Shoestring Opera’s Grand Exit
Amato Opera's Final Bow
Out on the sidewalk in front of the Amato Opera Theater on Sunday afternoon patrons squinted in the sunlight, some apparently greeting friends they had not seen in some time. Inside, you sensed that nearly all the operagoers knew one another. A woman minding the ticket counter discreetly blotted her watering eyes with a tissue. Seasonal allergies, she said.
Multimedia Richard Termine for The New York Times "The Marriage of Figaro": Anthony Amato, center, artistic director of Amato Opera Theater, and the cast took their final bows after performing this Mozart opera on Sunday.
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Amato Opera’s Final Bow
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Tears were to be expected; an era was ending, and everyone knew it. The Amato Opera, a feisty local troupe founded by Anthony and Sally Amato in 1948, was calling it a day with a final performance of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro.” After Mrs. Amato died in 2000, Mr. Amato carried on the company’s work with the help of his niece, Irene Frydel Kim. But in January he announced that he was closing the opera and selling the building at 319 Bowery, the company’s home since 1962. At 88 Mr. Amato has earned a comfortable retirement. But he does not intend to disappear, having announced plans to organize a foundation to provide scholarships for young opera conductors, directors and performers. “Give us six months, and you’ll be hearing from us,” he said in a brief statement from the stage between the second and third acts. Greeted with a roar, Mr. Amato thanked the company’s patrons, volunteers, staff “and my dear Sally.”
By then he had already spent a few busy hours in the pit, conducting a tiny ensemble consisting of an electric keyboard and a clutch of winds. During instrumental passages you could hear Mr. Amato singing along; if you were close enough, you also saw him mouthing each line of the witty English translation. A resourceful leader, he marshaled a buoyant performance from his players.
The same could be said for his management of a cast that varied widely in ability. Mark Freiman was a Figaro strong in every sense: a solid singer, a capable actor and a genuinely funny comedian. Trudy Wodinsky sang skillfully as a playful, crafty Susanna. Joseph Pariso brought a robust voice and fitting pomp to the role of the Count. Maria Freeman was a Countess of dignified bearing and occasionally inconstant sound. Michelle Halpern, as Cherubino, compensated for a small, tremulous tone with oversize cavorting. Among the smaller roles the most distinguished singing came from Victor Ziccardi, an oily Basilio, and Deborah Dee, a spunky Barbarina. Helen Van Tine was an imperious, rubber-faced Marcellina, a perfect partner to Peter Heiman’s blustering Bartolo. Ensemble passages were well balanced, and the chorus worked with an infectious enthusiasm. At the end the cast was greeted with a loud, long ovation that grew when Mr. Amato came to the stage. Confetti fell and balloons bounced; no one made excuses for damp eyes. As in Mozart the Amato story has a happy ending. Some company members, it was announced last week, plan to carry on as Amore Opera. The name is a fitting tribute: what Mr. Amato created and nurtured for six decades was, above all, an act of love.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: June 4, 2009 A music review on Tuesday about the final performance of the Amato Opera company, using information from the program, misidentified two performers. In cast changes for “The Marriage of Figaro” that were not announced, the role of Marcellina was sung by Helen Van Tine, not Gina Purri, and Bartolo was sung by Peter Heiman, not Eric Kronke.
Multimedia Richard Termine for The New York Times "The Marriage of Figaro": Anthony Amato, center, artistic director of Amato Opera Theater, and the cast took their final bows after performing this Mozart opera on Sunday.
Slide Show
Amato Opera’s Final Bow
Related
Times Topics: Amato Opera
Blog
Tears were to be expected; an era was ending, and everyone knew it. The Amato Opera, a feisty local troupe founded by Anthony and Sally Amato in 1948, was calling it a day with a final performance of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro.” After Mrs. Amato died in 2000, Mr. Amato carried on the company’s work with the help of his niece, Irene Frydel Kim. But in January he announced that he was closing the opera and selling the building at 319 Bowery, the company’s home since 1962. At 88 Mr. Amato has earned a comfortable retirement. But he does not intend to disappear, having announced plans to organize a foundation to provide scholarships for young opera conductors, directors and performers. “Give us six months, and you’ll be hearing from us,” he said in a brief statement from the stage between the second and third acts. Greeted with a roar, Mr. Amato thanked the company’s patrons, volunteers, staff “and my dear Sally.”
By then he had already spent a few busy hours in the pit, conducting a tiny ensemble consisting of an electric keyboard and a clutch of winds. During instrumental passages you could hear Mr. Amato singing along; if you were close enough, you also saw him mouthing each line of the witty English translation. A resourceful leader, he marshaled a buoyant performance from his players.
The same could be said for his management of a cast that varied widely in ability. Mark Freiman was a Figaro strong in every sense: a solid singer, a capable actor and a genuinely funny comedian. Trudy Wodinsky sang skillfully as a playful, crafty Susanna. Joseph Pariso brought a robust voice and fitting pomp to the role of the Count. Maria Freeman was a Countess of dignified bearing and occasionally inconstant sound. Michelle Halpern, as Cherubino, compensated for a small, tremulous tone with oversize cavorting. Among the smaller roles the most distinguished singing came from Victor Ziccardi, an oily Basilio, and Deborah Dee, a spunky Barbarina. Helen Van Tine was an imperious, rubber-faced Marcellina, a perfect partner to Peter Heiman’s blustering Bartolo. Ensemble passages were well balanced, and the chorus worked with an infectious enthusiasm. At the end the cast was greeted with a loud, long ovation that grew when Mr. Amato came to the stage. Confetti fell and balloons bounced; no one made excuses for damp eyes. As in Mozart the Amato story has a happy ending. Some company members, it was announced last week, plan to carry on as Amore Opera. The name is a fitting tribute: what Mr. Amato created and nurtured for six decades was, above all, an act of love.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: June 4, 2009 A music review on Tuesday about the final performance of the Amato Opera company, using information from the program, misidentified two performers. In cast changes for “The Marriage of Figaro” that were not announced, the role of Marcellina was sung by Helen Van Tine, not Gina Purri, and Bartolo was sung by Peter Heiman, not Eric Kronke.
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