Young operatic talent shines in Palm Beach Opera showcase

WEST PALM BEACH — The Palm Beach Opera hosted its second annual Resident Artist Showcase on Saturday night at its new and fully operational home base for production and administration, the Cornelia T. Bailey Opera Center in West Palm Beach.

Board Chair David Genser gave a rousing introduction, noting that the Young Artist Program receives more than 1,000 applicants yearly, and only 14 are accepted into the program. There are five Benenson Young Artists this year, and nine Bailey Apprentice Artists; one of them is a pianist.

Director Paul Curran was the master of ceremonies for the evening, in his second year with the program. Curran explained that the Young Artist Program is a training program and that these artists are students or emerging artists gaining experience in roles and scenes that they have not previously studied or performed. The result was just as Curran described it: A delightful evening of clear dramaturgy and exploration with young talent.

Jacob O’Shea was a powerful baritone voice as “Figaro” in a quintessential scene from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Soprano Maggie Kinabrew, as Susannah, tried everything she could to get Figaro’s attention on the eve of their wedding. Soprano Ashlyn Brown and tenor Garrett Evers showed skill and endurance in a demanding scene from Berlioz’s “Béatrice et Bénédict.” Brown and Evers handled this challenging assignment with good syntactic skills in the French language and blended beautifully in the lyrical sections.

Mezzo-soprano Cloe SanAntonio and baritone David Wolfe both had intentional vocal technique and excellent diction in a scene from Donizetti’s “Robert Devereux.” Wolfe expertly sailed through the difficult bel canto runs and was a dominating presence on stage. It was tremendous fun to see a baritone in his element during a “rage scene.” SanAntonio had a beautiful sound and solid vocal projection to match any current young talent on the Metropolitan Opera stage.

Puccini’s “La Bohème” is always a delight to witness with a young artist cast. Baritone Edward Thomas Bland performed as Marcello in this scene, with his signature warm sound that is perfect for this role. Evers, as Rodolfo, was able to show off his vocal prowess with several high notes. Evers has a lovely, balanced voice with a dark quality that we do not often hear in modern tenors.

After the intermission, the Young Artists returned with a scene from Rossini’s “La Cenerentola.” Tenor Ajit Persaud and mezzo-soprano Ori Marcu demonstrated well-cultivated acting skills and comedic timing for a complex scene with several props, many of them thrown or smashed as part of the scene. In a scene from Strauss’ “Arabella,” soprano Alexis Seminario shone as a powerful, young, dramatic voice in a perfect role for her instrument. Persaud showcased his seamless technique with a tireless voice as the Duke of Mantua in a scene from Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” As in previous scenes, there was much smashing and destruction of props, but Persaud was magnetic in the scene and always spot-on in character.

Saving the most powerful for last, the Young Artists presented ­­a scene from Dvorak’s “Rusalka.” Tenor Devin Eatmon, with a formant as clear as a bell, is destined for prominent dramatic roles in his future. With a voice that cut to the parking lot outside the building, Eatmon’s acting was effusive and heartfelt, demonstrating that he can communicate a character on the largest stages in the world.

Soprano Maria Vasilevskaya was angelic as Rusalka, moving as a phantom across the stage. Her voice had a sweet and clear tone that contrasted beautifully with Eatmon’s tortured character, the prince. This scene was grueling to perform in a workshop setting, but Vasilevskaya and Eatmon handled their duet with aplomb in a mainstage-ready performance.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Showcase of young singers delights at Palm Beach Opera