Lucia di Lammermoor
Opera Colorado: May 6, 9, 12
and 14
Anna Christy as Lucia
When Gaetano Donizetti composed his masterwork,"Lucia di Lammermoor," he stepped into some big operatic shoes.
Rossini had just retired and Bellini had just gone on to er Opera Heaven.
It’s thrilling to get to see and hear “Lucia” onstage at
Opera Colorado for more reasons than one. After the last several years of being
underfunded the productions of Opera Colorado have suffered. That’s what
happens when the money in the coffers is nearly non-existent.
In the parking lot elevator after the show one
of the props mistresses heard me going on about how Great the production was.
She admitted that she agreed and that it was all because there was now
considerably more funding.
That is obvious from the look of the sumptuous set (Robert
R. O’Hearn) and costumes (Susan Memmott Allred and Ann Piano.)
However ... the most exciting thing is that artists with superb vocal
instruments are being cast.
In this case we have Anna Christy in the title role. Ms.
Christy, recently onstage at the Met as well as the Santa Fe Opera and National
Opera de Paris, recently stunned audiences with her acting and singing of Emily
in “Our Town” at Central City Opera. Ms. Christy’s singing of the coloratura passages
in the mad scene in this production of “Lucia” dazzle. Her acting is
exquisitely nuanced.
The part of Edgardo is sung with gusto by Eric Barry.
Mezzo-soprano Marcia Ragonetti (Marlowe Award for Best
Actress in a Musical for Vintage Theatre’s “Sunset Boulevard”) provides masterful
artistry in the role of Alisa, Lucia’s handmaid.
One looks forward to upcoming productions of La Boheme and
Falstaff next season.
This production was created for the Florida Grand Opera and
made available courtesy of Utah Symphony/Utah Opera.
A tip of the hat to Greg Carpenter who is finding all the
keys to the presentation of superb and exhilarating Grand Opera in Colorado.
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