Between the “boom boom now” and the “boom boom pow” of the Ultra Music Festival, Puccini’s ultra-tragic opera, Tosca, opened at the Arsht Center. Unlike the Florida Grand Opera’s (FGO) awkward and overly-acted production of Nabucco last month, Tosca soared. It walked a well-choreographed and controlled line between too much and too little—and got the performance just right.

Tosca. Photo by Justin Namon

Soprano Kara Shay Thomson, who played the iconic leading role of Tosca, fulfilled the promise one expects when going to the opera. Her not-so-subtle and strident voice powered us to the heights of the Castel Sant’Angelo where, in her grief, she threw herself to her death after the execution of her lover Cavaradossi. Thomson’s dramatic flair alone made the trip through the rain and traffic worth it.

Cavaradossi proved to be a more supportive role that complemented, rather than overshadowed, Tosca’s fierce self-confidence. Tenor Rafael Davila managed to portray that macho, masculine figure so ingrained in opera without playing into stereotypes. On the other hand, Scarpia, played by Todd Thomas, pushed his character’s ego to the edge and created an eerily stunning portrait of a sadistic, sex-crazed lunatic obsessed with Tosca.

As I left the center, the “boom boom pow” from Ultra reverberated throughout downtown Miami. The rain and sun had fallen for the night. The moon, nowhere, not even a sliver. The rosy-orange glow of streetlights led passengers up and down the corridor of Biscayne Boulevard that connected two seemingly alien worlds—opera and electronica. And it was awesome. Only in Miami, I thought, as a cacophony of horns rose up and harassed wandering pedestrians to move on.

Florida Grand Opera presents Thaïs, the final opera of the season, May 3-17. For tickets and information, visit http://tickets.fgo.org/Tickets/EventDetails.aspx?id=1072.