Win & Loose

Win: Stars over Bulldogs in OT, again! Standing Stars 2 Bulldogs 2.

Lost: Sharks to Blackhawks in OT 2-3, Standing Sharks (alas)0 Blackhawks 3

LOST among a huge crowd at Miller Outdoor Theater! Truly, the hill behind the theater overflowed with people sitting in beach chairs, lolling on blankets! Even several homeless persons sprawled among their earthly possessions in rapt attention.
WIN for HGO's Reprisal of TOSCA, the opera by Puccini with
Clayton as Tosca, Vasquez as the evil Baron Scarpia

Cioffari in dual role as Angelotti and Jailer,

ably conducted by Eric Melear, soon to head for Vienna Staatsoper.
and Dolgov back to reprise his outstanding performance as Cavaradossi!

Here is Scarpia (on Scaffold) at mass in the cathedral at the TeDeum,

during which Scarpia sings of his desire for Tosca.

And that gives you the gist: Revolt, prisoner escapes, abnormal jealousy, greed, heated desire, love, art, religion, attempted rape, murder, political killing and, finally suicide, THE END!
All that set to stirring music, sung with passionate abandonment and acted out superbly.
Clayton in for the original Tosca of Racette, sang convincingly with a bright and strong soprano, credible as the alluring opera singer Floria Tosca, consumed by jealousy over imagined betrayal by her lover the Painter Cavaradossi, and so easily led by Scarpia to reveal the hiding place of the escapee Angelotti.

The Scarpia of Baritone Hector Vasquez was convincing in his relentless sexual desire, fed by Tosca's refusal to submit, he sang with sonorous voice and exhibited truly evil demeanor.

HGO Studio artist Bass Adam Cioffari (remember him from his well sung comic portrayal of the servant in XERXES, recently?) used his rich voice and considerable acting talent, with no holds barred, as the escaped prisoner Angelotti. And also in the cameo role of the jail guard in Act 3.

But the night belonged to Tenor Alexey Dolgov, who simply shone!
His voice soared above with a beauty of sound, in the famous arias in act 1 and 3. His acting ability was rather better than one expects from Russian singers. And deservedly he garnered the most applause. A night to remember, for sure.

Having sat through mayhem and more, one left with emotions spent, happily surfeited with the power of music!