The Critics on "The Ballad of Baby Doe"

Winter Opera Saint Louis' production of The Ballad of Baby Doe was met with critical acclaim over the weekend. Here's a sample of what Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX, Sarah Bryan Miller of the Post-Dispatch, and Gerry Kowarsky of Two on the Aisle had to say:

Chuck Lavazzi:

"[Gina Galati] was at her best in Baby Doe’s more lyrical moments and her final aria, “Always Through the Changing,” was very affecting...Baritone Adelmo Guidarelli was a first-rate Horace Tabor...Lindsey Anderson, who was such a fine Katisha in Winter Opera’s “Mikado” last year, turned out yet another outstanding performance as Augusta Tabor...a nicely nuanced portrayal...Winter Opera is a welcome presence on the local music scene, and I hope they continue to prosper and take on risky projects as well as the more mainstream stuff."

Sarah Bryan Miller:

"Lindsey Anderson was the most impressive in dramatic terms, imbuing Augusta with a rock-ribbed New England righteousness that had neither room nor sympathy for weakness, and singing with a dark tone entirely appropriate for the character...Gina Galati displayed a sweet, clear voice with well-placed high notes, and captured the essence of Baby...Adelmo Guidarelli’s Horace has a fine voice, but he was strongest in the acting department, the ex-miner’s earthiness peering out from behind the magnate’s frock coat...[B]ass-baritone Mark Freiman’s William Jennings Bryan and tenors Jon Garrett and Philip Touchette were standouts...Mezzo Sara Gottman is young (and slender) for Mama McCourt, but she did a fine job as Baby’s gaffe-prone mother."

Gerry Kowarsky:

"Adelmo Guidarelli projected the power of the self-made man in his heyday, the tenderness of his love for Baby Doe and the horror of his visions of the future after his downfall...Lindsey Anderson was a formidable presence as the spurned wife Augusta. The strength of Anderson's voice underlined the character's steely sense of purpose...The sweetness of Gina Galati's voice was a fine match for the arias in which Baby Doe expresses her devotion to Horace...The orchestra played well and in balance with the singers under Steven Jarvi's direction...David Carl Toulson's stage direction kept the action moving well on a utilitarian set design by Scott Loebl...A fine effort all around."

Winter Opera St. Louis' production has concluded, but their season continues this March with a production of Puccini's Tosca starring Metropolitan Opera Soprano Stella Zambalis on March 8th & 10th. Visit winteroperastl.org for more information.