Yes, acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, who marshals her talents very well, is a seductive and beautiful Delilah in San Diego Opera’s current (and first) production of Camille Saint-Saens’ 1877 Biblical potboiler, “Samson and Delilah.” Carrie Robbins for San Francisco Opera designed Graves’ eye-pleasing Delilah rags.
And yes, Douglas Schmidt’s sets, also created for San Francisco Opera circa 1980, are a big “wow,” especially when Samson brings down the temple walls, which for the most part resurrect themselves in time for a massive curtain call, which elicited a standing ovation.
The chorus of 80 sounds magnificent under the tutelage of chorus master Timothy Todd Simmons, the baton of Karen Keltner, and supported by the San Diego Symphony; and thanks to the stage direction of Lotfi Mansouri, chorus and supernumeraries paint breathtaking scenes on the temple steps that seem to come right out of Bible Stories for Children.
In excellent voice, American baritone Greer Grimsley creates a High Priest of Dagon one loves to hate. Jose Gallisa makes an impressive contribution as An Old Hebrew.
Everyone who’s read the Book or seen Cecil B. DeMille’s 1949 film with Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr knows the story of the strong man of God brought down by the idol-worshipping Delilah, who really does not love him but is settling an old score.
Visually and vocally, the highlight of the opera comes in Act II in Delilah’s tent at the Valley of Sorek. Here she seduces Samson with the hit tune “Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix” (“My heart at thy sweet voice”). Who could resist? Certainly not Samson, despite the warnings of the Old Hebrew and a noisy storm sent by God.
Samson is portrayed with convincing vocal and dramatic ardor by American tenor Clifton Forbis, whose heroic voice is baritonal in its lower reaches and then musters all the brilliant high notes one could wish. For my money, the show belongs to him.
Aside from the collapsing walls, the audience’s second favorite moment seems to be the ballet sequence during the final act’s bacchanal, truly a very tame bacchanal compared to that witnessed the night before in an undergraduate production at UC San Diego’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Nonetheless, the choreography of Kenneth von Heidecke was most enjoyable indeed.
Two performances of “Samson and Delilah” remain, at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25. Tickets range from $27 to $152 and may be obtained by visiting www.sdopera.com or by calling (619) 533-7000.