A Barber for our time
By Sonia Lewis, Staff reviewer
Classical New Jersey
June 14 & 21, 2000

I had known about the Williams Center for the Arts for quite some time but had never had the occasion to take in any of their productions. The facility itself is a mixture of old (part of the theater) and new (glass enclosed lobby). The most unusual part of the house is the entrance to the seating area; one walks through a section that probably contained additional seating for what appeared to have been a large movie house. Half of it now holds a tier of bleachers facing sideways and a makeshift stage, between and/or behind the tiers through which the audience can walk to arrive at a set of steps leading down to the theater seating level. This 600 seat division is nicely appointed with new plush seats and a mid-sized stage, just perfect for the small, delightful production of Rossini’s Barber of Seville the Hudson Opera Theatre mounted.
    Conductor Ron De Fesi ably led his cut-down orchestra of 18 musicians and also played continuo on an electric keyboard designed with a “harpsichord” component. Mr. De Fesi kept his orchestra focused on the verve and merriment yet managed ample sentiment in the appropriate moments. Aside from a few problems of synchronization between the orchestra and the chorus, it was a sparkling performance, with the string and wind section deserving special mention.
    Although the first scene with the men’s chorus and the Count started off a little slow and ragged, the pace quickly picked up and thereafter never faltered. Stage director Renato Cesarino provided a number of extremely clever staging devices, such as the patrons paying for Figaro’s services with hands outstretched from the side tormenters. A strobe light was used for the storm scene, with the cast running on and off carrying ladders and various props, all the while resetting the scene. Most amusing of all were the small, funny scene “freezes” (hardly tableaux) at the end of Act I in which lighting designer John Dunfrund provided separately lighted scenes, one quickly following another. None necessarily related to the other, such as “Washington Crossing the Delaware” and “The Last Supper.”
    The opera was sung in English. Since no mention was made of the person who provided the translation, we cannot credit anyone with the witty updated additions to the dialogue: Doctor Bartolo announced that when he was young he used to sing and aria that was sung by Pavarotti and launched into “Nessun dorma”. Another funny anachronism referred to a question regarding the soldiers to which the response was “Don’t ask, don’t tell”.
    It was particularly gratifying to attend a performance where attention was paid to the small details such as finishing touches of costuming, sets and props. Kudos to C. Clara George (costumes), Renato Cesarino (production design), as well as all those, too numerous to mention, who worked on sets. The set itself, very well planned and executed, was Doctor Bartolo’s house. A three-sided, exterior façade facing downstage, which, when completely turned around, became the interior with the addition of beautiful rococo furnishings, including the shell of a pianoforte.
    Finally to the singers. Hudson Opera Theatre’s Figaro, Chris Thompson, was an absolute natural for the role. Performing with the assurance of a seasoned artist, his dramatic capabilities and physical exuberance propelled the action. Vocal security, evenly produced tones, and flexibility were all evident in this fluent Rossini baritone. David Root as Count Almaviva (Lindoro) rang in with excellent enunciation in a bright lyric tenor, carrying the runs and trills effortlessly, with never as sign of stress. On the dramatic side a bit more ardor and expression would have been a plus. However, his impersonation of the singing teacher Don Alonso was priceless, especially the lisp and the head movements he affected.
    The company's Rosina, mezzo-soprano Mariella Nocetti, was another stand-out with a sensuous sound and a spectacular top register accompanied by a solid middle and lower range. Ms Nocetti has impressive agility in the florid passages, delivering the runs, trills, and turns in well-focused, mellifluous tones, not only in the signature “Una voce poco fa” but throughout the entire opera.
    From my seat, approximately ten rows back from the orchestra during the first act, Alan Gordon Smulen (Don Bartolo) exhibited some pitch problems and his voice was often inaudible. However, the baritone had no trouble rising above the small ensemble for his imitation of a woman’s voice, evoking considerable laughter from the audience on the several occasions when he resorted to this parody. During Act II I chose to take a seat farther back and thereafter had no difficulty hearing Mr. Smulen. It would appear that this was an acoustic problem in the Williams Center since the identical phenomenon occurred with bass Isaac Miller (Don Basilio). Both baritone and bass delivered involved comedic performances in artful tones.
    Nick Karnavezos as Fiorello/Sergeant acquitted himself well with a pliant baritone and appropriate characterizations. Conductor De Fesi provided a masterful stroke of high camp with the casting of Janean Sherwin as Berta, whose spoof of an opera singer singing “There’s no fool like an old fool” was the most hilarious aria of the entire performance.
 

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