Who can resist a well-done classic? No one, apparently, as Maryland Hall was sold out for the second performance of Annapolis Opera’s Don Giovanni this past weekend. From the moment the overture started, one could feel that the hype was deserved, as maestro Craig Kier took a perfect tempo that helped make for a clean orchestral sound appropriate for Mozart. The one thing that would have made the overture even more enjoyable? Staging.
Samuel Weiser made a solid entrance as Leporello in the opera’s first scene. Adding to his singing was the fact that, unlike other productions I’ve seen, he had people to interact with onstage while singing. Two women of the chorus were there for him to talk to. I would have loved if he had played with them even more, really selling the idea that he’s acting like his lecherous employer, but he set the vocal bar high for the performance.
Behind a beautiful translucent curtain entered Don Giovanni himself, played by Efraín Solís, with Donna Anna, played by Sofia Scattarreggia. I absolutely adored the play between the two of them. It made the intention clear that Donna Anna, at least at this point, is not really protesting the Don’s advances. Being toward the back of the stage did not help any of the singers acoustically, but, as in this case, as the singers moved toward the front of the stage, the sound carried much better. Solís’ sweet face made him almost too likeable as this antihero, but it is to his credit that he made the audience want to follow him and his story. Still, one couldn’t help but want at least one devilish smirk from him at some point during the opera.
Left: Efraín Solís as Don Giovanni. Right: Samuel Weiser as Leporello
Benjamin Sieverding as the Commendatore brought a beautiful low bass voice to the cast and cut an imposing tall figure, as the character should. Interestingly, in this staging by Stephanie Havey, the Commendatore dies not by the sword but by gunshot. But more on that at the end of the opera.
One of the best things about Annapolis Opera is its use of chorus in their productions, and this Don Giovanni was no exception. One does not often see this opera staged with a lot of chorus, mostly because Mozart did not write a lot of music in it for them. That said, seeing more people onstage automatically helped make this production more lively. For example, When Johanna Will entered as Donna Elvira singing “Ah, chi me dice mai,” it made her performance that much more effective to have choristers reacting to it. That said, she was so well-cast that I probably would have bought her performance even if there were no choristers to react to her. She carried herself in both body and face like someone not to be trifled with, exactly spot-on for this character, and I bought every moment of her performance. Vocally, she also nailed her part throughout the opera, especially in Act II’s “Mi tradi,” which in particular demands command of coloratura.
One of the trademark pieces of this opera is Leporello’s Catalogue Aria, “Madamina.” Weiser sang this perfectly, and Will was clearly engaged as Elvira with being disgusted during it. What would have taken this to the next level is for Leporello to have more fun, to really tease and even jab Elvira with the harsh knowledge he’s giving her of the Don’s literal thousands of conquests. Still, I enjoyed the comically long scroll that got unraveled toward the end.
Left: Sara LeMesh as Zerlina. Right: Brandon Bell as Masetto
Following that iconic aria was the entrance of Zerlina, played by Sara LeMesh, and Masetto, played by Brandon Bell. This featured an amazing reveal of the wedding set, whose centerpiece was a lovely big tree, adding the perfect amount of color to the otherwise mostly gray-blue stone set design by Steven C. Kemp.
Bell’s “Ho capito” was the best one I’ve seen yet, because it was the first rendition of this aria where I’ve seen Masetto address Zerlina, holding her accountable for going off with Don Giovanni. It grabbed me and made me pay attention. This was due to a combination of excellent singing and acting – never over-the-top with the characterization, but the audience understood his intention at all times, both here and throughout the show.
Another iconic piece from this opera, “La ci darem la mano,” drove home this production’s implementation of a calling card for Don Giovanni: a blindfold. The audience first saw it in the first scene, with Donna Anna being blindfolded, and it returned during this duet between the Don and Zerlina. After Donna Elvira interrupted their tryst, Zerlina discarded the blindfold, only for it to be recognized mere minutes later by Donna Anna, in one of the pivotal and most human acting moments of this production. Scattarreggia as Anna perfectly captured how just about anyone would react in her situation, realizing that Don Giovanni, someone she initially trusted, was not only her secret lover but also her father’s killer. This made the character really come alive before her big aria “Or sai chi l’onore.” Not only that, but the aria allowed Scattarreggia to show off her crystal-clear high register. She was obviously well-cast in this role.
As Act I started to come to a close, the audience was treated to a “Fin ch’han dal vino” from Solís that was nothing short of amazing. I got the feeling that Weiser as Leporello could have danced more during this, but because of how notoriously difficult this aria is, hearing Solís’ easy delivery of it allowed me to sit back and enjoy as well as helped sell me more on his casting as the title role.
Musically, the only tempo in the entire show that I wondered about was for Zerlina’s “Batti, batti.” LeMesh as Zerlina sang this aria well, but it seemed a little bit slow. I also wondered why the chorus was onstage at this moment, as usually it’s a private moment between Zerlina and Masetto, but seeing something different like that definitely made it interesting.
The Act I finale was wonderful in several ways, not the least of which was that it brought home how beautiful the costumes for this production were across the board. Designed by Susan Memmott Allred for Utah Symphony and Utah Opera, I particularly loved the masks both chorus and principals were wearing during this scene. Musically, kudos to Maestro Kier for not having a separate orchestra onstage as well as in the pit, something which I’ve seen lead to disaster before. This finale also drove home for me the quality of the ensemble singing. What can one say? Great soloists make for a great ensemble!
On to Act II and the Commendatore’s time to shine. But first, a few other highlights. Leporello pretending to be Don Giovanni at the top of this act did get some laughs from the audience, and deservedly so. As for the Don himself, Solís made a daring choice during “Deh, vieni alla finestra” to do the beginning of the second verse pianissimo. I could hear it sitting relatively close to the front, and I hope even the audience in the very back could, too, because it was beautiful, and the intention was clear: the softest, most enticing seduction possible.
During Act II, we got to see more of the versatile set, such as doors that were split so that the top and bottom could open separately, and more buildings so that we really got the feeling that we were traversing city streets. This would culminate in a sumptuous feast at the end, of which I’d be willing to wager anyone in the audience would have gladly partaken if given the chance.
Casey Kaleba’s excellent fight choreography came to the forefront during Masetto’s beating in this act, which gave again some great acting from Bell, and also led into a very earnest “Vedrai, carino” from LeMesh. Havey also gave the actors some interesting staging for the sextet, where the women initially try to kill Leporello, at that moment disguised as Don Giovanni, but the men pull them away.
The surprise favorite aria for me in this performance was Charles Calotta as Don Ottavio singing “Il mio tesoro.” Considering how difficult this aria is, I was amazed at his phrasing and dynamics, and how he made the coloratura clean but still flowy. Kudos to the tenor for owning his moment in a show dominated by basses and bass-baritones!
During the graveyard scene, the audience got a preview of how creepy the Commendatore’s statue would be in the final scene. Not only was the trio here great, but I loved that Donna Anna sang “Non mi dir” with the statue still onstage.
Finally, to the moment we were waiting for. The Act II finale hit all the right marks, to the point that I thought this scene alone was worth catching the entire performance. Sieverding as the Commendatore was like the Terminator: slowly and inevitably moving toward Don Giovanni in such a way that the audience knew the Don’s fate was inevitable. Startlingly, there was no actual touch between Don Giovanni and the Commendatore. The Commendatore needed only to reach toward him for his icy aura to take effect. And, in a move full of karma, the gunshot eventually fired at the statue did not hit it, but the Don instead. The weapon that worked on the Commendatore in life did not work on him in death. Thus we came full-circle, understanding the moral that one receives back what one puts into the world, and that sooner or later, bad behavior comes back to bite.
Maggie Ramsey
Don Giovanni Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte
Cast and Production Staff:
Leporello – Samuel Weiser; Donna Anna – Sofia Scattarreggia; Don Giovanni – Efraín Solís; Commendatore – Benjamin Sieverding; Don Ottavio – Charles Calotta; Donna Elvira – Johanna Will; Zerlina – Sara LeMesh; Masetto – Brandon Bell; Annapolis Opera Chorus – David Adeleye, Meryern Ahmadian, Taylor Boykins, Keegan Brush, Sophie Michelle Clark, Aubrey Maren Cole, J.P. Gorski, James Huchla, Nickolas James, Danielle Jellerette, Kellen Johnson, Sean Link, Kirk McAuliffe, Sara Nealley, Carol Lord Openhym, Katie Procell, Michelle Ravitsky, Bennett Spotts, Mairin Srygley, Donna Tatro, Anthony Varner, Emma Leigh Webster, Michael Wu; Supernumeraries – Patrick M. Lee, Robert vom Saal
Annapolis Symphony Orchestra – Violin I – Nicholas Currie (Acting Concertmaster), Rachael Stockton (Acting Assistant Concertmaster), Glen Kuenzi (Acting Assistant Concertmaster), Leila Fanien; Violin II – Kristin Bakkegard (Acting Principal), Karin Kelleher (Acting Associate Principal), Megan Gray, Sally Stallings Amass; Viola – Derek Smith (Acting Principal), Rachel Holaday (Acting Associate Principal), Susan Taylor Dapkunas; Cello – Pei Lu (Acting Principal), Daniel Shomper (Acting Associate Principal); Bass – Benjamin Crofut (Acting Principal); Flute – Sarah McIver (Acting Principal); Oboe – Fatma Daglar (Principal); Clarinet – Brian Eldridge (Acting Principal), Natalie Groom; Bassoon – Jimmy Ren (Acting Principal); Horn – Alex Kovling (Principal), Ho Hin Kwong; Trumpet – Thomas Bithell (Acting Principal); Bass Trombone – Kaz Kruszewski (Acting Principal); Timpani – Glenn Paulson (Acting Principal); Director of Artistic Operations – Miriam Fogel; Orchestra Librarian – Olivia Ren; Artistic Director and Conductor – José-Luis Novo
Conductor – Craig Kier; Director – Stephanie Havey; Assistant Director – Bradley Boatright; Production Manager & Lighting Designer – Christopher Brusberg; Scenic Designer – Steven C. Kemp; Wardrobe Supervisor – Sharlene Clinton; Wig/Make-Up Designer – Priscilla Bruce; Stage Manager – Natalie Wagner; Assistant Stage Manager – Mel Mader; Assistant Stage Manager & Props Run Crew – Liliana Cudly; Principal Coach & Pianist, Recitative Accompanist – Pei-Hsuan Lin; Chorus Master – Joann Kulesza; Properties Manager – Jessica Yost; Fight Director – Casey Kaleba; Surtitle Operator – Claire Iverson; Dressers – Sharlene Clinton (Wardrobe Supervisor), Liz D’Antonio, Tara Muscovich, Carol Tabak, Lorraine vom Saal, LuAnne Waller; Lighting Operator – Antonio Adams; Graphic Design – Rachel Buxton; Maryland Hall Stage Crew; Surtitle Provider – Opera Baltimore; Set Builder – Michael Sheehan, Mid-Atlantic Sets; Pre-Performance Discussion Speaker – Nicole Steinberg; Costume Designer – Susan Memmott Allred for Utah Symphony/Utah Opera; Orchestral Edition – Bryan Higgins, by arrangement with Motet Music Publishing Company
Maryland Hall, Annapolis, MD, November 2, 2025
Top image: (L to R) Charles Calotta as Don Ottavio, Sofia Scattarreggia as Donna Anna, Johanna Will as Donna Elvira.
All photos by Caroline Sykes courtesy of Annapolis Opera
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Annapolis Opera’s Don Giovanni: Vocal Performances Worthy Of A Sold-Out House
Who can resist a well-done classic? No one, apparently, as Maryland Hall was sold out for the second performance of Annapolis Opera’s Don Giovanni this past weekend. From the moment the overture started, one could feel that the hype was deserved, as maestro Craig Kier took a perfect tempo that helped make for a clean orchestral sound appropriate for Mozart. The one thing that would have made the overture even more enjoyable? Staging.
Samuel Weiser made a solid entrance as Leporello in the opera’s first scene. Adding to his singing was the fact that, unlike other productions I’ve seen, he had people to interact with onstage while singing. Two women of the chorus were there for him to talk to. I would have loved if he had played with them even more, really selling the idea that he’s acting like his lecherous employer, but he set the vocal bar high for the performance.
Behind a beautiful translucent curtain entered Don Giovanni himself, played by Efraín Solís, with Donna Anna, played by Sofia Scattarreggia. I absolutely adored the play between the two of them. It made the intention clear that Donna Anna, at least at this point, is not really protesting the Don’s advances. Being toward the back of the stage did not help any of the singers acoustically, but, as in this case, as the singers moved toward the front of the stage, the sound carried much better. Solís’ sweet face made him almost too likeable as this antihero, but it is to his credit that he made the audience want to follow him and his story. Still, one couldn’t help but want at least one devilish smirk from him at some point during the opera.
Benjamin Sieverding as the Commendatore brought a beautiful low bass voice to the cast and cut an imposing tall figure, as the character should. Interestingly, in this staging by Stephanie Havey, the Commendatore dies not by the sword but by gunshot. But more on that at the end of the opera.
One of the best things about Annapolis Opera is its use of chorus in their productions, and this Don Giovanni was no exception. One does not often see this opera staged with a lot of chorus, mostly because Mozart did not write a lot of music in it for them. That said, seeing more people onstage automatically helped make this production more lively. For example, When Johanna Will entered as Donna Elvira singing “Ah, chi me dice mai,” it made her performance that much more effective to have choristers reacting to it. That said, she was so well-cast that I probably would have bought her performance even if there were no choristers to react to her. She carried herself in both body and face like someone not to be trifled with, exactly spot-on for this character, and I bought every moment of her performance. Vocally, she also nailed her part throughout the opera, especially in Act II’s “Mi tradi,” which in particular demands command of coloratura.
One of the trademark pieces of this opera is Leporello’s Catalogue Aria, “Madamina.” Weiser sang this perfectly, and Will was clearly engaged as Elvira with being disgusted during it. What would have taken this to the next level is for Leporello to have more fun, to really tease and even jab Elvira with the harsh knowledge he’s giving her of the Don’s literal thousands of conquests. Still, I enjoyed the comically long scroll that got unraveled toward the end.
Following that iconic aria was the entrance of Zerlina, played by Sara LeMesh, and Masetto, played by Brandon Bell. This featured an amazing reveal of the wedding set, whose centerpiece was a lovely big tree, adding the perfect amount of color to the otherwise mostly gray-blue stone set design by Steven C. Kemp.
Bell’s “Ho capito” was the best one I’ve seen yet, because it was the first rendition of this aria where I’ve seen Masetto address Zerlina, holding her accountable for going off with Don Giovanni. It grabbed me and made me pay attention. This was due to a combination of excellent singing and acting – never over-the-top with the characterization, but the audience understood his intention at all times, both here and throughout the show.
Another iconic piece from this opera, “La ci darem la mano,” drove home this production’s implementation of a calling card for Don Giovanni: a blindfold. The audience first saw it in the first scene, with Donna Anna being blindfolded, and it returned during this duet between the Don and Zerlina. After Donna Elvira interrupted their tryst, Zerlina discarded the blindfold, only for it to be recognized mere minutes later by Donna Anna, in one of the pivotal and most human acting moments of this production. Scattarreggia as Anna perfectly captured how just about anyone would react in her situation, realizing that Don Giovanni, someone she initially trusted, was not only her secret lover but also her father’s killer. This made the character really come alive before her big aria “Or sai chi l’onore.” Not only that, but the aria allowed Scattarreggia to show off her crystal-clear high register. She was obviously well-cast in this role.
As Act I started to come to a close, the audience was treated to a “Fin ch’han dal vino” from Solís that was nothing short of amazing. I got the feeling that Weiser as Leporello could have danced more during this, but because of how notoriously difficult this aria is, hearing Solís’ easy delivery of it allowed me to sit back and enjoy as well as helped sell me more on his casting as the title role.
Musically, the only tempo in the entire show that I wondered about was for Zerlina’s “Batti, batti.” LeMesh as Zerlina sang this aria well, but it seemed a little bit slow. I also wondered why the chorus was onstage at this moment, as usually it’s a private moment between Zerlina and Masetto, but seeing something different like that definitely made it interesting.
The Act I finale was wonderful in several ways, not the least of which was that it brought home how beautiful the costumes for this production were across the board. Designed by Susan Memmott Allred for Utah Symphony and Utah Opera, I particularly loved the masks both chorus and principals were wearing during this scene. Musically, kudos to Maestro Kier for not having a separate orchestra onstage as well as in the pit, something which I’ve seen lead to disaster before. This finale also drove home for me the quality of the ensemble singing. What can one say? Great soloists make for a great ensemble!
On to Act II and the Commendatore’s time to shine. But first, a few other highlights. Leporello pretending to be Don Giovanni at the top of this act did get some laughs from the audience, and deservedly so. As for the Don himself, Solís made a daring choice during “Deh, vieni alla finestra” to do the beginning of the second verse pianissimo. I could hear it sitting relatively close to the front, and I hope even the audience in the very back could, too, because it was beautiful, and the intention was clear: the softest, most enticing seduction possible.
During Act II, we got to see more of the versatile set, such as doors that were split so that the top and bottom could open separately, and more buildings so that we really got the feeling that we were traversing city streets. This would culminate in a sumptuous feast at the end, of which I’d be willing to wager anyone in the audience would have gladly partaken if given the chance.
Casey Kaleba’s excellent fight choreography came to the forefront during Masetto’s beating in this act, which gave again some great acting from Bell, and also led into a very earnest “Vedrai, carino” from LeMesh. Havey also gave the actors some interesting staging for the sextet, where the women initially try to kill Leporello, at that moment disguised as Don Giovanni, but the men pull them away.
The surprise favorite aria for me in this performance was Charles Calotta as Don Ottavio singing “Il mio tesoro.” Considering how difficult this aria is, I was amazed at his phrasing and dynamics, and how he made the coloratura clean but still flowy. Kudos to the tenor for owning his moment in a show dominated by basses and bass-baritones!
During the graveyard scene, the audience got a preview of how creepy the Commendatore’s statue would be in the final scene. Not only was the trio here great, but I loved that Donna Anna sang “Non mi dir” with the statue still onstage.
Finally, to the moment we were waiting for. The Act II finale hit all the right marks, to the point that I thought this scene alone was worth catching the entire performance. Sieverding as the Commendatore was like the Terminator: slowly and inevitably moving toward Don Giovanni in such a way that the audience knew the Don’s fate was inevitable. Startlingly, there was no actual touch between Don Giovanni and the Commendatore. The Commendatore needed only to reach toward him for his icy aura to take effect. And, in a move full of karma, the gunshot eventually fired at the statue did not hit it, but the Don instead. The weapon that worked on the Commendatore in life did not work on him in death. Thus we came full-circle, understanding the moral that one receives back what one puts into the world, and that sooner or later, bad behavior comes back to bite.
Maggie Ramsey
Don Giovanni
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte
Cast and Production Staff:
Leporello – Samuel Weiser; Donna Anna – Sofia Scattarreggia; Don Giovanni – Efraín Solís; Commendatore – Benjamin Sieverding; Don Ottavio – Charles Calotta; Donna Elvira – Johanna Will; Zerlina – Sara LeMesh; Masetto – Brandon Bell; Annapolis Opera Chorus – David Adeleye, Meryern Ahmadian, Taylor Boykins, Keegan Brush, Sophie Michelle Clark, Aubrey Maren Cole, J.P. Gorski, James Huchla, Nickolas James, Danielle Jellerette, Kellen Johnson, Sean Link, Kirk McAuliffe, Sara Nealley, Carol Lord Openhym, Katie Procell, Michelle Ravitsky, Bennett Spotts, Mairin Srygley, Donna Tatro, Anthony Varner, Emma Leigh Webster, Michael Wu; Supernumeraries – Patrick M. Lee, Robert vom Saal
Annapolis Symphony Orchestra – Violin I – Nicholas Currie (Acting Concertmaster), Rachael Stockton (Acting Assistant Concertmaster), Glen Kuenzi (Acting Assistant Concertmaster), Leila Fanien; Violin II – Kristin Bakkegard (Acting Principal), Karin Kelleher (Acting Associate Principal), Megan Gray, Sally Stallings Amass; Viola – Derek Smith (Acting Principal), Rachel Holaday (Acting Associate Principal), Susan Taylor Dapkunas; Cello – Pei Lu (Acting Principal), Daniel Shomper (Acting Associate Principal); Bass – Benjamin Crofut (Acting Principal); Flute – Sarah McIver (Acting Principal); Oboe – Fatma Daglar (Principal); Clarinet – Brian Eldridge (Acting Principal), Natalie Groom; Bassoon – Jimmy Ren (Acting Principal); Horn – Alex Kovling (Principal), Ho Hin Kwong; Trumpet – Thomas Bithell (Acting Principal); Bass Trombone – Kaz Kruszewski (Acting Principal); Timpani – Glenn Paulson (Acting Principal); Director of Artistic Operations – Miriam Fogel; Orchestra Librarian – Olivia Ren; Artistic Director and Conductor – José-Luis Novo
Conductor – Craig Kier; Director – Stephanie Havey; Assistant Director – Bradley Boatright; Production Manager & Lighting Designer – Christopher Brusberg; Scenic Designer – Steven C. Kemp; Wardrobe Supervisor – Sharlene Clinton; Wig/Make-Up Designer – Priscilla Bruce; Stage Manager – Natalie Wagner; Assistant Stage Manager – Mel Mader; Assistant Stage Manager & Props Run Crew – Liliana Cudly; Principal Coach & Pianist, Recitative Accompanist – Pei-Hsuan Lin; Chorus Master – Joann Kulesza; Properties Manager – Jessica Yost; Fight Director – Casey Kaleba; Surtitle Operator – Claire Iverson; Dressers – Sharlene Clinton (Wardrobe Supervisor), Liz D’Antonio, Tara Muscovich, Carol Tabak, Lorraine vom Saal, LuAnne Waller; Lighting Operator – Antonio Adams; Graphic Design – Rachel Buxton; Maryland Hall Stage Crew; Surtitle Provider – Opera Baltimore; Set Builder – Michael Sheehan, Mid-Atlantic Sets; Pre-Performance Discussion Speaker – Nicole Steinberg; Costume Designer – Susan Memmott Allred for Utah Symphony/Utah Opera; Orchestral Edition – Bryan Higgins, by arrangement with Motet Music Publishing Company
Maryland Hall, Annapolis, MD, November 2, 2025
Top image: (L to R) Charles Calotta as Don Ottavio, Sofia Scattarreggia as Donna Anna, Johanna Will as Donna Elvira.
All photos by Caroline Sykes courtesy of Annapolis Opera