A plush rave from a hard pew

The latest in a series of articles by Meche Kroop, this one a review of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at Chelsea Opera in New York.

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How many times can one see "Le Nozze de Figaro"? I for one never tire of Mozart's gracious melodic invention, his lovable and laughable characters, and his trenchant social observations. Still...to reach maximum delight one needs good singers and conducting as well as coherent direction. All these were present in the Chelsea Opera's recent production at St. Peter's Church in Chelsea. As compensation for the unforgiving pews we enjoyed the intimacy that only a small space can provide. It is always amazing how this small company gets things right so much of the time.

Music director Carmine Aufiero somehow managed to bring out lots of nuance and spirit in the small Chelsea Opera Chamber Orchestra without a sacrifice of texture. In this case, 13 was not an unlucky number. There was no problem overlooking a wayward horn. Just part of the texture.

The night I attended, the Count was magnificently sung by Peter Kendall Clark who created an amusingly arrogant and clueless husband. His lovely and bereft Countess was brought to life by Jessica Sandige. Rosa Betancourt was a winning Susanna and Robert Balonek was a clever devoted Figaro. Many giggles were provided by Brian DuBois as an ecclesiastical Don Basilio and the sourpuss Marcellina of Leonarda Priore, also one of the co-founders of the company.

The other co-founder of the company, Lynne Hayden-Findlay, served as Stage Director. If the reader, having read my earlier rants, is waiting for me to attack Ms. Hayden-Findlay for bringing the story into the 20th Century, you are waiting in vain. In this case, it worked out fine, with Figaro played as a butler and Susanna as a ladies'maid working for a glamorous "society" couple in what appeared to be a Hollywood "screwball comedy". Since I am not a fan of that particular genre nor terribly familiar with it, I cannot attest to this appellation. Let's just say the updating didn't detract from the music or the believability of the story. For this we are grateful.