It can't be easy to share the stage with one of opera's most vivid villains. Baron Scarpia, the cruel chief of the Roman police, often walks away with the show, thanks largely to the expert rendering of the character by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini and his librettists, Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. But tenor Scott Piper's charismatic performance Saturday made idealistic painter Mario Cavaradossi someone genuinely worth rooting for, not just a nice guy to whom bad things happen.

Piper made Cavaradossi's humanity and goodness shine through his passion and tenderness for diva Floria Tosca (soprano Cynthia Clayton) and his warmth and loyalty to escaped political prisoner Cesare Angelotti (the always-engaging character baritone Gregory Pearson). His voice was rich and natural, with baritone heft in the lower range; his heart-tugging third-act aria, "E lucevan le stelle," was one of the evening's highlights.

Baritone Guido LeBron made an equally memorable Scarpia, with commanding voice and nuanced acting. His matter-of-fact discussion of his own sadistic tendencies was as chilling as his occasional outbursts of brutality. His toe-to-toe confrontation with Piper's Cavaradossi was riveting. Best of all, though, was the delicious juxtaposition of the "Te Deum" (expertly staged by director Stephanie Sundine) and Scarpia's malevolent monologue.

Clayton's performance in the title role skillfully wedded vulnerability and fire. She had believable chemistry with both the male leads, especially in her soaring final duet with Piper. Her technical security and poignant expressiveness made her major aria, "Vissi d'arte," a show-stopper.

Baritone Michael J. Wanko was the Sacristan; unfortunately, those not fluent in Italian missed most of his funniest moments Saturday because of a malfunctioning Supertitle projector. (The projector got its share of applause when it started working at the beginning of the second act.)

The unbilled Madeleine Choir School chorister who sang the role of the shepherd boy Saturday earned special mention for his clear, unaffected singing, as did his classmates for the natural charm they brought to their roles in the church scene.

Puccini's score is shamelessly manipulative, in the best senses of both words. The Utah Symphony, under conductor Joseph Rescigno, played with vivid color and emotion. Susan Memmott Allred's costumes enlivened the sets, which straightforwardly depicted the opera's real-life Roman settings. The visual effect as Scarpia and his jet-black-clad henchmen strode into the church, parting the crowd of red-clad clerics like a storm cloud, was especially arresting.

Review

* WHERE: Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City.

* WHEN: reviewed Saturday; repeats tonight, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

* RUNNING TIME: Just over 2 1/2 hours, including two intermissions.

* TICKETS: $10 to $65 at 801-355-ARTS, the venue box office or www.arttix.org.

* BOTTOM LINE: Sex, violence and fantastic tunes, sung passionately by a talented cast.