SA Opera's "Carmen"
Once past the lap dance, a good show
Sept. 29, 2008There was so much to like about San Antonio Opera’s production of Bizet's “Carmen” last weekend that the central failing -- alas, hardly unique to this staging -- looms doubly large:
There was no Carmen in this “Carmen.
Granted, it’s a tough role. It demands deeply considered vocal characterization -- not just pretty sound -- to convey the complexity of the Gypsy libertine who finds herself fatally trapped by her own tentacles.
Mezzo-soprano Audrey Babcock vocalized handsomely enough with her rich, chocolatey instrument, but with few of the inflections of color and texture and phrasing that are needed to make Carmen live.
More troubling yet was Babcock’s physical portrayal, especially in Act I. Carmen has an easy and familiar way with men; she uses them and throws them away, and men know it and want her anyway. But her magnetism comes from the inside, from who she is, not from an overtly sexual bump and grind. She’s a Gypsy, not Gypsy Rose Lee.
Well, actually, that classy lady of the burlesque stage would have been embarrassed by some of Babcock’s moves, which looked like a lap dance at a gentlemen’s club.
A comparable affliction beset Austin Lyric Opera’s staging of “Carmen,” with other perpetrators, last spring. Maybe stage directors and singers believe they need to pump up the sex in order to please an audience steeped in an oversexualized television culture and immune to subtler forms of stagecraft. But the result was to stretch Carmen beyond the breaking point: It was simply impossible to imagine the vulgar seductress of Act I as part of the same emotional arc with the fatalistic antiheroine of the remaining acts.
The rest of the cast sang and moved well. Tenor Michael Wade Lee was a pleasing Don Jose, not the last word in elegance but clean, youthful and well supported. His Flower Song was very affecting. Baritone Franco Pomponi’s Escamillo was a shade underpowered for Cockrell Theater, but highly listenable, his medium amber coloration flecked with interesting shadings and wrapped in clear French diction. Soprano Sandra Lopez was a splendid Micaela, especially in Act III, when she gave glimpses of a thrilling high end.
All the secondary roles were nicely filled. Indeed, among the highlights of the performance was the spirited Act II quintet among Carmen, her companions Frasquita (soprano Kelly Balmaceda) and Mercedes (mezzo-soprano Jennifer Trammel) and the smugglers Le Dancaire (baritone Luis Ramos) and Le Remendado (tenor Timothy Birt).
The adult chorus performed admirably, for the most part, and the St. Mark’s Children’s Choir was terrific. Elsa Mari Tere Champion provided appropriate and quite good choreography for a small troupe of dancers.
Conductor Enrique Patron de Rueda, in his second San Antonio Opera appearance, led the excellent pit orchestra with vigor, crispness and elegance. He’ll be back for “Il Trovatore” in January, and general director Mark Richter says it is possible Patron will have a continuing relationship with the company. That would be good news indeed.
Setting aside the moments when he seemed to be channeling Larry Flynt, stage director Michael Scarola shaped the proceedings with well-chosen details, strong dramatic focus, a good eye for crowd scenes and a good ear for the music.
Eduardo Sicango’s seminaturalistic unit set, built by Virginia Opera in the early 1990s, provided ample flexibility while deftly concentrating the action onto a central oval playing space. Despite its age, the set appeared to be in good shape.
Max Parrilla’s lighting was a mixed bag -- often very effective, but sometimes given to abrupt changes and self-conscious gestures.
No quibbles at all about the superb guitarist Gilberto Puente, who played compellingly on a lobby staircase landing during intermission. He's a true treasure.
Mike
Greenberg
