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Updated Tuesday, November 10, 2009 10:32 am TWN, By Mike Silverman, AP

NYC Opera revives 'Esther,' and itself

A top-flight cast helps put this uncompromising work across with conviction. Lauren Flanigan repeated her portrayal of Esther from the premiere, displaying a powerful voice filled with passion and sincerity, marred only by an occasional wobble in her highest notes. Mezzo-soprano Beth Clayton made the most of Vashti's two scenes, singing with intensity and allure. In twin debuts, tenor Roy Cornelius Smith as Haman and mezzo Margaret Thompson as Zeresh created characters memorable for their wicked glee. Two baritones rounded out the lead roles: James Maddalena as a dignified, anguished Mordecai and Stephen Kechulius as a lovesick Xerxes.

George Manahan conducted the orchestra, and the production, using evocative flat sets to speed the scene changes, was directed by Christopher Mattaliano.

By choosing “Esther” to open the season (following a gala concert Thursday night), the company's new director, George Steel, was making a statement about continuing its legacy as a home for modern American opera. NYCO sits on the same Lincoln Center plaza as the Metropolitan Opera and has long been overshadowed musically and financially by the larger company.

When renovations to the New York State Theater (now renamed the David H. Koch Theater in honor of its biggest donor) forced cancellation of the entire 2008-09 season, the company's future looked uncertain. It started looking worse than that when the economy melted down and a newly named director, Gerard Mortier, quit before he even arrived.

But now it's back, in a handsome new auditorium with an enlarged orchestra pit, comfortable new seats with additional aisles, and the removal of the sound enhancement system that had been installed to address the poor acoustics. Based on opening night, the singers and orchestra are clearly audible, if not with the warmth of a house like the Met.

Though there were empty seats, the performance was well-attended, and the company said it had added a fifth performance because of ticket demand. “Esther” runs through Nov. 19, and the company will also be performing Mozart's “Don Giovanni” this month. In the spring, the abbreviated season continues with Handel's “Partenope,” Chabrier's “L'Etoile” and, yes, “Madama Butterfly.”

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In this Nov. 2 photo released by the New York City Opera, Stephen Kechulius is Xerxes and Lauren Flanigan is Esther during a dress rehearsal of “Esther,” at the David H. Koch ...

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