Best Dope in Town

Best Dope in Town Ricardo Borelli's solo show. At the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles.

The Barber of Seville Los Angeles Opera presents Rossini comic opera. At the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles Music Center. Through 22 Feb. 2003

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, at the Music Center until February 23, is a bit of a puzzler. If you look at the cover of the opera's program you will see these splashy Spanish yellows and reds and oranges, all very festival and full of light. The the curtain goes up on Mauro Pagano's set, and it looks like Eastern Europe from the 1950s: grey, held in by prison bars, with characters dressed in black, white and grey as well. It is very had to get laughs in grey, let me tell. Now, not to speak ill of the dead, Mr. Pagano passed away in 1988 (which tells you how this revival must be) but couldn't some one have gotten out the spray paint? Re-thinking light operas for their socialist realism was all the rage in Europe in the 80's but, I think we're past that now. Michael Hampe's direction doesn't help. His staging teeters uncomfortable between occaisonal bits of schtick and determined realism. Gabriele Ferro doesn't help in the pit, either. His conducting always strikes me as too loose and unfocused for a house the size of the Music Center. Still, the singers manage to rise above it all. Vladimir Chernov is a slippery-smooth barber, getting in and out of jams; John Osborne is the fun-loving yet dashing Count Almaviva; and Carmer Oprisano (while given over to mugging a bit too much) is the happless Rosina who waits for the boys to rescue her from her lecherous old ward, Dr. Bartolo (played with Zero Mostel-like aplomb by Bruno Pola). (There will be an alternate cast later in the run).

BARBER OF SEVILLE should be, and could have been, a light hearted romp. Instead, it merely trips along.