FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Lori Phillips sings the role of Senta in "The Flying Dutchman."

Impressive soprano
stands out

"The Flying Dutchman": Repeats at 7:30 p.m. today at Blaisdell Concert Hall. Tickets $29 to $100. Call 596-7858.

Say what you will about all its other elements -- opera is first and foremost about singing. Hawaii Opera Theatre's production of Richard Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" proved that excellent voices can make the audience forgive a multitude of technical problems.

With that said, it must be admitted that Wagner tried as hard as anyone to balance the various elements of the art form. He wrote the text for this opera, and he wrote an orchestral score that plays a vital role in the development of the drama. As the cursed sailor searches for redemption, the composer gives the orchestra two contrasting themes to represent the curse and the redemption. These two orchestral melodies form the basis of the score and help to drive the plot.

Under the direction of Mark Flint, the Honolulu Symphony played the sumptuous and difficult score with precision and power. The massive brass choruses were matched by shimmering string passages and elegant woodwind solos. From the first notes of the overture, it was obvious that the orchestra was committed to more than merely an accompanying role. The sheer volume of sound resulting from the large ensemble and heavy scoring called for extraordinary singers.

And extraordinary is the best word to describe Lori Phillips, who sang the role of Senta. A true dramatic soprano, she had the power to compete with the orchestra's loudest moments while also making use of an expressive dynamic range. At the end of a long evening of singing, her final lines had more power than when she began -- an impressive feat of endurance. Her singing was so strong that she often overshadowed her partners in duets; it was unclear whether they were simply not up to matching her output or whether she needed to temper her delivery to blend with theirs.

Gary Simpson was an imposing physical presence as the Dutchman. His brooding face and towering frame dominated the scene whenever he was onstage. His acting and musicianship were excellent, but his voice did not project over the orchestra as clearly as one could have wished. Rumor has it that he caught the cold that has been going around.

Kurt Link as Senta's father, Daland, provided welcome comic relief and solid vocal production. His timing in the Act 2 introduction of Senta and the Dutchman drew audible laughter from the audience.

Randolph Locke played a passionate Erik; Les Ceballos used his ringing tenor tones to make the most of the role of the Steersman; and Carol Sparrow played a supportive role as Mary.

The chorus was superbly prepared by Nola Nahulu. Their precision was impressive, most notably in the long rests at the beginning of the final act. This scene also yielded an appealing visual spectacle with its lively crowd scene.

There were moments when it seemed that the Dutchman was not the only one in the auditorium who was cursed. There were recurring problems with the houselights, supertitles and cell phones, but as noted above, the solid singing allowed the audience to forget these problems quickly.

The set, designed by Peter Dean Beck, was attractive, making strong use of diagonals and hanging beams. His lighting design also added to the production's appeal with swirling lights on front and back scrims, as well as dazzling lightning in storm scenes.

Henry Akina's staging capitalizes on the diagonals of the set to create striking tableaux for the chorus. He creates a lot of energetic movement, most surprisingly in the appearance of the Dutchman's crew in the final scene. Rather than appearing as zombies, they burst onto the stage as hell-raising demons, complete with makeup borrowed from the rock group Kiss. Akina's staging gives symbolic significance to a globe that appears at various points in the drama, and he makes effective use of the front scrim during the overture and again during the final apotheosis.