Debut in Florence

Aspiring opera singers in the U.S. are in a predicament similar to that of aspiring comedians; they have a hard time getting onto a musical borscht circuit where they can develop their vocal patter. A year ago, an opera-loving Cincinnati adman named John L. Magro decided to remedy the situation, organized American Operatic Auditions, Inc. Its purpose: to hunt down fresh operatic talent for a summer of seasoning in Italy. Winners would get round-trip fare to Italy and a living allowance, free coaching in Milan and a crack at singing professionally on Italian opera stages. Last week five of the first batch of eight winners (four sopranos, one tenor, two baritones, one bass) had a chance to show off their talents in a student production of La Boheme in Florence's famed Teatro della Pergola.

The winners (winnowed from 1,000 applicants) were hampered by shaky Italian diction and an occasional tendency to overact from sheer youthful exuberance (Painter Marcello, in Act I, hurled his brush clear offstage into the orchestra pit). But audience and critics were impressed by the Americans' voices and technique. The best voice in the group, many thought, belonged to Tacoma (Wash.) Baritone Roald Reitan, who sang briefly last year with the San Francisco Opera. Ohio-born Tenor Jean Deis, who was told when he was nine that scarlet fever would prevent him from ever speaking again, also got a generous round as Rodolfo. The most popular Americans were Texas Soprano Sara Rhodes Hageman, 25, whose Mimi Italians found "delicious," and Manhattan Showgirl-Soprano Marjorie Smith, who was in Most Happy Fella and is now being pursued by Italian film makers.

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