Lyric Opera gives a nearly perfect performance of 'Gift of the Magi'

The Borgamaria Lyric Opera's production of David Conte's "The Gift of the Magi" was as close to perfect as one can get in community theater — and you can still catch it if you hustle.

The live music and operatic performers were top notch. The costumes and sets were clever. The diverse audience packed the Lee Burrows Center for the Arts in Marysville. Why, even the program was something to remark upon.

"The Gift of the Magi" is an original one-act chamber opera based on O. Henry's famous short story. It is presented in four scenes.

The original music by Conte is set against a libretto by Nicholas Giardini. It premiered at the San Francisco Conservatory in 1997.

This production is directed by Joaquina Johnson, with music provided by her husband, Howard Johnson, on piano.

It is about a penniless young married couple — Della and Jim — each trying to create a Christmas gift for the other on a zero budget. To do it, each gives up something precious to them on that 1903 Christmas Eve.

Thor Campbell's Jim pawns the watch his father gave him for the money to buy some fancy hair combs for Kathryn Donovan Rueb's Della, who has sold her flowing hair for the cash to buy Jim a gold watch chain. Ah, the ironies.

Della's apartment house neighbor, Maggie, played by mezzo soprano Bronwyn Eiserman, refuses to cut Della's hair, while Jim's friend Henry, played by baritone Brant Bordsen, looks askance at Jim's divestiture of the watch.

The early scenes have Della arriving home with a few Christmas ornaments. As she decorates their modest apartment, soprano Rueb sings of her hopes and anxieties in that holiday season.

Tall and attractive, Rueb has a professional caliber voice and is a good actress. Her period piece dress does her justice.

She is soon joined on the stage by bass baritone Campbell, who enters attired in knickers (short pants gathered at the knee), cap and vest.

They hug as they sing of their love and their hopes for the future.

Designer Yvonne Sumner has done a great job with the costumes. The set designed by Linda Elrod, Gary Brown, Jim Jenkins and others is highlighted by a gorgeous Chinese screen, loaned to Borgamaria by Yuba City Florist.

In any event, Jim and Della go their ways to find gifts for each other.

Jim returns home first — him at the top end of a large Christmas tree and his pal, Henry, bringing in the bottom part. It is all so cumbersome and exhausting.

As they recuperate from the task, Jim reveals to Henry how he came by the means to buy Della a gift.

For my money, this is the best scene of this mini-opera, primarily because the male voices are distinct and the lines can be clearly followed, so all the jokes and comments they sing can be made out.

The echo-prone acoustics of this former Christian Science meeting hall put the sopranos at a disadvantage.

Johnson has created a professional quality production here, with the performers delivering equal to anything the San Francisco crowd might do.

I always sit in the back of the room, all the better to observe the audience, who comprise it and how they respond to the performances.

According to Joseph P. Stottmann, there were some 80 attendees — almost a full house. There was a surprising number of young people at the Sunday matinee I attended.

This is a hopeful sign that supporters of Borgamaria Lyric Opera are having some success boosting local performing arts.

The youths ranged in age from maybe 10 to perhaps 18. One young man actually wore a suit and tie to the show.

Sitting in front of me were three 13-year-olds from Anna McKenney Intermediate School: Michael Dudley, Tom Cheng and Justin Ngai.

They followed the plot and the performances closely I could see, so afterwards, I asked them what brought them to the opera. They had won their tickets as scholastic prizes, they explained.

And how did they like the show? It was OK, Ngai said, who seemed to be a little shy and nervous, not having dealt much with theater critics.

I commented to Bordsen how well the singing had come off in the Christmas tree delivery scene.

He seemed more concerned about the condition of the large plastic Christmas tree he and Campbell struggled with.

It was a genuine chore trying to maneuver that prop into the theater and up some steps to the stage, and the wear and tear was beginning to show, Bordsen said.

"The Gift of the Magi" continues at 7:30 p.m. today at the Yuba-Sutter Regional Arts Council's Lee Burrows Center for the Arts, 630 E St., Marysville, with a final performance scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $25 general admission; $15 for YSRAC members, students, seniors, military; children are $5. Sunday matinees are $10 for everyone.

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Elsewhere, there is some good news for area theater supporters.

"If you shop on a regular basis at SaveMart or Food Maxx, those two stores will make donations to The Acting Company, and it won't cost you a cent," TAC board member Curt Schroeder announced.

Three percent of all sales will go directly to TAC, if you produce a SHARE card.

If you contact Schroeder at curtjs@pacbell.net, he will automatically set you up with such a card.

If you are not into computers and e-mail, you might consider contacting TAC the old-fashioned way, by telephone.

TAC's phone number is 751-1100.