By Nino Pantano

BROOKLYN -- Ever since its premiere at the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1999, William Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge has been gripping audiences. It went to the Metropolitan Opera in 2002 and the Washington Opera in 2007. Now it has attained new heights in the intimate loft of Vertical Player Repertory (VPR) company at 219 Court St. in Cobble Hill, not far from the Red Hook docks from which this tragic tale from the pen of famed playwright Arthur Miller emerged. A View from the Bridge was brilliantly set to music by American composer William Bolcom with an excellent libretto by Arnold Weinstein and Miller himself.

According to the notes, A View from the Bridge grew out from Arthur Miller’s experience in Brooklyn shipyards and his interest in Greek tragedy. It tells the story of Eddie Carbone, a good man whose semi-conscious attraction to his niece leads him to alienate himself from his family and community and eventually results in his own murder.

The story takes place in Red Hook in the 1950s in the home of Eddie and Beatrice Carbone. They are going to give room and board to illegal Sicilian men, cousins to Beatrice, to work on the docks to send money back to their families in Sicily. Eddie's niece Catherine becomes enamored of one of the “guests,� Rodolpho, and thus the tragedy begins.

The acclaimed 1962 film starred Italian actor Raf Vallone as Eddie Carbone and Carol Lawrence as his niece Catherine. In the operatic performance I attended on the night of Friday, Oct. 30, the role of Alfieri the lawyer was portrayed by Samuel Smith, whose strong baritone essayed the character of a man of reason who could not turn the tide of passion with logic.

Eddie Carbone was in the powerful hands of William Browning who brought nuance, then ever growing madness to his character. He literally imploded then exploded. Eddie Carbone’s obsession towards Catherine and his hatred of Rodolpho came to the fore in the scene where he, in a drunken stupor kisses Catherine, then kisses Rodolpho, implying Rodolpho is not “all man.� Browning’s ringing and robust vibrant baritone was thrilling. Browning (as Carbone) interacting with his wife Beatrice showed the dark hue that overruled all reason and logic and a stubbornness that overwhelmed him and propelled his character to his doom. This was a truly great theatrical and vocal performance. Eddie Carbone’s demise was like the death of Othello, where the audience is left with hatred of the sin but compassion for the sinner.

Judith Barnes, who is the founder of this company, brought out all of the innate goodness and sadness of Beatrice Carbone and gave much heartbreak to such phrases as “Eddie, don’t you like me� and "You want something you can never have� (Referring to Eddie's desire for his niece Catherine). Ms. Barnes sang with sublime expressiveness and belted out some golden high notes that were as much a thrill as her captivating lower register. Beatrice is part of this tragedy but can do nothing but watch it unfold.

Valentina Fleer was the perfect Catherine. Ms. Fleer’s shimmering, clear and radiant soprano enchanted and beguiled throughout the performance. Hers is a voice of sweetness and power. When Beatrice warns Catherine that she is now a grown woman and should not be parading in front of Eddie in a slip, one could be tempted to think she is a flirt. To reassure the audience that Catherine is incapable of that subliminal possibility, Ms. Fleer’s voice and persona radiated the proper balance of innocence and naiveté that her character required.

Rodolpho, illegal alien and beloved of Catherine, was portrayed with brilliance and panache by Glenn Seven Allen, whose exquisite singing of “I love the beauty of New York Lights� indicated a first-rate full lyric tenor. His shading and pianissimi were right on the mark and his voice and persona gave unalloyed pleasure. His singing of “It is you I adore not America� was as rapturous as that other Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Boheme.

Branch Fields made great impact as Rodolfo’s brother Marco. His rich, resonant bass recalled the great bassos of old, and his singing of “To America I sailed on a ship called Hunger� earned him an ovation. This was another great Bolcom aria with lyrics by Arthur Miller.

The perfectly cast Richard Mann and Donald Grove made a strong showing as the immigration officers by banging on the door and entering from the outside to search the premises. It seemed like a film noir scene and left an indelible mark on the beholder.

The smaller parts were done with aplomb with Ian Garvie as Louis, David Gordon as Tony and Noah Lethbridge as Mike, The cast was completed by choristers Jeannie Holcomb as a woman and JoAnne Hoffman as an old woman.

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