(Photo credit: Charles Gilmore)

Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center’s 2024 Summer Festival production of Puccini’s “La bohème” embodied the brilliance of the opera company tucked away in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.

Vocal Highlights

The charming nature of this production was evident from the start as Emesh Wijewardena who sang Rodolfo, and Charles Daniel as Marcello exhibited an ease that set the standard for the remainder of the opera. This chemistry built as more characters such as Yucheng Jin in the role of Schaunard, and Colline sung by Brian Wacker joined. Together their voices were pleasing, providing the right amount of hardiness and spirit.

The energy rose with the arrival of Jovanni Ferrer in the role of Benoît (and Alcindoro), who exemplified the many skills needed to become a successful opera singer. Ferrer’s vocal and acting expertise were on full display in the role of Benoît. Unique character choices including Benoît having a lisp, worked well in the Act one scene. Ferrer managed to keep his Italian diction intelligible and vocally pleasing. This matched with frantic movements and comical facial expressions made Ferrer stand out as a highly skilled performer.

The scene changed and the stage grew quiet as if to spotlight Wijewardena’s focused and buttery tone heard in “Che gelida manina.” Maia Aramburú’s voice as Mimì had a sweet and sparkling timbre. However, at the end of “Si mi chiamano Mimì,” there was a major change as Aramaburú moved upstage reaching the peak of the aria, her sound shifted forward creating a rich and expansive resonance that showed what her instrument is fully capable of.

Alexandra Kzeski intoxicated the audience with her larger-than-life voice and flawless stage presence in the role of Musetta. She held nothing back when it came to showing off her lovely vibrato and impressive dynamic range. She leaned into the layers of the character and successfully showed the audience Musetta’s cheeky side along with her compassion for her friend Mimì in the final scene.

A Good Problem to Have

On the surface, the auditorium at the Brevard Music Center is fitting for the quaint mountain town, but this high level of performance exceeded the capacity of these four walls. The critique is in no way intended to downcast the facility but is to express and emphasize the extraordinary degree of artistry housed within Brevard Music Center’s Summer Institute and Festival.

Conductor Steven White was successful in highlighting the orchestral and vocal nuances in Puccini’s luscious score. However, at times the power in these glorious sounds were overwhelming, which was due to the physicality of the space, marking the need for a larger performance venue. The mammoth sound peaked in Act two. The chorus, directed by Emily Urbanek, put the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to shame with the encapsulating roar that filled the hall. The ensemble exuded the lively spirit of the French Quarter and Café Momus throughout the act.

Stage director Dean Anthony’s aptitude for crafting complex scenes and exquisite instruction was evident. Each scene and character was deeply explored which resulted in an excellent execution by the performers. But, the same sentiment regarding the mismatched size of the space and the powerhouse performance remains true. This is not to say anyone was ‘over-acting,’ their talent simply could not be hidden.

The Next Generation of Performers

A uniting factor in this production was that even the smallest of roles were taken seriously. The ensemble and supporting characters gave 100%, which heightened the authenticity of this performance. There was a natural feeling throughout Act two that worked extremely well in the main scene between Musetta and Marcello. Here, ensemble members created their own scenes that depicted the familiar environment of watching drama unfold in a public space. There were “people-watchers,” couples who could care less about anything going on around them, along with people drinking and dancing. While this may seem unimportant to the plot, it’s the details that make staged performances so magical. These small roles also provide the singers of tomorrow the chance to hone their skills.

There are many ways one measures the quality of live performance, this of course includes technical components, musicality, and believable acting, but when one becomes lost in the piece and has to remind themselves to listen with a keen ear, they know that the artists have truly done their job. I experienced this feeling several times throughout this masterful performance.

While I was unable to attend the festival’s first opera production, Jonathan Dove’s “Flight,” I am eagerly awaiting the upcoming production of Kurt Weill’s “The Threepenny Opera.”