Since 2005, Center Stage Opera has been bringing operatic classics to the San Fernando Valley Area. Center Stage Opera focuses squarely on the music, singing, and acting. Center Stage Opera is going strong in its fourth year, and shows no sign of letting up.
A large part of their success rests on the shoulders of resident soprano Shira Renee Thomas. Not only does Thomas have a great operatic voice that can fill a room, but she possesses a rare comedic ability. Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is an Opera Buffa, or comic opera. It requires performers who are able to balance comic timing and exaggerated comic performances with the heavy musical demands of Mozart's score. The performers all succeeded hilariously, and I was not the only person in attendance exploding with laughter. Shira Renee Thomas played Susanna with all of the buoyancy and whimsy that the comic part requires, but she also infused the role with a very deep passion which is the hallmark of all great opera.
The orchestra was just excellent. The overture to The Marriage of Figaro is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music. The orchestra played it in a straightforward style that accentuated its lushness, and its many famous movements. Mozart's score is a quintessential example of comic music. It is colorful, rises to dizzy heights, and is full of punctuations. The orchestra, lead by conductor Brian Onderdonk, attacked it with professional mastery, expertly navigating its many twists and turns.
The Marriage of Figaro was directed by Shira Renee Thomas' husband, founder and Artistic Director Dylan F. Thomas. Dylan Thomas' staging was simple and logical, presenting the opera in a straightforward theatrical style that put the plot out in the forefront.
The plot itself is complete silliness, but it is the kind of comedic silliness that transcends the ages. Based on the play by Beau Marchais, with a libretto by da Ponte, the story, a sequel to Beau Marchais' The Barber of Seville, takes place on the day of the wedding between Figaro, played with roguish gusto by Carl King, and Susanna. The morning of their wedding day, Susanna tells Figaro that the count (Gabriel Manro) has been trying to have his way with her. Figaro vows to get his revenge on the count, and what ensues is a series of elaborate pranks and schemes, with both the Count and Figaro trying to outwit each other.
Gabriel Manro played the count with all of the noble frustration that the part requires. Not only does the count spend all of his time chasing women, but he doesn't seem terribly good at it. On top of that, he is constantly being outwitted by his servant, Figaro. While audiences enjoy the conspiracies the characters hatch against each other, it is the love story between Figaro and Susanna that is central to the opera. King and Thomas have very good chemistry with one another, and really allowed love to take its place as the overriding theme of the opera.
Center Stage Opera is truly one of the gems of the valley. Their performances are presented in small, intimate settings that allow the music, singing, and acting to come to the forefront.
Center Stage Opera's next performance, Puccini's Tosca is June 27th and 28th at The Madrid Theater in Canoga Park (and June 20th at the Diamond Bar High School Theater in Diamond Bar). For more information or to purchase tickets visit Center Stage Opera's website at: www.centerstageopera.org