Acting Shines in Verdi’s ‘Ballo’

A new Amelia and King Gustavo did not vocally upgrade Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” for Opera Pacific on Friday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. But they brought more committed acting.

As Amelia, Priscilla Baskerville lacked the vocal heft to soar above the orchestra or even above the trio of conspirators in the final act, and she also suffered vocal unsteadiness and blurred focus.

Still, her voice was even and pure from top to bottom (no need to duplicate the chest tones of her predecessor). She could spin out arching lines and float a pianissimo at the end of her prayer in the Second Act. Above all, she was sweet and vulnerable in the role.

As Gustavo, Tonio di Paolo eventually overcome constricted and forced vocalism to reveal a tenor with real gold. Still, his voice failed to blossom on top even as it grew strong and bright, and he used it with little shading.

But he acted with reasonable ardor and conviction, and interpolated some flippant card-tossing in the fortune-telling scene.

The rest of the cast was previously reviewed. Louis Salemno again conducted.