Male Slut

[Opera] Last weekend saw Utah Opera's season draw to a close with Don Giovanni. Despite a lackluster performance from Christopher Schaldenbrand as the male-whore of the title, there was much pleasure to be found in the show. Along with a muted grey-green color scheme and sets that gave both space and a certain claustrophobic limitation to the rampant sexual ego of the at best ambiguous hero, the drive of the piece was much helped by Mark Schnaible's witty man servant Leporello and Susana Phillips as Donna Anna, determined to bring Giovanni, who raped her at the beginning of the opera, to some kind of justice. That Schaldenbrand was oddly hollow in a role that demanded cool charisma and wolf-like charm threatened at times to undo the piece. But the overall quality of the production held sway.
Inevitably with a story about freedom, morality and sexual desire, it was tempting during the intermission to ponder how Don Giovanni was being digested by the local audience, as ever decked out in their curious idea of what one should wear to the opera circa 1956. Whatever the reasons for the muted final applause, the true glory of Utah Opera is that it continues to mount intelligent, gorgeous productions that help make life in Salt Lake City just a little more bearable. (Stephen Dark)