Utah Opera's Zorro

Last night I went to see Utah Opera's production of Zorro and I absolutely loved it!  The Spanish nobleman Diego de la Vega (Cesar Delgado) trains in secret to become a master swordsman at the mountain fortress of the Order of Zazueta in Spain.  After he passes his final test, his master Zazueta (Stephen Pace) carves the letter "Z" into his upper arm and sends him home to fulfill his destiny.  He returns to Spanish California and discovers that the peasants and mestizo Indians are suffering under the cruel and corrupt mayor, General Octavio Rivera y Moncada (Octavio Moreno).  He also returns home to two women who love him, the noblewoman Carlota de Obragon (Stephanie Sanchez) and the peasant Ana Maria Soza (Zulimar Lopez-Hernandez).  He is forced to choose between his noble lineage and his duty to the poor and oppressed and ultimately declares his love for Ana Maria and dons a black mask, cape, and hat to become the vigilante Zorro.  He clashes with Moncada's soldiers to rescue those unjustly imprisoned and leaves his signature "Z" at the scene of his exploits.  When Ana Maria is targeted, Carlota warns her but is killed by Moncada as a result.  He captures Ana Maria, falsely accuses her of Carlota's murder, and sentences her to the firing squad.  Meanwhile, Moncada's ambitious soldier Jose Maria Gomez (Armando Contreras) has fallen in love with the peasant Luisa (Arianna Rodriguez) so he refuses Moncada's order to execute Ana Maria.  A group of peasants overwhelm the soldiers (one of them uses her shoe) and Zorro challenges Moncada to an epic duel to the death.  This features lots of exciting action and swashbuckling adventure with an important message about taking action against tyranny (which is all too relevant) but it is also a moving love story with a lush score incorporating Hispanic and Mexican musical elements (I especially loved the Spanish guitar).  My favorite moment came in the second act with the duet "Abrazame" as Diego and Ana Maria declare their love for each other because it is so romantic and Delgado and Lopez-Hernandez sing it beautifully with voices that match each other in tone perfectly (I had goosebumps).  Delgado does a great job differentiating the two characters (his first appearance as Zorro is spectacular) and Lopez-Hernandez is passionate as the firebrand revolutionary.  Sanchez has a poignant moment when Carlota tells Ana Maria that she is helping her because she still loves Diego and wants him to be happy while Moreno's deep baritone is incredibly menacing as Mancada pursues Carlota.  Another highlight is when the four of them sing a quartet at the end of the first act in which they express their desires.  Both Contreras and Rodriguez bring a lot of playful energy and the chorus is very moving in "Ahi Viene la Madrugada" as the peasants lament their oppression.  The fight choreography is thrilling and I was very impressed by the lively flamenco dancing (Katie Sheen-Abbott) at the masquerade ball.  I loved the colorful costumes worn by the peasants, the rich fabrics used for the nobility, and the authentic colonial uniforms worn by the soldiers.  The set is very minimal, with adobe walls and rough-hewn timbers that become different locations with the addition of simple pieces, but captures the time and place very effectively.  I also loved the dramatic projection of the "Z," one line at a time, during key moments.  I was not familiar with this opera but it is now one of my favorite Utah Opera productions!  I highly encourage everyone to get a ticket for one of the three remaining performances (go here).

Note:  The singing alternates between English and Spanish and the supertitles are in both languages.