The New York Times  -   August 5, 2005

When Puccini's in the Park,
Beware the Smoke Machine
By JEREMY EICHLER

The New York Grand Opera returned to the Bandshell on Wednesday night for its 32nd season of free opera in Central Park.  This little-company-that-could is run by
Vincent La Selva, a one-man force of nature in the world of populist opera. One of his recent accomplishments was to conduct all 28 Verdi operas in chronological order, patiently chipping away every summer in the park from 1994 to 2001.

But even Mr. La Selva has his limits, and he is reportedly wearying of his yearly battle with the elements. Last summer, rain canceled his "Tosca" twice and his "Turandot" once. He brought "Turandot" back on Wednesday in sweltering heat and humidity for a crowd of more than 5,000 grateful listeners, but he did not schedule other outdoor performances this summer.  Whether he will reinstate the full schedule next year remains to be seen.

One of the best and most impressive things about this company is that it somehow manages to stage each of its productions fully. For those receiving their first exposure to these works - and there seemed to be many in the audience - this can make all the difference in the opera's impact.

Roberto Stivanello was the director of Wednesday's production, and Hal Tiné designed the colorful sets positioned in front of the bandshell. The smoke machine looked in danger of asphyxiating one chorus member at a certain point, and the costumes generally appeared decades old, but no one was complaining.

Body microphones make it difficult to evaluate the mostly young singers. That said, Christopher Jackson sang a satisfying Calaf, though you wished at times for longer phrases and a more focused stage presence.  Luciana LaMonico captured the icy essence of Turandot, but her top notes were pressed. Maria Knapik was an affecting Liu, and Steven Fredericks a fine Timur.

Mr. La Selva has a deft and natural feel for this repertory, and he led a generously proportioned reading of the score. The orchestra's few wobbly moments came and went quickly. As Puccini's last opera, "Turandot" was left unfinished at his death,
and Mr. La Selva paused his performance briefly and dimmed the lights at the point where the original music ended. (The break comes after Liu's death in the
third act.) It was a moving gesture in the spirit of Toscanini, though Mr. La Selva did not need it to convey his immense respect for this tradition. His conducting had done that already.