THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 4, 1995 TAG: 9503040478
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: OPERA REVIEW
SOURCE: BY MARK MOBLEY, MUSIC CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
If life were fair, we'd all live 20 minutes as sweet as Act II of Virginia Opera's ``La boheme.'' We'd all be in a Paris cafe. We'd all be slightly inebriated and very much in love. And we'd all be fashionably dressed under exquisite lighting.
Virginia Opera's new production of the immensely popular Puccini opera opened Friday at the Harrison Opera House. As conceived by designer Allen Charles Klein and director Johnathon Pape, the four scenes of bohemian life take place just after World War II. Thus the young characters are in slacks and sweaters, mingling with GIs.
The production was at its best in comic details. As Marcello, baritone Bojan Knezevic owned the show. He was a saving grace of the company's recent ``Don Giovanni,'' and here he was just as witty and assured. His brief stanza of ``Musetta's Waltz'' was the most vivid singing of the evening.
The leads, soprano Elizabeth Biggs as Mimi and tenor Donald Braswell as Rodolfo, took until Act III to warm up and exploit the expressive potential of their music. Then, she was riveting with a strong middle voice. In the crucial last act, she floated her soft notes. Braswell nearly matched her passion.
Jerome Shannon, Virginia Opera assistant artistic director, conducted in a no-nonsense fashion. Key slow moments in the first and fourth acts were turgid. The orchestra was drastically reduced, a curious choice given the much-heralded expansion of the pit during the renovation.
Soprano Amy Johnson was an amusing Musetta. Baritone Frank Ward was underpowered as Colline, and sang his sole aria without a sense of line.
Klein's designs passed the crucial Harrison Opera House test - making the shallow stage look deep - with flying colors. David Latham's lighting, especially in the Cafe Momus act, was impressively precise, illuminating all the right faces in the right degrees.
In the incredibly detailed humorous business of Act II, Pape had the cast and extras appear completely at ease. It was the happiest scene on this stage since . . . the last ``boheme'' some years ago. ILLUSTRATION: OPERA REVIEW
Virginia Opera's new production of Puccini's ``La boheme,'' Friday
at the Harrison Opera House. Further performances are Sunday and
March 12 at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and Friday at 8 p.m.
For ticket information call 623-1223.
by CNB