By Nancy Plum

Performing arts companies are live, evolving organisms — expanding and contracting as economics and other conditions change. With any luck, an organization will grow out of its current form and take a risk to move up to the next level. For 36 years, Boheme Opera NJ has provided performing opportunities and opera experiences to the Central New Jersey area; this year, the company has taken a leap of faith with a name change to increase audiences, outreach and repertory and seek a “more powerful” presence in the state.

The State Opera of New Jersey, as it is now known, inaugurated its new identity this past weekend with two performances of Johann Strauss’ farcical operetta Die Fledermaus. Conducted by Joseph Pucciatti and directed by Alison Bolshoi, this production upheld Boheme Opera’s tradition of bringing high-quality performance to the region while serving notice to the audience at The College of New Jersey’s Kendall Mainstage Theater that things were on a new path.

Strauss’ 1874 Die Fledermaus has been a gold standard of the operetta genre since its premiere. Based on a French vaudeville comedy, Die Fledermaus was composed with characters drawn from everyday life and a story which was amusing without being preposterous. Strauss himself was known for being more interested in good music than a good libretto, and the work was chock full of his trademark memorable tunes.

For Friday’s production (repeated Sunday afternoon), The State Opera scored a major coup with the marquee casting of tenor John Easterlin as the wealthy man-about-town Gabriel von Eisenstein. An international performer specializing in “Spieltenor” character roles, and holding Guinness World Records for magic, Easterlin brought continuous frenetic and comic energy to the stage. With a solid voice carrying to the back of the hall, Easterlin’s acting was suggestive of a very theatrical Nathan Lane, and he provided a physical performance solidly connecting to the rest of the cast. Easterlin’s career has ranged from opera and television to puppetry and magic, and he seems to have excelled at it all, creating a deep well of vocal and dramatic qualities from which to draw.

Gabriel’s wife Rosalinda was a charming woman, but not without a bit of deviousness. Soprano Nicole Woodward sang the role with clarity in the upper register, clean diction in the spoken dialogue and a lyrical sound well matched by other singers in ensemble numbers. Several trios including Rosalinda and Gabriel were particularly crisp, with humorous movement to match. Woodward sang Rosalinda’s showcase aria, the second act “Czardas,” milking the persuasive quality of the music.

Many 19th-century operas have sassy maids supporting the lead heroine, and Die Fledermaus was no exception. Vocally, the role of Adele started off with a bang, ripping down scales from the top register, and soprano Sara LeMesh combined fluid singing with physical comedy throughout the evening. With brilliant red hair immediately branding her as the firecracker she was, LeMesh spun off Strauss’ difficult writing with ease. She handled the complex “Laughing” aria with agility in the coloratura passages and precision in the large melodic skips.

Bass-baritone John Robert Green sang the role of Dr. Falke (the original “Bat” of the operetta’s title) with conviction, and vocally complemented Easterlin in the duets between their characters. Mezzo-soprano Rachel Deatherage was engaging as the wealthy yet bored Russian club owner Prince Orlofsky, well handling the difficult party scene aria and always communicating with the audience. As Rosalinda’s former suiter Alfred, tenor Dylan Davis was a bit over the top at the outset, but settled into the role with lyrical singing to his beloved paramour.

Conductor Joseph Pucciatti led an orchestra which moved smoothly with the changes in tempo and provided a lighthearted Viennese atmosphere to match the farcical nature of the story. As with many Strauss waltzes, the arias and ensemble numbers in this opera included frequent shifts in tempo and style, and both singers and orchestra were consistently together. A strong chorus was well prepared by Laura Isabella, and Alison Bolshoi’s stage direction moved the cast efficiently through scenes appearing set in the 1950s. Virtual backdrops add tremendously to opera scenes these days, and J. Matthew Root’s set design was imaginative and made the stage look considerably bigger than it surely was.

As one of the most complex and expensive art forms, opera took a huge hit during the pandemic, and many companies are still recovering. The State Opera of New Jersey’s decision to take a giant step into a future of expansion got off to a good start this past weekend and will no doubt bring more recognition to this regional performing company.