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Show Peters and Utah Symphony create grand outdoor show Park Record Thursday, July 17, I9H6 fjjjc B1 1 by CAROLINE KIDMAN Record contributing writer Not being a great fan of outdoor musical performances I approached my first Utah Symphony concert at Deer Valley last Saturday with some trepidation. Usually the performers at outdoor events have to contend with too many adversaries: capricious weather, the ever-shifting audience, often appalling acoustics and the lack of ready-made atmosphere afforded af-forded by an indoor arena. There was, however, no reason to worry. The Gods smiled and granted a perfect evening for Metropolitan Opera star soprano Roberta Peters to present her program of Handel, Rossini, Donizetti, Lehar and Verdi. The audience was still except for the occasional pop of a champagne cork, and the stage is arranged so only a little of the orchestra sound is absorbed and the rest trapped and projected towards the audience before it floats off into the evening air. More than this, Peters was able to draw her audience from their distant dis-tant perches on the hillside and into her performance. The season opener began with a somber symphony performance of Verdi's overture to "La Forza del Destino." Peters then followed with two Handel arias, "Sweet Bird," from "H Pensieroso," and the majestic ma-jestic "Lascia Ch'io Pianga," from "Rinaldo." The former almost became a novelty piece with Erich Graf, principal flutist of the Utah Symphony, joining Peters at the front of the stage to assist in her evocation of the nightingale song. Peters' program amply displayed her astonishing vocal range. In spite of a little distortion during the "da capo" passages, it was an impressive im-pressive performance. Peters ex udes the assurance of one who has been performing professionally for 35 years. Best known for her coloratura grand opera roles, she gave us her Rosina ("Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's "II Barbieri di Siviglia") and Gilda ("Caro nome" from Verdi's "Rigoletto"). At the July 12 concert, however, her most inspired moments came in the two Leher pieces she presented. "Ich bin verliebt" from "Schoen ist die Welt" and her encore "Vilja" from "The Merry Widow," were sung with an almost Teutonic flair for Viennese operetta and a certain amount of American vivacity which had the audience charmed. But perhaps her most rraste-ful performance was the mellifluous "0 luce di quest 'anima" from Donizetti's opera "Linda di Cha- mounix." Peters has the projection and dramatic ability of an archetypal ar-chetypal Donizetti heroine. ' The symphony, under conductor Joseph Silverstein, also gave the audience au-dience some Donizetti with the overture over-ture to "Don Pasquale." Though the performance lacked cohesion, it was a good choice to open the second half of the concert and lead into Peters' "Linda" aria. Like Peters the Utah Symphony seemed most at ease with the Viennese Vien-nese selections, amongst them two Johann Strauss Jr. pieces: a spirited "Gypsy Baron" overture and a jaunty jaun-ty "Blue Danube," which inspired a solitary pair of waltzers to take to their feet. Their performances were enhanced by the strategic setting of the sun which lent a Viennese chill to the evening air. Another Rossini piece, the "Pas de Six" from "William Tell," was performed per-formed breezily enought but sat incongruously in-congruously between two Lehar pieces, "Vilja" and Silverstein's concluder, "Gold and Silver Waltz." It was a very fitting conclusion as the clouds above Deer Valley melded meld-ed into the appropriate colors. As the crowd began to meander down the hillside it was easy to say that those who sat on the prickly mountain were well rewarded for their efforts. PCP sets next year's schedule Park City Performances' season for 1986-87 will include old friends like the Pump Boys and Parley Lamar. It will also include plays such as "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "On Golden Pond." "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" will run selected dates from October 3 to 25. The musical, which was made into a film with Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton, is about a moral crusade launched against a friendly place called The Chicken Ranch. "The Tavern", a mystery-comedy by George M. Cohan, will play on selected dates from November 21 to December 13. For Christmas, those good ol' folks off Highway 57 will return. "Pump Boys and Dinettes" will play on December 26 to 31. The adventures of Parley Lamar continue in "This is the Place, Book III." Fleisher said the new play aims to combine the best of both its predecessors the one-liners from Book I with the solid plot of Book II. The new sequel will run from February 13 to March 28. "On Golden Pond", the story of a couple in their autumn years, will play selected dates from April 17 to May 2. Finally, the summer show will be the Utah premiere of "Three Guys Naked From the Waist Down". The musical is about a trio trying to put together an act for the Johnny Carson Car-son show. Dates for the show have not been determined. ParkWest concerts continue with Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bonnie Raitt The ParkWest summer concert series presents Stevie Ray Vaughn on Friday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m. Special guest is Bonnie Raitt. According to some observers, Vaughn has sparked mass-culture blues acceptance again, and is on the verge of becoming America's newest guitar hero. Drawing concert crowds of 15,000, Vaughn has been influenced by guitarists from Jirni Hendrix to B. B. King. His new "Soul to Soul" LP includes numbers like "Looking Out the Window of Life." V 1'! Hits of the Roaring 20's July 25, 26 & 27! Summer Guest Conductor Mitch Miller Sentimental selections from Romeo & Juliet to Stella by Starlight and a rousing sing-along. Deer Valley Saturday July 19 7 p.m. Tickets $10 Family $29 Available at Central Check-In, Kimball Art Center & Deer Valley Information: 649-1000 Tickets for the show are $13.25 in advance, and $15.25 on the day of show. They are available at Datatix outlets, ParkWest and Cosmic Aeroplane Aero-plane in Salt Lake. The series is presented pre-sented by United Concerts, ParkWest, Pepsi and PM Magazine Utah. 5 f f ,1 ; i'r r. V I I 111 ' 1 fr ' N )' I ; ' l ' n ' ' j ( ;. . ; ! f .J r Jf it --? " ' " & " r ' i V Vr " - - AJ 1 I ' ' ' - ' - 1 '-" ' V . - ' ' ' t . Keeping the ball rolling Members of the Repertory Dance Theater p !( i vi .Nine Person Precision Ball Passing," Sunday M Hi sort Center. 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