Mozart and meal are recipe for good time

I can’t say whether “dinner opera” – an opera staged at a restaurant – appeals to hard-core opera buffs.

Yet I can guarantee that it’s a great way for the non-cognoscenti to discover how much fun this time-tested art form can be. Mozart’s “The Impresario,” the seventh annual dinner-opera presentation by Spokane Opera, turned out to be an ideal way to sample the decidedly light side of opera.

Here are a few reasons why:

“It’s funny, complete with pratfalls, diva fights, and sly comic asides.

“It’s short, clocking in at less than an hour.

“It contains several typically brilliant Mozartian musical numbers.

“It has two voices worthy of Mozart’s melodies, in Heather Holzapfel and Dawn Wolski.

“It comes with an excellent chicken saltimbocca with risotto from Luigi’s.

It all adds up to a thoroughly enjoyable evening of opera, with an intimidation factor of, essentially, zero.

Here’s how it works: You reserve a $65 ticket, show up at Luigi’s at 6:30 p.m., go to a large dining room on the mezzanine, enjoy a bowl of gazpacho, fresh Italian bread and a glass of wine (one is included in the ticket price). Then you’re served the chicken saltimbocca, which is a chicken breast fillet with prosciutto, cheese and an aromatic mushroom marsala sauce. Risotto and asparagus are the side dishes.

Then, about the time the gelato is served, the show begins on a small stage amid the dinner tables. It’s a one-act comic opera, in English, with five characters, only three of whom actually sing. Because it has plenty of spoken dialogue (updated by director Bill Graham with references to “American Idol” and “Survivor”), it’s far closer to musical comedy than grand opera.

Yet don’t get the idea it doesn’t have artistic merit. The lengthy “dueling divas” number, in which each soprano disparages the other and attempts to prove superiority, is Mozart at the height of his powers. And it’s all the more enthralling because you’re sitting so close you can reach out and touch the velvet gowns (not that I advise it).

Holzapfel sings the role of Madame Silverklang, the reigning prima donna who has been promised a role in the opera company run by Frank (the impresario). She’s very funny as the egocentric and easy-to-flatter diva. Her temper can turn vicious when she’s crossed, grabbing Frank by the lapels and hissing.

Wolski sings the role of Miss Sweetsong, the young and ambitious “soubrette,” who arrives on the scene and threatens Madame Silverklang both professionally and personally. Both are pursuing affairs with the rich banker Herr Eiler.

Holzapfel and Wolski are both immensely talented singers, and it was an utter pleasure to hear them one-up each other – going high up the scale – in their showcase number.

Just as impressive, both are clever comic actresses. Wolski was particularly fun to watch, slinking around the restaurant in a red velvet dress and playing the conniving gold digger to perfection.

Speaking of comedy, Tony Caprile as Frank and Reed McColm as Buff (the stage manager) expertly provided most of the broad humor in their non-singing roles. McColm’s comic asides were particularly apt. After the sopranos ended one number, McColm turned to the audience and said, “I could sing like that. I just prefer not to.”

Eiler, the only male singing role, was performed by Tim Campbell in fine voice. He played the put-upon banker with great red-faced exasperation, as he tried to placate these two prima donna egos.

The piano accompaniment was provided with fine feel and mastery by the always excellent Greg Presley.

This is the lightest of light operas, but I suspect that serious opera fanatics would enjoy it as well. After all, how often can you have a strawberry gelato on your left and two top-notch sopranos on your right?