Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 18, 1992 TAG: 9202180294
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SETH WILLIAMSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
`PORGY' HAS FINE MUSICAL MOMENTS
It was an ambitious production of "Porgy & Bess" that drew an SRO crowd to the Roanoke Civic Center Monday night. Victoria Bond conducted forces from Opera Roanoke, the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, the Roanoke Valley Choral Society and Voices of Roanoke in what was billed as a "concert version" of George Gershwin's great American opera.This meant the soloists confined their singing and a limited amount of acting to the front of one of the more crowded stages in recent Roanoke Symphony performances. In fact, you might just as well have called it the "oratorio version" of the work, as the star singers returned to their chairs after each assignment. In any case, the lack of sets, scenery and costumes made little difference in the musical impact of this jazz- and blues-flavored masterpiece.
And musically it made for an enjoyable night. This in spite of the fact that it was missing the kind of knock-`em-dead performances around which a truly memorable production can crystallize. None of the soloists was less than good, but the program got off to a slow start and achieved really exciting moments only a few times. The star singers would have had an easier time filling the hall with sound if the RSO's customary shell could have been used, but for this performance small reflectors at the stage sides were installed.
One thing was for sure: This was one performance in which the chorus didn't have to worry about coming out on the short end of balance problems with the instrumentalists. The nearly 180 singers had no problem being heard at all the right spots. They sounded well-prepared, and the chorus numbers were among the best parts of this production.
Two soloists were standouts. Ronald T. Smith had a ball as Sportin' Life. His slender tenor was adequate, but his acting skills made the big impression. The sly humor with which he infused his wicked sermon "It Ain't Necessarily So" called up shades of Cab Calloway, and the Civic Center crowd loved him. Mezzo-soprano Carolyn Sebron was a far-more-than-adequate Serena and made those who heard her wish the role had been a bigger one. Her warm mezzo voice was the most characterful of the entire cast.
Sherman Ray Jacobs was a handsome leading man as Porgy with a pleasant bass-baritone, but he seemed to require a few numbers before he hit his stride. Soprano Elizabeth Graham was a convincing and especially lovely Bess. She has sung the role with the Houston Grand Opera, and her familiarity showed. The neither fish-nor-fowl character of this concert performance seemed to affect her acting not at all on the cramped stage front..
Bass-baritone Stephen Finch had a fine air of physical menace about him as Bess's boastful lover Crown, a role he has played six times in the past four years.
Lisa Edwards-Burrs opened the work with the classic aria "Summertime," though her lyric soprano was somewhat on the brittle side.
Baritone Richard Hobson covered the roles of both Jim and Jake and appeared to be battling hoarseness in his number "It Take a Long Pull to Get There."
Contralto Heather Meyers sang the role of Mariah and was most effective in her final trio scene with Porgy and Serena. And local veteran Gary Fulsebakke sang the roles both of Mingo and Peter with his customary aplomb.
It was a good night for the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, who handled Gershwin's tough score easily. There seemed little room for the players to stretch out and create the kind of improvisatory jazz feeling that the piece calls for, but trumpeter Allen Bachelder and principle trombonist Dayl Burnett had some fine moments.
Seth Williamson produces feature-news stories and a classical music program on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.