Chesapeake Concert Opera's potion for fun

Luke Grooms as Nemorino.  Photo Credit: Jacqui South

With the colapse of the Baltimore Opera last year, a new organization has emerged to give young, local vocal artists an opportunity to sing in leading roles.

According to Opera America, the Chesapeake Concert Opera recently presented the 20th most-performed opera in North America, Donizetti's drama giocoso, "L'elisir d'amore" (The Elixir of Love).

With love and a potion for fun, the CCO's formula is simple; one part piano, one part narrator, and 5 doses of blossoming voices.

One of those blossoming voices, tenor Luke Grooms is the simple peasant Nemorino who is in love with Adina.   When upon receiving the love potion from the traveling medicine man named Dulcamara, charismatically played by Andrew Adelsberger,  Mr. Grooms was fun to watch as he passionately held the bottle close to his heart and then raised the bottle to his lips and kissed it believing his dreams of marriage with Adina were about to come true.

The highlight of the evening was in Act II with Luke Groom's interpretation of "Una furtiva lagrima" (A furtive tear). This is the point in the story when he finds that the love potion he bought to win the heart of Adina actually works.  With rich crecendos that brought out the glory of Donizetti's masterpiece, it is no wonder why this moment provided the loudest audience applause of the evening. He is now on tour with Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" as Piangi.

A hicup in the CCO's potion may be that there is no leader, like a director or conductor. This lack of leadership caused basic problems with the production that could have easily been corrected.  The performance took place at a church which caused an obstructed view for audience members when the villagers sat down on the floor in the first act.

The singers characters and movements could have also used direction.  Jessica Lennick as Adina, a beautiful and wealthy young landowner, used large hand movements to help covey her emotions.  Trouble is, her hand movements were so large that it was as if she was performing in a large opera house, rather than in a small church.

Sarah Walston as Adina's friend was often vocally overpowered when singing together with other cast members, leaving her pretty voice lost in the mix.  Ms. Walston, like all of the leads, has had extensive vocal training, including a Master of Music degree and Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory.

With all the hicups, the CCO still had a nice showcase of talent.  Thin in stature, but big in voice, Douglas Peters as Belcore, the sergeant who is in love with himself, demonstrated a baritone voice that was rich and meaty with good vocal resonance.  Mr. Peters is a product of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in music education.  Doug was the first prize winner in both the Baltimore and Friday Morning Music Clubs voice competitions for 2008.

Soprano, Jessica Lennick is a complete package, including a terrific smile and stage presence to go along with her pleasing voice.  Besides singing the classics, Ms. Lennick specializes in performing new music.  Recently, she premiered the role of Patrick Leahy in Melissa Dunphy's "The Gonzales Cantata" at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival where it received attention from the Rachel Maddow Show and Fox News. 

Up next for the Chesapeake Concert Opera is Verdi's "La Traviata" which plays March 26 & 27 at 7:30PM at the Memorial Episcopal Church in Bolton Hill.  For more information about CCO, call 618-444-3183 or visit www.chesapeakeconcertopera.org.

CAST:  Jessica Lennick, Sarah Walston, Luke Grooms, Douglas Peters, Andrew Adelsberger
PIANO:  Tessa Hartle
NARRATOR:  Beth Stewart
VILLAGERS: Rachel Goldenberg, Alexis Tantau, John Stoneham, Brendan Sliger, Justin T. Wilson 

Mark Beachy
Performing Arts Reporter
Baltimore Examiner
beachyreporter@yahoo.com