Carmen review Town Crier Wellington Florida April 7, 2006

Leonard Wechsler 14.APR.06
The South Florida Opera Company’s Carmen was a production designed to enthrall an audience. The costumes, the music, but most of all the voices were superb, ringing through Wellington High School’s Little Theater last week.

Artistic Director Francesco Pace is determined to ensure that residents of the western communities are treated to only the finest productions. Using his connections, Mr. Pace invites the best available talent to Wellington — and has succeeded again.

Carmen is one of the great classic operas. Originally considered a failure because of the seamier elements of the story of a soldier obsessed with a gypsy woman, it is now performed more often than any other opera in the classic repertory.

It requires a mezzo-soprano who not only has a glorious voice, but also can look the part of the ill-fated gypsy. Janis Eckhart not only is sexy and entrancing in terms of looks, she dances well, and her voice settles in your spine as she uses her wiles on the hapless Don José. She has performed the role around the world to great acclaim, which is clearly deserved. When Carmen is brilliant, the rest of the opera falls into line.

As Eckhart sings the famous “Habanera” and “Sequidilla” she demonstrates why she is so popular with audiences. The soldier cannot resist her, and every member of the audience understands the reason. She was in excellent voice, demonstrating how the mezzo range can be incredibly sexy.

Veteran tenor James Clark does an excellent job in the pivotal role of Don José. The character is in contrast to the typical tenor role, in which the man is always heroic and gets the woman. Don José is a man obsessed with his love for the gypsy while understanding throughout that she is totally wrong for him. Clark’s voice is smooth, rising to meet the high notes and mellow on the lower ones.

Soprano Marie Ashley demonstrated an ease with the music and an extraordinary voice in the part of Micaela, the young peasant who loves Don José but can never compete with the glamorous Carmen. Ashley is a Boynton Beach resident, and she is certainly going places.

Steven Rushing does an excellent job as Escamillo, the glamorous toreador. He gets the opera’s most famous number and uses his voice well to lead the rest of the cast in a number that is a second act highlight. He plays a more caring Escamillo than I have seen before, and it works well.

The company employs a large cast and director Michael Gillespie uses them well. This is not a “jewel box” ensemble with only the leads; there is a chorus and a good number of people in smaller parts. Jacqueline Pimienta and Joan Peitscher, two local singers, were excellent as Carmen’s gypsy friends. All of the singers were excellent and provided great support. A special cheer goes to the boys from Binks Forest Elementary School, directed by Karen LaFrance, who provided a light-hearted first act moment.

Instead of using players he thought might detract from the performance, Mr. Pace asked concert pianist Nana Morimoto to play from a score specifically written for the piano by Bizet. Her accompaniment was exceptional and won deserved cheers from the audience.

The South Florida Opera Company provides a wonderful service for our community. I have already reserved my seats for next year, and so should you. One of the friends who joined us at the performance had never been to an opera before; she is now a fan. Support this opera company; it is a true jewel of the western communities.