LoftOpera has managed to create a very unique opera recipe. It has blended intimacy and subtlety with world-class voices, and what has resulted is one of the best performances I have seen in recent years. Loft's Don Giovanni, by Mozart, is located in a loft apartment/warehouse in Brooklyn, the performance hall a large room beset by wooden pillars and following an ergonomic use of space. Needless to say, I kept thinking throughout the night how this could only happen in New York City. I'm sure I'm mistaken. 

This is all to say that a specific atmosphere was immediately instilled within the audience's entering of the space. Simple white benches, Brooklyn-brewed beer, and a jovial and enthusiastic audience (young too, rare for opera) set the stage for a memorable experience.

The cast of the opera was helmed by Suchan Kim as Don Giovanni and Pnini Grubner as Leporello, an incomparable duo of immense talent. Kirsten Scott performed as an exquisite Zerlina and Paul Han as a moving and elegant Don Ottavio. These four singers are current students at the Mannes College of Music, and the quality of that institution was made easily apparent yesterday. Evidently, there is great bias in what I say, but it is only to show how proud I am of being able to work alongside these brilliant artists.

Savannah Bisset's powerful timbre carried the role of Donna Anna, whilst Andrea Reichenbach sang an honest and solemn Donna Elvira. Daniel Ellis-Ferris was Masetto and Steven Fredericks the Commendatore.

What resulted was an immensely engrossing experience, equal in parts of comedy and tragedy, due to the great versatility in acting that each performer displayed, as well as their considerable vocal talent. The audience could barely keep up with itself, laughing, gasping, cheering, holding their breath, staying silent. Part of the success of Loft's production was indeed the audience it attracted, who provided a great deal of enthusiasm in response to such a pleasant and palpable experience.

Kim played a chillingly brilliant Don Giovanni, making excellent use of his great versatility as an actor and the gorgeous timbre and power that I have come to expect from his baritone voice. I was not surprised to see him fill the role so perfectly, having seen him perform in Mannes College's production of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, as the terrifying Tarquinius. Last Thursday night, I caught myself staring several times, mouth agape, completely absorbed by his portrayal and performance. I too seemed taken in by the irresistible seduction of the character, and so did the rest of the audience.

Grubner became the perfect foil to Kim's Don Giovanni. The role of Leporello is one my favorite in opera, and Grubner's interpretation was infinitely watchable. He brought great subtlety to the comical nature of the character, especially through his astounding voice, a bass with warm depth and striking brilliance. 

Against this duo, Bisset's Donna Anna was commanding and tragic, displaying a powerful soprano with great presence. Han's Don Ottavio was excellent, especially considering how little time he had to put the role together. Scott's Zerlina was a favorite of mine. She was a pleasure to watch, gliding effortlessly through the role dramatically and vocally, and playing well off of Ellis-Ferris' naive Masetto. 

It was in fact this general comfort and agility the singers displayed that served to make this production so pleasant. To have an audience so up close and personal might have back-fired in some other context; at Loft, it was the crux of the experience. 

The production itself seemed crafted to make the best out of the space. Staging was fluid and organic, acting and singing from different places in the space, with some singers interacting directly with the crowd - Don Giovanni sang his love ballad directly to an audience member. The minimal set design made sure that the story was primarily driven by the singers' acting - a good thing in this case -, with subtle artistic touches filling the gaps. 

A friend of mine kept repeating to me that this was the future of opera. Not some highly profitable venture, not the met-sized productions, but the pinnacle of emotional experience, a near-perfect mix of intimacy and inclusion, leaving space for subtlety and grand gestures. And with stellar voices, of course.

Don Giovanni at Loft Opera has two more performances, one tonight and one tomorrow, both at 8pm (music starts at 9pm, but the ambiance is worth it). I strongly urge you to see it, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.