Young and Restless

by David Shengold

AVA's opening La Bohème (April 30) worked nicely in David Gately's aptly judged production. The intimacy allowed one to observe closely the interaction among the Bohemians at Act Two's café, a key establishing moment often lost in larger stagings. Ailyn Perez makes a good poster girl for the conservatory's program. With a lovely face made for the stage, plus the gracious and vulnerable presence the doomed Mimì needs, she's always fielded an enjoyable basic sound but in her three years at AVA has ironed out some pitch problems. She sang Mimì very beautifully and artistically indeed, with a winning ability to melt into soft phrases. Perez listens onstage — a rare, important skill. Sophomore Stephen Costello needs to work on the illusion of spontaneity and on increased facial mobility (he did not always react to others' words), but his endearingly naive Rodolfo and Perez's more knowing Mimì made an adorable couple. Costello's fine, tight-vibratoed tenor packs quite a punch at full throttle; he, too, shows steady improvement.

Eric T. Dubin made a forthright, irascible Marcello with an excellent upper range (and sometimes awkwardly negotiated dynamic shifts). First year soprano Takesha Meshé Kizart came onstage dispensing "Musetta attitude" aplenty. She showed a handsome, substantial voice not yet under perfect control — though managing an arrestingly fine diminuendo from the crest of her famous waltz; a treat to hear a Musetta with such a rich lower register. Kizart was moving (and visibly moved) in the final act. Jesús Ibarra unfurled his fine bass satisfyingly around Colline's music, making a strong moment of "Vecchia zimarra." Joseph Specter projected good fellowship as Schaunard.

It must have been fun for the students to work onstage with one of their teachers, the stagewise Carlos Serrano, as the paired comic Benoit (landlord) and Alcindoro (Musetta's sugar daddy du moment). The shape of Act 3 (one of Puccini's most perfectly balanced achievements) was slightly disfigured by cutting a few minutes of local color. Occasionally in the first two acts, I felt (for the first time ever) that Christofer Macatsoris was misjudging the orchestral/vocal balance (doubtless tempting when Puccini gets going), but things calmed down thereafter. The Chamber Orchestra's playing per se was largely exemplary.

La Bohème Through May 6, Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce St.; May 10 and 12, Centennial Hall, Haverford; May 14, Central Bucks East Auditorium, Holicong, 215-735-1685