Intimate Opera brought a piece of New York to Salt Lake City Wednesday evening in its two-part tribute to the music of Leonard Bernstein.
This was a totally enjoyable and entertaining way to spend a couple of hours in the company of some very enthusiastic and talented singers who obviously enjoyed themselves on stage.The first part of the evening, "Bravo Bernstein!" presented selections from four of Bernstein's musicals, along with selections from "Mass" and the humorous and rarely heard song cycle, "I Hate Music," sung by soprano Elizabeth Paniagua, one of the evening's standout performers.
Terry Summerhays, founder of Intimate Opera, emceed the first part and also sang a couple of numbers: "I Feel Like I'm Not Out of Bed Yet" from "On the Town"; "Take Care of This House" from "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" and as part of the ensemble number "Make Our Garden Grow" from "Candide." His is a full, strong bass voice that also has a very fine lyrical quality to it, making it very suitable to these roles.
The other performers in the first part of the program were also outstanding singers and actors. Sopranos Liz Warner and Becki Ruud, tenor Bob Baker and baritone Fred Nelson all did a tremendous job.
Especially noteworthy were Ruud, Baker and Nelson doing "New York, New York" from "On the Town" and Warner and Paniagua singing "A Boy Like That" from Bernstein's greatest musical theater work, "West Side Story." And Paniagua's interpretation of "Somewhere," from the same musical, was, in fact, breathtaking. Quite simply put, everyone performed their parts with flair.
The second half of the program was dedicated to a single work, the one-act opera "Trouble in Tahiti," performed by mezzo-soprano Kathy Feigal as Dinah, bass-baritone Lee Willis as her husband, Sam, and Ruud, Baker and Nelson as the Greek chorus.
This is a jazz-colored score from the 1950s dealing with marital strife, and the work was cast perfectly, as each singer did an incredible job in their respective roles. The chorus was fantastic and Feigal and Willis were superb.
Musical director Debbie Griffiths accompanied brilliantly at the piano. She followed the singers instinctively, never overshadowing them but always offering subtle accompaniment.
Staging and sets for both parts of the program were also excellent. The nearly bare stage enhanced the performance, focusing in on the performers.
This is one performance that ought not to be missed. One can hardly spend a more enjoyable evening than with these fine performers doing some of Bernstein's best music for the theater.