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Devon Mehring |
It is easy to forgive these flaws largely because of the amazingly fresh, young talent in most of these singers. First and foremost I must mention the beautiful Devon Mehring, who sang Dido. In vocal tone and polish, in commitment to her character, and in stage demeanor, she was head and shoulders above her cast mates. Her final aria "When I am laid in earth", the moment for which anyone who knows Dido and Aeneas waits, was riveting. Young Miss Mehring's bio-blurb lists some impressive accomplishments for a college junior--actually, for any young singer!--and I do hope we will see a lot of her in operatic circles in years to come!
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Isaac Assor |
Another standout performer was Christine Rosenblatt as the First Witch, who dons the disguise of Mercury to lure Aeneas back out to sea. Her singing was quite good, and her commitment to her limited character was quite visible. Another young lady for whom I foresee great things.
It is not a coincidence that the three I mention as standouts had the most experience prior to this show, but I don't wish to suggest by omission that any cast member lacked promise. Casting on the whole was uneven, which is typical for any student or young professional level endeavor, and it was very clear how young these singers are. Other quibbles? Of course, but again, for a student-led production, I believe it was quite good. I did enjoy being there.
Aside from a brief acknowledgement to two faculty members in the program, there was no mention of faculty involvement in program or web site. One does not wish to disparage the great accomplishment of this production, but one still wonders whether more faculty involvement, if only on an advisory level, wouldn't be a good thing.
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