Tales -- well told

or rather sung at The OH! tonight. Ruby Cast with Tenor Rodgers/Hoffmann and Soprano Roberts/4 female roles, all other singers are the same in both casts.

Les contes d'Hoffmann, an opera by Jacques Offenbach to a libretto by Jules and Pierre Barbier, based on the same name play Jules Barbier and Michel Carre, was sung in French to sold out house.

Conductor  Brian Runnels (photo at left by tedviens), who lead the orchestra with elan and a sure touch. A solo violin (could not see who the musician was) played sweetly and airily during the Antonia scene, as if played by Dr. Miracle on a black violin as Antonia sings herself, ultimately, to her death.

Director Ben Spierman.

This is a tale of love, jealousy, addiction, greed, dissolution and intrigue - all set to glorious music with recognizable memorable tunes...and 4 more Performances Sat. 25, 30 and 10/1 and 2...alternate cast.

Tedviens photo

Hoffmann is sung by Tenor John Rodger with steely fortitude and volume,  giving himself to the role with such intensity that once or twice his voice almost gave out.

Rodgers, a consummate actor, managed to recover rather well and ended the opera to acclaim. 



Gwen Juarez Turner
Photo



Soprano Elizabeth Andrews Roberts takes on the roles of all 4 females.
In the photo the singer as the mechanical doll Olympia, tossing off some high notes as the doll, and charmingly fading as the mechanism runs out of steam only to resume after being re-wound.

Antonia, the ill and frail singer, whose passion for singing is unquenchable and causes her death. This role has several lovely lyrical airs which Roberts did justice;

Courtesan Giulietta, a ravishing beauty whose greedy love for baubles overcomes any scruples she may have had, despite her professed love for Hoffmann, singing the famous barcarolle with panache and beauty of sound; 

and at the end, the opera singer Stella, who only has a line or two, while Hoffmann in drunken despair lies unconscious, solaced by his Muse.

Gwen Juarez Turner
 Photo

Baritone Ben LeClair, essayed all 4 villains of the Tales. He was evilly dignified as contender of Stella's favors, Lindorf;

frighteningly resentful as Coppelius who 'killed' Olympia as revenge;
snakely insinuating as Dr Miracle abetting Antonio in her fervor to sing by playing the violin and conjuring up her dead mother; as in this clip (Terfel, Swenson, Gubish)

and lastly the malevolent, charismatic, Dr Dappertutto, who lures Giulietta to demand Hoffmann's face by glittering jewels. His voice, huge, slippery when needed, evilly rough, mesmerisingly soft and suggestive, was all one would want to hear in the villains, plus an impressive towering physique and the crowd went wild in a standing ovation..well deserved!

Secondary roles with some heft were filled by 

tedviens photo: Nicklausse/Hoffmann

1) Heather Scanio,
mezzo as Nicklausse, voice of Antonia's mother, and at the end Muse, always near Hoffmann, always trying to save him from himself. Scanio's Mezzo is lush and full of deep shadings. In the Barcarolle duet with Roberts their voices flowed smoothly together.

2) Daymon Passmore,
bass, as Luther, the Innkeeper and Crespel, Antonia's anguished father,has added considerable acting talent to his huge low bass. He did rather better as Crespel.

photo of Passmore as Crespel by Gwen Juarez Turner

3) George Williams, a local favorite, took on  four roles of various servants and sang them lyrically in his bright tenor with a real feel for comedy

                                                                                                    photo of Williams as Franz by Gwen Juarez Turner

Other local singers performed various cameo parts adequately and the chorus showed once more their secure knowledge of the music - Michael Moses' baritone stood out pleasantly at times.