THE DEMON BOTTOM OF FLEET STREET

Eliza Bonet, Nathaniel Sullivan, and Matt Dengler

(photo by Russ Rowland)

Were you fortunate enough to score tickets to Heartbeat Opera's annual drag show? Judson Memorial Church holds a significant number of people and the sold out run was a lengthy one. We hope that the people who had such a wonderful time will become opera fans, if they weren't already. What tickled us about the show The Demon Bottom of Fleet Street was the mashup of Broadway and opera, the clever parody, the use of excellent voices and superb production values.

We are quite sure that the audience members were well prepared for the very very naughty humor because we didn't spot anyone clutching their pearls and the laughter was so loud that some of the funniest lines were drowned out. Nonetheless, there was no mistaking the visual humor. There were sight gags aplenty. The creativity that went into this production was formidable. 

Let us credit right away the wicked cleverness of Director/Choreographer Kemar Jewel, the apt choice of music by Co-Music Directors Jacob Ashworth and Dan Schlosberg, the clever dialogue of Garrett Bell and Peregrine Teng Heard. The impression we got is that all of these talented people contributed and swapped ideas, fertilizing each other's creativity.

The parody was astute and more than usually clever. Sweeney Todd has become Queeney Todd (with apologies to Stephen Sondheim), a razor wielding bottom, mad at the world because he has lost his twink* status (glossary at the end of the review for those who don't understand) and seeks revenge on tops* by slicing off their copulatory organs to be sold as dildos* by his landlady Mrs. Lovedick in her sex shop. The role of Queeney was marvelously and wildly created by Nathaniel Sullivan and the super talented Matt Dengler appeared as Mrs. Lovedick who had "the worst thighs in London". The poor woman couldn't get any dick* util Queeney supplied her with a collection of amputated penises.

The adorable Eliza Bonet presented as a serious shopper at the sex shop named Rosina. All three leads had splendid voices and met the vocal demands successfully. Jonathan Burke entranced the audience with some very erotic dancing and Imara Miles scored points as a succession of tops* who were downloaded from Grinder with the dialogue projected onscreen.

The show surmounted any and all criteria for tastelessness and satirized gay computer hook up culture. It was, did we say? hilarious. The "setting" for this comic gem was the stage of Judson Memorial Church, transformed effectively into Mrs. Lovedick's sex shop and Queeney's upstairs room by means of video projections by Doaa Ouf. David Quinn created dazzling Victorian Costumes, whilst Maiko Ando realized equally fantastic Make-up. The Stonewall Chorale contributed their excellent voices. Mr. Ashworth's violin was joined by Wil Dannenberg's horns and Anjali Shinde's flutes. The music making left nothing to be desired.

It is quite a feat to assemble so many enormously talented people and to put together an evening that worked on so many levels.  Just choosing the right arias and adapting the lyrics to the situation must have taken a lot of joint creativity. We had a grand time enjoying the clever adaptation of the story, laughing at the gags, and identifying so many beloved arias and choruses by Puccini, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Händel, Offenbach, and Bizet. Where we failed and yielded to our companion was identifying non-operatic music, although we think we did get Gypsy. 

Although this has nothing to do with Heartbeat, the three johns* reminded us of our very first theatrical exposure which took place at Judson Memorial Church. It was composed by the late Al Carmines who was minister at the time. The work was called The Legend of Snow White and in Mr. Carmine's radical retelling, three princes. came to wake the sleeping Snow White. There was a rock and roll prince, a country prince, and an opera prince. We spent years trying to find the score to no avail but we can still remember the clever lyrics and tuneful music. Three princes and now three tops. Everything comes back around.

Glossary: a twink is a teenage boy with no body hair; a dildo is a fake penis, a dick is a real penis, and a top is the half of a homosexual encounter who calls the shots, so to speak. He is generally the penetrator.

We are out of space, Dear Reader, and we close with apologies to anyone whose talent we might have inadvertently overlooked.

© meche kroop

 

LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES

Samuel Kidd, Megan Moore, Christine Taylor Price, and Greg Feldmann

Thinking of Forrest Gump on the way home from Tuesday eening's New York Festival of Song recital seemed odd to us until we realized that NYFOS recitals are always varied, always delicious, and one never knows what one is going to get. Some songs are sweet, some are nutty, and others are fruity. This most recent evening comprised songs with women's names as titles and we would never have guessed that there were enough to fill an entire program.

The three singers worked well together (or played well, if you prefer) and comprised a baritone we admired at a prior NYFOS recital (Samuel Kidd) and two female singers about whom we have been writing for a decade. It always gives us a special thrill to witness a singer's professional growth. Mezzo-soprano Megan Moore has been having some great successes in her career development and so has soprano Christine Taylor Price who seems to have accomplished something that writers are not supposed to talk about. We will anyway. She has shed some weight and achieved a glamorous appearance that provides a swell setting for her lovely voice. She is also making great strides in her career, moving readily between opera and musical theater.

It is rare that we enjoy every single song in a diverse program, but there is a first for everything. Let us just point out the ones that stayed in our memory over the past few days. We do so love duets and when Ms. Moore and Ms. Price  joined forces for Schubert's "An  Sylvia" we broke into a wide smile and we are smiling now as we recollect the performance. It was in the same set that Mr. Kidd performed Beethoven's "Adelaïde". Well I guess we are just revealing our preference for the classics, which will not surprise regular readers.

Mr. Kidd's delicate delivery was just perfect for Henri Duparc's "Phidylé" and his artistry with Gallic style was matched by Ms. Price's performance of Reynaldo Hahn's "A Chloris" which carried the loveliness into the 20th century. Schubert's "Ganymed" gave Ms. Moore an opportunity to show a special kind of artistry. She appeared to savor each German word and, in her mouth, the lanuage lost any trace of harshness.

The final section entitled "Rogues Gallery" included Ms.Moore's unique ballad style arrangement of the famous Beatles song "Michelle"and the marvelously funny song by Tom Lehrer called "Alma". Most classical music lovers are aware that Gustav Mahler's wife Alma had quite the reputation for her affairs and Mr Lehrer had quite a bit of fun with his clever rhymes. It was a fun way to end a delightful evening. Having sampled all the chocolates in the box we were able to pick our favorites, as did everyone else in the audience. No one left unsatisfied.

Accompaniment was provided by Steven Blier and Nathaniel LaNasa. An unnamed musician accompanied occasionally with guitar and banjo; Greg Feldmann showed up for an encore.

© meche kroop

ITALIAN OPERA IN THE AGE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

 Sarah Fleiss and Morgan Mastrangelo

Although we have taken no pleasure in operas infused with directorial conceits. the imposition of a theme on the vocal concert is an entirely different matter. A theme brings focus to a vocal recital and allows the audience member to perceive similarities and trends. Such was the case with a most agreeable concert we enjoyed Monday evening at the beautiful Italian Academy of Columbia University.

We confess to not having given much thought to the leadership of baroque performance groups but hearing the results of a singer-led performance has given us pause to reflect. Under the leadership of soprano Sarah Fleiss and tenor Morgan Mastrangelo, the newly founded group called Split the Lark has taken music from the 17th and 18th century and made it their own.  

Both voices have a great deal to recommend them musically including beautiful tone and apt phrasing. However, what impressed us the most was the clarity of diction. There were probably translations available online but we felt no need to distract ourself from the gorgeous music and our comprehension of the Italian was sufficient to understand the text.

Most remarkably we could understand the text of two songs by Thomas Arne, with whom we were not familiar. We have bemoaned the fact that American singers are careless with their English enunciation but these two artists made every word count. Another remarkable feature of the performance was the dramatic engagement between text and artist. There was no "park and bark" here! We enjoyed the facial expressiveness as well as the bodily flexibility.  And above all, there were no music stands to create a barrier between singer and audience. That goes a long way toward explaining the complete involvement of the audience. The sizable hall was packed with enthusiastic listeners. It always makes us happy to witness this level of connection.

As far as the theme of the evening, songs were selected from the period around the American Revolution. We were dimly aware that operas were presented in the colonies during that period but we were happy to learn that art songs were sung in theaters as curtain raisers. We actually fantasized about restoring that tradition! We are always happy to learn something new from program notes, however brief.

Arias from baroque Italian operas delighted the ear as Ms. Fleiss and Mr. Mastrangelo took turns putting their unique interpretations on works by Händel, Vivaldi, Pergolesi, Scarlatti, and Piccini. We listened without expectations since none of the works were familiar to us. The techniques, of course, were familiar and we delighted in the crisply articulated fioriture as well as the contrast between legato sections and staccato sections. We have already mentioned the generosity of dramatic interpretation and clarity of diction.

What a surprise that we enjoyed the selections in English by Arne. Surprisingly, casting against expectations worked out well with Ms. Fleiss attacking the martial aria from Ataxerxes with it's giant leaps. Then, Mr. Mastrangelo took on the more nature inspired aria from the same opera, bringing it to a stunning climax.

We have never enjoyed Händel's English operas as much as his Italian ones, but Ms. Fleiss' performance of "O Sleep why dost thou leave me" from Semele hit all the right notes, so to speak; she invested the work with a pleading tone and Händel's ascending patterns emphasized the character's beseeching.

Although we had only heard Mr. Mastrangelo once or twice before in small roles, we have reviewed Ms. Fleiss several times over the past seven years, beginning when she captured our attention as a mezzo-soprano studying at Curtis Institute and as a student of Classic Lyric Arts, making quite an impression performing at their annual gala.

We shall not close without giving full credit to the superb instrumentalists of Split the Lark. We were sitting way off to the side and couldn't help admiring the tone of the two wooden oboes (Emi Ostrom and Gillian Bobnak) and the bassoon (Ezra Gans). There was a string quartet plus a bass, harpsichord, and theorbo laying down a luscious carpet of sound but the only time we took our eyes off the singers was for the woodwinds.

Somehow we had never given any thought to what the colonists did during wartime for culture and entertainment so this concert was not only entertaining but instructive We left feeling both entertained and enlightened as well as grateful to the artists for opening our eyes and ears. 

© meche kroop

THE BELLES OF BEL CANTO

                                     Anna Tonno, Ashley Galvani Bell, and Alla Milchtein 

Gorgeous arias! Melodic duets! Riveting storytelling! Lavish costuming! Convincing acting! Effective set! Were we at the opera? No, we were not but our involvement matched that which we experience at the opera house. As a matter of fact, we were at La Espacia de Cultura at New York University, enjoying a musical event created by DIVAria Productions, helmed by Ashley Galvani Bell.

We have reviewed a number of performance by this superb soprano; however it is the three DIVAria Productions she created (at least the three that we have seen) that set her apart from other singers. Like us, Ms. Bell seems captivated by the Bel Canto period of the early 19th century and her strong but agile instrument lends itself generously to the fioritura of the period. For this work, Mrs. Rossini Meets Madame Malibran, her stage partner mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna took the role of Madame Malibran (née Maria Garcia of the famous Garcia family, which brought opera to New York) whilst Ms. Bell portrayed Isabella Colbran Rossini.

Both women were superstars of the world opera stage who had interesting lives as well, lives worth dramatizing, as we learned. Both singers were as effective dramatically as they were musically with Ms. Bell portraying the older Colbran and Ms. Tonna bringing the younger Ms. Malibran to vivid life. Early in the evening, we witnessed Colbran meeting the child Maria and the portrayal was so dramatically convincing that Ms. Tonna completely submerged her womanly identity and became a six-year-old!  What a feat of acting! It was effective in spite of the lower register and timbre of her beautifully colored instrument. Sadly, the legendary mezzo-soprano did not lead a long life but she did lead a rather colorful one and survived a horrific horseback riding accident.

Colbran presented a rather more settled and resigned mien, finally accepting the romantic blandishments of the young Rossini and surviving a disappointing marriage with the philandering composer. It was so interesting to watch events unfold through the words of the women in letters , amplified by arias composed by Rossini, Michele Carafa, and Saverio Mercadante, as well as songs composed by the two superstars themselves.

The flow of the evening was so intense that we never looked at our program! In spite of our familiarity with Bel Canto the arias and songs we heard were new to our ears and consistently delightful. By means of Ms. Bell's scholarship and judicious editing we felt as if we knew these two divine women. Let us give credit to the fine directing of Anton Armendariz Diaz and the accompaniment by Alla Milchtein. Was there an opera ready to spring forth? Perhaps, but at the very least we hope Ms. Bell will "take this show on the road". Anyone who loves opera will share in our delight.

© meche kroop

TRANSATLANTIC RISING STARS

 Enrique Torres, Lonwabo Mose, Pablo Puertolas, Sophia Baete, Lucia Iglesias, Angel Raii Gomez, Yasmin Forastiero, and Laura Santamaria

Has it really been a year since Musica Viva NY gifted us with a recital of talented young singers from Madrid, shared with us by Teatro Real's Crescendo program! This year they returned and were joined by young singers from their counterpart in New York City -- the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera. Both programs give emerging artist of great talent and promise the opportunity to grow into their full potential. We consider ourself to be a citizen of the world and love the fact that opera is such an international art form.

The audience packed into All Souls on the Upper East Side and gave these Rising Stars the accolades they deserved. The program joined young artist from both programs in a kind of mix and match that gave the young artists an opportunity to share scenes in a new way and to experience new collaborations. We will identify each artist with an "L" for the Lindemann Program and a "C" for the Crescendo Program.

For no other reason than our deep appreciation for zarzuela, let us first mention baritone Enrique Torres' (C ) performance of "Luche la fe por el Triunfo" from Luisa Fernanda by Federico Moreno Torroba. This 20th century work was one of the last romantic zarzuelas to be written and is still beloved and oft performed, although not often enough for our taste. In this aria, the noble Vidal shows his true character. Similarly, Mr. Torres showed his true talent, both vocally and dramatically. We have heard this aria before but never sung by a Spaniard. To our ears it seemed to have more sazón.

Making a similarly strong impression on us was Argentinian mezzo-soprano Yasmin Forastiero (C ) whose interpretation of "Mon coeur ouvre a ta voix" from Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila taught us something new about seduction with her stately and composed bearing and vocal coloration. A confident woman does not need provocative gestures; rather she invites a man to participate in something mysterious and promising. We love it when a performance helps us to see something in a new way! Furthermore the French was fine and fluid. 

We were happy to hear her French again in the duet from Massenet's Werther in which two sisters with very different personalities combine voices in equally fine French. In "Bonjour, grande soeur" Ms. Forastiero's calm aspect as Charlotte contrasted with the lively soprano of Lucia Iglesias (C ) as Sophie. As different as they seemed the two singers conveyed a sympathetic sisterly understanding.

Ms. Iglesias' sparkly soprano was just perfect for "Ah, je veux vivre" from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. Her petite frame and ease with the upper register made her a most believable and engaging heroine. She scaled the vocal heights with ease and made good use of the entire stage.

We do love duets and we were happy that the program included "Au fond du temple saint" from Bizet's Les pecheurs de perles. It is admittedly a rather silly opera but this duet is a fine showpiece for male voices in harmony. The role of 

Nadir was performed by tenor Pablo Puertolas (C ) who earlier employed a pleasing vibrato in a lovely aria from Cilea's L'Arlesiana --"É la solita storia del pastore". The role of Zurga was well sung by Mr. Torres and the voices harmonized beautifully.

 Sophia Baete (L) a "home team" mezzo-soprano, was particularly persuasive as the sympathetic Dulcinée in Massenet's Don Quichotte . In Act IV, she lets the Don (Lonwabo Mose) down with the tender "Oui, je souffre votre tristesse". She also impressed us with "Must the Winter Come So Soon" from Barber's Vanessa which she imbued with a chill feeling of isolation.

Mr. Mose (L) got an opportunity to show off his low resonant baritone in an aria from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro -- "Non piu andrai" in which the eponymous hero teases the naughty Cherubino. His apt gestures joined his vocal expertise to create the personality of the all too resourceful Figaro.

Mozart's masterpiece has so much to offer! We had even more magnificent Mozart in the ensemble "Riconosci in questo amplesso" in which soprano Laura Santamaria (L) as Suzana gets to slap her intended bridegroom Figaro.  But it was in "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi that we got to appreciate her fine instrument and lovely phrasing as she works her wiles on her father.

Before running out of space let us applaud the daring delivery by tenor Angel Raii Gomez (L)  "Ah! mes amis" from Donizetti's La fille du regiment, a true showpiece that always has the audience holding their collective breath waiting for the volley of nine staggering high C's.

There were several fun ensembles and some fine piano accompaniments by Carlos Alfonso Ferri (C ) and John Morefield (L). We got the sense that these young artists got as much pleasure out of the trans-Atlantic collaboration as we did in hearing the splendid results. We feel grateful to Musica Viva NY for making this happen. We can barely wait to learn what they have in store for next year!

© meche kroop

            

MARIO, MARIO, MARIO!

Pianist Max Lifchitz and tenor Mario Arévalo

When we attend a concert and never glance down at the program, it means that the performance has occupied our entire attention. What a rare and special experience that is! Last night at the National Opera Center we were enthralled by the performance of El Salvadoran tenor Mario Arévalo whom we have not heard in several years since he left New York City for Miami.

We first heard Mr. Arévalo as a Goodwill Ambassador for Fine Arts and Culture for the United Nations Association of El Salvador. We recall some exciting Pan-American celebrations involving colorful costumes, exciting rhythms, and tuneful melodies--all of which mark the music of our southern neighbors. This admirable musician is known for his arts initiative Una Voz, Un Mundo which advocates cultural diversity (a goal we share) and provides musical instruments for low income youth.

But that is not what we were thinking about during his performance. We were totally immersed in the music without for a second thinking about the academic points we usually write about. We were swaying with the rhythms and tuning in to the feelings that Latin American music evokes. Part of this must be credited to the beauty of the Spanish language with its pure vowels. Another part relates to the Latin American avoidance of 20th century academics which robbed music of its melodic structure. Still more credit goes to the heartfelt lyrics; no prosy intellectualism here! No lectures or philosophizing, just pure emotion.

Of course, one needs a singer with soul who can take advantage of these qualities and, in Mr. Arévalo, this glorious music has found a fine interpreter. He is an artist who pours his entire soul into the music! Most of these composers were new to us and it wasn't until we heard "Damisela Encantadora" by the Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona that we felt ourself to be on familiar ground. We confess that the romantic adoration expressed by the lyrics left us a bit weak in the knees. Fortunately we were sitting down!

Even more familiar was the tender waltz "La rosa y el sauce". from the Argentinian composer Carlos Guastavino. It is a sad tale of a rose, beloved by a willow tree, plucked by a coquettish girl who is heedless of the pain of the willow. We suppose that is why we speak of the "weeping willow" in English. The symbolism is inescapable and anyone whose love has been stolen can relate to the mournful melody. The program ended on a fine note with "Jurame"  a familiar passionate song by the Mexican composer María Grever. We never tire of hearing it and it was a fine way to end a recital that held our interest from beginning to end.

Before ending, we would like to share with you some of the other Latin American composers we heard for the first time--Pedro Elias Gutierrez, Mario Chacon, Jaime Leon, Carlos Colon, Pancho Lara, and Isabel Chabuca Grande.

We would also like to mention that the accompanying pianist Max Lifschitz, born in Mexico, was completely in tune with Mr. Arévalo and furthermore shared some of his own compositions, giving our tenor an opportunity to ditch his formal attire (a tailcoat!) for a semi formal tuxedo.

We hope Mr. Arévalo will not wait another few years to return to New York City! We need more Latin American music!

© meche kroop

CLASSIC LYRIC ARTS END OF SUMMER GALA

 

Graduates of Classic Lyric Arts Summer Programs

Autumn has just arrived but the graduates of CLA's summer programs are still glowing with the excitement of their artistic growth, achieved by constant expert tutelage and total immersion in the languages of opera. Two programs in Italy and one in France struck us as "finishing schools". Of course opera singers are never "finished"; even the greats continue to take lessons and coaching sessions. Perhaps it would be better to think of these summer intensive trainings as a "polishing" --and indeed these young singers are all gems!

Last night's event was just one of several we plan to attend during the course of the academic year. This particular one was a private event for donors and we dare say that the enthusiastic faces of the select audience revealed no small measure of satisfaction in the results of their generosity. This seems to us a win/win situation! Glowing faces and smiles on both sides of the virtual curtain.

In a scene from Act I of Bizet's Carmen , we enjoyed Daisy Dalit Sigal's enactment of Micaëla in perfect French diction (something CLA emphasizes). Her instrument has a fine vibrato which we noticed in her speaking voice as well when we chatted after the recital. Her Don José was Carter Bonyeop Gu who evinced a pleasing tenor. We were happy when he reappeared later in the program in "La fleur que tu m'avez jetée" showing a different side of the character's personality as he addresses two very different women.

It is not unknown for the role of Carmen to be sung by a soprano and we would love to witness Nicole Magallon in that role but we will have to wait for another recital. Last night she presented a very flirtatious character in Satie's "La diva de l'empire" and later employed her vibrant personality in the role of Adina teasing the Nemorino of Thomasluke Florez-Mansi in the duet "Chiedi all'aura lusinghiera" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. This scene was cleverly staged by Daniel Isengart who is on the faculty of CLA.

Mr. Florez-Mansi's fine tenor reappeared as he brought Ferrando to vivid life singing the lovely aria "Un aura amorosa". from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte. We liked the sustained pauses between the verses and a graceful downward arpeggio.

Soprano Weiting Xu had two chances to impress us and succeeded both times. She made an absolutely delightful Fairy Godmother in Massenet's Cendrillon and charmed us again in "Duet et Tango" by Dédé, sung with Luke Randazzo who also performed "Riez, allez'' in which Sancho Panza berates the crowd for ridiculing his master in Massenet's Don Quichotte. Both roles were well sung in fine Gallic style.

Soprano Estelina Syla (whom we remember from her undergraduate days) also had two chances to dazzle our ears. The first was Mimi's bittersweet farewell to Rodolfo "Donde lieta usci" from Puccini's La Bohême. We could actually see the snow falling in this sad scene. Another one of Puccini's "piccole donne", Cio-cio San in Madama Butterfly was shown in the Act I love duet "Vogliatemi bene" performed with Fernando Silva-Gorbea whose tenor instrument is so large and strong in the lower register that we are tempted to call him a baritenor.

The very beautiful Maia Sumanaweera sang a beautifully importuning "O mio babbino caro" emphasizing Lauretta's  innocence rather than the manipulation in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.

And last but not least, in a departure from the Franco-Italian emphasis of the evening we heard George Jiayi Baolin sing "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.The tessitura is very low but Mr. Baolin rose to the demands (or should we say "descended").

Let u give credit to the fine collaborate pianists who are similarly trained in the summer programs--JunBeom Park, Luka Marinkovic, and Daniel Farah. 

What a fine showing these young artists made. We realize that the CLA programs include lots of performances for the locals in France and Italy and we have always felt envious. Now we no longer need to experience envy since we got the full monty, as they say.

© meche kroop