Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's "Show Boat" docked at Keller Auditorium Friday night.
It's arguably the Great American Musical, and by the usual checklist, Portland Opera's "Show Boat" arrived shipshape: Ray Roderick's solid stage direction told the story clearly; Hal France's conducting and the orchestra and chorus were strong; the cast of opera singers and Broadway performers, large with no weak link, contributed several notably good individual performances and one great one.
Yet the show disappointed: It often dragged, and it often seemed sedate, lacking punch and depth. And poignancy: Scenes that always jerk tears -- Julie's racially charged exit from the Cotton Blossom, Magnolia's learning that Ravenal has left her -- left me dry-eyed.
Among and perhaps foremost of the reasons are the Keller itself, at least three times the optimal size for "Show Boat," and the choices made of scenes and music from the many options Kern and Hammerstein provided.
Biggest surprise: The orchestra was placed upstage in an 1880s bandstand in three sections with two aisles. Behind the bandstand, projections provided settings. The stage had been extended over the usual pit, bringing the action closer to the viewer. That must have increased the visceral impact for those seated near the front, but it still was lacking from the back of the first balcony.
Best moment: Bass Arthur Woodley as Joe was the sovereign singer. His beautiful, stirring "Ol' Man River" began with understated lyricism and gradually gained force.
Highlights: Gambling Gaylord Ravenal, sometimes a tenor, was here not only a baritone but a dark-timbred one, smooth and tall Liam Bonner. Lindsay Ohse's bright soprano complemented him well as a believable Magnolia who avoided the easy trap of overdoing her naivety. Mezzo-soprano Hannah Penn, soulful in mid-to-low range, was moving in "Bill" and in Julie's alcoholic decline. Allen Nause as Cap'n Andy played out the aborted playlet with virtuosity to justify his "no refunds" declaration. Joe Grandy as Frank Schultz was a skilled dancer and live wire who gave his every scene a jolt.
Most valuable performer: Conductor France held all together in period costume, for he also portrayed the pianist Jake at the Trocadero.
Edition issues: Portland Opera worked from the 1994 Harold Prince version, which uses the original orchestration, banjo and tuba intact, but wasn't made for large opera houses and is dialogue-heavy. Including the gambling scene in Act 1 gave away Pete's game and robbed the miscegenation scene of surprise and power. Instead of the musical panache of the Chicago World's Fair, Act 2 began with four straight talky domestic scenes, diluting "Why Do I Love You?" and draining the convent scene of its best music in the process, before music gained the upper hand and the act finally sprang to life at the Trocadero.
Racial matters: "Colored folks work on de Mississippi" was the opening line, but the N-word was heard elsewhere. With Joe not having a great deal to sing and Woodley so excellent, it's a shame that the only thing that might have been added for him is the stereotype-perpetuating banjo rag "Ah Still Suits Me."
Amplification: Opera fans hate it; opera singers don't need it for singing; Broadway performers need it in a large theater; all need it in a large theater for dialogue to be audible and not hectored. So it was mikes-on, mikes-off all evening, complicated by opera and Broadway performers singing together, and by dialogue supported by an orchestra that might enter the mix -- a threat minimized by use of body mikes, sometimes annoyingly visible. This isn't criticism; it's acknowledging a no-win situation.
Take-away: "Show Boat" is a huge challenge; you can do a thousand things right and still fall short. And 3,000-seat barns are the pits.
-- Mark Mandel for The Oregonian/OregonLive
***
When: 2 p.m. May 3; 7:30 p.m. May 5, 7, 9
Where: Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St.
Tickets: From $25, Portland Opera, 503-241-1803, Ticketmaster, 800-745-3000