By Justin Davidson [Newsday, 27 September 2005]

An assortment of 19th century European nobility sequestered in a sumptuous hotel: What could be the setup for a murder mystery or a reality show serves equally well for a comic opera, Rossini's "Il Viaggio a Reims." The title speaks of a voyage, but these pampered travelers aren't going anywhere: There's a shortage of horses, it seems. Instead, they while away a couple of acts in vocal arabesques.