colleagues (played by Mary Kalita and Jaron Vesely), the Broadway denizens descend upon the conservative Indiana town to save the day for Emma, the victim of the discrimination.  Their objective is nicely articulated in the song “It’s Not About Me” which also reveals that the well-intended interlopers are bumptious and clueless.

The magnetism of the two actors as Broadway performers drives the show.  As Dee Dee Allen, Taylor Bartolucci captures every bit of the character’s glamor and adulation-seeking self-absorption.  Every time she considers doing something generous, she pulls back as a hand from a flame.  Bartolucci has the goods with her self-centered, well-acted comedy.  Plus, she can sing a tune or two.

The Barry Glickman character fits East Bay theater stalwart DC Scarpelli like a glove.  Perhaps it’s my imagination, but he seems to blossom with the liberation of flashy dressing and playing a flamboyant gay role.  Unlike Dee Dee, he conveys a warmth and connection and becomes a bit of a big-brother figure to Emma, who is well-portrayed and beautifully sung by Arri Toshiko Glenn.

Any narrative demands conflict and resolution, and the PTA provides the focal point of resistance to the beau geste.  What is truly sad is the extent of ignorance and hate that many people have for others who are not like them.  In this case, the meanness and subterfuge used to beat down innocents for simply being themselves is mortifying.

Despite the clashes, The Prom manages to be joyous.  The pop music is peppy throughout but can be quite moving as in the engrossing “Unruly Heart” with the focal message ‘I’m who I am, And I think that’s worth fighting for.’   The plentiful foot-stomping dance co-choreographed by the co-directors doing double-duty energizes the audience.  The two directors are quite a team.  Finally, all of the creative elements, including set design (Sarah Phykitt), lighting (Amy Abad), sound (Joshua Price), and costumery (Andrea Gorham) integrate successfully.  Music Director Daniel Alley and the orchestra deserve a nod as well.

The narrative also has depth, as it deals with life’s issues.  It touches on themes about growing up and about being different.  It especially addresses conformity and bullying.  Agency is also a concern.  At what point should parents stop forcing values on children and let them stand morally on their own?  Ultimately, it condemns bigotry and reminds putative followers of Christ who dominate the community in question of his embrace of The Golden Rule.

The Prom with book by Chad Beguelin & Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar, and lyrics by Chad Beguelin is produced by Berkeley Playhouse and plays at the Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley, CA through October 13, 2024.

Few artists have the breadth of talent and deserve the success of Mel Brooks.  His sophisticatedly raucous, multidimensional comedy embraces visual and verbal humor steeped in cultural and social issues.  His palette dabbles in a wide coloration of material to include hilarities such as Blazing Saddles (westerns), The Producers (Broadway), Spaceballs (space adventure), High Anxiety (psychiatry), and of course, Young Frankenstein (horror).  And though he is known for his zaniness as a script writer and director, many comedy admirers don’t realize that Brooks composes music and writes lyrics for most of the original songs in his works.

Sonoma Arts Live takes on one of these masterpieces, the stage musical of Young Frankenstein and delivers the goods in a boisterous, fast-paced entertainment.  Director Larry Williams’s performers seem to enjoy themselves, and that happy contagion spreads to the audience.

Although Brooks’s plays and movies are dominated by genre parody, this one conspicuously draws on specific previous material, albeit adding its own literary license.  The central character, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, is an American academic scientist invited to the family’s castle in Transylvania, where his infamous grandfather had created “The Monster.”  The setup is that Frederick sees the opportunity to correct his grandfather’s flawed work by recreating a monster but giving him human intelligence.  All does not go as planned.

With a thin but adequate plotline, interest and narrative thrust must be generated by the personalities of the players.  Happily, Brooks has invested them with quirky attributes and memorable lines, so that the play entertains throughout when well done.  Apart from routine jokes and schtick, the script brims with bawdy double entendres, so that when we hear the passionate moan “Oh, sweet mystery of life,” from offstage, we know whereof the lady speaks.  Or when Frankenstein says “What knockers!” it’s clear that he’s not referring to the two rings on the door that are rapped to announce one’s arrival.

Offering charm and a wry, durable smile, often prompted by irony, frustration, or error, Michael Bauer takes on the role of Frederick.  He also brings a fine singing voice.  Although it is used to good effect throughout, it is most fun when he engages in long patters concerning gray matter in “There is Nothing Like the Brain.”  He deals with numerous predictable but well-executed pratfalls.

One gag is the classic from the haunted house genre in which he and his sometimes yodeling and always distracting assistant Inga (Emma Sutherland) get caught in a swiveling bookcase in the castle that fronts a hidden chamber.  Another is when he is to go into a room with The Monster and gives the instructions “Do not open this door no matter how much you hear me scream.”  Unsurprisingly, he does scream and desperately does want the door opened.

Young Frankenstein is full of other wackos, all of whom are performed with great zest.  First up is Frederick’s American fiancée, Elizabeth, who teems with self-indulgence, and Joanna Lynn Bert totally gets her character.  She flounces about with a pasted-on smile of condescending confidence.  Her aloofness is captured by her perfect nail fetish and her song and dance “Please Don’t Touch Me,” which also displays Bert’s great singing voice and range.

Two castle characters add to the hilarity.  Pat Barr portrays Igor, the black-draped, hooded servant with a dragging leg and a hunched back in which the hump inexplicably appears on one side and later on the other.  Then there is the tight lipped, scowling Frau Blucher, played with dominatrix-like relish by Kim Williams.  So strong is the Frau’s disturbing aura that horses outside whinny at the mere mention of her name. The great comic actor Bruce Viera also contributes as the militaristic inspector with the hilarious uncontrollable mechanical arm.

Finally, there is Todd Krish as The Monster.  Even when limited to grunts and groans, his depiction generates interest, and when blessed with language, he is quite droll and captivating, especially when repeatedly fracturing the lyric “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in his singing duet.

Creative elements add to this fine community theater production.  The small stage constrains scenarios that want to allow for wandering, but the director utilizes elements beyond the stage that work during and between scenes.  Carl Jordan’s scenery is simple but appropriate. Among other notable effects, Frank Sarubbi’s lighting and Albert Casselhoff’s sound fill out the staging nicely.

Young Frankenstein based on Mary Shelly’s novels, with book by Thomas Meehan & Mel Brooks, music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, and produced by Sonoma Arts Live plays at Sonoma Community Center, 276 East Napa Street, Sonoma, CA through September 22, 2024.

The motivation of “4 Guys Named José…and Una Mujer Named Maria!” is very straight forward, to celebrate the rich history of Latin American music and dance.  The paper-thin wrapper for the narrative sets the unexpected stage in Omaha, Nebraska where four young Latino men pine for their traditions and for romance.  Each is named José, and each draws on a heritage rich in music and considerable social presence in the United States – Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Dominican Republic.  In walks an unknown Maria, and what ensues are bits of 47 songs from the Latin American songbook. 

Hispanic Latin America is quite remarkable in many ways.  Nowhere else in the world is there such a concentration of land mass and countries that speak one language and draw primarily on the mix of two cultures – Spain and various Native American peoples, with an admixture of African influence as well, especially realized in music and dance.  From the southern border of the United States to Tierra del Fuego, 14 continental countries and a number of Caribbean islands fit this classification.

The United States set standards for new popular music and dance in the 20^th century, but Latin America followed, exceeding Europe and the rest of the world.  Among the dance innovations were the tango, cha cha, meringue, samba, cumbia, mambo, salsa. No doubt, you can think of more.

The 6^th Street Playhouse production of this jukebox musical is lighthearted and nostalgic for those with a connection to the music and the cultures.  The opening night audience was fired up by partisans, though clearly there are ifs and buts with the play and the production.

Driven by a very charming cast, the action speeds by so that the 90 minutes of stage time goes very quickly.  Despite the Josés receiving first billing in the title, Maria is the center of the show, and Reilly Milton brings skills and energy to the role.  From her opening with the classic “Perfidia,” her strong and consistent stage-musical style singing stands out.  Her dancing also excels, especially with expressive use of hands to add to the overall movement effect (the men tend to emphasize hips).  Her enduring smile engages, and her well-tuned comic skills are essential to the success of the production.

Songs run the gamut from revised traditionals like the Cuban patriotic “Guantanamera” and the Mexican folk dance and romance “La Bamba” to original rock-pop like the Puerto Rican “Living la Vida Loca” and the Cuban-American “Conga.”  But the best sounds come from the harmonies of “Amor” and the fine medley of great music – “Sway,” ”Quizas, Quizas, Quizas,” and “Besame Mucho.”

Music Director Nate Riebli extracts fantastic Latin sound and depth from a band of only three instruments.  Importantly, the drum and piano rhythms capture the groove that drives Latin dance and enhances Choreographer (and Stage Director) Erin Rose Solorio’s dance numbers, which are generally performed with confidence, flair, and occasional over-the-top hamming-it-up.  Other creative elements such as diverse costumery (Adriana Gutierrez) and varied lighting (April George) add to the appeal.

The greatest need for improvement in the production is the singing of the Josés.  Jonathen Blue generally meets the standard, and the others have moments, but not enough.  Sometimes singing is weak, non-melodious sounding, and even off key.  Despite amplification, voices often lack sufficient power.

Several omissions from the musical itself limit its breadth and perhaps its appeal.  Although Maria is the focal character, she is the only female performer.  This concept could work well with an equal number of males and females in the cast, and it would appear less sexist.

While the Josés are named by their differing origins, little in the narrative differentiates the four cultures.  A sequence of four “Nostalgia Songs” represents the different places the José’s families were from, but the songs drag and don’t distinguish. The threads that bind Latin communities together are generally expressed as family, love, song, and dance, but the first three in particular are pretty generic.

Perhaps younger people of Latin extraction relate to the whole repertoire in the show.  But with rare exception, theatrical success depends on satisfying typical theater goers, and a larger proportion of selections familiar to that group would help.  Finally, there is one song involving Carmen Miranda topped by her typical fruited headpiece, but otherwise the whole Latin Brazilian canon is ignored, as is the Jamaican and other non-Spanish sources of song.

Hopefully, the weaker elements of the production are attributable to opening night jitters and technical glitches that will be sorted out, as there is much to enjoy in the show.

“4 Guys Named José…and Una Mujer Named Maria!” is conceived by David Coffman and Dolores Prida, with book by Dolores Prida, is produced by 6^th Street Playhouse and plays on its stage at 52 West 6^th Street, Santa Rosa, CA through September 22, 2024.

Author Eric Pfeffinger’s metaphor posits that America’s political opposites live on different sides of a vast canyon, interacting only by accident.  Their beliefs and even perception of facts differ.  Extending the analogy, the red tribe believes the blue to be dangerous parasites preying on the accomplishments of the rich, and the blue tribe believes the red to be impoverishing, self-indulgents preying on the undercompensated vital inputs from workers.  Identity politics and identity religious beliefs exacerbate the gulf and impede gradations of viewpoints from arising.

In the playwright’s brutally thoughtful comedy “Human Error,” prototypical couples of each political persuasion are brought together through an accident in which the saved embryo of the liberal pair is implanted in the wife of the conservative pair.  Forced to deal with this existential catastrophe, the two couples try to build a relationship.  Town Hall’s production captivates from curtain up to curtain down with razor-sharp acting and staging enhancements that make for a richly entertaining experience.

Theater going is dominated by audiences with a liberal bent, but Pfeffinger is smart enough to know that simply making the conservative pair punching bags for liberal tropes wouldn’t make for good theater.  Yet that is how the narrative begins.  Even when the conservative woman bearing the unintended embryo says to the other couple, “I’m doing this for you,” the liberal-minded onlooker has to wonder what’s up.  Is the carrier duping the owners of the embryo into believing that the baby will be delivered to them upon birth, or does she really mean that she is bringing it into the world for them, but that she is going to keep it?  Trust from one couple to the other is nowhere to be found.

Flannery Mays captures the anti-religious, disillusioned, and unsympathetic yoga teacher Madelyn.  We want to relate to her and like her as we respect her values.  But she is uncommonly aggressive, uncompromising, and rude.  Perhaps the moment when we want to banish her from our club is when she reveals that she doesn’t want having a baby to affect her lifestyle.  “I want to have a kid, but I don’t want to be a mother.”

From the start, we don’t like Heather, played with exacting and convincing glibness by Melody Payne.  She seems a housework-loving cipher, with a shallow, simplistic view of the world, but with three sons, she does know a thing or two about raising children.

Unlike Madelyn’s unvarnished candor, however, the playwright endows the conservative Christian Heather with sneaky introspection and complexity.  Her zenith is when she foists Madelyn on her own petard.  Late in the pregnancy, Madelyn is furious to learn that Heather is pro-life, but DUH!!!  Madelyn attributes Heather’s carrying the fetus to term to political beliefs that Madelyn can’t abide.  But Heather cleverly traps Madelyn into an argument in which the latter’s position concerning the pregnancy is not driven by pro-choice “it’s my body” integrity, but concerns of property ownership.

The one character that is a cardboard cutout is Heather’s husband Jim, portrayed with unrelenting bumptiousness and self-centeredness by Kyle Goldman.  A crass, classless, NRA-card-carrying small business owner, he’s an exemplar of just the type of guy that a liberal man would not want to be around.  And his identity characterization extends to being a rabid Ohio State fan, even though he never went to the school.  Though he identifies with the religious convictions of his community, he doesn’t seem to really share them, as regular church attendance doesn’t play a role in his life.

Jim is the insistent type that wants others to want the same things that he does, and he’s constantly bugging Keenan, Madelyn’s husband, to see his rifle collection, appreciate his massive home entertainment system, and such.  Of course, Keenan is the cerebral type with no interest in such things, and Mark Anthony fills his shoes well.   Fittingly, he is an academic researcher on humor in entertainment, and his primary thesis concerns the effect that humor has on dividing societies, a compelling thought that most of us probably have not considered.

So where does this all go?  Humorous and conflictual incidents amass.  Positions of parties shift.  And curious and unanticipated turns take place with the pregnancy.  The constant is the bumbling Dr. Hoskins, whose lab is responsible for the mix-up.  The character is acted with appropriate antic humility and stuttering, plus evasive and nervous-smiling apprehension by John Charles Quimpo.

Director Richard Perez pushes all the right buttons, supported by creative designers like Adrian Gilstrap for lighting and Michael Kelly for sound. The play and production succeed in finding great humor and touching moments in a topic of grave importance and questions political and social imperatives.  It’s a great combination of thought provoking and fun.

“Human Error,” written by Eric Pfeffinger is produced by Town Hall Theatre Company and plays on its stage at 3535 School Street, Lafayette, CA through September 14, 2024.

One could argue about the precise distinction between a generic stage musical and a jukebox musical, but in its most specific sense, the latter is a production that celebrates a form or era of music (“Forever Plaid”), a performer (“The Cher Show”), or composers (“Smokey Joe’s Café”) with a limited and often contrived plot line.  “Always…Patsy Cline” stands as one of the more enduring and endearing of its kind, particularly embraced by community theaters drawn to its manageability with a cast of two and a band of four to six.  Hillbarn Theatre’s current production captures all of the musicality, humor, nostalgia, and emotion of this little gem to provide an evening of sparkling entertainment.

“Always…Patsy Cline” distinguishes itself in numerous ways.  To begin with, it retells a real and unlikely incident that occurred in one night in 1961 and footnotes the powerful pen pal friendship that ensued.  Louise Seger had become a fanatic fan of the early recordings of Patsy’s, and when Patsy is scheduled to perform at the Esquire Ballroom in Houston, Louise and her male friends are the first to arrive at the venue.

Please continue to https://talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/sanjose/sj258.html for full review.]

“Always…Patsy Cline” is created by Ted Swindley, produced by Hillbarn Theatre, and plays on its stage at 1285 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA through September 15, 2024.  For tickets and information, please visit http://www.hillbarntheatre.org.

Altarena Playhouse, one of the really fine community theaters in the Bay Area, has made a bold choice for its current offering – Conor McPherson’s “The Night Alive.”  It arrives with accolades including the New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award for Best Play of 2014 as well as an Olivier Award nomination for the same.  I respect these recognitions and often cite such awards, but at times, one wonders what criteria the judges (and reviewers) are guided by.

Ireland has long been a great font for literary excellence, perhaps drawing from Irish gift of gab.  In contemporary times, with playwrights like Martin McDonough (though British born), Mark O’Rowe, and McPherson himself, we see numerous gritty, grimy stories of dysfunctional, marginalized people sometimes influenced by notions of the supernatural, which are characteristics that will split the play going public.

My wife and editor surprisingly liked this darkly comic drama, which surprises, as it’s not at all in her wheelhouse.  By the end, I came around to being not unhappy about seeing it, because it does provoke but without providing a lot of what I consider entertainment.  On opening night, the small audience dwindled somewhat at intermission, but those who stayed showed enthusiastic appreciation.

One of the great analytical bifurcators of plays is the distinction between the written play and the production.  In this case, it is easy to argue that even though the content of the play may not appeal to some, it is thoughtful and well-written, sketching the world of the Irish underclass.  We constantly feel the pressures of their tawdry lives with repeated references to beans in the cooker, trash bags strewn on the floor, and life’s savings hidden away in a tin box.

The production itself merits praise.  The Katina Psihos Letheule-directed staging suits the environment to a T, and the acting is powerful and effective throughout the cast of five.  Kudos go to dialect coach Sarah Elizabeth Williams, as all of the accents sounded authentically Irish to these ears, but because of their subtlety, they are all totally understandable.

Dublin-located “The Night Alive” centers on Tommy, a fiftyish divorced failure, alienated from his kids, who lives in a squalid rented room in his uncle’s house.  Lacking fixed jobs, he and his slightly-mentally-challenged friend Doc, of no fixed address, get by living on scraps from society’s table with maybe a little grifting along the way.  The triggering event is that Tommy has saved an unknown young woman Aimee from a beating by a man and brings her to his digs to recover.  Tommy later learns that the perpetrator was her pathological ex-boyfriend, Kenneth, who will later appear and prompt some gruesome events.

A redeeming quality of the script is that with the exception of the unredeemable Kenneth, each character possesses some goodness.  For instance, Tommy had no motive in intervening to save Aimee, but he did.  In his complex relationship with Doc, Tommy tries to dupe Doc into accepting boxes of expired cigars in place of money owed for work done.  But despite often telling Doc that the latter’s problems are not his concern, when the chips are down, Tommy presses money on him.  In the end, many issues are unresolved, but there is some redemption for everyone.

John Tranchitella heads the cast as Tommy.  Requiring a range of furious behaviors, Tranchitella hits all the right gruff notes as one who moves from one conflict to another.  Dan Kolodny is Doc, and he excels at alternating between being wacky and clueless like in trying to explain how Doc is an abbreviation of his real name Brian, to giving a treatise on the creation of black holes and their effect on time, of all things!

Solid performances are also given by Sarah Jiang as the mysterious and conflicted streetwalker Aimee; Geoffrey Colton as Tommy’s uncle and landlord, the dapper drunkard Maurice, who spots a bag of turnips stolen from his garden under a cot, but doesn’t notice a body on the floor that he almost trips over; and Jonathan Covey as the loathsome interloper Kenneth.

“The Night Alive” is written by Conor McPherson, produced by Altarena Playhouse, and plays on its stage at 1409 High Street, Alameda, CA through September 22, 2024.

Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal represent the most successful collaboration between composer and librettist in opera history. After drifting down the path of modern atonalism and gruesomeness with “Salome” and “Electra,” they risked being considered old-fashioned and retrograde with their 1912 premiere of “Der Rosenkavalier,” a return to German Romanticism, following in the footsteps of Richard Wagner. But it would become their most endearing opera with wonderful characterizations, sumptuous music, and a plotline that entertains and provokes. Santa Fe Opera has offered a superb production with outstanding performing artists and a stunning staging that warps from sumptuous to seedy.

The title refers to a fictional custom of Austrian nobility in which a prospective groom enlists a relative, who becomes the Cavalier of the Rose, to present a silver rose to the bride-to-be. This opera contains three central roles, one of which is the title character, who is a 17-year-old noble, Octavian, performed by Paula Murrihy. A versatile and smooth mezzo-soprano, she not only dispatches this notable trousers role with great aplomb but also wears dresses to become Mariandel, a fictitious maid who will deceive in order to trap lascivious Baron Ochs. The rationale for using a female voice in this role is that Octavian’s voice is presumed to be pre-pubescent. This woman-playing-a-man-playing-a-woman device beat the movie “Victor/Victoria” to the punch by several decades.

But while Octavian reigns in the title and perhaps has the most stage time and singing, the character acts more as a catalyst than a proactor. Perhaps the weight of the role is diluted because much of the time he is in his transvestite alter-ego, Mariandel. But in the end, Octavian will get the girl!

The anti-hero of the proceedings is the boisterous, bumptious Baron Ochs, portrayed delightfully and humorously by big-voiced bass Matthew Rose, who manages the semi-talk-sing requirements along with the resonant sung music with equal facility. Middle-aged Ochs had asked his cousin The Marschallin to arrange the presentation of the rose to young Sophie. This match appeals to both sides as the impoverished noble Ochs will acquire money from a nouveau riche family, while they gain aristocratic standing. But ultimately, Ochs’ condescending and off putting manner will infuriate the otherwise shy Sophie, who even risks being sent to a nunnery in rejecting the suitor.

With all of the above going on, it really hasn’t touched on the heart of the opera, and that is The Marschallin. Though she is absent for over half of the opera, her grace, dignity, consideration, and melancholy are the driving forces behind the action. In her, Strauss and von Hofmannsthal have crafted one of the most sympathetic characters in the canon and a fine part for a dramatic soprano. Rachel Willis-Sørensen ravishes with her physical presence and her full-bodied and lustrous voice with great penetration in the fortissimos.

“Der Rosenkavalier” concerns life’s passages. Ochs’ proposal represents not only transition to marriage, but one involving change in social status, financial transformation, and a May-December linkage. The Marschallin is married, but has had a long and loving relationship with Octavian, who is half her age – another May-December affair. She notes that time is strange – when we are young, we don’t think about it, though when we are older we think of nothing else. Sensing the future and displaying the wisdom of age, she frees Octavian to great dramatic effect and much against his wishes, which will facilitate the resulting of the right match.

This opera contains several distinctions. The orchestral music is radiant throughout, yet the vocals in its primary idiom are not in the least memorable. However, two particular set pieces are highly notable. The presentation of the rose contains simple but well-spaced harmonic orchestral notes that may come from a celeste and flute. They produce the most haunting and ethereal sounds imaginable, so that it would be heavenly, pretty much whatever’s being sung. This is also the magic moment when Octavian and Sophie’s eyes first meet and foretell the denouement.

Strauss loved the female voice. He challenges the singers with high tessitura, particularly Sophie, which Liv Redpath, performing this evening only, negotiates with ease. Few female ensembles can match the counter melodies and harmonies of the opera’s finale – led by the glorious trio among the three lead females and concluding with The Marschallin stepping away and leaving the final love duet to Octavian and Sophie. A last and unfavorable distinction is the length of the opera. At a four-hour run time, it does drag at times with excess philosophizing and could use some serious editing.

Nevertheless, the composer shows that he could write relatable and accessible melody. He disdained Italian opera and threw in an aria in that style as a parody, but it has appeal. He also included melodious waltzes which were intended to display the majesty of the period of the opera, even though they were an anachronism. And if you are tempted to think that Strauss was strait-laced, the lively music that opens the opera with the Marschallin and Octavian in a curtained, poster bed simulates sex, right up to its conclusion and afterglow!

Apart from fine singing and the animated orchestra conducted by Karina Canellakis, Santa Fe’s production by Bruno Ravella visually delights from start to finish. The Marschallin’s bedchamber of Act 1 comprises restrained gray stateliness with huge, scrolled leaf motifs in thick bas relief. At the end of the act, she is spotlit during a soliloquy wearing a yellow gown that creates a strikingly beautiful duochorome with the backdrop. In Act 2, at the apartment of Sophie’s family, we see contrasting showiness of the merchant class. And the Act 3 look of a cathouse, where Ochs is being compromised, the gaudy set is akilter and surrounded by colored light frames presenting a great environment for the cacophony of garish costumes.

At this, the end of the season, I’d like to add another plug for Santa Fe Opera, and that is for its exquisite pre-opera talks. One option is the fantastic covered, outdoor buffets, though they have gotten to be quite expensive. A guest speaker with some connection to the opera of the evening always gives a talk to conclude the dinner. A predictably entertaining and informative option is the free talk given by long time lecturer Oliver Prezant. His talks always engage and give great insights, especially for those new to a particular opera, but even for those who are already familiar.

“Der Rosenkavalier,” composed by Richard Strauss with libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and produced by Santa Fe Opera was performed at Santa Fe Opera House, 301 Opera Drive, Santa Fe, NM through August 15, 2024.

Rarely has an opera composer moved with equal facility between dramatic and comedic genres. Gaetano Donizetti fills that role. Along with the brooding “Lucia di Lammermoor” and his three dark and tense Tudor-period operas, he wrote the music for “Don Pasquale,” “Daughter of the Regiment,” and “The Elixir of Love,” the last of which is offered in a bubbly and endearing production by Santa Fe Opera.

Especially with war horses of the opera repertory, companies are often loathe to present the same formula for each production. Although the underlying substance of the action remains unchanged, this Santa Fe version is brought into the 20^th century. The central character Nemorino is still a peasant, but now an auto mechanic, while Belcore, his competitor for the hand of land owner and olive oil maker Adina, is a sergeant in the US Army stationed in Italy.

Although this bel canto confection comes from 1832, early in Donizetti’s career, the music is mature and constantly engaging with hummable melodies. With the exception of poignant moments of reflection, the score bounces with playfulness and humor throughout. Considering that the plot concerns a love triangle as well as the involvement of a love potion and its hawker, the libretto is remarkably efficient with only five principal parts.

The beauty of the music springs forth from the outset as Nemorino sings about gorgeous Adina in ‘Quanto è bella’ (How beautiful she is) in which he also reveals his self-doubt. Rising star Jonah Hoskins is the ideal Nemorino, having a supercharged tenor with an Italianate lilt and urgency ideal for this role. He also conveys appropriate youthful innocence and the moxie to compete for a belle well above his station, most unlikely to succeed in the opera’s time and place. But this is a comedy!

The elixir of the title is introduced by Adina from literature. She reads aloud of the love potion employed by Tristan in “Tristan and Isolde” and sings her lovely first aria, ‘Della crude Isotta’ (From the cruel Isolde). Another notable young artist, Yaritza Véliz, performs as Adina. A fine fit for her counterpart, she mixes taunting condescension and convivial flirtation in tempting the hormonal Nemorino. Véliz’s strong soprano voice demonstrates passion and beauty, in addition to great flexibility in the lovely duet with Nemorino, ‘Chiedi all’aura lusinghiera’ (Ask the flattering aura).

Nemorino’s declaration of love for Adina is unsurprisingly rebuffed. But when “medicine man”/flim-flam artist “Doctor” Dulcamara arrives selling a potion that solves everything from lumbago to sexual appeal, Nemorino sees his solution in a shot of courage. As one would expect, Dulcamara is as evasive as he is effusive, but he assures Nemorino that the potion will make him irresistible. Alfredo Daza portrays the fast talker with zest and plenty of opportunity to display his formidable patter.

Meanwhile, conceited Belcore (Luke Sutliff) has proposed marriage to Adina. Like Daza, Sutliff gets to show his comic chops, but he also sings with distinction in a style with varying vibrato that could sometimes be characterized as coloratura, if that term were ever applied to a baritone.

Comic tension is maintained throughout as Adina gives out conflicted messages and actions, and is even seeking revenge against Nemorino by agreeing to marry Belcore. Finally, the worm turns, and Nemorino knows that Adina loves him, revealed in the opera’s hallmark, the mournful tenor aria ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ (A secret tear). As in several other arias, the artist is able to show bel canto virtuosity, in this case, milking pauses for emotional effect. Hoskins offers a masterful rendition.

Although much of the narrative is driven by two-way exchanges between characters, the ambiance is kept lively with the almost constant presence of some level of choristers playing various crowd roles, singing as backup to principals, or singing dedicated chorus pieces. Since the chorus is comprised of the company’s vaunted apprentices, its voices are uniformly outstanding. But what makes it outstanding as a chorus is great balance and precise unison of voices, despite the individuals not being professional choristers. The credit for this excellence goes to Chorus Master Susanne Sheston, who is responsible for the choruses of all five summer productions.

A comedy demands a happy ending, and as expected, Nemorino and Adina get together. What does create a bit of unneeded moral qualm is that the protagonist’s uncle has died, making Nemorino wealthy, undermining the notion that a ‘rich girl could fall for a poor boy’ (with a bow to Jay and the Americans’ song ‘Only in America’). That said, is it possible that Adina was the only woman in town to not know of Nemorino’s fortune? But how realistic is that?

“The Elixir of Love” is one of opera’s most produced works and with good reason. Its blend of exquisite music with laugh-out-loud humor is par excellence. Santa Fe Opera’s production makes the best of a good thing.

“The Elixir of Love,” composed by Gaetano Donizetti with libretto by Felice Romani is produced by Santa Fe Opera and plays on its stage at 301 Opera Drive, Santa Fe, NM through August 22, 2024.

Santa Fe Opera maintains its position as perhaps the foremost summer festival of opera in the United States and as a font for new works. For the 2024 season, it has commissioned “The Righteous,” composed by Gregory Spears with libretto from past U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith. The work indicts a large subculture that pervades much of this country, and the production compels and delights on all artistic fronts, from its fine ensemble cast to its versatile and effective staging. Despite areas for improvement, “The Righteous” is a welcomed addition to the opera canon.

Those of us who grew up in the last half of the 20^th century in the underbelly of western religiousity, basically red-state America, will perhaps be more familiar with the themes and the characters that populate “The Righteous.” The recurring refrain “Oh, Lord; Oh hope; Oh might” reflects an expressed subservience to Christian teachings, but actions will belie words in fiction and in reality. The notion of patriarchal beneficence mixed with unbounded hypocrisy permeates that society. And the penetration of religious thought into all aspects of life is attested by the hunting scene at the opening in which a prayer is requested to begin a turkey shoot. If there is a god, does it really care whether you bag a turkey or buy one at the grocery store?

David, portrayed by highly convincing and masterful baritone Michael Mayes, represents a class of pastors who aspire to more than serving their flock, but for wealth, power, and/or recognition. One would anticipate that real-world unfulfilled promises and moral corruption of so many religious leaders would impact their appeal to adherents. Yet, public exposure of acute failings of fallen ministers are quickly forgotten – Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, Jerry Falwell Jr., Robert Tilton (“top 20” televangelist whose shams were exposed by ABC’s “20/20,” and a personal friend of mine for a time during our late teens), and others. The power of identity faith and its associated identity politics make followers seem impermeable to fact, reason, or compromise.

The place of this opera is unnamed, but by connecting the dots, that place would be Texas, on the edge of the Bible Belt. Although the composer Spears is from Virginia, the other bookend of the evangelical South, the librettist Smith would not seem a natural for this scenario. She was reared in the Bay Area of California, has lived in the northeast as an adult, and she is black. Despite these anomalies, Smith has crafted a thoroughly convincing sense of the 1980s and of the white-dominated evangelical world. Importantly, key characters are not cardboard cutout caricatures, but nuanced individuals with good and bad in them. Yet one deficiency that overpowers this whole society is the inability of most of its denizens to either realize or accept the damage that their falseness causes.

The opera captures the macho, Machiavellianism of the politics in the region, especially in the stereotypical Paul Ward. Portrayed with great bravado by the acclaimed Greer Grimsley, Paul, who becomes governor is the traditionalist red-meat and bourbon glad-hander driven to overpower competition.

More importantly, the mindset of the true believer, David, is first revealed as he evolves from being a non-religious youth whose best friend Jonathon is gay to a preacher committed to good works. As Jonathon, Anthony Roth Costanzo is in fine countertenor form and also drops into lower voicing effectively, as the composer requires dramatic leaps and plunges from several singers. It is in his good works period that David somewhat cynically marries Michele (wonderfully mellow and powerful mezzo Jennifer Johnson Cano who displays considerable range), whom he grew up with and doesn’t love, but who is the daughter of influential Paul.

Meanwhile, David becomes so absorbed with religion that he attributes all of his actions including his ambition to divine guidance. Even admitting to sins of the flesh when he has an affair with Sheila, (an impressive warm, yet full-voiced soprano Elena Villalón) who would become his second wife, he submits that it is God’s will. But when he becomes governor and must issue policies that affect primarily gay and black populations, his decisions are driven by political expediency, not his previous practices or Christian teachings.

The broader issue raised by David’s self-indulgence at the expense of following the teachings of Christ is the cognitive state of the kind of person he represents. Does that person truly believe that their actions are ordained from above, or is it a convenient cover to allow the latitude to do whatever the person wants? In the end, David begins to question the person he has become and repeats the refrain “Life is long; wisdom is slow,” yet he still looks for external explanations rather than within himself. Conversely, Michele and Sheila, both of whom become alienated from David when he deserts his roots, undergo sincere transformations. All three are complex and well-developed characters.

One unusual aspect of “The Righteous” is the breadth of issues covered, including many aspects of religion and politics of the day, AIDS, mixed marriage, spousal and child abuse, crack cocaine, youth rebellion and counterculturalism. Traditional operas usually focus on one or two main issues. Although the libretto could be trimmed by a couple of issues and the run time shortened, the fact remains that patrons often look for relevance in entertainment, and that can entail complexity. David’s (and our) world is not as simple as a single-variable experiment in a petri dish, but rather a radically open environment, with influences coming from all directions. This opera integrates important external elements into a personal narrative.

Musically, it is a pleasure to hear sonorous, tonal music in a contemporary opera composition. The Jordan de Souza conducted orchestra fills the bill with a balanced and mellifluous backing. Vocal music is suitable but not memorable. Much of it is in recitative or arioso style, but there are several nice ensembles and arias, primarily given to the female leads who have particularly large and critical roles given the central themes. Although arias are constructed with notable dynamics, the overall volume is usually on high and could be lowered more for the reflective passages. One split trio with the three central figures is exceedingly well written and delivered. Choral pieces are important, and the chorus, comprised of apprentices (read – talented early career singers) is excellent. It opens the opera with a psalmic-like humming chorus and closes with a rich Revelations-like ending having the crashing power of the old Memorex commercial in which the sound waves blow your hair back.

The dramatic arc and characters in “The Righteous” are involving and realistic throughout, and the whole closing scene pulls emotionally. Truly impressive.

Also deserving of some commentary is the venue. Santa Fe Opera, isolated from major markets, has no right to be a world class company, but it is. Visiting should be on the wish list of every opera lover. The setting with vistas of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is mystical. The striking architecture of the opera house with sides open to nature is unique. When the back wall of the stage is open, as it is in part of this production, the rugged yet majestic view of desert mountains behind enhances the staging. No opera atmospere matches the special ambiance of Santa Fe Opera, and the town and surroundings have a host of assets from fine restaurants to fine arts and activities in nature.

“The Righteous,” composed by Gregory Spears with libretto by Tracy K. Smith is a world premiere commission by Santa Fe Opera and played at its opera house at 301 Opera Drive, Santa Fe, NM through August 13, 2024.