March 31, 2004 Culture e the other press © Elixir of Love Burnaby Lyric Opera Theresa Brodie OP Contributor For those of you who aren't familiar with the Burnaby Lyric Opera (BLO), they began as the Shoestring Opera in the early 1980s, and moved on to become the NorthWest Opera in the 90s. The name was again changed when, in 1997, the company found a permanent home in the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnabye and they have been known as the Burnaby Lyric Opera (BLO) ever since. The BLO produces annual operas that are comical or lighthearted and performed in English. Recent pro- ductions have included two operas written by Gioachino Rossini (1792- 1868): Cinderella, and The Barber of Seville, and two operas, Don Pasquale, and The Elixir of Love, by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848). The Elixir of Love (Lelisir d amore) is the story of a lovesick farmer, Nemorino, pining for his dear Adina. The problem is that Adina, quite frankly, wants nothing to do with him. Sadly for Nemorino, Sergeant Belcore comes through town and, immediately smitten with Adina, asks her to marry him. While mildly reluctant at first, she later accepts. In the meantime, a travel- ling salesman, Doctor Dulcamara, has arrived in town with a wide vari- ety of potions to cure all that ails. A hopeful Nemorino buys from the good doctor a potion called the Elixir of Love, with the hopes of winning Adina’s heart. After many antics and much confusion, Adina and Nemorino come together. But feel no pity for Sergeant Belcore, for he doesn't miss a beat before moving on to another woman, Gianetta, the town floozy. In the BLO’s produc- tion of The Elixir of Love, with some creative adjustments by stage direc- tor, Matthew Bisset, Nemorino plays a cowboy, and scenes take place on Adina’s cactus farm. These slight “modernizations” serve to fur- ther enhance the comedic element of the production. While Bisset han- dles the stage, music director, Karen Anne Shumka, — handles—you guessed it—the music. Shumka pro- vided the piano accompaniment throughout the _ performance, though that is undoubtedly only a small part of her efforts. It was my first time at a BLO per- formance and, therefore, my first visit to the Shadbolt Centre as well. I picked up the tickets at the box office, met with my colleague, and we made our way up the stairs into the theatre, receiving copies of the program on our way in. We settled into our third-row seats and chatted until the lights began to dim. I was- nt sure what to expect; however, moments after the music started, I wondered why it hadn't occurred to me to go before. The style was, for me, very reminiscent of the Gilbert and Sullivan productions I had been a part of when I was just a young thing getting started in the choral world as a member of the Richmond Youth Choir. With this realization, I immediately felt more at home. The cast and chorus were wonder- fully enthusiastic from the get-go, singing loudly and with exaggerated movements and gestures. The cos- tumes, though simple, suited the story well. There were five cast and twelve chorus members. Adina was played by Heather Pawsey, and throughout the performance, I found myself drawn into her charac- ter. So much so, that I found myself thinking, “What a bitch!” This was a sure sign that Pawsey’s performance had hit the mark. Her twittering and condescending laughter at Nemorino’s desperate pleas were convincingly callous. Nemorino, played by Richard Theiss, began the show with only sparse piano accompaniment and, as anyone who must break the silence of a theatre with only his or her own voice, there is always a chance it will falter, and it did. However, Theiss impressed me as the performance continued. His voice produced high sweet melody, noted especially in the second act when he performed the beautiful tenor aria “Who Can Deceive A Loving Heart?” (A trans- lated version of “Una Furtiva Lagrim.”) The first line that got a laugh-out- loud from me was sung by Jonathan Liebich in the role of Sergeant Belcore. Decked out in his blue uni- form and yellow sash, he sang to Adina with conviction, “I have never met a girl yet, unresponsive to a helmet.” Take that as you will. Liebich was a good fit for this role. With his mane of curly blonde locks, he looked handsome and per- suasive, but just a slight ruffling of his feathers set his face aglow and his eyes a-bulging. Bass-baritone Angus Bell played Doctor Dulcamara, the travelling salesman. Bell, with his broad shoul- ders, and kind, round face looked honest and trustworthy—some- thing of great importance for his character. However, with his natu- rally crooked teeth, and expressive glances toward the audience as he allowed us in on the secret of his fraudulence, he looked wonderfully mischievous. The smallest of the roles cast was that of Gianetta, played by Linda Sovernigo. But though the part was small, it was no less important, for the role of the floozy is a staple in the opera world. Sovernigo, as Gianetta, convincingly set about batting her eyes at nearly every man she met, and eagerly traipsing off with those of them who were will- ing. In the final scene, once Nemorino and Adina had declared their love for one another, the lusty Gianetta and Sergeant Belcore wast- ed no time before engaging in a pas- sionate necking session on the pic- nic table, while everyone sang the praises of Doctor Dulcamara’s magi- cal elixir. Opera is a wonderful world of sex, love, and betrayal, so if you're get- ting bored with the usual pizza and video night, grab a slice of culture right here in the lower mainland. 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