Love Among Vengeance

Soprano Nova Thomas stars in Bohème Opera New Jersey’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore at the War Memorial Theater in Trenton Oct. 26 and 28.

By: Susan Van Dongen
   Law and opera: It sounds like yet another spin-off from NBC’s Law and Order.
   Indeed, there are similarities between opera and the courtroom. The prosecutor and the defense attorney behave like bitter enemies. The jury is the chorus. The closing statements give each lawyer a chance to make a solo performance in highly stylized language — just like an aria.
   At least, that’s the way it looks in the movies and on TV.

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One of the rising stars in opera, soprano Nova Thomas will perform as Leonora in Bohème Opera New Jersey’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore.

   When soprano Nova Thomas discovered law was more drudgery than drama, she traded Perry Mason for Puccini.
   "My father was a courtroom lawyer, and I always had a romantic idea about the law profession," says Ms. Thomas, who started out in pre-law at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "It was a big shock to me that it wasn’t so dramatic, that it was all about paper work."
   Ms. Thomas’ decision to switch majors didn’t occur until she auditioned for the choir, and that was only because the group was going to Europe. The choir director and head of the music department were so stunned by the power and range of her voice — "my big old hollerin’," she says — they offered her a scholarship.
   Luckily for the music world, Ms. Thomas accepted. Now, she is one of the rising stars in opera, a handful of whom will grace the stage of Trenton’s War Memorial Theater, when Bohème Opera New Jersey stages Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Oct. 26 and 28. The rich production of Verdi’s masterpiece is further brought to life with lush scenery, costumes and a full orchestra led by artistic director Joseph Pucciatti.
   Originally performed in 1853 at the Teatro Apollo in Rome, Il Trovatore is based on a 15th century Spanish play. The plot centers around the troubadour Manrico (Keith Buhl) and his rival, Count Di Luna (Daniel Sutin), who are both in love with the beautiful Leonora (Ms. Thomas). A mysterious gypsy woman, Azucena (Ellen Rabiner), knows the secret to their hidden past, and the two men are manipulated into a deadly game of revenge.
   The character of Leonora rises above the base emotions of hatred and jealousy. Ms. Thomas feels blessed to have the role.
   "Unlike anyone else in the opera, this one character sees that love is empowering and eternal," Ms. Thomas says. "She’s the one searing message of love among the vengeance and jealousy.
   "I disagree with scholars who say the plot is convoluted. I think the story is as relevant as the six o’clock news, because it juxtaposes people of a set religion against people who are deemed to be superstitious — the gypsies. Since the beginning of time, we’ve had these terrible conflicts based on people’s concepts of faith."
   Although she always liked music and "sang before she could talk," Ms. Thomas says she never considered a career as a vocalist and knew very little about opera. (She sang a gospel song at that fateful choir audition.) A wise voice teacher at Chapel Hill introduced her to opera by telling her the story of Aida and then inviting her to sing along with Verdi’s score.
   Her professional life has taken her to the opera houses of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Santa Fe, as well as appearances in Paris, Cologne, Hamburg, Dublin and Hong Kong. Ms. Thomas has won critical acclaim for some of opera’s juiciest roles, including Aida, Tosca and Madame Butterfly. She has also played Desdemona in Otello, Mimi in La Bohème and even the villainous Lady Macbeth.
   "I love all my girls," she says. "I’m blessed at this point in my life (to be working) as a bel canto heroine. Il Trovatore is a more mature bel canto (opera), based on lyricism and organized around the melody.
   "You have these soaring, huge melodic passages that take on a certain velocity. That’s what is so profound about music in the hands of Verdi. The coloratura, the florid gestures — they’re not there for just ornamentation. With Verdi, everything has to do with the dramatic movement of the story."
   There’s still a bit of the lawyer in Ms. Thomas, especially one who would advocate for the arts.
   "If you want to study history you can study facts, or you can look to art and music, because that’s where we tell our stories," she says. "Music goes beyond the facts and tells the real truth. It shows how people feel, and feelings are expressed most authentically through the arts.
   "In the bleakest and darkest of days, we have to stay dedicated to art. It’s not a luxury. It’s the core of who and what we are. I’ll go to the Senate floor and say this."
Nova Thomas in Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore will be presented by Bohème Opera New Jersey at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, Lafayette and Barrack streets, Trenton, Oct. 26, 8 p.m., and Oct. 28, 3 p.m. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Joseph Pucciatti will give a pre-performance talk one hour and 15 minutes before the curtain. Tickets cost $20-$55; subscriptions cost $34-$93.50. For information, call (609) 581-7200.