The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Merola Opera Program’s Elixir (Friday)

Valentina Fleer as Adina, with Janai Orman, Colleen Brooks, & Renée Rapier; photo by Kristen Loken * Notes *
The second performance of the Merola Opera Program‘s L’elisir d’Amore was last night, with different leads. The orchestra still was not precisely together, but again the space in Cowell is challenging. The chorus looked like they were having fun.

It certainly was fascinating to watch the same choreography on different bodies, the characterizations were rather different. Abigail Santos Villalobos was a saucy Giannetta, her volume was good, and her voice is very pretty. Sidney Outlaw’s Dulcamara was amusing, his eyebrows are expressive and read well from a considerable distance. Ao Li was a scamp as Belcore, and his voice has a lovely richness to it.

Unfortunately, our Nemorino, Alexander Lewis, was ill. He coughed a few times in Act I, and clearly was trying his best to keep it together. His voice does have a lovely warmth, and his acting is strong. Lewis did not make it through Act II and Daniel Montenegro took over after a brief announcement from Mark Morash. Valentina Fleer sang Adina with a pure, clean tone. Her “Prendi, per me sei libero” was keen and effective.

Though the production is cute and fun, the concept behind it is baffling. If the characters are supposed to be rehearsing a play called “Elixir,” why should Nemorino want a love potion from Dulcamara in real life? Nemorino might be simple, but this does not seem well-motivated or sensible.

* Tattling *
The audience was, for the most, part quiet and attentive. I was seated in the last row of the front section, and was pleased to not have to remove my hat. The person in H 2 brought his son who did not look older than 7 or 8. The child had his ear-buds in for most of the performance, and occasionally covered his ears so that he could better play the video game he had on a small portable device. More distracting was the rather loud hearing aid that emitted high-pitches all evening long.

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10 responses to “Merola Opera Program’s Elixir (Friday)”

  1. cedichou Avatar
    cedichou

    Playing video game would rate as very distracting, even with the sound off. SFO had a family version of l’elixir which entertained my kid at age 5, and I kinda suspect he could go through the whole real thing at age 7/8, there’s enough going on.

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  2. patty Avatar
    patty

    And the hearing aid owner was sitting in row 2, right by the bassoon row. How horribly distracting for all! Should someone have spoken the the elderly man, I wonder? (I sure wouldn’t have … too wimpy!)
    Maybe we’ll have time to yak tonight about more of what you have commented on. Time will tell!
    (You always look so fantastic!)

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  3. Opera Girl Avatar
    Opera Girl

    Bringing a child to an opera with a video game is completey not appropriate. Better to leave him in the lobby under the watchful eyes of the ushers, or better yet, at home with a babysitter. Any well raised child at the age of 7 can sit still for one hour, even if they have to “nap” on your shoulder. I shudder to think of this child’s behavior in the teens.

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  4. Ann the tea maiden Avatar
    Ann the tea maiden

    Great news about your chapeau, OT! Bummer about Mister Lewis, but I understand from another attendee that Mr Montenegro again sang “Una furtiva lagrima” with moving beauty.
    As an usher in that house, I gently put it to Opera Girl that the (volunteer) ushers are in the theater during performances, not in the lobby; volunteers are not permitted (by insurance etc) to be child-minders, nor do we wish to be.
    I do concur, however, that a parent who allows a child to attend any live performance with a distracting device is doing the kid a royal disservice, and is foisting rudeness on the surrounding patrons. Dare I suggest public humiliation for such parents?
    I second Patty’s comment re: OT’s sartorial flair.

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  5. Chandra Avatar
    Chandra

    The leads have a difficult task of creating an emotional through line. This isn’t a momentarily confusing “detail,” (e.g. – the use of the Italian flag in this American naval base setting)…it is a distracting headscratcher through the whole story.
    How does Adina emerge from vanity and callousness to pure love? Why does Nemorino even like Adina? Why does he decide to deny his feelings for Adina half way through the narrative (after being pitifully fawning all over her)? Tattler, have you seen an Elixir production where the emotional trajectory makes sense?
    Btw, I thought all the Merolini were fabulous. And Ao Li was such a pleasure. Definitely the favorite character.

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  6. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    It didn’t bother me very much, perhaps because Cowell is so small and there is so much light coming off from the music stands anyway. I do feel bad for the person sitting next to that kid, but he didn’t move around a lot, and he was fairly quiet.

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  7. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    It drove me crazy, I hate that sort of sound. The thing is, the person with the hearing aid probably couldn’t hear pitches that high, and probably couldn’t do much about it, besides leave the hall.
    Thanks so much, Patty!

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  8. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I think the babysitter must have skipped out on them, because the mother was sitting in my seat when I arrived, and had to take her actual seat at that point. It is too bad they didn’t try to have the kid listen to the opera, it was a very charming one.

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  9. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Daniel sounded lovely, but I do feel terribly bad for Alexander, it must be very frustrating to not be able to perform.
    It is too bad that the child was not left at home with a sitter, he did not seem very happy. They did leave after “Una furtiva lagrima.”

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  10. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    These are all good questions. I don’t think Adina is as mean as all that, she’s just a bit silly, she does see that Nemorino is very sweet. Nemorino denies his feelings for Adina because he thinks that since he’s taken the elixir, she will love him anyway tomorrow?
    Ao Li was so funny and he has such a great voice!

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