New York music fans loudly lamented the passing of the long-running Amato Opera earlier this year. Despite a reputation for uneven quality, the little family-run "opera house that could" had been an East Village institution since 1948, presenting stripped-down productions of operatic standards and charging low ticket prices while giving rising singers an opportunity to hone their craft.
Amato veterans have wasted no time rising from the ashes. Not one but two companies have emerged to wear the Amato's mantle. One, the Bleecker Street Opera, has found a home at the relatively spacious downstairs theater at 45 Bleecker Street, and I attended the second performance of its second production, Rossini's Barber of Seville, last night. The staff seemed unprepared for the full house. Everything was a little disorganized, and the show started late. The Rosina (Malena Dayen) was recovering from bronchitis. The Bartolo was a last-minute substitute who needed line cues from conductor/music director David Rosenmeyer. Mr. Rosenmeyer himself had been a late addition to the team after the unexpected departure of Paul Haas. And with all that, what did we get? Not technical perfection, it's true, but a thoroughly enjoyable and in some respects exceptional production, thanks to the cast of superb singers, the hardworking Mr. Rosenmeyer and his mini-orchestra, and a talented production team led by stage director Teresa K. Pond.
William Browning was a simply glorious Figaro, with a suave and powerful baritone, a solid yet agile stage presence, and a constant twinkle in his eye; his tremendous, antic "Largo al factotum" set a high bar. Anthony Daino brought a droll, Depardieu-esque assurance to Count Almaviva, with a sweet, sunny tenor. And Ms. Dayen, who like Mr. Rosenmeyer hails from Argentina, imbued Rosina with a fluid, coquettish energy, making her more than an equal to the scheming but good-hearted Count and the brash barber. No delicate flower was this Rosina, and I could detect little if any evidence of any lingering illness in Ms. Dayen's wonderful singing; if anything she seemed to strengthen as the evening wore on.
Article comments
1 - gigiz
I, too, attended the performance of The Barber of Seville, on December 27, 2009, at the Bleeker Street Opera, squirming in my seat for the duration of the languished performance, played to a rather less than full house (the word empty comes to mind) and experienced quite a different show than the one praised by Mr. Sobel above.
I purchased my ticket based on the stunning reviews I had heard of the sadly departed Amato Opera and hoping to have an enjoyable night at the opera. I truly wanted to love the show. However, what I witnessed last night was far below amateur and quite honestly, an embarrassment for all involved in the production, save Mr. William Browning, the gentleman who played the quirky, well-sung Figaro, whose energy, consistent singing, well placed humor and mastery of his Italian pronunciations, was the only saving grace of this entire production.
Technical difficulties aside (every show and performer sometimes requires a bit of assistance from the musical director), what cannot be ignored or explained was the ridiculous casting, the utterly non-existent blocking, poor acting and overall sad performances witnessed last night. This is best epitomized by the lackluster chorus, which barely bothered to mouth the lyrics they were supposed to be performing and seemed utterly lost on stage.
As far as the rest of the cast, the actors made very odd choices for their characters " seemly moving across the stage without direction or purpose, and did not really know the music. There seemed to be a lack of commitment in anything they were doing on stage. There was nothing sweet or sunny about the tenor " he was rather dreary, poorly rehearsed and brought nothing vocally to the stage. In an effort to look past this dreadful performance, and to keep myself in sync with the story which was not being clearly communicated on stage, I focused my energy on reading the translation of the lyrics, posted on a screen next to the stage, which unfortunately did not keep up with the lyrics being sung. Again, a technical disaster.
The orchestra was rather delightful for its small numbers and managed to produce a full sound. As best plead by conductor/musical director Mr. David Rosenmeyer at the beginning of the show, we should support small performing arts companies, particularly those striving to encourage young talent. However, in this struggle to promote talent, it is irresponsible of a theater reviewer and not particularly helpful for the cast, to praise performances which are undeserving of such praise.
I look forward to future performances by The Bleeker Street Opera and am hopeful that they will improve upon their Barber of Seville by leaps and bounds.
2 - Jon Sobel
You couldn't have been at the same performance, because the one I attended played to a full house. Unlike our respective views of the performance, that's not a matter of opinion.
3 - Sato Moughalian
The commenter was at the third performance 12/27pm, the reviewer was at the second, 12/26.