Never a dull moment in Utah Opera's 'Italian Girl in Algiers'

By Edward Reichel

Mustafa, the bey of Algiers, is unhappy with his wife and harem. He decides that nothing else will do other than find an Italian wife. And when Isabella, a victim of a shipwreck, shows up at his door, he believes his wish has been answered. But he soon finds out that the feisty young Italian girl is too much for him to handle and belatedly realizes that his wife, who hasn't stopped loving him, isn't really all that bad.

That's the premise behind Rossini's comic opera "The Italian Girl in Algiers." And in Utah Opera's production, which opened Saturday and runs until March 21, the audience is in for a hilariously entertaining evening.

The cast, for the most part, is solid. Leading it is mezzo-soprano Leah Wool. A former Utah Opera young artist, Wool makes her local debut in a major role as Isabella. Her characterization is wonderfuly crafted and polished, and her voice is well suited to the demands Rossini places on his singers. At Saturday's opening night performance she sang the florid lines of her part with an ease that showed her to be a natural in the bel canto repertoire.

Local tenor Brian Stucki, a BYU graduate, is Isabella's love interest, Lindoro. While he has a nice voice, he couldn't match the others vocally. Although he is a high tenor, which this role demands, his voice is soft, and he had problems with his high notes Saturday.

Bass-baritone Rod Nelman was superb as the buffoonish Mustafa. An excellent actor, he brought a fine sense of comedy to his role, and his singing was equally remarkable. Possessing a fluid voice, he made short work of the difficulties of his part.

However, stealing the show was baritone Daniel Belcher as the timid Taddeo, a suitor of Isabella who is passed off as her uncle. He was absolutely wonderful in this role, bringing his considerable acting talents to good use in this production.

Rounding out the cast is soprano Anna Vikre as Elvira, the long-suffering wife of Mustafa; mezzo-soprano Stina Eberhardt, another local singer, as Elvira's maid Zulma; and baritone Brent Reilly Turner, a Utah Opera resident artist, as Haly, Mustafa's captain.

The 15-member male chorus, which has several different roles — eunuchs, pirates and Italian sailors — was outstanding.

Among the many ensembles in the opera, the Pappataci trio (Mustafa, Lindoro and Taddeo) and the subsequent Pappataci chorus were among the funniest.

The members of the Utah Symphony in the Capitol Theatre pit played wonderfully, and conductor Christopher Larkin kept things moving along nicely with his brisk tempos. And the stage direction of Patricia Weinmann ensured that there wasn't a dull moment at any time during the opera's 21/2-hour length.