THE HANGOVER REPORT – NYCO’s intimate operatic adaptation of DOLORES CLAIBORNE by Tobias Picker fails to ignite

Jessica Tyler Wright and Lisa Chavez in Tobias Picker's "Dolores Claiborne" courtesy of New York City Opera at 59E59 Theaters.

Jessica Tyler Wright and Lisa Chavez in Tobias Picker’s “Dolores Claiborne” courtesy of New York City Opera at 59E59 Theaters.

The discerning New York theatergoer can easily get into the Halloween spirit by attending any number of carefully curated productions. Thomas Ostermeier’s devilish mounting of Richard III at BAM, Dave Malloy’s pungent song cycle Ghost Quartet Next Door at NYTW, Edgar Oliver’s spectral autobiographical musings in his “New York Trilogy” at Axis Theatre, and even the concert version of Mark Alan Swanson’s worthy new musical A Scythe of Time at Feinstein’s/54 Below are all vivid Halloween treats for those with a sophisticated pallet.

Which brings us to Tobias Picker’s Dolores Claiborne, an operatic adaptation of Stephen King’s psychological thriller, presented by the rebooted New York City Opera. City Opera, now a nomadic company that performs in various spaces throughout the city, has commissioned this new chamber version of the opera at the intimate 59E59 Theaters (Dolores Claiborne received its original premiere in 2013 at San Francisco Opera), most likely in the hope of bringing the intensity of Mr. King’s tale of murder, abuse, and revenge to the fore.

Ultimately, I was neither moved nor riveted by the opera, at least in this staging. Mr. Picker’s score is accomplished, with a number of standout musical moments – notably, the haunting quartet that ends Act I, as well as a number of lovely arias for the principal characters. Certainly, this scaled-down version (14 member-strong orchestra, chorus-less) sounded great under the baton of Pacien Mazzagatti (especially in such an intimate venue), and the game cast sang admirably. In the title role, mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez, with her robust, well-rounded voice, sounded wonderful, even if her acting lacked specificity, somewhat failing to convey Dolores’s fiery inner life. In addition, J.D. McClatchy’s uninspired, needlessly crass libretto and Michael Capasso’s limp direction do little to justify the need the need to adapt Mr. King’s inherently operatic story.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

 

DOLORES CLAIBORNE
Opera
New York City Opera at 59E59 Theaters
2 hours (with one intermission)
Through October 29

Categories: Music, Opera, Other Music

Leave a Reply