OPERA WITH PASTIES

THE HOT BOX GIRLS (photo by Travis Chantar)

Could sex sell opera?  That was the question on our mind before attending last night's performance of L'Opera Burlesque at the intimate and glamorous venue of Duane Park. To put this to the test, we invited a gentleman friend who had never seen or heard an opera. 

A further question plagued us.  Would we, devoted operaphile, be distracted by the extra ingredient? Would nudity diminish the artistic impact?  You won't have to read to the end of the review to learn the answer.

Our friend wants to hear more opera and we enjoyed the show enormously. A woman can be talented as a singer and also skilled as an ecdysiast. We are never surprised by multi-talented people. One of our dearest friends is both ballet dancer and actress.

Had the voices been second rate we would have been rather judgmental but, truth to tell, each performer displayed superb vocal skills and lost nothing by shedding her clothes.  And what clothes!  

Thanks to splendid costuming by Angela Huff, these lovely ladies began each aria in period costume and ended in pasties and g-string. If one had closed one's eyes, one would have experienced an unamplified recital of favorite arias but one would have missed some visual delights. Not all young opera singers could pull this off but clearly these gals have multiple assets, no pun intended.

The most unforgettable performance was a fan dance performed by Trixie La Fée (Francesca Caviglia) who wielded red ostrich feathers in a gorgeously graceful manner during which mezzo-soprano Zara Zuela (Maria Elena Armijo) sang "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns.

Ms. Caviglia showed her vocal chops most gloriously in "V'adoro pupille" from Händel's Giulio Cesare, leaving her slinky gown behind to wind up in nothing more than body jewelry.

Our favorite number by Dixie DeLight (Kacey Cardin) was "Ah! Non credea mirarti" from Vincenzo Bellini's bel canto masterpiece La Sonnambula in which our diva entered in a trancelike state, strewing rosepetals.

Sean D'Leer (Melanie Long) opened the program with the popular "Una voce poco fa" from Gioacchino Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. The elaborate wig came off along with the period costume.

The male roles were assumed by one Sir Lance-a-lot (Bradley Lassiter) who did justice to "O vin, dissipe la tristesse" from Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet, while stripping down to his skivvies.

For the grand finale, we heard the Champagne Chorus from Johann Straus II's Die Fledermaus in which the cast members circulated around the room toasting with audience members.  What fun!

Accompanying on the piano was Seth Weinstein, whose nom de scène was Count Von Bang-it-out. His versatility was impressive as he readily switched from classical mode to Broadway mode. Hostess for the evening was Cookie Cavendish (Charlotte Thun-Hoherstein).

If this description tempts you, you can learn more at www.lOperaBurlesque.com and www.HotBoxGirls.com.  We understand there are frequent performances at Duane Park and in Europe, often with a rotating cast of "hot girls" and a different selection of arias.

The concept is that of Rebecca Greenstein of Opera Moderne and we are so glad she has taken us out of our comfort zone.  The audience was young and we applaud any and all means of bringing young people to opera.  Bravissime tutte.

(c) meche kroop

THE IMPRESSIVE IMPRESSARIO

Rebecca Greenstein, Executive Director of Opera Moderne, wears many hats and last night, as hostess of The Bohemian Bash, she also wore so many costumes that we lost count.  If you have never met this amazing lady, allow us to introduce her.  She hails from Texas and has degrees in music and vocal performance.  She sings and dances and emcees just for starters, and does them all with special flair.

Last night she put together a fund-raiser in honor of Andreas Stadler, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, where we have heard and reviewed some pretty impressive lieder recitals (one coming up next Tuesday, don't say we didn't alert you).  Ms. Greenstein does nothing by halves; the evening had such a variety of entertainment that no one could have left unsatisfied.

The champagne flowed and was heralded by Verdi's "Libiamo" from La Traviata.  If that was too serious for you (LOL) there were excerpts from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus.  Attendees were given the opportunity to bid on arias and duets of their choice; if you figured out that Ms. Greenstein was tapped to sing "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi you were right on the money.  Much of the accompanying was performed by Pacien Mazzagatti.

Should you prefer the terpsichorean arts to opera, you would have enjoyed the world premiere of New Chamber Ballet's choreographer Miro Magloire (who cut quite a rug himself at the after-party); entitled "Metamorphose", the piece was danced by Kristin Draucker accompanied by Emily DiAngelo on oboe.  If folk dancing were more your taste, there was some lively Czardas and a performance of "Vilia".  Ballroom dancing?  You probably loved the five couples waltzing to "The Blue Danube".  Tappers?  Oh yes, that too.  Just look at Sugar Foot Mafia Dance Company.  And just look at those Hot Box Girls!  Wait, there's Ms. Greenstein again!

New music and classical, it was all there like a bounteous buffet, from Mozart to Berio.  And jazz too!  Franz Hackl Jazz Quartet made quite an impression.  And burlesque!  Right down to the pasties.  Did we forget anything?  Oh yes, dancing at the after party--Jessie Bunting and the Hot Shim Sham Orchestra.  Six solid hours of fun at the Czech Center.  We wish we had space to mention all the talented folk who contributed to this amazing evening of entertainment.  We just want to know who lit the fire under Ms. Greenstein.  And if that sounds like the title of a song, she's probably writing it by now.

© meche kroop

MARRYING MOZART

Just look what happens when you put a best-selling novel into the hands of two small creative opera companies!  The novel is Stephanie Cowell's Marrying Mozart and the two opera companies are Dicapo Opera Theatre and Opera Moderne, both renowned for their ambitious and risk-taking productions.  The result is a musical entertainment which Opera Moderne's Rebecca Greenstein calls a singspiel, Dicapo Opera's Michael Capasso calls "a play with music", and which we call plain unadulterated fun.

Should you be fortunate enough to secure tickets for the three remaining productions you will enjoy wondering how much of the tale is true and how much is fiction which, as we all know, is often truer than the "truth".  Ms. Cowell's story relates half a dozen years in the life of the young Mozart and describes his involvement with the Weber girls, one of whom he ultimately weds.  But oh the twists and turns before the decision is made!

Brought to the home by Weber père (Greg Horton), Herr Mozart (Ian Harkins) confronts four daughters whom Frau Weber (Roxann Kraemer) would like to marry off to wealthy men.  Josepha, the eldest, portrayed by Lauren Hoffmeier, is crazy about her father, hates her mother and has a rather shocking fact to reveal which we will not spoil for you.  Aloysia Weber, portrayed by soprano Adrian Lee, is the self-centered one with whom Mozart has an attenuated romance until she decides she is tired of waiting for him and has a scandalous affair with another man while pursuing her singing career.  She does her own singing in the play and it's some fine singing she does.

The youngest girl Sophie (Christina Faicco) is the sweetest one and we watch her evolve from child to young woman.  The third daughter whom Mozart eventually marries is Constanze, called Stanzi (Christian Sineath) who is rather insecure, living as she does in the shadow of the two elder sisters who delight their father and embarrass their mother by singing in public.  Like the mother and Aloysia, she too indulges in some scandalous behavior, far more scandalous than one would expect in the 18th c.

We get to hear lots of Mozart's music in the course of the drama.  Sopranos Julia Lima and Raquel Suarez along with tenors Anthony Webb and Marques Hollie made some beautiful music together in excerpts from Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Ms. Hoffmeier gave a moving performance of the "Agnus Dei" from Mozart's Coronation Mass, just to name a few of the delightful musical interpolations.

The novel was adapted for the stage by Mr. Capasso himself.  Musical direction was by Pacien Mazzagatti who didn't sound at all like a killer of cats (if you don't understand Italian, ask to have that explained).  The effective set was by John Farrell and lighting by Susan Roth.  The extravagant 18th c. costumes were by Emily Parman and Ms. Greenstein herself was responsible for the lavish hair and make-up design.

We leave it up to you to find a phrase to describe this event to your own satisfaction.  We are happy to abandon categorization.

(c) meche kroop

DER KAISER VON ATLANTIS

 

Opera Moderne has another rousing success on its hands with a superb production of Viktor Ullman's opera Der Kaiser von Atlantis, written in 1943 in the Nazi showcase concentration camp Terezin, with libretto by Peter Kien.  The opera was seen in rehearsal after which both men were hustled off to Auschwitz and tragically exterminated.  The opera has been produced in Europe but has been rather neglected in New York.  The tragic circumstances of two talented lives cut short lends import to a work that easily stands on its own.  For this, we thank Ullman's fellow prisoners who managed to rescue the work when Terezin was liberated as well as the spiritualist who purportedly communicated with Ullman's ghost in finishing the instrumentation!  For bringing the work to life this weekend we thank Rebecca Greenstein, Executive Director of Opera Moderne as well as the Czech Center, the Austrian Cultural Forum, Deutsches Haus at NYU and Air Berlin.

Now, what about the work itself?  It's a one act piece of great cynicism which makes one think of Brecht and Weill.  Ullman's music is at times rather jazzy, referencing composers of many periods and scored for 13 instrumentalists, including a saxophone, a banjo and a harmonium; it never sounds boring or "academic".  Conductor Ransom Wilson led the ensemble known as "Le Train Bleu" who performed with distinction.

The story is an ironic one in which the Kaiser (a stand-in for Hitler) tries to co-opt Death which results in Death taking a holiday.  No one dies.  The world is filled with the walking dead.  A better image for prisoners in a concentration camp could not be imagined!  In the middle of this, a soldier and a girl find love.  At the end, Death takes the life of the Kaiser.

The work was directed by Markus Kupferblum whose artistic choices astonished and delighted us.  The use of "steampunk" as a design element for the costumes gave delight to the eye and relief from the sense of grief.  Angela Huff, the costume designer, even outfitted the staff in extravagant attire.

The voices were excellent without exception.  Baritone Vince Vincent sang the title role.  The role of Harlekin was illuminated by Brian Downen's fine tenor.  Mezzo Elspeth Davis enacted Der Trommler; Jeffrey Tucker made a fine Death.  The romantic couple comprised tenor James Baumgardner and soprano Gan-ya Ben-gur Akselrod.  Baritone Kelvin Chan was Der Lautsprecher.

Vicki Reynolds' choreography was performed by Ariel Seidman-Wright and Jasmine Ladiner.  The effective make-up design was by Rachael Wagner.

The work is scarcely more than an hour in duration and we found ourselves wishing there were more to see and hear; a better recommendation could not be made.  We can scarcely wait to see what Opera Moderne comes up with next!

(c) meche kroop