Utah Opera / Léirmheasanna

Utah Opera opened its new season in the Capitol Theatre Saturday with a wonderfully cast production of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème. The opera was the company’s initial offering back in January 1978 and has been programmed frequently ever since.

Soprano Maida Hundeling gives a powerful yet nuanced performance in the title role. This Turandot isn't just cold and remote. She is terrifying. Her executioner is terrifying, too, as she twirls a pair of swords with menacing panache. Hundeling's delivery of "In questa reggia," the aria in which the princess explains why she hates men, will knock you back in your seat. Yet the singer also reveals Turandot's vulnerability. Her body language in the riddle scene is particularly telling.