Un ballo in maschera

The pressure on traditional performing arts organizations, such as opera and ballet companies, to compete for ever-dwindling discretionary entertainment dollars has forced many to adjust their approach to broaden their audiences. In the case of opera, this has meant moving away from a presentational style—where singers stand relatively still and sing their arias straight to the audience—and toward stronger acting and more appropriate casting.

Granted, this approach does not necessarily guarantee vocal quality, but in general these new standards don't sacrifice musicality to improve visual believability. In Opera Colorado's current production of Guiseppe Verdi's Un balla in maschera, director James Robinson's singers and David Agler's orchestra demonstrate to our ears why this opera has become one of the master's most oft-performed. To our eyes, however, the drama on stage leaves a lot to be desired.

Charles Taylor as Anckarstrom and Frank Lopardo as Gustavus Photo: Matthew Staver

Frank Lopardo, in his Opera Colorado debut, warms the evening with his rich tenor, drawing sympathy for Gustavus, the conflicted and controversial Swedish king at the center of this story (roughly based on actual events in the late 18th Century).

Erin Wood as Amelia and Frank Lopardo as Gustavus Photo: Matthew Staver

Charles Taylor's resonant baritone, as Captain Anckarström, Gustav's secretary, and Erin Wood's bright soprano, as Amelia, Anckarström's wife, round out the exquisite voicing of the love triangle.

Frank Lopardo as Gustavus and Nancy Maultsby as Mam'zelle Arvidson Photo: Matthew Staver

Mezzo-soprano Nancy Maultsby—alternately warm, plaintive, soaring, and imploring—gives an edgy performance as Mam'zelle Arvidson, the fortune teller. Heidi Stober in the trousers role of Oscar, the page, wows us with her crystalline soprano.

The action, however, remains fairly static throughout, playing against the vocal fireworks, diminishing the drama and the catharsis. The role of fate in the story is reflected in Allen Moyer's zodiac-inspired ceiling, though it hardly reads from the back of the hall and loses us completely in the second act in a series of ropes and boxey objects that draw more attention for their obscurity than for their intended statement (whatever that was).

Opera Colorado's production of Guiseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera has three remaining performances—Wednesday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm. 303-893-4100.

Bob Bows