LebanonTosca - Page: 1 of 1

Reviewed
Paul Joseph Walkowski

Last night’s “Tosca” at the Lebanon Opera House was performed before a packed and appreciative opening night audience that was not disappointed with what it saw or heard. Indeed, it is performances such as this that earn Opera North the well-deserved reputation that it has garnered for producing quality opera in a region one might not necessarily equate with the genre.
Much of the credit here goes to Maestro Louis Burkot who directed an orchestra of thirty-eight pieces with near perfection. In a hall that seats 750, an orchestra this size can pack a wallop, and last night this orchestra was at it apex, bringing Puccini’s work to life with a sound that had depth, volume, control and plenty of soul – and it did this without drowning out a top-notch cast that packed plenty of punch on its own, even if needing just a tweaking. I’ll have more on this later.
Other notable’s in this production were the set design by Yoshinori Tanokura, with its faux marble/granite columns, magnificent floor-to-ceiling French doors and paned windows, and economical use of furniture that defined each act without overwhelming it. If a table and chairs were called for, that’s what you got. Interestingly, nothing here looked economized; it was just the opposite, actually. The sets were elegant and complimentary, giving this “Tosca” a look of majesty. Well done!

I wish I could say the same for the lighting by David Gelhar. It was adequate, but for a production of this quality, adequate is not enough. The entire production was filled with lost lighting opportunities i.e.: the full second act was set off against huge French doors and ostensibly paned glass windows. The opportunity to use back lighting to create shadows in a room that in its era was without artificial bright lighting, was a golden opportunity (lost) to add immeasurably to this production. Just think of what you could do with lighting to enhance the mood of evil that permeated the manipulative, cold-hearted Scarpia’s apartment. What better place to use lighting to convey a sense of mischief, betrayal and death?
Act three, which was set against a barren sky, was another chance to create a mood of doom and gloom that might have been -- but wasn’t. Nothing said above, however, is to detract from what we got. It did the job. It just could have done so much more.
A word about costumes, provided here, by Susan Memmott-Allred (created for the Utah Opera Company). In a word, beautiful! Opera North’s productions are usually well costumed. As a matter of fact this publication awarded a “Best Of” last year to the company for just such attention to detail. This production is no exception. The costumes were elegant, colorful and period appropriate and added immeasurably to the mood created by the wonderful set design.
And because Tosca relies on a chorus to build the scene inside the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, the production came with a chorus that measured up to the task and added not just bodies, but depth to the fullness that Puccini calls for in the first Act. Well Done!
And now the performances. As noted, this is a top-notch cast. Michael Hayes as Cavaradossi, is a solid tenor with strong lungs and good control (I saw him in Otello two years ago and singing Verdi’d Requiem last year), and he delivered to the audience last night, as he always does. This is a singer to watch. His physical appearance (that’s the former Marine) gives credence to the leading roles he plays and makes the characters he plays come alive with kinetic energy when on stage.
Soprano Patricia Stevens gave a remarkably emotional and impressively strong performance as Tosca. Were she singing this role for a CD it would be without flaws and noteworthy for its communicative ability. The same can be said for bass David Cushing, singing the role of the Sacristan. David is a well-known figure in the northeast who has demonstrated both skill and agility to play both comedy and the more serious dramatic parts when asked. His performance last night, just ten minutes into the first act, earned both him and Michael Hayes sustained and hardy applause for their delivery.
There was only one problem – and we might just write this off to opening night nerves – all three seemed to push beyond what they needed to convince the audience they were the characters they were singing. Hayes seemed, at times, a little too stoic and grand; David Cushing, who has a strong voice, may need to tone it down just a notch; and Ms. Stevens, while she has a beautiful voice, moved around the stage in a jerky, almost animated manner (this was commented upon by a member of the audience sitting next to me who, when I asked what he thought at the end of the first act, commented that he thought Tosca, Ms. Stevens, was a little stiff.) Here, I would have like to have seen her hair come down and robe come off under the assault of the evil Scarpia, sung wonderfully and menacingly by Todd Thomas, and who was without fault last night. Of all the singers, he seemed the most natural and comfortable on stage.
Nothing written above, however, detracts from what was done. This “Tosca” had plenty going for it and the minor distractions were only minor, and easily addressed. The bottom line is this: Opera North’s “Tosca” is a powerhouse of a show that will leave you impressed on many fronts and eager to attend this company’s productions again and again.

Conductor, Louis Burkot
Director, Ron Luchsinger
Titles, Sonya Friedman
Set Design, Yoshinori Tanokura
Costumes, Susan Memmott-Allred
Lighting, David Gelhar