Thirty Years and Four Hours Later The Harrisburg Opera Closes out its 2000

Thirty Years and Four Hours Later
The Harrisburg Opera Closes out its 2000/2001 Season

by Brian E. Phillips

To many of you, four hours of opera may seem a marathon in patience and tolerance, but for anyone who journeyed, along with me, to see Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s grand opera buffa “The Marriage of Figaro” — the finale of the Harrisburg Opera’s 30th Anniversary season — you were witness to a production that was nothing short of brilliant. From the opening note of the overture to the closing curtain, everything about this performance was top notch.

By critics and fans of opera alike, “Figaro” is considered one of the best. Its classic themes, great comedy, and lush musical score are reasons that the show is both well-liked and oft- performed. For this reason, it was a wise and a scary choice for the Harrisburg Opera. Popularity, of course, helps muster support, almost guaranteeing generous turn outs; however, familiarity also brings with it great expectations. Everyone who knows anything about classical music will recognize the opening melodies of “Figaro’s” overture, and most fans of opera have seen at least one production. After seeing a great performance, audience members tend to create a standard of excellence and interpretation in their minds that is sometimes difficult to erase, not that one should, but few patrons, going to see a new version of an old standard, enter the auditorium with a clean slate. This prejudice can be a very difficult obstacle to overcome.

I am proud to say that Victoria Bond, musical and artistic director of the Harrisburg Opera, made all of the right choices and safely avoided any collision with expectation by putting on a show filled with tradition and creativity, never offending traditionalists, but offering enough fun and fresh ideas to keep the audience on its toes.

Her eye for details helps make this not only a good show, but a great one. The casting was spectacular, including a nice mix of both of national and local voices. The orchestra was well prepared and never missed a trill or an andante. The costuming was detailed and colorful. The set piece was versatile and functional, lending itself to the four different locales. The on stage action was carefully blocked and practiced, creating some great situational and physical comedy. But the real highlight of this show was found in the vocal performance.

Every member of the cast from the members of the chorus to Christopher Mooney, who played Count Almaviva was well prepared and up to the task of performing this masterpiece. Bond, with the help of Marina Cherepinsky (and the numerous vocal coaches throughout the country), had her singers jumping through hoops. From Karen Good and Theresa Shirk’s quaint duet which accented but never overshadowed the wedding scene to Patricia Johnson’s larger than life “Porgi, amor,” everything reflected the careful preparation and eye to detail that made this show a wonder to watch.

Thirty years and four hours later and Harrisburg should be happy to have such great opera in its midst. “The Marriage of Figaro,” though not nearly as controversial as when it opened, is still a masterpiece of music and drama, and it plays as well today as it did on the eve of the French Revolution when it premiered. Humiliating those in authority has become commonplace. The ‘have nots’ almost always outsmart the ‘haves,’ but this most certainly does not take away from the genius of this show. The careful synthesis of stage action and music is truly amazing. The actors and the orchestra participate in a dance that is not only fun to watch, but also reminds us of the power of great art to move audiences with very little effort. The events playing out on stage affect the music and the precise music rising from the pit carefully reminds us that the chaos on the stage is all in very good hands.

So too, the Harrisburg Opera, seems in good hands, and it’s place in Central Pennsylvania’s cultural life most assuredly in tact for, I hope, another 30 years. Bravo.