Pair of children’s operas delight

In what one wishes would become a Las Vegas holiday tradition, the UNLV Opera Theater presented two charming children’s operas at the Paul Harris Theater on campus: “Little Red Riding Hood” by Seymour Barab and “L’Enfant et les Sortileges,” or “The Bewitched Child,” by Maurice Ravel with a libretto by Colette.

Linda Lister directed the operas with musical direction and piano accompaniment by Kosta Popovic, with additional piano by Jae Ahn-Benton.

“Little Red Riding Hood” is said to be the most often performed opera by an American composer. Barab, who sadly passed away this year, tells this classic folk tale with charming simplicity. His musical setting for the story is as lovely as a child’s lullaby but sophisticated enough to engage an adult audience.

Xavier Brown sang the role of the Wolf/Woodsman with a creamily rich baritone. In a wink to the children in the audience, Brown first acts as the opera’s emcee and shows himself to be more of a “ ’fraidy” Wolf than the Big Bad Wolf. But once he dons his wolf ears he becomes comically sinister, gleefully recalling all the people he has gobbled up, “Woof, Woof, Woof.”

Lacy Burchfield makes her opera debut as Red Riding Hood. She is amusing in the role but doesn’t capture the sincere undertone needed to win our hearts and not just our laughs. Her soprano was reedy and in her mockingbird song she sounded flat. But her voice became more confident in her well-sung duet with Grandmother, “Woodsman, Woodsman, Bring Your Axe,” and in the delightful final trio with Grandmother and the Woodsman, “Happy Ending.”

Mezzo-soprano Nicole Thomas gave a confident comedic performance as Mother/Grandmother. Her lament on old age and the memories of youth, “When I Am Well,” was a highlight.

“L’enfant et les Sortileges,” or “The Bewitched Child,” composed by Ravel with a libretto by Colette, was sung in French with English supertitles, by a cast that so perfectly embodies their roles (abetted by Daniella Toscano’s suggestive costume designs) that even a child could have followed the simple but moving story.

Olivia Sirota is brilliant as L’Enfant terrible, the Child, who is spoiled and ill-tempered and disobedient to Maman (Mother), lovingly sung by Nicole Thomas. Sirota is so good at being bad — “I’m bad and free!” — that her Child’s earnest sorrow at the end is all the more touching.

After driving his long-suffering mother away in tears, the petulant Child tears up his book, torments Le Chat (played with feline sinuousness by Jordan Madagame) and abuses L’Ecureuil (the Squirrel), who is cruelly caged (movingly sung by Nicole Harris). But when all the objects that the Child has abused magically come to life, the tables are turned and the Child learns the consequences of his cruelty.

Standouts in a cast of standouts include Christophe Kennedy and Olivera Gjorgoska as the sophisticated Le Fauteuil (the Armchair) and La Bergere (the Wingchair) and the enchanting Daveon Bolden and Rabuel Aviles as La Theiere (the Teapot) and La Tasse Chinoise (the Chinese Cup). Cassandra O’Toole was magnificently operatic as Le Feu (the Fire). Edwin Cerna II and the Canarelli Middle School Chorus were charming as L’Arithmetique (Arithmetic) and Les Chiffres (the Numbers).

The Child first begins to understand the havoc he has wrought when La Princesse, a fairy-tale book princess sung with unaffected sincerity by Cheyna Alexander, tells him that because he tore up his storybook she will never find her Prince Charming. Even more affecting is the tale of Un Arbre (a Tree), sung with a sorrowful bass by Mark McCreery and expertly supported by a men’s chorus as Le Jardin (the Garden).

The Child is forgiven by the objects of his childhood as they sing the beautiful chorus, “The Child learns he is wise. See he can bandage wounds. He is so kind,” and Maman enters to find him dutifully studying his lessons and embraces him.