Baylor opera a gem of a production

By Carl Hoover

With its mix of music and theater, opera serves as one of the most collaborative of the performing arts and Baylor Opera Theater's current, glittering production of Henry Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" serves as Example A.

The production, with two performances left at 7:30 tonight and Saturday at Baylor's Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center, shows smart design, rich costuming, clever framing, a dash of humor and solid music, particularly the work of a versatile chorus.

Director Eric Gibson staged the Purcell opera as an entertainment within a party thrown by the 17th century English composer (Philip Skinner). Guests enact the prologue, singing its five arias (including tenor Zachary Barba's meltingly sweet "Fairest Isle") , and are so taken that they beg him for his new opera, which then is presented in the salon's space.

That opera's storyline is fairly compressed: Carthaginian queen Dido (Kaylie Kahlich, tonight, and Mackenzie Wilson, Saturday) and wandering Trojan general Aeneas (Barron Rice, Jacob Valadez) are in love and intend to wed.

Enter the Sorceress (Michael Colman, Chrystle Hicks) and her witches (Victoria Graves and Mary Glennon) who intervene by convincing Aeneas the gods want him to leave and fulfill his destiny in Rome. He does, she dies of a broken heart and it's the end, in scarcely more than an hour.

Written in 1688, "Dido" is an early opera with short, repeated arias and orchestral backing by strings and harpsichord. That means the principal singers don't have much to do (soprano Kahlich was most  memorable on opening night with dying Dido's aria "When I am laid in earth"), both in number and length of solos.

In a nice touch, Baylor's Early Music Ensemble led by director Jann Cosart accompanied the work with instruments Purcell would recognize, providing  a lower, thicker tone from period violins and violas.

The chorus, unlike the soloists, is onstage throughout as guests, Dido's court, witches and sailors, and its members drive both music and action, turning in some nifty ensemble singing and acting. There's a touch of levity as well, in the physical banter between guests in the prologue and the nasal singing of mischief-making witches.

Gibson, who directs the Light Opera of Oklahoma in addition to his duties as Baylor opera interim director, proves adept in staging movement and dancing onstage, rounding out the opera's striking visual sense. Long drapes of burgundy and white hang above the stage, reinforcing the elegant yet rich costumes designed by Kim Griffin, and lighting designer Jesse Portillo's use of color in backgrounds shows how to complement onstage action and singing without overriding it.

A lovely visual gem for the eyes and music for the ears, "Dido and Aeneas" continues with performances at 7:30 tonight and Saturday at Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $15, $10 for Baylor students, faculty and staff.

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