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Laugh Away the Pain
By Leonard Eureka
The Fort Worth Opera opens its season with an opera buffa — Rossini’s ever-popular The Barber of Seville — in a new staging by David Gately, who directed last season’s memorable Norma. Newcomer Troy Cook, with a recent Metropolitan Opera debut under his belt, will sing the title role. Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Shammash is Rosina. Another comic opera closes the series in March — a new Wild West version of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Gounod’s Romeo and Juliette is sandwiched in between. The lopsided schedule is the result of the 9/11 money crunch, which, incidentally, has delayed the Fort Worth Opera’s debut of Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw until next season.
“I really feel it’s imperative that we expand to four productions,” said general director Darren Woods. “We need at least that many shows to achieve any balance. It was frustrating last season. We worked so hard to come in on budget and did, but then our endowment portfolio lost $60,000, and we ended up with a deficit.”
Woods’ schedule since 9/11 — one cast, with performances on Friday night, Sunday afternoon, and Tuesday evening — has saved money, but sales of advance tickets for the Tuesday performance have been slow, according to publicist Diane Rhodes.
The Barber of Seville is 8pm Fri & 2pm Sun & 7:30pm Tue at Bass Performance Hall, 555 Commerce St, FW. $24-$110. Call 817-212-4280.
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