Lyric’s rotating `Tosca’ cast a study in sharp contrasts
By John von Rhein [Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb 05]
The Lyric Opera has effectively installed a turnstile backstage at the Civic Opera House to facilitate the comings and goings of the singers taking the principal roles of Floria Tosca and Mario Cavaradossi in its revival of the historic Franco Zeffirelli production.
The weekend brought a sharply contrasted pair of performers in those roles, the American soprano Aprile Millo as the eponymous heroine and the Italian-Uruguayan tenor Carlo Ventre making his Lyric debut as her lover. To make matters more confusing, each was paired with a different singer, Millo with tenor Neil Shicoff, Ventre with soprano Doina Dimitriu. Pursuing all of them, but for very different reasons, was bass Samuel Ramey as the nefarious Baron Scarpia.
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