Love potion off the vine

When I was at the formidable age of 12, I yearned to be an opera singer.

My ability to do vibrato when classmates could not master the technique was only evidence of my child-prodigy status. So I showed off my skills as much as possible, vibrating those vocal chords during chores, in the shower and while being chauffeured around by my parents. Yet, it never occurred to me that I needed to hit actual notes or that I should take some sort of singing lessons. But it did occur to my parents who, even today, cringe when I mention the word “opera.”

Luckily, there were those with dreams of opera grandeur who actually took lessons—and those people became professional opera singers, like the ones who will perform in Sacramento Opera’s The Elixir of Love.

This production is set in small Northern California wine country town after World War II. It’s the story of a bashful and naive farm laborer, Nemorino (played by Dinyar Vania), who falls in love with the boss’s daughter, Adina (Katrina Thurman). His efforts at love are thwarted by Sgt. Belcore (David Small), who all but kicks sand in Nemorino’s face as he sweeps Adina off her feet. So Nemorino seeks help from Dr. Dulcamara (Igor Vieria), a “snake oil” salesman who hawks a variety of medicines, potions and elixirs guaranteed to cure everything from impotence to the infirmities of old age. His “cure” to help Nemorino in the love department: cheap wine.

The opera is sung in Italian with projected English supertitles and features the Sacramento Opera Chorus and Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.