Perhaps seeing his dandy New Yorker nephew (Matthew Velis) – casually clad in a sumptuous silk robe and similar slippers – proclaim his love for his home city’s marvelous shopping, then swoon over the magnetism of its Broadway shows, is not a Texas millionaire’s worst nightmare, but it’s certainly up there; and since “everything is bigger in Texas,” a perceived disaster of that magnitude is rife for an evening of enchanting laughter.

The decidedly playful overture highlights the overall light mood of the opera, though it nevertheless contains a message both real and poignant – the importance of trust and integrity in love.

This weekend marked the New York premiere of Thomas Pasatieri’s phenomenal opera, “Hotel Casablanca,” at the Dicapo Opera Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Elegant and spacious, the theatre almost serves as an intermediary between fully-orchestrated venues like the Metropolitan Opera House and smaller establishments led by a single pianist.

It takes place in contemporary Texas, centering on the happily wedded owners of Double T Ranch, Tallulah (Molly Mustonen) and Tom Carter (Chad Armstrong), though their marital bliss seems threatened when Tallulah discovers that Tom’s Old Glory-inspired suspenders were found at the notorious Hotel Casablanca.

Echoing “The Marriage of Figaro,” Tallulah and her opera-loving friend, Lucy (Sara Stewart) decide to write an anonymous – and incredibly sultry (she wishes to resemble “two wild horses locked in a passionate embrace” with the intended recipient) – love letter to the owner of Double T Ranch.

After a cleverly-executed and charming scene involving the revelation of the note to ranch manager Tobias (Michael Callas) and Lucy’s incredibly jealous husband, Raul (Ubaldo Feliciano-Hernandez), a comedy of errors ensues, filled with traditional fare like mistaken identities and humorous overreactions.

At the center of it all is the aforementioned nephew, Charles, who is apparently the true perpetrator of the carnal transgression, but Tallulah and Lucy do not know this – and neither does Raul, who recognizes his wife’s handwriting and lipstick-sealed kiss on the offending parchment.

Possessing both comedic and vocal finesse, Feliciano-Hernandez’s interpretation of the Latin lover did not for a moment lack the grace typically associated with the art of opera. In fact, so intense was his dedication to his craft that the tenor slipped into the voracious role of baritone with nary a trace of his true tessitura.

His storyline spouse, Stewart, a remarkable humorist in her own right, possessed a sense of comedic timing and display that immediately enamored her to the audience. An adorable gossip with an infectiously mischievous mega-watt smile – and a sense of dramatic flair to match (she always dreamed of having a tenor sing at her death scene, a la “Madama Butterfly”) – Stewart’s Lucy traipses the fine line of physical comedy, at once engaging and funny.

But the largest source of whimsy comes from Velis, who is simply astounding as the lay-about, Charles. From a fantastically-executed stage hangover to his awkward handling of one of Chekhov’s three guns, combined with his decidedly endearing inability to walk in manly, Texan boots, Velis is a spectacle from start to finish, with an impressive voice to match.

On the dramatic front, the sheer weight of passion of Armstrong’s lovingly devoted Tom is both admirable and gripping. Somehow managing to balance charm and machismo, the powerfully moving baritone captures the ardent pathos of the male lead in his determination and unwitting sensitivity.

A height of romantic tragedy was reached quite easily by Mustonen, however. Looking delightfully glitzy in her Texan getup, the soulful soprano consistently maintained a haunting air of dreamy fragility. A soft, affectionate woman, Mustonen’s deeply emotional aria at the hotel, marked by the somber words, “I blame my breaking heart,” truly grips that of the viewer, as the bright and extraordinarily expressive vocalist performs splendidly.

The respective talents at Dicapo are hardly reserved to the fabulous five, however, as Callas, Dane Reese, Selena Moretz and Lynne Abeles were each more than effective in their roles of Tobias, Burton, Miss Pooder and Veronique, respectively – each possessing a beautiful voice and acting ability.

The seamless direction of Francine Harman and the stunning musical accompaniment by the 17-piece orchestra only added to the overall success of the presentation.

Ultimately fun and alluring, Pasatieri’s magnanimous opera is more than worth seeing, with hopes of a quick return to the theatre.

An enormous, Texas-sized “bravo.”

Photo by Sarah Shatz.

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