Two more great Christmas time shows in Houston at Opera in the Heights and Stages. operaheights StagesHouston
at Opera in the Heights — especially the translations in '50s pop music.Any opera libretto that uses “Be-bop-a-lula, I don't mean maybe” or “Hit the road, Jack,” is all right with me. That this particular opera is Gaetano Donizetti's sparkling comic opera is fresher still. That this production is perhaps the finest work from Opera in the Heights in seasons is beyond compare – it's out of this world.
So, soda jerk Nemorino loves town beauty Adina , who plays hard to get. Desperate to win her after Belcore puts the make on her, he buys what he thinks is a love potion from traveling snake oil salesman Dr. Dulcamara . What he buys is cheap booze. After he drinks the first bottle he needs more, but is out of money. At Belcore's insistence, he signs up for the army and receives $20.
Smith's burnished tenor is blessed with technique and glorious phrasing. He gets the opera's most famous aria,, a touchstone for any tenor. He puts a coin in the jukebox, and the harp arpeggio begins. It's pure romance, smooth and languid, as Nemorino realizes that, just perhaps, Adina has feelings for him. His rendition was flawless, rivaling the best, from Pavarotti to Domingo, and, yes, even Caruso, who burst into stardom after singing the part under Toscanini at La Scala in 1901.
The Elixir of Love continues at 7:30pm Friday, December 9; 2 p.m. Sunday, December 11at Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Boulevard. For more information, call 713-861-5303 or visit operaintheheights.org. $42.50 – $87.50.Stages continues its annual Christmas panto tradition with Adam Howard's world premiere. Thank Santa it's not an ugly sweater like some of their prior editions. This is cute and savvy, again using pop tunes with refurbished lyrics.
The real energizer bunny, though, is Ryan Schabach, in his return as Buttons, the Queen's IT man. He never fails, improving with the audience, playing to the kids, or running in overdrive. He's a constant fount of stage presence. The dorks are: Rayevin Johnson , Camryn Nunley , Larie Rodriguez , Alex Salah , Lloyd Wayne Taylor . They sing and dance, prance and shout, and keep this musical going.
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