Astroturf Alcina

Atlantic Theater 2 housed PONY’s green astroturf version of Handel’s Alcina last weekend.  The black-box theater worked magnificently for Erwin Maas’ creation ― even the subtitles blended organically into the whole (since they were projected onto the black columns of the house rather than onto a wall or a screen).  The set consisted of only a patch of astroturf, a settee, and a sinewy, red serpent-like work of abstract art that hung over the actors, the pit, and part of the audience.  Jian Jung and Jeanette Yew, set designer and lighting designer respectively, made a great team; the moody side-lighting not only added to the drama, but it also allowed for the overhanging art to cast shadows, creating different scenes of light and shadow throughout the opera.

                

 Erwin Maas employed a style that seemed to grow right out of the Milenski/Alden tradition, telling his story through the use of extremely detailed character work, architectural acuity, and an ever-present sense of motion even in moments of deliberate stillness.  This comes as no surprise since PONY’s other director this season was Isabel Milenski, the highly innovative daughter of Long Beach Opera’s Michael Milenski.  This type of high-action, deep character direction works especially well for Baroque opera, which can easily become emotionally and visually dull.  Alcina proves challenging since the opera consists completely of arias with the exception of only a few choral interjections and one ensemble (trio, Act III).  Thankfully, PONY decided to cut the opera from its original 4-hour length to a reasonable 2 hours while maintaining the integrity of the plot.  They also cut down the orchestra, which sounded full despite its small size.  Conductor Jorge Parodi led an extremely expressive and responsive orchestra, contributing significantly to the overall sense of intense characterization and drama.

                 

The characters introduced themselves immediately, running onto the stage during the Sinfonia and brandishing the knives that they each carried throughout the entire opera.  Since they never put them down, each actor was forced to find new ways to use the knife as the plot progressed.  Surprisingly, Bradamante wore a dress at first, but this was soon remedied since she dressed in her disguise, with the help of Melisso, during the second half of the Sinfonia.  This theme of dressing and undressing continued throughout the entire first Act, almost ad nauseum, allowing for the concepts of sexuality and deception to flower right at the start of the opera.  Another tendency of Maas' directing was to leave characters onstage who are not usually present during a given scene or aria.  Sometimes these characters acted behind the singer, which worked sometimes and proved distracting at others, or they simply stood around as though to create mood with their mere presence.  Alcina laid facedown on the astroturf for a long time, unmoving, which was both effective and highly reminiscent of Christopher Alden's Donna Elvira in his production of Don Giovanni at NYCO last season.  Another nod to Alden's Don Giovanni came at the very end when the characters took the places they had occupied during the Sinfonia and at the opening of Act III.  This created expressive bookends to the show, an effect completely different from Alden's use of the same technique.

                 

Solange Merdinian sang Bradamante with a smooth, full mezzo, only suffering from a few bouts of breathiness in her mid-range and was physically convincing as both a man and a woman.  Her low notes were full and rich, especially in her interesting low ornamentation in “Vorrei vendicarmi”  and her coloratura rang perfectly in her first aria, “È gelosia.”  Matthew Royal’s Melisso complimented Merdinian’s Bradamante perfectly, bringing a strong bass voice to the cast.  The sopranos in the cast were equally impressive.  Tanya Roberts (Alcina) had a solid sound which supported her convincing acting as she moved about with abandon, embodying the flighty soul of Alcina with her extreme talent for detail and her beautiful sense of timing.  Suzanne Rigden, with her PONY debut in the role of Morgana, sang confidently, her gorgeous high notes ringing with a special spin.  Her coloratura moved easily, although she had some breath issues in a few places.  Like Roberts, her acting was concise and believable.  The chemistry between the two sisters laid a very interesting foundation under all the turmoil of the plot.  Donald Groves as Oronte and Claire Kuttler as Oberto also sang well, delivering their arias with strong emotional conviction.

                 

The most intriguing singer in the production was Nicholas Tamagna as Ruggiero.  This role usually proves too high for a countertenor, but Tamagna delivered the role without a hitch.  His high notes were strong and never strained, his voice resonating beautifully throughout the entire show.  Considering his success in this role, his upcoming engagements, and his recent award as the male winner of The Nico Castel International Master Singer Competition, Nicholas Tamagna is most definitely the next big thing in the countertenor world.

Original photo here.