‘Tosca’ Returns to L.A. with a Brilliant New Cast
/By Truman C. Wang
11/30/2022
Photo credit: Cory Weaver
angel Blue as Tosca, Ryan mckinny as scarpia
Puccini’s Tosca, dubbed “a shabby little shocker” by Joseph Kerman, returns to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage in the same John Caird production last seen in 2017. Still entertaining as ever, with Angelotti’s body dangling from above, Scarpia’s ramshackle Farnese Palace, Cavaradossi’s modernist Madonna painting in the Attavanti chapel, the fun list goes on. Bunny Christie’s handsome circa-1900’s costume and Duane Schuler’s atmospheric lighting add a sense of realism and order to the often topsy-turvy feel of Caird’s campy sets.
Musically, this new Tosca cast is perhaps even more exciting than the last. Angel Blue, singing her first Tosca in L.A., commands a fresh and vibrant soprano lirico voice, with soaring high notes and a creamy middle that gave much pleasure in the love duet and “Vissi d’arte”, wanting only a bit more nuance and pianissimo in her otherwise excellent portrayal. Michael Fabiano, the Cavaradossi, sang bravely and fully with exciting slancio. The two ill-fated lovers show great onstage chemistry.
Ryan McKinny, as Baron Scarpia, sounds more baronial than sinister in a role that requires rolling black tones and deep bass. His bantamweight basso cantante voice is perhaps better suited for Verdi’s Germont (in La Traviata) than Puccini. Nonetheless, he cuts a menacing figure onstage and sings Scarpia’s Act II “Già, mi dicon venal” with ironic suave tone that conceals his frightening intentions.
Philip Cokorinos is a comical but sensible Sacristan, Wei Wu’s Angelotti is a condemned political fugitive with a voice of doom. Filling out the topnotch cast are Zackary James’ Sciarrone, Anthony León’s Spoletta, Ryan Wolfe’s jailor and Deepa Johnny’s shepherd.
Conductor louis lohraseb
Stepping in for the originally scheduled Oksana Lyniv, Italian-Iranian conductor Louis Lohraseb made an auspicious Los Angeles debut. Standing tall and arms waving high, he conducted a fine performance that included much colorful orchestral playing and flowed naturally and urgently from scene to scene. The L.A. Opera management would do well to snap him up for future seasons as soon as possible.
Four more performances of Tosca on Decmeber 1, 4, 7, 10.
Truman C. Wang is Editor-in-Chief of Classical Voice, whose articles have appeared in the Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, other Southern California publications, as well as the Hawaiian Chinese Daily. He studied Integrative Biology and Music at U.C. Berkeley.