That stormy fellow named Colin – also known as Tropical Storm Colin – must be an opera lover. Or perhaps a supporter of St. Petersburg Opera. Or maybe he’s just a self-destructive bohemian who lived excessively and died young.
Whatever the reason, Colin spared SPO production of La Boheme from any storm-related headaches. Colin held off on Sunday, despite some rain, to allow a successful, sold-out matinee. And he departed in time for the sun to shine on Tuesday’s final performance of Giancomo Puccini’s beloved story of young artists and their struggles with love, loss and paying the rent.
That means you’ve still got a chance to catch a production that that Tampa Bay Times’ Andrew Meacham a “faithful, delightful rendition” of the classic opera. Here’s a link for tickets, which are going fast.
And here’s a bit more from the Times’ review:
“The leads carry the load. Kyle Tomlin largely masters a delicate role as Rodolfo, a poet smitten with his neighbor. His tenor voice is more rapier-like than hugely capacious or rafter-blasting. But where some singers might rush through the more conversational portions of the libretto, he does not. His duet at the close of his first scene with Mimi, the neighbor, nails the first act and sells the rest of the show.
“Danielle Talamantes delivers a pro’s performance as Mimi, all the more remarkable for its understated quality. She introduces herself shyly and a chest cough foreshadows the rest, then builds the vocal castle as her illness progresses. This is the St. Petersburg Opera debut for Talamantes, who is between seasons at the Metropolitan Opera. Hopefully she will be back.
“As with other productions, care has been taken to cast supporting roles. Jesse Stock takes an especially sympathetic and powerful turn as the painter Marcello. His romantic counterpart, the saucy Musetta (Michelle Seipel) delivers a strong (and at times, nearly show-stealing) performance. Bass-baritone Jeremy Milner earned appreciative applause for his doleful aria as the philosopher Colline, about to pawn his coat for Mimi’s medicine.”
You can read the full review by following this link:
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