“The Second Tosca” is a play that never settles on a tone. So rather than hit the high notes, it falls kind of flat.
If that was a little too obvious, then you understand “The Second Tosca” perfectly.
“Tosca” is a superficial backstage look at a California opera company, now being capably staged by the Arvada Center. It’s written by Denver native Tom Rowan, once an actor with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. But he never decides whether he wants to introduce, lampoon or champion this lesser-known art form. Is this farce, soap opera, melodrama or serious drama? Mostly, it comes off as a sitcom.
Still, it has an all-star, if underchallenged, ensemble. A detailed green-room set by Brian Mallgrave. And mezzo-soprano Jennifer deDominici as a chippy opera ghost who intermittently fills the shallow air with deeply meaningful vocals.
“Tosca” plays on every theatrical stereotype, save one: We meet three opera divas at different career stages. And they’re all impossibly — and uninterestingly — nice.
Gloria Franklin (played by Nora Cole) is a fading legend who’s starring in Puccini’s masterpiece; central character Lisa (Diana Dresser) is the up-and-coming backup soprano who gets to play Tosca only in the kiddie matinees; and ditzy Darcy (Emily Van Fleet) is Gloria’s protege, a young girl with far more ambition than ability.
And they’re all far too nice for anything interesting to happen. The conflict is instead provided by the overbearing conductor/resident jerk Aaron Steiner (Erik Tieze), who’s far too mismatched with fiancee Lisa for anything interesting to happen. There’s also a ghost, but she’s far too benign for anything interesting to happen.
You get the idea: Nothing much interesting happens.
So the play turns into a sex comedy. Sort of.
Lisa wants Aaron to make love to her on the stage to help her more fully feel her character. You’d think by his reaction that she was asking her fiance to boil his toes. Enter fanboy Nathaniel (Michael Bouchard), a swooning student prodigy who has written several promising songs just for Lisa. Maybe he’ll give her what she wants. If not, there’s a horny stage manager (Josh Robinson) standing by.
Really? That’s where you’re going with all this? The play had a great chance to be about something meaningful. Something that might help audiences understand or appreciate opera in a more profound way.
Nah. Just, “will she or won’t she?” And “with whom?”
The role of Lisa was originated off-Broadway by former Arvada Center favorite Rachel deBenedet, who believes the central question of the play is what it takes to be a diva. “Not a finger-snapping tyrant, but a real star of the opera world,” she said. “Lisa loves the art, but isn’t sure she has the devotion and drive it takes to be one, even though she may have the talent.”
Fair enough. There’s certainly a beating heart in this genial play. That the three women don’t hate one another gives off a bit of a girl-power vibe. The interplay between Lisa and Nathaniel (played by two perennial favorites from the Creede Repertory Theatre) is genuine and sweet. But every single character is an obvious “type.”
And none of it is fully realized. No great insights are imparted, either for opera novices or experts. It’s odd that a play can be so warm and so off-putting at once.
If it’s meant to be a comedy, it’s a tepid one. And it’s certainly far too long, clocking in at the same run time as the just-closed “Miss Saigon.”
Heck, there isn’t even a fat lady. Still, it’s clear pretty early on that this one is over.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
“The Second Tosca” ** (out of four stars)
Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. Written by Tom Rowan. Directed by Bev Newcomb-Madden. Through Nov. 22. 2 hours, 35 minutes. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 1 p.m. Wednesdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. $29-$75. 720-898-7200 or
