The Opera Tattler

* Notes *
The final dress rehearsal of San Francisco Opera‘s Dolores Claiborne (Patricia Racette as Dolores Claiborne pictured left, photograph by Scott Wall) was held this afternoon at the War Memorial Opera House. The pacing of Tobias Picker’s music is good, the drama does not lag, and J.D. McClatchy’s libretto is much less clumsy than other recent contemporary commissions by San Francisco Opera. The orchestra sounds fine, as do the singers. The staging is particularly impressive as well. Catherine Cook sang the title role, while Patricia Racette did all of the acting on stage. This was a little surreal, especially when the assistant stage director was visible, carefully watching Racette’s every move and giving her notes.

* Tattling *
Arriving two hours before curtain was overkill and I was alone by the north doors for a very long time.