CCM's "Don Pasquale" a Delight

Charles (Zach) Owen as Pasquale in Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

If you want to have a good time, don’t miss the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s “Don Pasquale.”

Gaetano Donizetti’s comedic masterpiece opened in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater Thursday night, and it was a fast-moving delight start to finish, with beautiful singing, lively acting and a lovely-to-look-at, period production.

Set in early 19th-century Rome, it’s the story of Ernesto, whose rich uncle Don Pasquale disowns him for refusing to marry the bride of his choice and insisting on his own true love, Norina. To make it worse, Don Pasquale, an elderly bachelor, decides to marry, thereby disinheriting Ernesto and making it impractical for him to marry Norina.

Pasquale’s doctor, the wily Malatesta, hatches a plot to bring the old man around, proffering his own sister – in reality Norina, whom Pasquale does not know. After a fake marriage, Norina, supposedly a sweet young thing fresh from the convent, turns into a wild-spending shrew, making Pasquale want out in any way possible. There is a way (not to give away the ending) and all live happily ever after.

Stage director and artist diploma candidate Omer Ben-Seadia has brought all this vividly to life, and the opening night cast – there are alternating student casts – filled their roles splendidly, both musically and dramatically. Leading in the pit, conductor Mark Gibson kept the music and action seamlessly together.

Scenic designer Tom Umfrid’s set – a floor-to-ceiling cabinet in Pasquale’s house revolves to become Norina’s bedroom and later a garden —goes from subdued browns and violets in Pasquale’s house to a mélange of color in act III, where Norina has done extravagant re-decorating. The same with the costumes: Pasquale’s refined attire becomes a virtual clown suit and his servants sport colorful finery, not to mention Norina in velvet and fur.

Ben-Seadia applied her opera buffa brush generously. Pasquale turns an hourglass over during his act I aria anticipating his new bride. A servant mouths Ernesto’s words. A street musician –onstage trumpeter Nathan Sheppard – gives his coin to the distraught Ernesto in act II, and the opera’s many ensembles were full of hilarious detail.

Bass Charles (Zach) Owen was a lovably arch Pasquale, gifted in voice and gesture, flirting with a housemaid early on and raging at Norina (unsuccessfully) later.

Soprano Summer Hassan displayed a big, lustrous voice, with flexibility to match and the ability to project lightning quick changes of character.

Tenor Alec Carlson’s pure, lyric voice lent itself well to Ernesto’s nobility.

Baritone Conor McDonald’s Malatesta, who along with Owen has the lion’s share of the opera’s difficult, patter arias, played his enabler role with flair.

Highlights were many: Norina’s proudly coquettish aria boasting of her feminine wiles; the acting lesson in which Malatesta and Norina rehearse her role in duping Pasquale; Ernesto’s touching “Povero Ernesto,” in which he bemoans his fate; the “marriage” scene with its abundance of “et ceteras,” and the servants’ chorus where they marvel at the changes in Pasquale’s household.

The opera’s serious moments were well done, too. When Norina slaps Pasquale’s face in act III and the farce grows suddenly dark, the stage lighting was dimmed, too.

Ernesto’s serenade and his duet with Norina in the garden were lovely, with Pasquale’s servants peeking out from behind the trees. The final ensemble brought the company together in a toast to the newly enlightened Pasquale, punctuated by a blast of silver confetti.

• The opera repeats at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday in Patricia Corbett Theater at CCM. Call 513-556-4183 or order online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/donpasquale.