Our Side Door Cabaret has turned again into a costume shop as St. Pete Opera returns for another weekend of grand opera the Palladium. This time the show is Saint-Saens Samson and Delilah. Fittingly, the place is crawling with tunics and Roman military vests – it looks like the costume shop of a swords-and-sandals biblical epic, which is kind of is.
The show is sung in French with English super-titles. And for kids like me who grew up reading Bible stories and trying to avoid haircuts, this one should be familiar.
Characters include:
Delilah (mezzo-soprano) – Samson’s ex-lover, a beautiful Philistine woman who hopes to use her allure to discover the secret of Samson’s strength.
Samson (tenor) – The leader of the Hebrews. He is incredibly strong, but has a weakness for Philistine women. Samson also has a secret: if he ever cuts his hair, God will rob him of his strength,
High Priest of Dagon (baritone) – The High Priest of the Philistines’ god Dagon. Frightened that Samson’s strength will inspire a revolt amongst the Hebrew slaves, he hopes to use Dalila to bring Samson to his knees.
Abimélech (bass) – The Philistine satrap (provincial governor) of Gaza. He condemns the Hebrews for refusing to accept Dagon as their god.
Old Hebrew (bass) – Leads the Hebrews in prayer and advises Samson to resist Dalila’s charms.
Mark Sforzini, the maestro of St. Pete Opera, promises that Samson won’t pull down any of the giant columns holding up the Palladium ceiling.
And if you’ve never experienced a St. Petersburg Opera performance at the Palladium – what are you waiting for? The shows feature top opera voices from around the country and around our area, a full orchestra and extensive sets and costumes. The sound of great voices and orchestra music in Hough Hall is exceptional.
Shows are Friday (3-2) at 7:30, Sunday (3-4) at 2 and Tuesday (3-6) at 7:30. For info visit www.mypalladium.org or call our box office at 727 822-3590.
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