A new holiday-themed opera made its Minnesota premiere in downtown St. Paul on Thursday, in a production by Skylark Opera Theatre. “The Christmas Spider” offers a sweet story about kindness, based on an old tale about a spider who delivers a magical gift in time for Christmas, with a whimsical score by Clint Borzoni. He wrote the one-act opera with librettist/stage director John de los Santos, and the piece has a lot going for it, with some room for further development.

Two children are the first to take the stage. Both play their roles admirably— as Zoya, Eve Scharback has a nice voice and plucky vulnerability. As Dmytro, Em Kaplan nails some of the more humorous lines.

Unfortunately you can’t hear them very well over the music, played by an ensemble of four musicians led by music director and pianist James Barnett. The group (violin, cello, piano and flute) play well, but they often overpower the youngsters, especially when the young people speak, rather than sing. While amplification might be a bit unusual in opera, in this case, it could really have given these young performers a boost.

Grief envelops the main characters. The two children have lost their mother, and their father, Federov, played by Anthony Potts, has lost his wife. Add poverty to the mix, and the family doesn’t have much to smile about. Federov is a woodcutter with a blunt axe, unable to keep up with his competitors who use saws. It’s not clear why the family can’t simply burn the unsold wood in their hearth, but in any case the children play games to keep warm.

As Olha Petrina, the family’s landlady, Karin Wolverton brings a deliciously histrionic flamboyance to the role, complete with a full-throated diva opera voice. She overpowers the defeated Federov, even as a chemistry emerges between them.

One of the loveliest moments of the opera comes as the children head to sleep, and an off-stage chorus (Potts, Wolverton plus Siena Forest and Alex Ritchie) sing a kind of lullaby. One of the few places in the opera that uses vocal harmony, it’s a tender moment.

The work might benefit from being just a touch longer. There’s an interesting relationship between the two adult leads that really could use another scene or two to develop, and the chorus is so good, expanding that element could really add to the work as a whole.

Unfortunately, the production misses an opportunity to land its most magical moment. While the costumes and set suggest a time gone by, a prop Christmas tree with modern-day tinsel and electric lights appears anachronistic, and fails to capture a key plot point in the story. (Spoiler ahead).

Earlier in the story, the children discover a spider, and when their father convinces them not to kill it, the spider gifts them with the beauty of its magical web that glimmers in the light. Yes, the story itself may be a kind of origin story for the use of tinsel, but modern decorations that look like they’ve been purchased at a department store don’t match the period the rest of the play presents. A set designer (there isn’t one listed in the program) would be able to insert some creativity into the tree revelation.

There’s no physical spider in the piece, but composer Borzoni does make “Natalia” come alive through spirited bursts of music. He also adds flourishes throughout that add playfulness. There weren’t children in the audience Thursday night, but the piece would likely appeal to young audiences.

‘The Christmas Spider’

What: Skylark Opera Theatre’s “The Christmas Spider”

When: 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Sat., Dec. 21, 2 p.m. Sun., Dec. 22

Where:  The Lowry Lab Theater at the St. Paul Conservatory for the Arts, 350 St. Peter St., St. Paul

Accessibility: Wheelchair seating available.

Tickets: $47.59, $26.84 students. skylarkopera.org.

Capsule: A new Christmas opera brings charm with some hiccups.

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