How to Go
What: “Tosca”
Where: Schuster Center, Second and Main streets, Dayton
When: Nov. 22 and 24; Friday at 8 p.m., next Sunday at 3 p.m.
Tickets/more info: Tickets are $36-$93 and can be purchased by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visiting www.tickcenterstage.com
FYI: The opera will be performed in Italian with English surtitles above the stage.
The Dayton Opera provides an escape from the chilliness of fall by bringing the heat with Giacomo Puccini’s passionate 1900 melodrama “Tosca” Friday and next Sunday at the Schuster Center.
Based on Victorien Sardou’s 1887 French drama, “Tosca,” set in Rome circa 1800 and framed around Napoleon’s invasion of Italy, concerns prominent singer Floria Tosca, whose affection for the painter Cavaradossi is put to the test when Cavaradossi is arrested and tortured by Baron Scarpia, the devious police chief who lusts for Tosca. Tosca’s attempt to save Cavaradossi’s life heightens this enduring, three-act tale of corruption, desire, murder and sacrifice.
“‘Tosca’ is the perfect opera and a great work of art,” said stage director David Roth, general director of Kentucky Opera who makes his Dayton Opera debut. “The incredible composition’s roots come from the great tradition of Italian lyricism and romanticism. Puccini brought great naturalism to this piece, particularly the incredible opening of Act 3, which authenticates the sounds of the bells he heard in the early morning hours in Rome. As far as the relationships in the piece, I love the sculpting of the romantic duet in Act 1 set in a church showcasing the relationship between Tosca and Cavaradossi. They are two very different individuals from very different backgrounds coming together to bring out the best in each other. And when you understand how Tosca reacts when she’s in that room with Cavraodossi, how she feels for him, then you understand why she makes the choices she makes in Act 2.”
During rehearsals, Roth stressed authenticity. He felt it imperative to remind his cast to approach the opera in realism and truth. He particularly didn’t want them to over-romanticize the tale.
“I told the cast to find the truth in the moment, the truth in the characters,” Roth said. “I want them to find moments of authentic emotion. When the cast embraces these elements the opera becomes so much more powerful. ‘Tosca’ offers a real emotional experience for the audience that they wouldn’t expect from opera.”
The cast is headlined by soprano Kara Shay Thomson in the title role along with bass-baritone Mark Schnaible as Scarpia and tenor Jonathan Burton as Cavaradossi. Thomson, who appeared as Sieglinde in Dayton Opera’s Act 1 staging of “Die Walkure” in last season’s “The Glory of Wagner,” also has portrayed Tosca for Kentucky Opera, Opera New Jersey, Sarasota Opera and Atlanta Opera and will do so again in April for Florida Grand Opera. Schnaible was recently seen in the title role of Boito’s “Mefistofele” in the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s superb “Season Opening Spectacular.” Burton will deliver his Dayton Opera debut. Thomas Hammons, seen last season in the Dayton Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” notably appears as Sacristan.
“I absolutely love Tosca’s fiery spirit and passion,” said Thomson, who deems the role her signature. “From the very beginning of exploring the role, which is a tour de force, the music just fits me to the tee. The music is so beautiful and fun to sing. By now, I consider Tosca an old friend. But even though I’ve done the role numerous times, each production is different which allows me to reinvent my performance.”
“Tosca” features the Kettering Children’s Choir as well as the Dayton Opera Chorus under the direction of Jeffrey Powell. The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Joseph Mechavich.
“For the first time operagoer, ‘Tosca’ is a great show,” Thomson added. “The three acts are relatively short and there are only three main characters. It’s also a story anyone can identify with filled with love and tragedy, all of the things we watch on TV or go for in the movies. It’s easy to get hooked right from the very beginning.”
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