TOSCA - Connecticut Opera

"For the premiere, people of all backgrounds turned out in force, old and young, for this exciting larger-scaled Tosca . They were rewarded with a very fine performance.  Marc Astafan gave some interesting twists to the thrice-familiar events.  Tosca evidently knew little of Scarpia's ways at the start and was almost flirtatious with him, appreciating his (seeming) chivalrousness in the church.  A very "theatrical" actress, she always tends to be onstage.  For example, mounting the painter's easel platform to vow vengeance on his supposed treachery with the Marchese Attavanti in front of a gathering crowd.  Lisa Daltirus, a beautiful woman who moves well, threw herself wholeheartedly into Astafan's "theatrical" concept; the murder scene, incorporating false seductiveness and multiple stabbings, was brilliantly executed." - David Shengold, Opera News Online, October 28, 2007

CONNECTICUT OPERA STAGES POWERFUL PRODUCTION OF 'TOSCA'

"If a performance of Puccini's 'Tosca' leaves the audience focused on lies and deceptions, it has not cut deep enough. Viewers must come to care about the leading characters; they must have a human dimension. Then an opera filled with dishonesties transcends itself, and a sense of injustice emerges in the final scene. Compassion must be established early in this opera and the singers immediately set to work forging likable characters. In Act I (Tosca and Cavaradossi) created an unexpectedly domestic feel of familiarity with one another. This is not easy within the big space of the church. Creating a human connection this 'Tosca' is a success in this production directed by Marc Astafan. The third act was extraordinary. Execution, suicide, quick curtain. Injustice. This was a powerful production of 'Tosca'!"

- Jeffrey Johnson, The Hartford Courant, October 31, 2007

FAIRY TALE SCORES A PERFECT "10"
Central City Opera Makes 'Cinderella' Simply Delicious

"Here's a word you don't see often under my byline:  Perfection.  What makes this production so special is that every element is of the highest quality.  There are no weak links, no ill-conceived moments.  The pacing of this first-rate production never lagged.  Director Marc Astafan has captured the sweetness of the familiar fairy-tale without letting things turn cloying.  The title character is thoroughly human, showing all the emotions that we would observe in a lonely young lady dreaming the dreams of the lonely.  There are also some delightful comic touches, but none of them strays over the top.  Those clumsy, homely comic foils - Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters - were wonderfully acted.  And there is magic everywhere.  The scenes with the Fairy Godmother are heavenly.  And let's not forget Astafan's deft touch as a choreographer.  This is simply delicious, irresistable stuff from first moment to last.  We're willing to hold up a card that says "10."

-Marc Shulgold, THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, July 15, 1007

RICHES OUTWEIGH RAGS IN 'CINDERELLA' AT CENTRAL CITY OPERA

"Massenet's 'Cinderella' is giving Rossini's front-runner version of the rags-to-riches fairy tale serious competition, and the over-the-top production of it that opened at the Central City Opera house on Saturday explains why.  His stepmother and stepdaughters are, to be sure, caricatures of the nouveau-riche ambition, and are a carnival unto themselves.  Director Marc Astafan has made them the comic delight of the staging.  Yet Astafan knows there are such self-centered creeps out there, and he uses these figures to underscore the weight of the good guys to tell a story profound and moving in it's insights into the human condition.  Striking was the use of black and white in the ball scene, cleverly choreographed by Astafan, who comes to opera via dance.  A further fine touch was the half-dozen children who played courtiers to the Fairy Godmother, who literally descended from the rafters on a crescent moon.  They waved diaphanous fabrics in colors that complemented Cinderella's ballgown and the costume of the Fairy Godmother.  This added a special note of enchantment to the staging.  This production takes a backseat to none!"

Wes Blomster, THE BOULDER DAILY CAMERA, July 16, 2007

"To overcome (the weaknesses of the piece) a production must have a shrewd, creative stage director and a multifaceted singer-actress who can sustain the opera through it's ups and downs.  To it's credit, Central City Opera has scored on both counts.  Marc Astafan gets the balance just right.  He simply and poignantly conveys the central story of Cinderella's forced servitude and accompanying sadness and the joy of her long-awaited and deserved redemption in the arms of Prince Charming.  At the same time he maximizes the comedic elements, adding visual gags where appropriate, showcasing the abundant humor in Henri Cain's libretto and reveling in the exaggerated inelegance and social ineptitude of Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters.  Most intriguing is the scene in which the fairy godmother, suspended on a crescent moon, brings Cinderalla and Prince Charming together in a kind of dreamscape - a scene with visceral power both visually and dramatically."

-Kyle MacMillan, THE DENVER POST, July 31, 2007

AS AN OPERA, CINDERELLA IS A BALL

"The Central City Opera production of Massenet's Cendrillon is a visual feast.  Director Marc Astafan has done his part creating graceful dances and eye-pleasing character groupings.  The Fairy Godmother scenes are pure magic.  This Cendrillon contains a bit more sadness and emotional complexity than you'd expect from a fairy tale.  There's enough solidity here to prevent the production from flying off into unmoored whimsy, enough humor to offset the pathos, enough style to keep the farcical elements contained.  Nothing is overdone, but everything is done fully - and the result is an unadulterated delight."

- Juliet Wittman, Denver Westword, August 7, 2007

La Cenerentola - Nevada Opera

NEVADA OPERA'S GLITTERING 'LA CENERENTOLA' TRILLS IT'S WAY TO MUSICAL THRILLS "In the case of Rossini's opera souffle, La Cenerentola, all that glitters is gold.  Nevada Opera's spin on Rossini's tale of poor-little-rich girl spins so quickly it comes off as light and airy as cotton candy;  and light and airy in the world of Rossini is striking gold.  To the pleasure of a large opening night audience striking gold is what this lovely production did last night when it opened at Reno's Pioneer Center.  Marc Astafan has staged this confection and has not missed a comedic beat, nor has he overplayed his royal flush of gimmicks at the theatrical gaming table.  Incredibly, at nearly three hours with intermission, Astafan's take on "Cinderella" never wears out it's welcome."      -Jack Neal, Nevada Events, February 10, 2007

'CINDERELLA' OFFERS UP DARKER VISION, SHARPER EDGE "Nevada Opera brought the story of Cinderella to life with Rossini's "La Cenerentola" with clever stage bits and remarkable ensemble singing.  A light-hearted touch was evident right from the overture, during which the cast was individually highlighted a la movie credits, followed by the antics of the primping stepsisters to open Act I.  This is no simpering Cinderella, both impressive in strength and stubborn emotion.  The cast was strongest when they sang together.  During one scene, directed by Marc Astafan, they sat in chairs across the stage, rising and sitting as they came to terms with Cinderella's good fortune.  The all-male chorus, dashing in tuxedos, was used not only musically but also for comic relief and staging.  At nearly three hours this production is entertaining, well done and a welcome break from more standard opera fare."     

-Jackie Green, Reno Gazette-Journal, February 10, 2007

Don Giovanni - Central City Opera
"Director Marc Astafan turns Mozart's Seville into Sin City. Courtly culture has gone to seed. Indeed, this is a Don doing what comes naturally for everyone. He is a child of his time. Astafan's Don no longer dominates through dash and charisma, and he's finally done in by his own undoing. What's amazing about Astafan's approach to the work is that he makes his approach work. It adds up. There is a magic moment that says it all: At the end of the crucial confrontation scene in the cemetary, he walks slowly from the stage in extended silence. It's chilling. Saturday's capacity crowd in the historic Opera House loved every minute of it."
-Wes Blomster, The Boulder Daily Camera, July 3, 2006

"Mozart's ultimate theatrical accomplishment received a great performance that transformed a potentially tired war horse into a fresh and original experience. Stage Director Marc Astafan's vision all fit in to place on the hall's small stage. To my sensibilities this one superseded every last (and last and last) of the regional musical tributes for the composers 250th Birthday. So much of Mozart's life is symbolically set on the stage, the conscious as well as the unconscious projections of the composer seemed a living entity. This, the finest production of a Mozart opera I have ever been witness to, was blest by an ideal cast."
- David Sckolnick, Colorado Springs Independent, July 3, 2006

"In Saturday's sold-out opening performance of the Central City Opera's brilliant interpretation of Mozart's Don Giovanni Director Marc Astafan does away with the commonly performed closing chorus. Instead, this rendition finds the protagonist consumed by his own red-hued reflection in the gripping final scene. This overwhelmingly fine production is well worth a trip to the hills."
-Sabine Kortals, The Denver Post, July 4, 2006

"It's one marvel after another, image chasing idea and idea chasing image....lots of black, red and flame imagery, a focus on mirrors, boxes and entrapment. With psychological richness The Don periodically betrays a touch of humanity in the midst of his heartless hijinks, and his defiance at the end, when he refuses chance after chance to repent, is magnificent. So is the moment when he touches the statue's hand and is frozen in horror. Brilliantly directed by Marc Astafan."
-Juliet Wittman, Denver Westward, July 20, 2006

The Scarf - New England Chamber Opera
"Chamber opera is an interesting amalgam: It has to convey the emotional scope and impact of a full-scale production, while maintaining an unaccostomed intimacy. The Scarf satisfies on both counts. The denouement, simply and effectively staged by director Marc Astafan, is harrowing."
-Sandy MacDonald, EdgeBoston, February 10, 2006

The Seven Deadly Sins - New England Chamber Opera
"Marc Astafan's fluid, inventive staging fleshed out the characters, adding the spice of a little father-son incest (daddy likes to sit his hunky number-one son on his lap) and even a music lesson (mommy, full-bearded, makes son sing for his supper, oratorio style). The two Annas, Beckett-like, arrive inside steamer trunks. The cast was remarkably efficient changing the minimal sets. Not only could they all sing well they also created vivid if some times appalling figures."
-Lloyd Schwartz, The Boston Phoenix, May 19, 2005

Cendrillon - New England Conservatory
NEC OFFERS SWEET, CHARMING 'CENDRILLON'
"The opera is a real bonbon, awfully sweet, and concocted from strange and diverse ingredients. Marc Astafan's stage direction was one of his best efforts, charming, touching and amusing."
-Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe, March 14, 2005

"Under the superb leadership of John Greer, conductor and Marc Astafan, director and choreographer, (the singers) delivered a performance that was breathtaking in it's artistic presentation and brilliant in it's conceptualization. Everything had purpose and reason and was used expertly to create a mood and hold it from the opening moments to the final curtain. All in all this was a magical performance that captured the mood, color, spectacle and spirit of the story."
-Paul Joseph Walkowski, OperaOnline.us, March 12, 2005

The Pirates of Penzance - Colorado Symphony/Central City Opera
PIRATES STAGING SOMETHING TO TREASURE
Gilbert and Sullivan creations focus on fun, froth and frolic, and none is more appealing than "The Pirates of Penzance." Central City Opera, the Colorado Symphony and Symphony Chorus teamed Friday evening for a dandy production at Boettcher Concert Hall. A G&S operetta is considerably more difficult to pull off than it might seem. Play it too straight, and it falls flat. Overdo it, and it just becomes silly. Director Marc Astafan got the balance just right in a hybrid staging that puts the orchestra on stage and places the action all around it and out into the house. Though sets are minimal, it still has the feel of a full-blown production...hits the mark in every way."
-Kyle MacMillan, The Denver Post, February 6, 2005

La Traviata - Anchorage Opera
ANCHORAGE OPERA TACKLES LA TRAVIATA, AND WINS
"Anchorage Opera kicked off its ambitious season last Saturday with a terrific production of this most personal and intimate of Verdi operas. With stage direction by Marc Astafan, this production combines an excellent cast with brilliant sets and costumes for a truly satisfying operatic experience. The emotional tension between [the three lead singers] was palpable, lending a heightened dramatic resonance to all of their scenes together. These scenes of heightened passion and romance are sometimes lost on jaded modern audiences, but such was the skill of the actors that everyone in the house seemed to be in empathy with these tortured souls. Judging by the enthusiastic curtain calls and subsequent standing ovation, this Traviata was another solid success for Anchorage Opera.”
-Kristina Church, Anchorage Daily News, November 11, 2004

H.M.S. Pinafore – Colorado Symphony & Central City Opera
SMOOTH SAILING FOR H.M.S. PINAFORE
"Friday’s performance in Boettcher Hall seemed so fresh and new, it was as if the two organizations had just met. The obvious joy in the handsome cast was infectious. The goofy storyline just kept chugging along, with no time for us to ponder the inanity of it all. Marc Astafan’s crisp, amusing stage direction bubbled with a cast of singers who brought pleasing uniformity to their vocal chores and dead-on comic timing to their acting.”
-Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News, March 13, 2004

La Calisto – New England Conservatory Opera Theatre
PASSION PROPELS N.E. CONSERVATORY’S ‘LA CALISTO’
" 'La Calisto’ is an ensemble work – a gift to opera-training programs everywhere – and this was a lively group performance with everyone in the same picture. Cavalli’s was a theatre of spectacle. The Conservatory substituted intelligence. Marc Astafan’s staging was smart, tender-hearted, sometimes suavely erotic (a jacuzzi episode with ‘Diana’ and Calisto), but also crude and bawdy when it needed to be. ‘La Calisto’ cast its moonbeam spell.”
-Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe, January 24, 2004

Candide – New England Conservatory Opera Theatre
"As performed to perfection by the New England Conservatory Opera Theatre the piece was a raunchy romp through a fairytale land, and the audience was there, holding their sides, every step of the journey. NEC’s director Marc Astafan was clearly in his element with this piece. Trained initially as a dancer, it’s not surprising to find in Astafan’s staging the occasional nod to the work of director/choreographer great Bob Fosse. Like Fosse, Astafan makes precise connections between movement and score. Astafan had coached the entire cast well in physical acting and in dialogue, two areas where opera singers notoriously fall flat.”
-Stephen Marc Boudoin, Bay Windows Boston, May 8, 2003

The Jerome Kern Songbook – Colorado Symphony & Central City Opera
"Great singers. Great presentation. That in a nutshell sums up the high-caliber, thoroughly entertaining tribute to Jerome Kern. It was a suave, sophisticated effort that did justice to the performers as well as the music. It helped that each selection seemed to flow logically and effortlessly into the next. Instead of simply having the performers stand and sing, director Marc Astafan enlivened the presentation with subtle yet significant staging, moving the performers around, having them deliver a few numbers from the house and giving them a few basic dance steps now and then. A near-perfect SuperPops evening! “
-Kyle MacMillan, The Denver Post, February 11, 2003

La Boheme – Lyric Opera of Waco
“The Lyric Opera of Waco tops five years of good, solid productions of operatic masterworks with a rendition of “La Boheme” that’s the company’s finest yet.
Director Marc Astafan brought a sensitivity to the staging. The bustling street scene outside the Café Momus in Act II was crowded, but didn’t overwhelm the interplay of Musetta and the Bohemians. The artists were free to frolic among themselves, such as the mock duel/dance at the beginning of Act IV, and it never got out of hand. [The production] was staged simply and was nicely balanced visually with many subtle touches.”
-Carl Hoover, Waco Tribune Herald, September 14, 2002

Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria – Boston Baroque
“Marc Astafan’s simple staging was built on stunning geometrical patterns, with some droll touches for Penelope’s lolling suitors.”
-Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe, October 26, 2002

“The Jordan Hall stage was filled with a superb group of artists and in Marc Astafan’s efficient concert staging in character-appropriate modern dress, Pancella appeared throughout a womanly, proud, long-suffering icon of steadfast love.”
-T.J. Medrek, The Boston Herald, October 27, 2002

“The singers were in good hands with stage director Marc Astafan, whose minimalist directorial touches, in pared-down, smartly anachronistic style, allowed them to be both stylized and yet emotionally uninhibited.”
-Lloyd Schwartz, The Boston Phoenix, October 31, 2002

Candide – Florida State Opera
“This production, directed by Marc Astafan, is a lively, more-is-more romp. The stage teemed with action. It was difficult, at times, to keep up with everything that was going on. And I mean that as praise. The eye was constantly enticed to follow the action around the stage as Astafan kept his singers and actors moving. The choral blocking was particularly telling, peopling the stage as individuals, then as a group. This group movement was especially successful in the disturbing “Auto-da-fe” inquisition sequence. Astafan’s conception of the piece was ably realized. Productions such as this show the Florida State Opera continuing to grow in quality and prestige.”
-Steve Hicken, The Tallahassee Democrat, June 5, 2002

L’Enfant et les sortileges – Tanglewood Music Center
“Originally planned as a ballet, L’Enfant presents difficult staging problems, because the action tales place in the imagination, and décor and costume limit imagination by defining it. Tanglewood’s solution was an intelligent and witty semi-staging by Marc Astafan.”
-Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe, July 25, 2001

“Astafan, a Tanglewood newcomer, got around the problems of L’Enfant by stylizing the performance. The solution worked well suggesting an atmosphere of magic.”
-Andrew L. Pincus, The Berkshire Eagle, July 27, 2001

“L’Enfant was officially announced as a semi-staging, but Marc Astafan’s blocking and John Michael Deegan and Sarah G. Conly’s projections sufficed handsomely. [The performers] on both nights constantly approached perfection and sometimes reached it.”
-Leighton Kerner, Opera News, November 2001

Le Nozze di Figaro – Bay View Music Festival
“Marc Astafan’s directing emphasizes the subtle nuances of the character’s emotions and reactions to the continuously twisting plot. Then, when it comes time for the ensemble to sing, Astafan brings his singers to the front where we can appreciate the moods of the people in the story.”
-Mary Jane Doerr, Petoskey News-Review, August 18, 2000

La Traviata – Opera Theatre of Philadelphia
“[Violetta] courageously executed her sickbed scene in Act III almost entirely lying down. Here, director Marc Astafan most notably and effectively departed from tradition. Most hearteningly, every single member of the supporting ensemble projected a sense of character and involvement; this speaks well for Astafan and the company’s overall philosophy.”
-David Shengold, Philadelphia Citypaper, May 4, 2000

“Director Marc Astafan’s staging of the opening banquet scene tempted one to go onstage and join the party…the acting was equally effective.”
-Samuel L. Singer, Main Line Times, May 4, 2000

The Rape of Lucretia – New England Conservatory Opera Theatre
“The New England Conservatory Opera Theatre’s skillfully staged production was a great success for everyone involved. The staging by Marc Astafan was strong, simple and effective.”
-Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe, February 1, 2000

La Bohème – Opera Illinois
“Opera Illinois has launched a well-wrought production of La Bohème. A few moments in the show even sparkle thanks to the inventive staging by director Marc Astafan. The Bohemian’s joking and high spirits are funny and credible in part because of Astafan’s effective stage direction.”
-Gary A. Panetta, Peoria Journal-Star, October 3, 1999

The Threepenny Opera – New England Conservatory Opera Theatre
“Astafan choreographs movement and dances with witty music hall flair. He devised particularly amusing shenanigans for MacHeath’s band of thugs.”
-Ellen Pfeifer, The Boston Herald, April 16, 1999

Il Trovatore – Nevada Opera
“Nevada opera’s superb Il Trovatore had it all: superlative singing, high-tension action and a handsome Rembrandt look. Resisting Il Trovatore’s broader inclinations in favor of a tight, smart staging, director Marc Astafan did a masterful job at making the production work with the theatricality of a Hitchcock thriller. Astafan’s work makes Il Trovatore the visually exciting experience the opera is supposed to be. One of Nevada Opera’s finest offerings.”
-Jack Neal, Reno Gazette-Journal, October 25, 1998

Tosca – Central City Opera
“Director Marc Astafan’s staging was cohesive and Act II was a dramatic and vocal powerhouse, making it all the more believable.”
-Jeff Bradley, The Denver Post, June 30, 1998

“Astafan clearly understands the intensity of Puccini’s dramatic tale of love and revolution…the performances had naturalness and subtle character shadings.”
-Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News, June 29, 1998

“There were goose-bumps throughout this production…dramatic polish with unusually clear and handsome staging which complemented the music. A sensational Tosca!”
-Wes Blomster, Boulder Daily Camera, July 2, 1998

“The dramatic entrance of Scarpia in Act I is startling and chilling thanks to director Marc Astafan. The first Act’s finale is riveting…a great theatrical experience. The teeth-grinding, nail-biting second act grabs you by the throat and shakes you! Not to be missed!”
-David Marlowe, Out Front Colorado, July 15, 1998

I Capuleti e i Montecchi – Pittsburgh Opera Center
“This production, directed by Marc Astafan, was a clever, minimally-staged version, dramatically telescoped and acted superbly.”
-Mark Kanny, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 21, 1998

Rigoletto – Opera Company of El Paso
“… an elaborate staging with quality acting under the careful eye of Marc Astafan…the best production so far by this young company…the chorus sang and acted with gusto.”
-Jamie Castaneda, Opera News, September 1997

Die Zauberflöte – Eugene Opera
“Eugene Opera’s production was charming, intimate, tender, and laced with mystery. Marc Astafan was the stage director of this not-to-be-missed production.”
-Holly Johnson, The Register-Guard, January 2, 1997

The Italian Straw Hat – New England Conservatory
“This production is full of charm and disciplined mayhem. As the number of people on the stage grew and the [plot] complications multiplied, director Marc Astafan controlled the traffic with nonchalance, elegance and alert comic timing.”
-Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe, April 13, 1995

A Night at the Opera – Colorado Symphony Concert with Central City Opera
“A highly polished and most enjoyable show with fluid stage direction by Marc Astafan.”
-Jeff Bradley, The Denver Post, October 21, 1995

“…it worked wonderfully on stage, Busby Berkeley-style total entertainment…thrilling, charming and stirring. This was one great night skillfully directed by Marc Astafan.”
-Marc Schulgold, The Rocky Mountain News, October 16, 1994

The Automobile Graveyard, World Premiere – The New England Conservatory
“This performance was excellent. Director Marc Astafan devised an effective production that capitalized on the youth and physical agility of the singers. Astafan got every singer to act with real conviction and to do shocking things with childlike innocence.”
-Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe, February 22, 1995

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