Dicapo in the News

Opera News Review
Gianni Schicchi

Donald Westwood, Opera News,
February 18, 1995

Dicapo Opera Theatre opened its 1994-95 season with a riotous Gianni Schicchi (seen Oct. 7) in a production with hardly a blemish -- thoroughly researched, detailed and executed with commitment and confidence. Veteran Maestro Anton Coppola led the twenty-piece orchestra through a spirited, idiomatic reading. The direction of Michael Capasso featured clever nonstop stage business, with a touch of gallows humor and slapstick, all in the manner of grand Italian farce.

In the title role, Stephen Kechulius displayed presence and comic flair, plus the vocalism of a Verdi baritone in the making.

A uniformly competent supporting cast of Young professionals included the sturdy Kirk Redmann (Rinuccio), appealing Melody Morrison (Lauretta) and pretty, sweet-voiced Victoria Casella (Nella). Ovi Vargas made a hilarious Buoso Donati, both dying and dead, performing a backflip when the recently deceased Buoso was dropped by bumbling relatives.

Designer John Farrell delivered a topsyturvy Florentine setting, full of crazy angles, odd shapes, outsized props, creaking door and a unit set beautifully painted by Katerina Fiore. Susan Roth's excellent lighting served as the perfect complement, reinforcing the warm glow of candles and clearly suggesting the passage of time. Diane Martindale's lavish costumes were quirky as the opera's characters.

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