COMEDY TONIGHT TIMES TWO

    

Marc Martinez, Colin Safley, Angela Scorese, Yong Hoon Lee, Victor Jaquez, and Melissa Perry

Lately we have been mourning the loss of the many small opera companies that we wrote about B.C. (before Covid). So, Dear Reader, imagine how excited we felt when learning about a new company. Perhaps the drought is over! It takes courage to plunge into the scene and Director Natan Zamansky seems to have gotten things off to a good start with Opera Picciona.

We thought the name of the company might have been a paradoxical neologism derived from the Italian word for small (piccolo) given a contradictory  ending that suggests grand size. Or was it named for the New York City bird we love and hate--the pigeon?  No matter!  Mr. Zamansky has avoided the trap of presenting grand opera on a diminutive scale, drawing unhelpful comparisons from his audience. Instead, he has chosen two complementary one-act operas of a lighthearted nature, operas that many have not seen/heard before.

Bastien und Bastienne, Mozart's early attempt at opera, written as a pubertal 12-year-old (and what's YOUR 12-year-old up to?) is a comedy in the sense that it has a happy ending whilst Jacques Offenbach's early operetta Le 66 is, under Mr. Zamansky's direction, laugh-out-loud funny.

The Mozart piece served as opener and the cast of three tackled their parts with relish. The story is a simple one in which a couple is reunited after a period of estrangement. There is a great deal of pretense between Bastien, the shepherd with a roving eye (tenor Yong Hoon Lee) and his sweetheart Bastienne, a rather innocent and lovelorn shepherdess (soprano Melissa Perry).  This pretense would be as familiar today as it was in the 18th century. A "sorcerer", actually a wise older fellow named Colas (bass Victor Jaquez), counsels the young lady to pretend indifference to win over her erstwhile lover.  After much pretense, the lad rises to the occasion and, to quote the Bard, "All's Well That Ends Well". 

There is nothing original in that story but Mozart's charming music and some fine vocalism made for a pleasant hour. Additionally, Mr. Jaquez' comic antics overcame the challenging staging in which "offstage" was achieved by singers hiding behind two black screens, since there was no place to go in the otherwise satisfactory performing area.  The acting during the musical numbers was fine but we wished for a bit more stage business during the "downtime".

There were no such lulls in the Offenbach which followed after the intermission. Perhaps Mr. Zamansky devoted more directorial effort to a work that generated genuine laughs. He had at his disposal a trio of singers who not only sang well but who also evinced an understanding of comic timing, making use of both facial expression and bodily gesture.

The story, although not as timely as the Mozart romance, concerns a couple hiking through the Austrian alps.  Grittly (soprano Angela Scorese) and Frantz (tenor Mark Martinez) are working their way through the alps by singing and playing their guitars (in this case, ukuleles) on their way to Strasbourg to console Grittly's sister who is grieving her husband's death. A dramatic device of an upside down lottery ticket leads to some laugh-out-loud situations with a peddler (baritone Colin Safley), some funny costume changes, some tension between the two wandering minstrels, and a deus ex machina ending that leaves everyone happy.

The story is just as silly as other Offenbach operettas but it provided the opportunity for some charming duets and trios, some Bob Fosse-like choreography, and the clever repurposing of some boxes to create the illusion of mountaineering.

No one is credited with costuming or props but creativity can compensate for lack of resources and so it did. We value good singing over lavish scenery and professional costuming.

As enjoyable as the singing was the performance of the score by an octet of musicians, half strings and half winds. Music Director Eric Peterson provided fine background for the singing.

The spoken dialogue in Mozart's singspiel and Offenbach's operette were easily understood by those of us who are familiar with German and French and for those who were not, projected titles were legible, unlike those of other recent performances we have attended.

Before closing we would like to point out the excellence of the Director's Notes, a sample of which were in the printed program and the more elaborate comments which were available electronically. No arrogant justifications for directorial narcissism, just academically interesting information that made for some good reading.

If you are unable to snag tickets for the rest of the run, at least you can consider yourselves advised to watch out for Opera Picciona's next venture. We certainly will!

© meche kroop

 

AMORE OPERA. PRESENTS DON GIOVANNI

 Maestro Richard Cordova and the cast of Don Giovanni

Let us begin by saying that we enjoyed opening night of Mozart's Don Giovanni so much that we attended the matinée the following day. If we had another free night we would see it again. Anything more than double casting is a boon to the young singers who get experience in their particular roles. However, there is a price to pay and we can just imagine the challenge to the director, in this case Jenna Stewart, who had the additional challenge of taking over from someone else. In spite of a plethora of challenges, no one in the audience could have guessed since everything ran smoothly.

We became aware of Amore Opera, risen like a phoenix from the ashes after the untimely death of Artistic Director Nathan Hull, when we came to see a most excellent production of Puccini's La Bohême.  We were very fond of the gifted Mr. Hull and we have nothing but praise for Connie I. (his partner) for the welcome revival of the company. Sets and costumes were apparently sacrificed due to storage costs and we never expected that the spirit of the company would live on.

Because of constraints of time and space, we will save our rant about the future of opera for another day but let us just say that we have watched so many promising young companies go under due to poor management, lack of funding, and needlessly experimental productions. So let us all do what we can to help Amore Opera to not just survive but to thrive.

To begin, Maestro Richard Cordova led his mostly young musicians in a fine reading of the score, adapting the tempi  to the needs of the different singers. Gone were the amateur string players and, in their place, some younger musicians willing to follow his lead from the shattering opening D minor chord to the D major conclusion.We heard an occasional cracking from the French Horn but that is just the nature of the beast.

The singers were uniformly excellent, some better than others, but no one spoiled the ensemble nature of the group. In the cast we heard on opening night, we thought the women took home the gold. Soprano Nina Mutalifu, whom we have reviewed before, made a superb Donna Elvira, especially powerful in the excoriating "Mi tradì quell'alma ingrata" as she vented her fury. In the other cast Yushin Chow  presented a slightly softer Donna Elvira, a bit sadder and a bit less enraged; she was particularly effective when begging Don Giovanni to mend his ways in "L'ultima prova dell'amor mio".

Roseann Ackerley's portrayal of Donna Ann was an affecting one. In the opening scene she seemed to be a force to be reckoned with but in Act II, she is tender whilst delaying her marriage to Don Ottavio in "Non mi dir". Her counterpart in the other cast, Jihye Seo, was especially persuasive in the recitativo with her fiancé Don Ottaavio, getting the rhythm of the speech exactly right.

Both Zerlina's were charming and partly innocent, partly manipulative--both Hyune Kwon and Yingjie Zhou. were equally persuasive in "Batti, batti o bel Masetto" and "Vedrai carino".  

The role of Leporello is a great one and gives the opportunity to the singer to garner laughs. At this, Ting-Yi Chen succeeded admirably. In the other cast Brian Alvarado excelled vocally whilst not playing so much for comedy.

In the role of Masetto, we liked both Bo Joseph Wang and Ziliang Hao although their body types encouraged different impressions.  Mr. Wang appeared cuddly and Mr. Hao appeared  endearingly goofy with his lanky and somewhat awkward frame. It is interesting how, in the creation of a character, body type can matter as much as vocal color.

In the role of Don Ottavio, Julio Mascaro adopted the posture of an older father figure with protective instincts toward Donna Anna, patient and helpful with her until driven to the edge by her stalling. We liked his beautifully phrased "Il mio tesoro" so much that we wanted to rewind to Act I and hear the unfortunately cut "Dalla sua pace". In the other cast, Woojin Dong's very youthful appearance did not help his performance, although he sang well.

Now, what about the eponymous Don. We have known many narcissistic sociopaths and can smell one a mile away. Did either of these two excellent singers manifest the charm that such characters employ to ensnare their victims? In this case, he has already ensnared Elvira and is up to the gaslighting stage. His serenade of Elvira's maid "Deh, vieni alla finestra" touched upon his seductive quality as did his "La ci darem la Mano" duet with Zerlina whom he is about to victimize. We believe that the Don must also charm the audience. In spite of his fine singing, Peter Hakjoon Kim didn't quite make it and our other Don, Colin Safely, came a bit closer. 

The Commendatore was played by Rick Agster in one cast and Gennady Vysotsky in the other.

In terms of stage direction, horses were changed midstream, so to speak, and Jenna Stewart made the best out of a concept she inherited.  Blocking was always fine but there was a misguided attempt to bring the story into the 21st c. with contemporary attire and renaming the characters in the program. The Don became a wealthy bachelor and Leporello his assistant.  In our opinion, works from other epochs work best when time and place are respected. This allows the audience members to do the work of comparing--finding differences and similarities with our own epoch. We rail against spoon feeding the audience a concept. We feel more involved when we do the "work" ourselves.

Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte created this work during The Enlightenment when ideas of democracy were floating around. How apt that they should choose to create operas that poke fun at the aristocracy who take themselves too seriously and then elevate the cleverness of the serving class. Dressing all the characters as the original director requested according to her "concept" removed that cornerstone. Everyone looked the same.

Another item in her concept which came completely out of left field is an unnamed lesbian lover of Donna Anna who appeared at key moments to comfort her. We suppose that director (who kindness precludes us from naming)

could not accept the fact that Donna Anna is avoiding commitment to Don Ottavio because he is an elderly friend of her late father and an arranged marriage. So, contrary to so many interpretations of the role, Don Ottavio is definitely not a weakling; he knows he is a father figure and is being circumspect.

With no place for flats in the Center at West Park, the set consisted of a few pieces of furniture, and strangely enough, a ticket booth in the scene in Act I in which the Don and Leporello are speaking together. Lighting by Laura Bremen  comprised a simple wash of white, blue, or red. We think there is need for improvement. 

Producing opera these days is getting more and more difficult with many companies folding or slimming down their seasons. Finding a suitable venue to present one in a valid fashion is a huge undertaking and the fact that the church was packed is evidence of the high esteem in which Amore Opera is held. We are thrilled to see musical values upheld.

Don't be a loser! Get your tickets before they sell out.  Performances continue until Saturday February 3rd.

© meche kroop

REMMERS CAPTIVATES WITH GILBERT AND SULLIVAN

 

William Remmers

Might there be a lover of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan here in New York City who is unaware of the multi-talented William Remmers and  Utopia Opera? If so, it pains us to inform you that last night's survey of songs from all of the G&S canon will not likely be repeated. That being said, we hope it will be. Indeed, if it were being presented tonight we would joyfully attend once more.

What a banquet of goodies, with one marvelous song seamlessly following another in a sequence that worked magnificently as a live "playlist"; the order of numbers seemed randomly determined but included something from every one of  W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's enormous output.

Why do we so love those Savoyards? For the same reason that most of the United States adores South Park. We relish seeing the skewering of politicians and political bodies. We love hearing witty words composed around silly plots satirizing contemporary culture. And, although the average audience member may not be consciously aware of the perfect marriage of music and text, we feel it in a way that we do not feel when sitting through a contemporary opera with its prosy libretto. The rhymes are nearly always brilliantly devised.

It is most interesting that Remmers can sail through the many patter songs faster than one can read the projected titles, for which we would like to credit Alyson Sheehan. The titles were cleverly arranged on the page and were projected in perfect time with the singing. The witty words go by so fast that one misses a lot, not to mention the multiple references to British institutions and historical figures of whom we are ignorant. Significantly, our companion, for whom English is but a second language, had a wonderful time enjoying the rhythm and sound of Gilbert's text and Sullivan's music without knowing any of the references.

Whilst giving credit, Erica Rome did a yeoman's job (🤦sorry about that) of accompanying on the piano . The chorus, comprising Heather Bobeck, Karina Vartanian, Cate Webber-Curry, Colin Safley, Marc Shepherd, and Zachary Tirgan provided the tuneful and coherent backup.

However, the evening belonged to Remmers. We know the artist primarily as the Founder and Artistic Director of the singular Utopia Opera--and also as conductor of their orchestra. We have heard of the artist's forays into the world of cabaret, film making, and also musical composition.. Tonight we appreciated Remmers as a performer, singing and acting a succession of characters of a diverse nature. What artistry at creating scenes , performing all the parts. Indeed, in the second part of the evening, we enjoyed an entire scene from Ruddigore in which Robin confronts his ancestors about the family necessity of creating evil deeds on a daily basis.. Remmers has a long limbed and limber body as well as an expressively mobile face that make this theatrical legerdemain succeed.

In "Oh, foolish fay" from Iolanthe, Remmers created a Queen of the Fairies without benefit of costume, using only vocal coloration and physical posture. Although dozens (yes, dozens) of numbers seemed more difficult, like the patter songs for which G&S were renowned, it was this aria that touched us most deeply. We couldn't help thinking of grand opera in which a dazzling display of coloratura fireworks may be followed by a limpid legato.

There was one talent that Remmers displayed that took us by surprise--that of a rather good guitarist, self-accompanying for several numbers.

One of our favorite numbers is always "I've Got a Little List" ("As Someday It May Happen") from The Mikado in which tradition permits wanton invention, rewriting the text to suit the political moment. As an amusing diversion, Dear Reader, we invite you to make your own list of people who "never will be missed". Clearly Remmers is someone who would be missed and we are so happy not to have missed this delightful show.

© meche kroop

THE RED MILL LIVES AGAIN

 The Red Mill by Victor Herbert, presented by VHRPL!

It is 1906 and Italian audiences are crying their eyes out over Puccini's Madama 

Butterfly; meanwhile, in New York City, audiences are laughing and reveling in the warm feelings of Victor Herbert's The Red Mill. This work had over 800 performances on Broadway and cemented Herbert's reputation as the Father of American Musical Theater. 

It is a delightful work and contains most of theater's favorite plot points.  There is a headstrong daughter who plots to marry the man of her choice whilst her obstinate father insists she marry to enhance his social standing. There is the young woman's passionate love for an impecunious young man. There is a secondary surprise pairing at the end. There is plenty of comic relief.

All of this joy is brought to you by The Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live!, the Artistic Director of which, Alyce Mott, has devoted her artistic life to bringing Herbert's masterpieces to vivid life. All of Herbert's charming melodies are there as are the lyrics of Henry Blossom; but Ms. Mott has made notable improvements.

 Having read the original synopsis, we can appreciate what a labor of love it is to tighten up the plot, get rid of extraneous characters, and rewrite the spoken dialogue to appeal to contemporary audiences.  And appeal it did! The lovely Theater at St. Jean's was packed on opening night and the audience was giddy with joy. Women were humming the tunes in the ladies room during intermission! Finding this new home with raked seating and an orchestra pit opens the door for this nine-year-old company to become a major force in New York City's musical world.

The somewhat silly but ever-engaging story takes place in a mythical town in the Netherlands in which is situated the eponymous Red Mill, which seems to draw tourists by virtue of the legend of its being haunted. The innkeeper Berta (played by mezzo-ssoprano Alexa Devlin, a VHRPL! regular) has a hard time keeping employees and finds her inn overrun by struggling artists and their models (played by a sextet of fine young artists--Alonso Jordan Lopez, Sophie Thompson, Justin Chandler Baptista, Paige Cutrona, Keith Broughton, and Annie Heartney)-- freeloaders all.

She is planning the wedding of her niece Gretchen (played by the lovely soprano Sarah Caldwell Smith, also a VHRL! regular) daughter of her intransigent brother Jan van Borkem, the Burgomaster (ably played by another regular company member David Seatter). She is also dealing with two American conmen who try to slip away without paying their bill. One is named Con Kidder (Vince Gover) and the other, Kid Conner (Andrew Buck).  We kid you not! (insert ROFL emoji)

Gretchen's beloved, the seafaring Captain Dori van Damm ( the excellent Andrew Klima) arrives on the scene in the nick of time but winds up imprisoned by the Sheriff (John Nelson) and our lovely heroine winds up imprisoned in the Red Mill. Meanwhile comic relief is provided by the two Americans who have been pressed into service as waiter and tour guide, the latter purported to be multi-lingual. In a very funny scene, a French Countess (an hilarious Sarah Bleasdale) arrives on the scene and said "translator" must translate her French, which he clearly must invent on the spot. (We fondly recall this as an exercise in improvisation, one that is always enjoyed by the audience). Jonathan Fox Powers, another "regular" was seen as British solicitor Joshua Pennyfeather who carried off a running joke about wanting a cognac.

We could scarcely wait for the intended bridegroom to arrive on the scene. The Governor of Zeeland was portrayed in fine style by baritone Colin Safley who wowed the audience with one of the best numbers in the show "Every Day is Ladies Day with Me", the sexism of which was matched by the female lament "I'm Always Doing Something I Don't Want to Do", sung by Gretchen and Berta. 

Another number we particularly enjoyed was "Always Go While the Goin' is Good", sung by the two conmen. Another duet we liked was sung by the Burgomaster and the Sheriff--"You Never Can Tell About a Woman".

The romantic weight was carried by Gretchen and Dori in "I Want You to Marry Me" and "The Isle of Our Dreams". Perhaps the most memorable number was "The Streets of New York". Every voice in the show was superb and accompanied by fine acting. The afore-mentioned chorus of six harmonized well and knit the show together. 

We believe the score was adapted for a handful of instruments by Maestro Michael Thomas and we consider that a huge success inasmuch as nothing was lost and there was ample support for the singers.  He conducted his chamber orchestra with intention and line.  In the pit were violin, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, and percussion. The always wonderful William HIcks was at the piano where he has served for so many of VHRPL!'s productions.

Ms. Mott herself served as Stage Director with Maestro Thomas as Music Director.Christine Hall was responsible for the modest but effective choreography. The evening took us to our happy place and we do hope, dear Reader, that you can snag a ticket to experience such joy for yourself.

© meche kroop