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Central City Opera production hits jackpot with Horace No. 4

Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 24, 2006 at midnight

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CENTRAL CITY - Here's a future opera trivia question: Name the four Horace Tabors in the 2006 Central City Opera production of Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe.

Wholesale substitutions resulted from a throat ailment that finally forced Jake Gardner (Horace No. 1) to leave the show - but only after being replaced opening night by Timothy Noble (No. 2) and, after a brief run, by apprentice artist Jason Richard Plourde (No. 3), who subbed for 1 1/2 performances.

All this may seem to suggest a stretch of bad luck for the company - but, as we saw on Saturday, it led to an all-time lucky break for Central City Opera and its audiences.

Enter Horace No. 4: Robert Orth.

A frequent visitor to the Opera House in Central City, the renowned baritone stepped in with barely a week to prepare. We've come to expect superb vocal and dramatic work from this marvelous singing actor, but this was special. His energy simply lit up the theater.

The baritone created a captivating character who was equal parts Horace, Orth and Everyman - a captivating figure of great depth.

As this heart-breaking story unfolded, Orth's Tabor aged in stunning fashion (his final appearance was a shocker). Yet the portrayal remained appropriately consistent: A man of tragic, unfailing pride.

That last scene was extraordinary. What had previously been a tiresome pastiche, on Saturday proved devastating - enhanced by those grimaces of sharp chest pains. Orth's emotional range was enormous, his interactions with the apparitions behind the scrim believable and touching. Unforgettable.

No surprise that the cast seemed energized on Saturday. Joyce Castle's Augusta emerged even more intense, the chemistry with Orth palpable (they had sung the work together recently in Indianapolis). Joanna Mongiardo's Baby Doe was as exquisite and intriguing as ever.

The quartet of Horace Tabors may make for a great trivia question - but there is nothing trivial about this production. Not with the force of nature that is Robert Orth. By the way, he'll sing the title role in Opera Colorado's Nixon in China in 2008. What a treat that should be.