This review was originally titled “ESPERANZA” TELLS IMPORTANT STORY: THE WELL-PACED OPERA AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-RIVERSIDE DETAILS A STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY IN NEW MEXICO IN 1950 and appeared in the March 18, 2000 issue of the Press-Enterprise in the Entertainment section, page E05. It is available online from the Press-Enterprise for a small fee.

With its flowing, multisensory stimuli of dance, acting and music and song, the opera "Esperanza" provides an ideal way to tell an important story of overcoming prejudice and inequality.

The production is presented by UC Riverside, Sinfonia Mexicana and Euterpe Opera Theatre. It had its West Coast premiere Saturday at the California Theatre in San Bernardino and will be performed Wednesday in Riverside.

Adapted from the 1954 film "Salt of the Earth" and premiered in 2000, this work by librettist Carlos Morton and composer David Bishop tells of a 1950 labor strike at a New Mexico zinc mine.

In order to prevent their husbands from losing a nine-month strike, the women took over the picket line when management threatened the men with jail. The men grudgingly surrendered their pickets to the women.

So the struggle for equality commences on two fronts: the Mexican laborers against the mine management and the women against their traditional roles.

Within this context, the young Esperanza struggles to establish dignity and equality in her relationship with her macho husband Ramón.

With moments of laughter, tears and cheers, the opera elicited powerful reactions from the audience.

Featuring a diversity of actors, this production proved to be easily accessible to the audience. Sung in English, the opera neatly weaves the arias into the fabric of the recitatives.

Even without memorable melodies, the poignant arias focus attention on the characters' concerns.

Esperanza sings to her unborn child, "What is it for, if not my child." Ramón sings, "How can she treat me like some woman?" The men sing about hot running water and the worries of paying bills.

The music, with minimal orchestration -- only 14 instruments and no violins -- created an appropriately hollow, empty quality to mimic the emptiness of the characters' lives.

Capably conducted by Ruth Charloff of UC Riverside, the members of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra provided solid support without overpowering the singers.

Soprano Ariella Vaccarino offered a sincere rendering as Esperanza, growing from a humble wife to a determined and courageous fighter. She sang with fine technique, but her light voice, more like a sheer veil than deep velvet, swallowed the vowels and made much of what she sang incomprehensible.

As Ramón, Eric Castro presented a somewhat wooden character, but he, too, matured to become more open-minded. With a clean, strong and versatile baritone voice, he sang tenderly about, "something that she said," and defiantly, "I am from here: How can I go back to where I came from?"

Even without blending voices -- the choruses sounded like the vibrato wars -- the singers performed with tremendous enthusiasm for their roles.

This opera deserves attention. Fresh and eye-opening, the well-paced work tells of people struggling to make sure their lives matter.

*     *     *

OPERA REVIEW

"Esperanza"

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Where: UC Riverside, University Theater, 900 University Ave., Riverside.

Admission: $20, $15 seniors, $10 students.

Information: (909) 787-4331

© 2000-2003 The Press-Enterprise Co.