UTAH LYRIC OPERA’S ‘BARBER OF SEVILLE’ APPEALS TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS

UTAH LYRIC OPERA, The Barber of Seville, The Covey Center for the Arts, Provo, Feb. 13-14, 7:30 p.m.; tickets at www.utahlyric.org

Many of Rossini’s comic operas lend themselves to being updated without harming the storyline. That’s what the Utah Lyric Opera has done with The Barber of Seville, it’s current production which plays this Friday and Saturday in Provo’s Covey Center for the Arts.

"The Barber of Seville" Ensemble (Photo Credit: Utah Lyric Opera)

Stage director Elizabeth Hansen moves the action to the American Wild West and sets the story in “Seville, Texas.” The musical numbers are still sung in Italian, with English supertitles. But the recitatives are replaced with English dialogue, which, while keeping the intent of the plot intact, takes liberties to accommodate the setting.

It works because this is a clever idea that is well thought out and executed. The sets let you imagine a dusty little town on the Texan prairie; the singers speak in a broad drawl; and Count Almaviva, here referred to as “Don Almaviva,” is a wealthy Hispanic gentleman. All of the singers are excellent actors with a remarkable sense of comic timing, which, of course, helps this production immensely. It’s campy, fun and a fabulous way to introduce young people to the magical world of opera.

From left: Demaree Clayson Brown, Tyler Nelson, Rick Piersall. (Photo Credit: Utah Lyric Opera)

Reichel Recommends attended the preview performance Wednesday evening. There were quite a few children in the audience, all of whom seemed to be engrossed in the story and having a great time. But while this production is “kid friendly,” adults can also enjoy it and immerse themselves in the story and singing.

As far as the singing goes, ULO general director Christopher Holmes has assembled a marvelous cast of local talent.

Baritone Christopher Clayton is a marvelous Figaro, the barber of the title. His voice is richly inflected and expressive and he brings finely crafted definition to his portrayal.

Tenor Tyler Nelson makes a wonderful Almaviva. His smooth, lyrical voice is well suited for bel canto and he does a fantastic job with his role. He sang his arias and ensembles with cleanly defined phrases and finely crafted expressions.

Mezzo-soprano Demaree Clayson Brown was absolutely wonderful as Rosina, Almaviva’s love interest. Her voice exudes a warmth and richness that allows her to portray her character vividly just through her singing. She is a delight to watch as she moves between defiance to Dr. Bartolo’s advances and affection for the dashing young Almaviva.

Demaree Clayson Brown and Rick Piersall (Photo Credit: Utah Lyric Opera)

As Dr. Bartolo, bass-baritone Rick Piersall (the only non local in the group and who, incidentally, makes his home in Texas) is a pleasure to watch. His great sense of comedy came through in his acting as well as in his singing. As the bad guy of the story (he wants to get rid of Almaviva by any means possible so he can marry the young and beautiful Rosina, even though he is probably twice her age) he brought a neat blend of villainy and slapstick comedy to his portrayal.

In smaller roles, bass Kevin Nakatani as Rosina’s music teacher Basilio and mezzo-soprano Aubrey Adams-McMillan as the maid Bertha were also a delight. They blended in well with the rest of the cast and infused their characterizations with personality.

In the non-speaking and singing role of Dorcas, Rosina’s maid, Melody Putnam was hilarious. Her miming and expressions were priceless and added a lot to the comedy.

The six-member ensemble was spot on, and the 10-piece band under the direction of conductor Nicolas Giusti played well.

If you’ve shied away from going to the opera because you think you might not like it, you need to give this a try. Chances are ULO’s Barber of Seville just might get you hooked.

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About Edward Reichel

Edward Reichel, author, writer and composer, has been covering the classical music scene in Utah since 1997. For many years he served as the primary music critic for the Deseret News. He has also written for a number of publications, including Chamber Music Magazine, OPERA Magazine, 15 Bytes, Park City Magazine and Salt Lake Magazine. He holds a Ph.D. in composition from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He can be reached at ed.reichel@gmail.com. Reichel Recommends is also on Twitter @ReichelArts.

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