In Act III, however, the mood turns somber. Ruggero, who has fallen in love with Magda and wants to marry her, doesn't know that she is a kept woman. She never tells him the truth about her past, nor does she renounce it. Instead, she turns her back on Ruggero, even though she loves him, and returns to Paris and resumes the life of a courtesan.

"That's the weakness in the book — Magda never tells Ruggero about her past," said Powers, who plays Ruggero. "You're waiting for something more. You expect (the act) to go on another 15 minutes, but it doesn't."

Follman, who sings Magda, agrees. "Magda wants true love. She gets it and then gives it up, but her story isn't over. You don't know what happens to her. You wish that the opera would go on and finish her story."

Stage director Michael Scarola, on the other hand, doesn't see the opera's somewhat abrupt ending as problematic. "There is something in the music that cuts right to the emotional core of it. Magda's sacrifice at the end goes straight to the heart of her character."

No matter how much their opinions might differ on the credibility of the finale, the three agree that Puccini wrote some of his most gorgeous music for "La Rondine." "It's fantastically beautiful," said Powers.

As far as Lockhart is concerned, the score Puccini composed for "La Rondine" is "almost an embarrassment of beauty. It's as beautiful as anything he wrote."

By his own admission, Lockhart is a "sap" for Puccini. "My two great loves in opera are Puccini and the 20th century — and you can argue whether or not Puccini belongs to the 20th century."

" 'La Rondine' suits Keith's musical knowledge and background perfectly," said Scarola.

"Keith is wonderful," Follman added. "I'm so thrilled to have him conduct."

Both Lockhart and Follman are new to "La Rondine." Follman was asked to learn the part of Magda for this production. "I undertook the role specifically for Utah Opera. And I'm very fortunate to come here to do it. It's a wonderful company, everyone is so gracious, and the community is warm and welcoming."

Powers has sung Ruggero a number of times, most recently at the New York City Opera, where Scarola was assistant stage director under Lotfi Mansouri. "We had a great success with it in New York," Powers said. "It was a lot of fun, and I'm glad to do it again."

"La Rondine" is one of Scarola's favorite operas, and he echoed Lockhart's sentiments that people will be blown away by the music. "It's a special piece, and one that I love so much. And it holds its own against other Puccini operas.

"What I like is to hear the reaction of people after they've seen it. They all say, 'Why isn't it done more often?' "

If you go

What: Giacomo Puccini's "La Rondine"

Where: Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.;

Jan. 16, 18 and 20, 7:30 p.m.;

Jan. 22, 2 p.m.

How much: $10-$70

Phone: 355-2787 or 888-451-2787

Web: www.utahsymphonyopera.org

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E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com