COSI FAN TUTTE, sung in English, Utah Lyric Opera Ensemble, Kingsbury Hall, Friday evening, April 16; second performance, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Kingsbury Hall; tickets at the door (581-7100) or through ArtTix outlets (355-2787).The University of Utah Lyric opera ensemble seems to have a knack for making opera fun. Last year, they performed a series of highly entertaining and often hilarious scenes in the Jewett Center at Westminster college. They wore makeshift costumes and used whatever they could find for sets, but the vibrancy, charm and talent of the student performers carried the show.
This year they performed a full-length opera, Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte," with a gorgeous set, professional lighting and full period costumes. Fortunately it was the talented, charming cast that carried this production as well.
Stage director Alexander Gelman put his stamp on the production with clearly defined characters and many moments of comic schtick. He staged most of the arias in "real time" instead of reverting to the same staging when lines are repeated, which for the most part worked.
The mood of each scene matched the music, and several moments of physical comedy were timed with the musical motives. When the music was brash and upbeat, the acting was broad farce. However, the characters became more real, human and sympathetic when the music was soft and tender.
One such moment was Celena Nelson Shafer's sublime second- act aria when she laments her near yielding to temptation. Her well-modulated voice and relaxed voice captured every nuance of Fiordiligi's dilemma, making it heart-rendingly real. Her vocal phrasing and feel for the piece's nuance made her solo the most tender moment in the show.
Nelson Shafer's final fall from grace was also engaging as she continued to pray for the strength to resist, but with a smile.
Kathryn Ohlerking played the more coquettish sister, Dorabella, and was the perfect complement to Nelson Shafer's austerity, both in her vocal quality and her demeanor on stage. She also revealed the dimension of her character in a sweet duet with Ryan Francis.
Francis and Clinton Miller, who played Guglielmo and Ferrando respectively, had excellent chemistry. Both have full, operatic voices that contrasted with David Schmidt's more simple tone. This accentuated the contrast between the dramatic, idealistic youths and their cynical, wily mentor.
Robyn Kramer was adorable as the practical and somewhat cynical Despina. Her demeanor, gestures and facial expressions kept the action lively, and her light, bubbly voice especially shone in her advising aria on the finer points of coquetry.
The orchestra, under the direction of Barlow Bradford, was sensitive to Mozart's phrasing, and the harpsichord provided a delightful accompaniment to the secco recitative.