FROM AROUND THE WORLD: VIENNA, VA.(The Impresario, Viva la Mamma!)(Review)

Since the backstage world of opera has been prone to bursts of intrigue, jealousy and general mayhem almost from the beginning, the art form understandably makes an ideal target for satire. Some of the best shots have been fired by opera composers themselves, a fact celebrated in giddy style by Wolf Trap Opera on June 24 at the Barns of Wolf Trap. The engaging company, which has been a fertile showcase for young artists since 1971, put together the logical double bill of Mozart's The Impresario and Donizetti's Viva la Mamma! (a more recent replacement title for what was originally Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrali). Composed four decades apart, the operas share plenty of common ground. This staging provided even more, thanks to a fanciful scenario concocted by director Nick Olcott to link the two works (and their casts) directly.

Picture it: New Jersey, 1935. A small-town troupe is struggling to produce a new opera under the watchful eyes of the Mob. The librettist wants everyone to call him Cesare Salzapariglia, but he can't shake his nickname, "Buff," acquired because he sells the best Buffalo mozzarella at his deli. He has collaborated with composer Biscroma Strappaviscere on an opera titled Ersilia e Romolo. In a publicity stunt, a mezzo-soprano hired for the trouser role of Romolo tries to pass herself off as a male singer "descended from a long line of Italian castrati." The role of Ersilia needs to be cast, which sets in motion a battle between two prima donnas -- and provides the plot-packing material to launch The Impresario.