Something to Celebrate A-boot

Opera Santa Barbara took over the Paseo Nuevo’s Center Stage Theater when it staged Xavier Montsalvatge’s charming El Gato con Botas with singers from the Chrisman Studio Artists.

Puss in Boots, to give it its English title, was a purr-fect production with director of the studio, Tim Accurso, on piano for the hour-long show, mezzo-soprano Christina Pezzarossi Ramsey as the slinky feline, baritone Omar Alejandro Rodriguez as the miller with aspirations to marry a princess – played by soprano Sunwoo Park.

And, like all good fairytales, throw in a king with baritone Michael Segura as the merry monarch, and bass Colin Ramsey as the wine-sozzled ogre. Victoria Vertiz, Liza Retter, and Chloe Swoiskin played nice as mice.

Josh Shaw’s set design was perfect as was costume designer Stacie Logue.

All quite enchanting…