Head of the Class

Anna Bolena

by Peter Burwasser

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Angela Meade is not a rising star. She is there. Her impersonation of the doomed title character of Gaetano Donizetti's vibrantly violent Anna Bolena stood out in a superb cast of AVA students. Meade is in her final year there, but she clearly already has one foot firmly planted on major opera stages (she was the cover for Renee Fleming at the opening of the Met this year).

A potent example of the current state of her artistry could be heard in the beginning of the second act. Anna has been banished to prison by her husband, the more than caddish Henry VIII. None other than her rival and former lady in waiting, Giovanna (Jane) Seymour, as sung by Olivia Vote, comes to visit her, stricken with guilt. The riveting duet that ensues is powered by two enormous voices, both coated with tonal luster. Vote is a voice to pay attention to, but Meade distinguished herself with dynamic control and careful, never fussy phrasing that brought the character to life in stunning definition.

Not to gush, but there was scarcely a weak voice to be heard this opening night, certainly not among the principals. As Enrico (Henry) VIII, Havertown native Ben Wager showed off a handsomely unctuous bass, and Taylor Stayton, as Anna's first love, Lord Percy, displayed a sweetly expressive tenor voice. The set was austere and gray, matching the drama. Simplicity is surely the best strategy for staging at this jewel box of a theater on Spruce Street, but this does not preclude an elegant and thoughtful presentation, such as we were afforded by stage director Michael Scarola.

Not least because of the terrible sight lines in the Helen Corning Warden Theater, the orchestra and conductor are more a part of the show than is normal at other opera venues. With Christofer Macatsoris at the helm, this seems to be a kind of poetic justice. He seems to hold the entire experience in his grasp, and with close listening for inner lines and rhythmic nuance, he and his audience are rewarded with new insights into the greatness of Donizetti's music.

(p_burwasser@citypaper.net)

Anna Bolena | Through Nov. 22, Academy of Vocal Arts, various locations, 215-735-1685, avaopera.org