Marc Blitzstein's "Regina," a cautionary tale of greed and deceit, seems like a natural for the Utah Opera stage. Not only is such villainy a mainstay of opera, but legendary Utah Symphony music director Maurice Abravanel conducted the world premiere (and won a Tony Award for it). Nevertheless, it's taken 60 years for "Regina" to get here, and it still seems to be a hard sell.

Blitzstein's musical treatment of Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes" is a lively, if occasionally awkward, amalgam of styles that takes some getting used to. Once "Regina" gets going, it has the momentum of a locomotive. The third act in particular is a gripping piece of theater, with nary an extraneous word, note or gesture.

Soprano Deanne Meek, who gave a powerful performance as Ma Joad in Utah Opera's "The Grapes of Wrath" a couple of years ago, is even more stunning as Regina Giddens. She is in total command of the role vocally and dramatically. Her reaction to news of Regina's husband's death will chill you to the core. Bass Kristopher Irmiter radiates strength and decency as Horace Giddens, and soprano Sara Gartland sparkles as the couple's teenage daughter, Alexandra. Soprano Lisa Vroman plays the tragic alcoholic sister-in-law, Birdie Hubbard, who is battered but not quite defeated. The heartbreaking aria in which she sings of her life's disappointments was one of Saturday's show-stoppers.

The opera's other characters are sharply drawn and deftly portrayed: baritone Peter Lindskoog as brutish Oscar Hubbard, bass-baritone Rod Nelman as ruthless but amiable Ben Hubbard, mezzo-soprano Tracie Luck as compassionate servant Addie, and tenor Tanner Knight as weaselly nephew Leo. James Miller (Chicago businessman William Marshall), Michael Morris (servant Cal) and Scott Palmer (old flame John Bagtry) round out the cast.

The Utah Opera Chorus has a brief but effective appearance in the party scene and, later, as an offstage church choir. The Utah Symphony, under music director Keith Lockhart, gives a fine performance. The evocative "rain" music at the beginning of the third act is a highlight. Pam Johnson's beautiful set includes a turntable, which Michael Scarola's incisive stage direction uses to excellent effect.

"Regina's" score mixes a lot of spoken dialogue with the singing, and that is the production's one shortcoming. Though the singers wear microphones and shift vocal gears smoothly (Nelman is particularly adept at this), many of Blitzstein's zingers get lost in the musical mix. Supertitles projected over the stage reinforce the sung lines in the opera; too bad there aren't Supertitles for the spoken lines, too.

Saturday's opening performance played to an alarming number of empty seats. It's frustrating that so many listeners will flock to hear certain operas again and again and again, but are hesitant to try something new. For bringing this powerful production to Salt Lake City, Lockhart and Utah Opera artistic director Christopher McBeth deserve kudos -- and, one hopes, bigger audiences.

Catherine Reese Newton is a music critic. Contact her at creese@sltrib.com or 801-257-8616. Send comments about this review to livingeditor@sltrib.com.