La Traviata

La Traviata
Central City Opera
Central City, CO
July 11 - August 9, 2015

I should begin by saying that I attended the Central City Opera’s production of La Traviata as part of the Take a Child to the Opera event.  It was a well-planned day of activities cultivating the children’s interest in opera and theater, but also featured history lessons about Central City. The added activities also included a craft table and time set aside to watch the ushers sing their famous song before opening the theater for seating. It was a fun day without being overwhelming and it made the long drive from the Denver area seem more worthwhile.

Since this was a special family-friendly production, we did not see the actors who have been playing the roles throughout the festival. These were the young artists. However, the sets and costumes from the regular production were used. The opera was sung in the original Italian with the translation on a small screen on the proscenium. That helped everyone keep up with the story.

The transition to the young artists wasn’t entirely smooth. Alfredo’s voice was not as clear and strong as we are used to in a leading man and Georges was clearly too young for the part he was playing. But their parts were well-acted and enjoyable. The chorus was strong and polished. By far, the brightest light was on their Violetta who performed the role flawlessly. She took control of the music and her presence was felt in every scene.

The production of La Traviata as a whole left little to be desired. The transformation for scene to scene was complete and the few furniture pieces were enough to indicate the surroundings. The transformation of the party scene in Act 2, scene 2 from a festive party to a somber almost funerary feel was stunning, setting the scene for the tragic end. And the bright light that engulfed Violetta at the end put the scene into focus and added a starkness to her death.

After the opera, the young artists arrived in the courtyard for meet and greets with the children. The event put a friendly end on the day’s activities. Central City Opera offers the Take A Child event every year and I am already looking forward to next summer!