PRANKS, SPOOKS AND LOVERS ENKINDLE “FALSTAFF”
SAN JOSE, CA—-Doubts abounded, with nay-sayers smirking that not even Verdi could set a Shakespearean comedy into a good opera. Those doubting Thomases were silenced when nearing the then-doddering age of 80, Verdi brought off that sparkling operatic masterpiece, “Falstaff,” which is getting its due and more from a highly animated production at Opera San José. Major companies, take note: This smaller troupe with its actor-singers, only in its 39th season, can run circles around many grand-opera troupes having major…