DVO sets ‘Barber’ in South Philly

A review by TOM KANE

NARROWSBURG, NY — Whenever I see a production of an opera in which I have sung a role, I always feel the version I sang was superior.

I went to see the Delaware Valley Opera’s (DVO) production of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” on Sunday afternoon with the same attitude.

How wrong I was.

For ten years, I had the good fortune to sing many roles in the DVO company, and one was Don Bartolo in “The Barber of Seville.” So I knew the territory, as the salesman says.

But I didn’t know this one. It was as if I was seeing the opera for the first time.

I think that’s what’s behind the particular madness of DVO’s artistic and music director, Ron De Fesi. What he did to this opera was meant to give you a fresh look at the old, familiar chestnut. Though it’s madness, there’s method in it, as Shakespeare said.

De Fesi set the opera in South Philadelphia, my hometown. But that’s not all he did. He took the characters and transformed them into B-movie stock characters. The result was anything but B quality.

The opera is from the long tradition of what is called opera buffo, meaning that the main character or characters are buffoons. Not only was my old pal, Don Bartolo, portrayed as a buffoon, but the degree of the buffoonery bordered on slapstick.

The only thing missing was the pie in the face, a la Soupy Sales.

But did it hurt the music?

Not a bit. In fact, it made those long repetitious sections that most amateur companies destroy with boredom truly enjoyable.

Also surprising were the singers’ excellent voices—every one of them—that thrilled me as each held its own in the quartets, quintets and sextets.

Tenor Brian Cheney hit the high notes and the low notes with equal vivacity. His heartthrob, Rosina, sung brilliantly by mezzo-soprano Mariella Nocetti, absolutely flew through the coloratura sections with the consistency of a precision instrument.

She sang particularly well during the famous duet with the Figaro, Kevin Grace, whose rich baritone sailed through the famous intro of “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro” and made you realize that Figaro was an inexcusable egoist.

And of course there was bass-baritone Alan Andrews’s perfect rendition of the buffo, Don Bartolo. He never, despite the hectic pace, lost control of his solid voice.

Finally, there was old stand-by DVO trouper John Costello in the comic buffo role of the venal Don Basilio. He played the role as brilliantly as he did when we sang together the last time DVO put “Barber on.”

DVO veteran Jeanine Scherwin’s portrayal of the zany housemaid, Berta, had the right amounts of comedic and vocal art.

The mayhem really got going during one section of the opera that makes no sense: the storm scene. For some reason, Rossini stops the line of the plot and throws in a wild storm, thunder and lightning. This anomaly didn’t phase De Fesi. He set about a series of wacky, unexpected tableaus that I won’t even try to explain. You’ll just have to go next weekend to see it for yourself.

Performances are scheduled for Saturday, August 23 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 24 at 3:00 p.m. For more information call 845/252-3136.

As always, the Delaware Valley Orchestra—only eight strong—produced rich tones and explosive bombasts in support of what was going on on-stage. It’s a pleasure to hear the resonances of a real orchestra and not a synthesizer and an orchestra of such high quality.

You must go see this opera if for nothing else than to see how De Fesi and his gang make Rossini come alive.

For tickets call DVO at 845-252-7576.