Show Boat

Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's 1927 Broadway hit, a milestone in the history of American musical theatre, receives highbrow treatment in this 2014 production from the San Francisco Opera. This Show Boat—incorporating material from the 1946 revival—is intelligently mounted, with elegant sets and costumes, and features lovely singing, while the orchestra provides sumptuous accompaniment for the classic songs (“Make Believe,” “Ol' Man River,” and “Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man,” for starters). Although the plot—based on Edna Ferber's titular novel—is a dramatically rickety romance that treats racial prejudice in a manner that comes across as condescending today, viewers adjust fairly quickly to what is, after all, a period piece. Nonetheless, the full-blown operatic approach does have drawbacks. Conductor John DeMain and the singers—including Patricia Racette as Julie, Heidi Stober as Magnolia, and Michael Todd Simpson as Gaylord Ravenal—often seem to be treating the show like a museum exhibit, with occasionally stodgy tempos and extremely careful diction (it's a breath of fresh air every time Bill Irwin shows up as Cap'n Andy, bringing some welcome Broadway bravado to the overly refined proceedings). But this is still an estimable version of a work whose central importance to one of America's greatest contributions to modern culture—the musical—is unquestionable. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include interviews with cast and crew. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)