Set in Rome in 1800, the story is as melodramatic as they come. Opera star Floria Tosca loves painter-revolutionary Mario Cavaradossi (Bauwens) but is desired by lustful secret police chief Scarpia (de la Garza). The opera is basically a series of confrontations between them that include some of opera's most famous scenes - like Tosca's sensational murder by steak knife of Scarpia - and are relieved by some of opera's most beautiful arias, including the soprano's ``Vissi d'arte'' and the tenor's ``E lucevan le stelle.''

Bascetta filled these confrontations with such life that audience members could be convinced these were real people in real situations. The performers looked at and listened to each other intently and reacted to their increasingly hopeless plights with the naturalness of true, inner motivation - not pasted-on theatrics. And Bascetta didn't ignore the smaller roles, eliciting uncommonly vivid portrayals from bass-baritone Drew Poling as the church Sacristan and tenor Miguel Angelo Rodriguez as Scarpia's chief flunky, Spoletta.

It took the leads, especially Bauwens and de la Garza, the first act to fully pull their voices together. But once they did, there was no stopping them: Bauwens delivered his role with vocal heroism and dramatic honesty and de la Garza revealed surprising layers of wit, even humor, in a beautifully rendered portrayal.

Phillips at first appeared too wholesome, too ``American'' to portray a jealousy-driven Italian diva. But in action she was every inch a woman stripped layer by layer of her defenses by Scarpia's psychological torture. And there's plenty enough Italy in her big, robust soprano with its thrillingly steely high notes.