It may sound strange to compare Opera
Theatre of St Louis’ production of The
Elixir of Love to a great scoop of ice cream, but bear with me.
The company’s production of Donizetti’s
comedic opera is sugary, sweet and goes down smooth. Its rich set design and
creamy musical score are topped off by great performances from an ensemble that
takes sugary material and adds some flavorful texture.
The
Elixir of Love shines as a bold work of operatic
entertainment. Stage director Jose Maria Condemi has stripped down the
lavishness in order to emphasize the dramatic love story at the center of the
plot. Moving the setting from Donizetti’s Basque country to the Grant
Wood-esque serenity of bucolic small town America of 1914 is an audacious move
that resonates with a modern American Midwest audience.
The story centers around a peasant ice
cream vendor named Nemorino who falls head over heels for Adina, a
strong-willed uptown girl. Knowing that guys like him don’t catch girls like
her, Nemorino buys a love potion from devious and dubious Dr. Dulcamara on the
assumption that it will help him win her heart.
As he waits for the potion to do its
thing, Nemorino is dismayed to learn that Adina has capitulated her heart and
agreed to marry a sergeant named Belcore. Helpless and frantic, Nemorino
spirals into an emotional mess, not knowing that he has already won the
affection of his dear Adina, who hopes to use her engagement to Belcore as
motivation for Nemorino to get on the stick and win her over. Act Two details
the several twists, turns, missteps and mishaps as Adina’s wedding day
approaches, culminating in a passionate and tumultuous final scene loaded with
deceit, emotion and passion.
The ensemble is led by tenor Rene
Barbera as Nemorino, and Barbera’s mesmerizing performance is the bedrock of
the entire show. His Nemorino is uncorrupted and captivating. Tim Mix plays the
conniving Belcore, and in his hands we see a character who will sneak and
slither to any depth to win the heart of Adina. Mix plays this role with great
relish, and he clearly enjoys playing the heavy. Patrick Carfizzi plays Dulcamara as a smarmy, strictly
self-interested huckster; Carfizzi’s a joy to watch onstage as he manipulates
poor Nemorino. Susan Biller debuts with OTSL as Adina, a woman’s whose charm
and intellect turns every head in town. Strong yet vulnerable, Biller’s Adina
can hold her own and is not afraid to scheme herself in order to get one she
wants.
Opera Theatre St. Louis’ production of The Elixir of Love is a fun romp and a
timeless tale of unrequited love, anchored by a great cast. Scheming, dreaming,
lust and love have never been this much fun!
All performances are presented at the
Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. For showtimes and
more information visit the Opera Theatre's home page
By Rob Levy
No comments:
Post a Comment