::: George Christy ::: From the Beverly Hills Courier

Scene stealers come and go, those performers who join cast members on screen or stage, and we find ourselves hooked, canÕt look at anyone else. A charismatic presence takes over. For example, Julia Roberts is a born scene stealer. Curiously, during the opening night performance of the L.A. OperaÕs production of MozartÕs Don Giovanni, we encountered another phenomenon. A Òvoice stealerÓ in the singing of tenor Charles Castronovo. One is riveted by his voice and the emotion that he pours forth in the role of Don Ottavio. We later learned from the L. A. OperaÕs communications director Gary Murphy that Charles is a local talent, majored in music at Cal State Fullerton, having grown up in Southern California after his parents relocated from the East Coast. Starring as the womanizing Don Giovanni, that serial seducer of thousands, Uruguayan superstar Erwin Schrott delivers a power-punch presence, his baritone soaring, and the voices of French-Canadian soprano Alexandra Deshorties (Donna Anna), soprano Maria Kanyova (Donna Elvira), mezzosoprano Lauren McNeese (Zerlina) are angelic. Both Kyle Ketelson as Leporello and James Creswell as Masetto enrich the production. For many, the avant garde staging by PolandÕs popular Mariuz Trelinski is challenging, some moments bordering on camp (the nunsÕ chorus and the dancing fir trees), and the settings by PolandÕs Boris Kudlicka are darkly stark. Were that towering fashion visionary, VogueÕs Diana Vreeland, alive today, sheÕd lavish high praise for the fantasy costumes by Arkadius, who trained with London couturier Alexander McQueen and dresses Alicia Keys, Bjork, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Janet Jackson. Having dined and partied with Diana Vreeland on occasion, notably at Doris and Jules Stein, our late Hollywood empress and emperor who created MCA and Universal, IÕll vouch that Diana would have ÒgottenÓ ArkadiusÕ flamboyant designs. Mozart, by the way, considered Don Giovanni an Òopera buffa,Ó hinting at comedy, but nowadays itÕs better described as a supernatural melodrama. On opening night, the audience applauded and applauded the curtain calls. Rare to find a cast like Don GiovanniÕs on an opera stage with winsome waistlines on the women, and strong but trim physiques on the men. (Other opera hunks include New ZealandÕs Teddy Tahu Rhodes and IndianaÕs Nathan Gunn, and among operaÕs ravishing beauties is RussiaÕs Anna Nebtrebko). During the supper reception in the Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 35-year-old Erwin SchrottÕs profile brought to mind a youthful Sly Stallone. The following afternoon, 28-year-old Latvian soprano Matja Kovalevska, another elegantly lean and winsome star whoÕs fluent in four languages, debuted as Mimi in La Boheme. Would that we could have caught her performance, were we not previously engaged. If the future of dining in Los Angeles is Tom ColicchioÕs multimillion dollar Craft in the Century City skyscraper with that Òhole in the middle,Ó that our friend Ruth Vitale calls Death Star, well, ladies and gents, weÕre in for an era of chilly and impersonal dining, formulaic and without soul. Designed by Bentel and Bentel, the creators of TomÕs Craft restaurants in New York, Dallas and Las Vegas, the dining areas are here and there, a bit spacey, accomodating more than 300, hard to know whoÕs where if folks enjoy a gander of people-watching. One couple across from our table noted it reminded them of an Òairport restaurant,Ó and I imagined it was Òmore like a shipÕs dining room.Ó As is fashionable of late, the lighting is dim (dangling filament lamps), and there are no tablecloths. Not easy to see the menu from where I was sitting, although L.A. TimesÕ marketing whiz v-p Lynne Segall had better light sitting across from me. Lynne has dined there several times, and secured a 7 P.M. reservation, and we ran into VarietyÕs editor-in-chief Peter Bart and Phyllis Fredette at the bar waiting for Madelyn Hammond, marketing consultant for Variety and Landmark Theaters, and LandmarkÕs COO Ted Mundorff. Peter and Phyllis are fond of the newly opened Melrose Bar and Grill thatÕs replaced Doug Arango. Wednesday night, and the Craft dining room gradually filled up. Considering some pricey items on the menu, which I consider ÒquirkyÓ (Òwhite sweet potato with marshmallow?Ó), the Writers Guild strike hasnÕt affected business as yet. (LetÕs pray that it ends sooner than soon.) Perhaps the diners were in fields other than the entertainment industry. Whatever, the moneyÕs out there. The staff is youngish and courtly, yet our waiter was befuddled when I asked for a few beets to be added to the endive salad ($17) in place of the bacon, and the beets never came. Lynne found her mixed lettuces with radish salad ($12), recommended by the waiter, Òboring.Ó Albeit, salads are generous. When I finally asked a runner for a few beet slices, he brought and charged us for a full side, but all we wanted was a small spoonful of two bites. Consequently, I took the side of the beets home. The starter of gratin peeky toe crab with corn ($20) was rich beyond words, no taste of crab, just a murky mix. The beef short ribs with root vegetables ($29) is excellent and a favorite, and the Scottish king salmon was fine, if not memorable. IÕve had better New Zealand salmon at MortonÕs. With the salmon ($28) came a cucumber salad vinaigrette that was disappointingly sugary rather than tart. Sides of assorted mushrooms ($22) and cauliflower with broccoli ($11) were good, while a puree of acorn squash with molasses ($13) was achingly sweet. Lynne and I liked the refreshing fruit platter with its choices of pineapple, apple, pear and pomegranate seeds ($12). A lovely gesture is that youÕre given a ticket stub to pick up your take-home food at the front desk, rather than asking a busser to, please, not place it on the table, as they often do. We each received a spicy pumpkin muffin Òfor breakfast.Ó The hostesses were smiling blond angels, and deserving of a photo-op. On our way out we ran into Madelyn Hammond again. She had ordered the Atlantic swordfish with verjus butter ($35), and being a Southerner she was nuts about the collard greens. Lynn Segall returned with Marc Sternberg the following week and enjoyed her frisee salad with pear and walnuts ($16), but still was not smitten with the dining roomÕs lack of personality. Truth to tell, other than the short ribs which diners like, IÕm not convinced that chef Matt AccarrinoÕs kitchen is up to par yet, but the crowds keep coming. This month, the New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni took on Cipriani in the Sherry Netherlands Hotel Ð the CiprianiÕs shocking menu pricing makes Craft seem decent and bearable by comparison. You may want to Google the no-holds-barred New York Times review online Ð itÕs the talk of food-loving Manhattan. Rare instances in my memory when a Times critic rates a major restaurant Òpoor.Ó CraftÕs menu and wine list are extensive, and since Lynne was having iced tea, all I ordered was a Grey Goose vodka on the rocks, and the pour was sturdy. One senses that the staff is still in nervous mode, for Craft is a huge restaurant. (With MortonÕs closing, Craft will be the beneficiary of Vanity FairÕs Oscar party.) CAA partner Bryan Lourd is among the investors, and early buzz surfaced that it was Bryan who convinced carpetbagger Tom Colicchio to add a Los Angeles venue to his growing empire. My station wagon had many papers in the front seat that I didnÕt want mixed up, which can happen with valet parkers, so I choose to self-park in the underground dungeons of the damned. Finding the restaurant, after taking any number of escalators, was not easy. When I was leaving, I was fortunate in encountering a polite valet parker who happened to be underground and took the time to lead me out of the confusing labyrinthine maize. The attendant at the exit gate consoled me that I wasnÕt alone Ð Òlots of people get confused here.Ó Craft does validate for self-parking. Online at www.bhcourier.com.