Photograph by Kelly & Massa

2015

La Traviata

Opera Philadelphia
Captured live at The Academy of Music
Screened for thousands at Independence Mall

Land of the Free.

Home of the Bravo!

The good folks at Opera Philadelphia were not exaggerating about this opera! This was one of those magic operas that our crew just loves to capture. Everyone was on their game on stage and behind the scenes. The Pope was even in Philadelphia during this time.

Stage Director, Paul Curran
Conductor, Corrado Rovaris

Review by Brian Buttler, Philadelphia Magazine's TICKET

Lisette Oropesa brings so much gusto, so much soul to her Violetta, that it is sort of a miracle that the entire stage doesn’t blow up at the end of the three-hour show. Yes, she’s that good, and I’ve never seen an Opera Philadelphia audience react with such fervor to a performer in recent memory.

The deal seemed to be sealed once Ms. Oropesa hit her signature Act 1 aria, "Sempre Libera." The audience loved her, but her performance grew in intensity as the night went along. Come the final scene, when our diva dies (surprise, surprise: it's a dramatic Verdi opera, people), the audience just went absolutely crazy. Part of Ms. Oropesa's appeal is that, besides being a gorgeous singer, she is a fine and smart actress. The earthy vulnerability she brought to Violetta was a truly intelligent element of her performance.