Mark Adamo's new opera, "Lysistrata," debuted at the Houston Grand Opera on Friday, drawing mixed reviews. The New York Times accuses the HGA company of cutting corners:
Well sung and played though it was, "Lysistrata" could have used a better production. Most assets seemed to have gone into the large cast and the excellent pit orchestra, led by Stefan Lano. Elsewhere, expense was spared. A square small-scale temple rotates at the center of the stage. Men are given government-issue battle dress. Women's dresses, for the most part, are knockoffs of surviving Hellenic images that approach tackiness. The staging was bland. Given the tightness of arts money, maybe we should be grateful that "Lysistrata" made it onstage at all.The South Florida Sun-Sentinel takes a different tack:
Houston Grand Opera gave Lysistrata a first-class sendoff, fielding a cast of excellent singers who seized the vocal and comic elements with relish. Emily Pulley brought a remarkable vocal range to the title role, vaulting through the fiery coloratura lines with great style and security. Clad in high heels and tightly fitted khaki jacket, the petite soprano displayed fine comic timing, as well as rising to Act II's dramatic moments, bringing a rapt sadness to her aria I Am Not My Own.
Director Michael Kahn kept the stage action lively and conductor Stefan Lano brought striking clarity and lightness to the breakneck ensembles. As one audience member stated in a thick Texas accent, "Well, it's one way to stop a war anyway."The opera will be performed at the Wortham Center five more times in the next couple of weeks. Tickets are still available.
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