Musical Coupling of Von Stade and Burnett a Fun Mix of Genres

This is an experiment that appeals directly to our American ambivalence about high culture: Put opera diva Frederica von Stade and comedian Carol Burnett together on stage and stand back.

In a pair of concerts dubbed “Broadway Meets the Met,” staged Friday and Saturday by the William Hall Master Chorale at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the result was surprising chemistry between these stars of two very different show-biz domains.

As an odd couple, Von Stade and Burnett may be less well known than Stokowski (Leopold) and Mouse (Mickey), but their act is sharply honed and fun to watch: “Keeps rainin’ all of the time,” Burnett warbled in the finale of Saturday’s concert, a funny medley mixing “Stormy Weather” with “Madame Butterfly” and many other tunes of the two genres. “Un bel di vedremo,” Von Stade crooned, tackling well-worn themes of love and loss from a different direction.

At first the two would seem to be from different planets. Burnett, who returned recently to Broadway after three-plus decades as a TV comic, is loud and vulgar, with a nasal alto that can best be described as serviceable. Von Stade is one of the world’s preeminent mezzo sopranos, a singer whose supple and luscious voice is best known for such roles as Mozart’s Cherubino.

But the incongruity melts away on close inspection. For all the continental echoes of her name, Von Stade was born in New Jersey and began making a name in musical theater more than a decade ago. She has a charming stage presence and a natural gift for comedy.

This was apparent even when she wasn’t clowning with Burnett. In the second of a pair of arias she sang with the chorale’s on-stage orchestra, Von Stade was droll as the tipsy bride in Jacques Offenbach’s operetta “La Perichole.”

Alas, Von Stade and Burnett occupied very little time on stage. The rest of Saturday’s performance ranged from uneven to embarrassing. Many numbers, including a pair of Broadway medleys sung by the chorale, were bloated, glossy and over-miked.

The best moments came when the very large chorus sang opera excerpts; its rendition of the “Polovtsian Dances” from Borodin’s opera “Prince Igor” in particular was stirring and powerful.