Saturday night’s La Traviata at the Musical Arts Center received a standing ovation for Walter Huff’s opera chorus and Parker Esse’s gypsy dancers and bullfighters. Individual cheers were for the group of Violetta’ friend Flora, her lover the Baron, Gastone, the Marquis and her supporter Anina. The loudest response was for her lover Alfredo, his father Giorgio and Violetta herself. She escorted conductor Arthur Fagen to join the cast for the rousing cheers.
There were more than the usual number of children in the audience and I wondered if the story of the Lady of the Camellias told in a flashback from her hospital bed was easier for them to follow than for older audience members. The curtain opens on scenic designer Peter J. Davidson’s hospital scene with three beds and assisting medical staff. During the overture, the patient in the middle bed dies and is gently and efficiently taken out. The stretcher-bearers return for Violetta, but are briefly turned away. Hayley Lipke, rises, flings off her hospital gown to reveal a party dress and it’s off to a ball in her honor.
It’s at the ball that she does her most stratospheric singing and learns to love, love and the person of tenor Joseph McBrayer as the loyal Alfredo. The next scenes find a rusticating Alfredo happily enjoying country life with the woman he adores. There is the problem that we know she’s paying for it by selling a diminishing number or things, but for the moment it the ideal of country life. While Alfredo is away, his father Giorgio appears in an effort to persuade this rootless party girl to give up his son so that the family’s daughter may ally with another family. A long scene leaves the father still committed to breaking up the relationship, but more than a little conflicted.
Violetta leaves to return to her party life with the Baron and Alfredo realizes that he’s been living in a fool’s paradise and yet also feels betrayed. I’m not sure how the Me2 movement would analyze this, but I do wonder. At the party, Gypsy dancers, probably not from the IU Ballet appear, with music for a dance scene with tambourines that I’ve still got in my head. There’s also a mock bullfight. Later, in a nasty scene, Alfredo beats the Baron at cards, tosses the money at Violetta and challenges the Baron to a dual. His father Giorgio does appear, and with his newfound respect for Violetta generally berates his son’s conduct with women.
The final scenes of La Traviata take place back in the hospital room with the three beds. The middle is empty and being remade. The patient on the right is being aided to walk. Violetta in the bed on the left is in the final stages of the disease that she’s been carrying through the production. She’s wondering if the summoned Alfredo and Giorgio will arrive before she dies. It’s a tender scene and when infused with the support of the father and the love of Alfredo, she’s inspired to rise and falls. It’s designed to bring tears to even the stoutest hearts.
Saturday night’s applause was well earned for the imaginative staging of Francesca Zambello, on the scenic designs of Peter J. Davidson and the lighting of Mark McCullough. Walter Huff’s opera chorus sang, danced and acted with aplomb. Conductor Arthur Fagen always had an eye on the singers and the control of his orchestra. Soprano Hayley Lipke manages the four differing voices of Violetta with grace and power. Tenor Joseph McBrayer as Alfredo is both a soloist and an able partner. Bass Jeremiah Sanders is the family father who gradually comes to respect his son’s choice.
The IU Opera Theater’s La Traviata continues on Friday and Saturday March 6th and 7th in the Musical Arts Center at 7:30.
At the theatre for you, I’m George Walker
