Review Quotations
Fort Worth Opera on the road to resurgence in excellent semi-staged “La bohème”
When hearing the qualifying term “semi-staged,” one fears the worst, especially in the grand setting of previous full productions at Bass Performance Hall. These early fears appeared to be pending when there were only a few chairs, a table, and a pot-bellied stove on the apron of the stage…However, once the opera started, with its opening scene of horse-play by a quartet of boisterous, impecunious, and starving young bohemian artists, all of these reservations were banished. Director Chuck Hudson kept the action interesting and appropriate yet contained to the small stage area allotted. He was aided by a cast that consisted of a bevy of excellent singing actors who completely inhabited their roles—both physically and vocally.
Here, the fully costumed singers move about on a generous portion of the stage (and with more vivid action than we've seen in some stodgier stagings, with overweight stars portraying Puccini's lively youngsters)...Stage director Chuck Hudson, working within the limitations of "semi-staged," presents a lively, efficient version—so much so that we quickly forget it's not a fully staged traditional production.