Magnificent ‘Rigoletto’ proves Nickel City Opera is for real  By Mary Kunz Goldman   Published:June 27 2010, 6:44 AM   Nickel City Opera, Buffalo’s new opera company, has upped the ante for its second production, Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The tragic tale of a jester bent on revenge could not be more different from Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” which we saw last year. And the NCO pulled it off. John Packard sang his heart out as Rigoletto, drawing in the audience with his pathos and his power. Heather Buck, as Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, dazzled the audience with her bell-like high notes, and she shared good chemistry with strong-voiced tenor Eric Fennell, who made a terrific, rakish Duke of Mantua. You get to see NCO director Valerian Ruminski himself, too. As the assassin Sparafucile, he looks as if he walked in off the set of “Boris Godunov,” with long, lank black hair and an indifferent, oafish expression. He takes chances. You have to love him. Friday’s opening night production had only a few glitches. There were several long waits between scenes (the 8 p. m. show did not let out until close to midnight). In a hilarious North Tonawanda situation, a live band began booming at a bar down the block and you would have thought it was in the same room with us, it was that loud. Someone must have rushed over and pleaded with the rockers (“Guys, we’re doing an opera next door . . .”) because it was silent after 10 minutes or so. It is high praise for the production that it triumphed and remained taut and gripping. Ruminski scores points for not trying to do anything pretentious. He and his colleagues give you the story straight, with just enough humor to keep it human. The scenery is traditional, the Renaissance costumes sumptuous. The Eastern Festival Symphony Orchestra, led by Zachary Kampler, was effective from the word go — that is, from the first rich, tense trumpet tones that set the stage for the action to come. The group was resonant and confident. Packard was last year’s Figaro, and even the jester costume and the fake nose cannot hide that he is a handsome man. That makes sense — there ought to be more to Rigoletto than meets the eye. His flexible, strong baritone brought out the beauty of Verdi’s writing. The audience felt for his character. Fennell filled out what could have been a cardboard part with humanity and lent even the chilling “La donna e mobile” a certain allure. You could see why Gilda could not resist him, and you sensed that the womanizing Duke could have reformed, if the stars had lined up differently. He and Buck sang beautifully together, with intensity and passion. In their cadenza-like passages, they sounded free but together — a tough thing to pull off. Quinn Patrick’s creamy voice made Maddalena, the Duke’s next flirtation, worth watching and hearing. As a whole, the cast looked good and worked together well. Belly dancers from a local company added color to Act I. Little touches like this matter. Speaking of which, Ruminski — besides grabbing attention with that scene-stealing bass voice—has the gift of look-at-me. You always want to watch him when he’s on stage. One moment when he picked his teeth was priceless. In deference to the historic Riviera he prefaced the opera with a grainy film of himself introducing “Rigoletto.” “Relax and enjoy an evening of opera,” he told us. I think everyone did. NCO’s “Rigoletto” repeats today at 2:30 p. m. Opera Review Nickel City Opera Performance of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Friday evening and 2:30 p. m. today at the Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda. Tickets are $20 to $50. Call 692-2413     ‘Barber’ Deserving of Accolades    By Mary Kunz Goldman- Buffalo News June 28th, 2009   NEWS CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC   Want some popcorn with your opera? You can have it at the Riviera Theatre, where the new Nickel City Opera is in residence this weekend doing a bang-up job with Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.”   With so much good news surrounding the company’s first production, knowing where to begin is difficult. Friday’s performance of the slapstick opera by Gioachino Rossini featured tremendous voices, fine comic timing, lovely sets, sumptuous 18th century costumes and a competent orchestra. It topped the opera productions I have seen at the Chautauqua Institution. That was how good it was.   Earthy humor abounded. Directed by University at Buffalo graduate David MacAdam, the opera is being presented mostly in English, with a couple of arias in the original Italian. The words fit the music well, and the jokes were nonstop. This “Barber” had a youthful, populist feel, probably the way it did when Rossini wrote it.   From the beginning, you got the idea that the opera was in good hands. Benjamin Brecher, as the Count Almaviva, radiated the appropriate confidence. He navigated the twists and curlicues of the Count’s lines with clarity and panache.   This is high praise, but John Packard was the best Figaro I have ever seen, and others said the same thing. His singing is lusty, on the mark and marvelously expressive. He even does his own guitar playing, accompanying the count’s serenade.   As Rosina, Nadia Petrella is world class — beautiful and funny. Her high notes were clear as bells, her demanding lines dazzling. Even in the face of the treacherous “Una voce poco fa,” she projected humor and ease. That’s the crowning challenge of Rossini — you not only have to pull off challenging vocal derring-do, but you have to enjoy it.   A special bravo to Christopher Mallory, who made Don Bartolo a delight to watch and to hear. Making a bad-guy role consistently entertaining is challenging. Your eyes were always drawn to him.   Valerian Ruminski brought his usual vocal power and off-the-wall comedy to the role of Don Basilio.   Rosemaria Serrano was a fine Berta, and Brian Cheveries and Kendrew Heriveaux also distinguished themselves. The balance was good, and the ensemble work sparkled. One crowd scene involving a police force got as hilarious as a Marx Brothers movie. In a superb comic touch, one figure on stage slept all through it, his walking stick by his side. That is the kind of production this is. Nothing is neglected.   The Eastern Festival Symphony Orchestra, led by Zachary Israel Nobile Kampler, played well, especially considering it is a student orchestra. The violins’ pizzicato, the horns’ touches of color — it all admirably followed the breathless action on stage.   Finally, the Riviera itself was a star. It is a great place for opera, not too big or too small. The acoustics were good. A few members of OperaBuffs, who were out in force, pointed out that it reminded them of elegant European opera houses.   Opera Review   “The Barber of Seville” Presented by Nickel City Opera, Friday night in the Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda. Another performance at 2:30 p. m. today. For more information, call 692-2413 or visit www.rivieratheatre.org.