OPERA REVIEW
Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème" is a tear-jerker. I am being emotionally manipulated, but I don't care, because Puccini is such a masterful manipulator.
I watched OperaLancaster's weekend offering of "La Bohème" 2½ times — on Wednesday night featuring the opening-night cast, on Thursday night with its Saturday matinee cast and two acts on opening night.
Friday night's intense performance electrified the sold-out house. I wished I could have stayed, but I had to leave in the second act to write this piece in time for deadline.
Rodolfo and Mimì's newfound love is plagued by their poverty and her consumption. He flies into jealous rages, but we find out he is doing this deliberately so she will leave him for a wealthy suitor who can care for her. They part, but in the end she returns to him to die.
Puccini set this melodrama to dreamy impressionist music: achingly lyrical and soaring with rich, passionate orchestration.
With each succeeding performance, the 20-piece orchestra, under music director Richard Anderson, sounded more and more cohesive, and the musical and dramatic pacing became surer. The performers started relaxing, which freed their voices and made their acting more natural.
Both casts are to be commended for fine ensemble acting, sincerity in individual performances and some first-rate singing.
Thursday night, soprano Katy Gentry of Philadelphia and tenor Steven Williams of New Jersey gave affecting performances as the hapless lovers. Then, Friday night, soprano Kristin Sims of Leola and tenor Tommy Dehorney III outperformed them. Dehorney's long-held, vibrant high note in his aria, "Che gelida manina," brought down the house.
Laura Heydt Adams of York on Friday and Priscilla Coblentz of Philadelphia on Thursday literally sparkled as Musetta. Both possess well-supported soprano voices, and their aria, "Cuando me'n vo," was sung with panache.
With their robust baritone voices and strong stage presence, Michael Anderson of York on Friday and Paul Corujo of Baltimore on Thursday stood out as Marcello, Rodolfo's friend.
Lancaster's Derek Martin and Michael Popovsky as Schaunard and Ben Williams as Colline were funny and cocky as Rodolfo's friends. They provided comic relief, together with Michael Widlake as the landlord Benôit and David Kohler as Musetta's sugar daddy, Alcindoro.
The lighting was adequate but uninspired. In the first act, there was too much light after Mimì and Rodolfo blew out their candles, groped in the "darkness" for her key, then sang their getting-to-know-you arias.
Rodolfo alluded to the moon lighting up Mimì's face: It would have been so romantic if a moonbeam rather than a bright spotlight had lit them up as they sang.
Janel Berté's costumes of the Christmas Eve crowd (including 24 singing children) in Act 2 added color to an otherwise drab Cafe Momus set.
Musetta's opulent, bronze gown — courtesy of Alcindoro — made Mimì, in her cheap, shiny gown, and Rodolfo and his friends look even poorer.
This "La Bohème" held no directorial surprises because artistic director John Darrenkamp said he would follow Puccini's original concept.
Based on the audience's enthusiastic applause and shouts of "bravi" Friday evening, this is exactly how they want their "La Bohème."
Other performances at 2 and 8 p.m. today and Sunday at Franklin & Marshall's Roschel Performing Arts Center, College Avenue. Tickets $30-35 at the door an hour before performance time.