By: B.J. Atkinson Virginian-Pilot correspondent November 9, 2015
If the Virginia Opera’s November production is the traditional kickoff of Hampton Roads’ holiday season, then “La Boheme,” which opened Friday, couldn’t have gotten it off to a more glittering start. The beloved favorite excels in every facet of first-rate theater in this production, the company’s seventh.
From the first high-energy chords in the orchestra and the raucous camaraderie onstage, the drama played out flawlessly and vibrantly, thanks to the meticulous vision of director Kyle Lang. Personalities and relationships were complex and true; details were a feast for the eyes, especially in the Act II Cafe Momus scene, where a boisterous crowd of almost 50 Parisians celebrating Christmas Eve moved and sang with joyful precision. Kudos to the Virginia Opera choruses. Children, you were wonderful!
Soprano Elaine Alvarez was radiant as the consumptive seamstress Mimi. With long, silvery phrases and crystalline high notes, she enchanted her lover, the poet Rodolfo in Act I. Her dark, poignant tones as she struggled against death in Act IV were heartbreaking.
As Rodolfo, Jason Slayden was a handsome suitor, displaying a bright tenor with compelling warmth in his baritone midrange. His first signature aria, “Che gelida manina,” was beautifully reflective and sweet, as was Mimi’s reply, “Mi chiamano Mimi.”
Zulimar Lopez-Hernandez showed fine nuance in her portrayal of the mercurial Musetta, who often comes off as over-the-top sexy and self-centered, then suddenly saintly.
Lopez-Hernandez’s flirty, facile soprano and pouty persona sold the consummate diva aria: “When I walk down the street, people stop and stare at my beauty.”
Baritone Edward Parks as Marcello – Musetta’s on-again, off-again lover – was a standout as a singing actor. His copper-hued voice filled the hall masterfully. Tall and clad in suspenders and beret, Parks looked the perfect idealistic, starving artist. His friends, Colline (Keith Brown) and Schaunard (Andrew McLaughlin), did, too. Brown’s Act IV aria, bidding farewell to his coat, was lovely – a lightly humorous mood lifter just before Mimi’s death.
As always, it was a treat to hear longtime Virginia Opera favorite Jake Gardner in the cameo roles of Benoit and Alcindoro. Well played, sir.
The orchestra, members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Adam Turner, was expressive and virtuosic. The beautiful, translucent sound and energized tempos perfectly supported the singers. The music fulfilled all the mandates of the score: It was romantic, sparkling, bustling, tear-jerking.
Solo vignettes were beautifully performed.
Erhard Rom’s versatile set, with its ramshackle walls appearing in all four acts, enhanced the sense of poverty and allowed for more visible entrances and upstage action. Lighting by Driscoll Otto was moody and subtle. The costumes of the revelers were perfect for Act II, set in 1939 Paris on a cold, Christmas Eve.
“La Boheme” continues at the Harrison Opera House at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
For tickets and information visit vaopera.org or call 866.673.7282.