'Town' touches hearts again

Music and libretto blend well with Wilder's play

WINSTON-SALEM -- Audiences may have reason to be wary of the surge of contemporary operas bearing the titles of great American plays. But set aside the reservations that Andre Previn's "A Streetcar Named Desire" or William Bolcom's "A View From the Bridge" might have left. Ned Rorem's "Our Town" succeeds.

Thornton Wilder opposed an operatic adaptation of his famous play about the glories of everyday life, and his estate respected his position for a quarter of a century after his death. Then in 2001, poet-librettist J.D. McClatchy convinced Wilder's heirs that he and venerable composer Ned Rorem could do right by the play. In its 2006 premiere at Indiana University, "Our Town" succeeded impressively and made a crowning achievement for the 82-year-old composer.

Rorem's forte, the clarity and intimacy expressed in his art songs, is appropriate for Wilder's story of small-town events. Employing conversational vocal lines with occasional expansions into duet or ensemble, Rorem makes the work seem more like a play than a stereotypical opera. His cyclical, reiterating music embodies daily routine without being dull. The writing is lyrical, with effective dissonances that are never off-putting. Riveting choral sections and atmospheric orchestrations further underscore Rorem's mastery of the form.

For the opera's Southeastern premiere (it opened in Winston-Salem and travels to Raleigh this week), the N.C. School of the Arts' Fletcher Opera Institute has mounted one of the most visually stunning productions in recent memory. Set designer Jayme Mellema's backdrop of constantly changing projections goes from main street photos and vintage wedding portraits to luminous constellation maps and brilliant blue skies.

Norman Coates' lighting design is equally adept at moonlight and dappled sunbeams. Ryan J. Moller's precise turn-of-the-last-century costumes and Tisha M. Tinsman's detailed wigs complete the first-rate stage picture.

McClatchy has simplified the plot, centering the story on the courtship and marriage of George Gibbs and Emily Webb, to whom Rorem gives the bulk of the musical burden. Adam Ulrich and Sara Pardo are absolutely up to their parts, their scenes together charming and emotionally charged. Both understand how to sing Rorem's sometimes quirky lines, and their enunciation is crystal-clear. Both give depth to their characters; Pardo is especially moving in her third act "mad scene" as Emily revisits earlier, happier times.

Others in the cast sing well enough, though many seem stressed by the range Rorem demands and few fully grasp his vocal idiom as well as Ulrich and Pardo. Amy Hartsough shows what total commitment can do for a smaller role, and Stephanie Foley's richly sung Mrs. Gibbs and Nichole Annis' heartily humorous Mrs. Webb are further assets. James Allbritten's sensitive, resilient conducting and Steven LaCosse's clean, confident stage direction are at the core of the production's success.

"Our Town" ultimately succeeds because it passes two important tests: It makes you want to hear it again, and it grabs you by the heart. If you've been scared off by other new operas, this one might change your mind.