THE GOLDEN AGE

The Cast of "The Golden Age"

Under the loving leadership of Artistic Director Judith Fredricks, the delightful singers of Opera New York have taken opera out of the concert hall and into the places where people eat and drink. One might think this would be noisy or distracting but that is not the case. People became very quiet until each number ended and then they burst into enthusiastic applause.

The pleasant and welcoming venue was Mont Blanc 54, a Swiss restaurant on West 54th St. We indulge in fondue only during the winter but the room was filled with people dipping bread into cauldrons of bubbling cheese or enjoying Veal Zurichoise. We can however attest to the quality of the french fries, of which we ate way to many!

Last night, the cast abandoned the world of opera for that delightful hybrid of opera and Broadway musical theater--operetta. Ms. Fredricks herself narrated the evening with interesting tidbits about the composers and the singers who popularized their work. The way it seems to us is that operetta began in Europe as light entertainment and was brought to the USA by composers who left their homeland for the New World and brought their music with them. This would seem to have evolved into "The Golden Age" of Broadway. 

We are ardent fans of The Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live! which presents several Victor Herbert operas each year, so his music is familiar to us. Soprano Elena Heimur, a regular cast member of Opera New York, had a wonderful time singing the "Italian Street Song" with a lot of "zing-zing". This song was the hit tune of Herbert's 1910 Naughty Marietta. Ms. Heimur was joined by the male ensemble, comprising Walter Hartman, Scott O'Brien, Carlos Correa, and Robert Montgomery.

Heartthrob baritone Roberto Borgatti, another regular, had the audience members swooning with Sigmund Romberg's "One Alone" from the hokey operetta The Desert Song. Today we find these stories silly but a century ago they provided an escape from the upheavals of The Great War.

Herbert's Student Prince was given a lot of stage time, enough to grasp the familiar plot of an aristocrat courting a commoner. Soprano Tate Chu was lively as the barmaid serving steins of beer to the Ensemble and lovely as the love object of tenorrific Edgar Jaramillo (another regular) who leaned into the romance with gusto and open-throated singing.

The clever lyrics of "Every Day is Ladies' Day with Me" from Herbert's The Red Mill was performed by veteran bass Walter Hartman. We have seen the entire operetta, thanks to VHRPL! and cherished the opportunity to once again giggle along with the funny rhymes.

Who doesn't love The Merry Widow by Franz Lehar! The title role was sung by Ms. Heimur and we were dumbstruck at one point in "Vilja" when she leapt to a delicately floated high note and launched into a magnificent crescendo. She was accompanied by the ensemble. Her lover Danilo was persuasively performed by Mr. Borgatti who created a dapper "creature of the night" in the winning song "Maxime's", in which he tells of the many ladies of the nightclub --Frou Frou, and LuLu, or something like that.

But the number we all wait for is "The Merry Widow Waltz", which Mr. Borgatti sang in German and Ms. Heimur in English. Frankly, we prefer the German. The pair got to show off their ballroom skills in a charming waltz.

Rudolf Friml's Rose-marie is so silly that one couldn't play "Indian Love Call" straight and so Ms. Heimur and Mr. Jaramillo camped it up and the audience loved it.

There was also a surprise! As a teaser for the upcoming concert of Disney songs, soprano Zoë Lowenbein sang a song from The Little Mermaid. Although we prefer Dvorak's Russalka, we were quite happy to hear the charming Ms. Lowenbein's winning performance.

Accompaniment was provided by Michael Pilafian, another Opera New York regular. It seemed as if the artists enjoyed themselves as much as the audience!

(c) meche kroop

OPERA TO DIE FOR

Michael Pilafian, Edgar Jaramillo, Tate Chu, Judith Fredricks, and Joseph Flaxman

What a clever title for a program of opera scenes, all of which dealt with death. Actors relish dying onstage and apparently so do singers.  Last night's recital by Opera New York, helmed by Artistic Director Judith Fredricks, gave us lots of great music performed by a group of excellent young artists.

The first three scenes were extracted from Verdi operas, so you know the music was good-- but also challenging for the singers, who uniformly rose to the occasion.

In Ballo in Maschera, Riccardo, the Governor of Boston, meets his bloody end at the hands of his Secretary Renato, who has joined in the assassination plot because he learns of Riccardo's love for Amelia, his wife. Amelia tries to warn Riccardo, to no avail.

Edgar Jaramillo's warm tenor was perfect for the role of Riccardo and his bloody death by stabbing was convincing. Soprano Courtney Delisle made a fine Amelia; baritone Joseph Flaxman did well as Renato, and soprano Xueyan Fan opened the scene as Oscar, the page.

Opera New York has frequently put the Act IV quartet from Rigoletto on their programs, but this is the first time they have performed the final scene in which Gilda dies in the arms of her father. The actual stabbing had occurred earlier in the act at the hands of the assassin Sparafucile.

Here, we were able to get a better appreciation of the skills of Ms. Fan who went from the frisky Oscar to the tragic Gilda. The handsome Mr. Flaxman did a great job of hiding his assets under a black cloak and transforming himself into a hunchback. Mr. Jaramillo gave us some "La donna è mobile" from offstage and sounded great. Whoever was responsible for lighting (uncredited in the program) put the scene in the dark with flashing lights successfully creating the illusion of lightning.

In the third Verdi scene, extracted from Don Carlo, baritone Roberto Borgatti performed the role of the heroic and loyal Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa, who "takes a bullet" for his friend Don Carlo. We enjoyed hearing his "Per me giunto" and "Io morrò", happily recalling the time we heard Hvorostovsky sing the role at the Met.

The last operatic selection was the final scene from Gounod's Faust in which Marguerite, imprisoned for killing her newborn, of which Faust was the father, is visited by Faust and Méphistophélès. Soprano Tate Chu has a lovely instrument and was convincing as the unbalanced Marguerite. Mr. Jaramillo demonstrated his versatility by singing Faust in excellent French, and Mr. Flaxman created a devilish devil, dragging Faust away in a move reminiscent of the Commendatore dragging Don Giovanni to hell.

We even had organ music from Walter Hartman joining the offstage chorus for that uplifting spiritual moment. Otherwise, pianist and Music Director Michael Pilafian accompanied the singers with his customary professionalism.

All that death and dying was relieved by Scott O'Brien singing "If I Can't Love Her" from Alan Menken's Beauty and the Beast, and the dazzling coloratura of Jennifer Ter Keurst animating "Glitter and Be Gay" from Bernstein's Candide, an aria that always leaves us happy and humming

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OPERA NEW YORK-- WITH HEART

Michael Pilafian, Elena Heimur, Edgar Jaramillo, Judith Fredricks, Veronica Loiacono, and Roberto Borgatti

Judith Fredricks continues to bring Opera New York, her small but very artistic company, to new venues. To the Sacred Heart Church in the heart of Hell's Kitchen, she has brought plenty of heart to a new audience that thronged the church for an evening of Latin American song and French opera.

The capstone of the evening was a performance of all the memorable arias and duets written by Georges Bizet for Carmen, his 1875 masterpiece, which debuted at the Opera Comique.  All the spoken dialogue of the original was omitted and Judith Fredricks herself narrated the story with Spanish translation provided by a charming bilingual young woman -- all for the advantage of the Spanish speaking members of the congregation.

This was a fine idea, keeping the evening to a length and intensity that would draw in people who were unfamiliar with the opera but would have recognized the major numbers. The other fine idea was to have the singers costume themselves in a fashion that was suggestive of the time and place and to act out their roles.  "Park and bark" never won any converts!

Ms. Fredricks has assembled a core group of singers that have dramatic chops as well as vocal artistry. Soprano Veronica Loiacono has all the right stuff for Carmen and showed the gypsy's seductive, manipulative, and defiantly headstrong character.  This wouldn't be the first time we heard a soprano tackle this role, usually consigned to a mezzo-soprano. She was missing nothing in the "Habanera" and the "Seguidilla". She was able to show different aspects of her personality when she beguiled Don Jose and when she related to Escamillo.

As Micaela, the gentle country girl Don Jose is supposed to marry, soprano Elena Heimur left nothing to be desired. Her duet with Don Jose was tender and moving. The way she steeled her character in the mountain scene "Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante" was impressive.

We loved seeing how tenor Edgar Jaramillo has expanded his emotional range beyond Mr.Nice Guy and he handled Don Jose's outburst of rage toward Escamillo in a violent confrontation that had us holding our breath. Similarly we felt right along with him as he pleaded with Carmen in the final scene and then stabbed her, cradling her body and showing his remorse. His vocal colors have expanded in tandem with his emotional range. He demonstrated just how besotted he'd become toward Carmen in the aria "La fleur que tu m'avais jetee".

As Escamillo, baritone Roberto Borgatti has also shown a great deal of vocal growth and did justice to the "Toreador Song" which had the audience enthralled. It must be difficult for such a modest artist to don the mantle (in this case, a cape) of arrogance but that's what good acting is all about.

We suspect that Ms. Fredricks herself was responsible for directing and staging, although there was no printed program. Michael Pilafian accompanied on the piano and played the score brilliantly and powerfully.

As an added bonus there was a seasoned flamenco dancer twirling his cape and performing the vibrant footwork that let us know that we were indeed in Seville.

There was also a lovely parade of songs in Spanish which seemed just right for Cinco de Mayo and the mostly Latin American audience. Mr. Borgatti gave a full throated rendition of "Amapola", a popular song from a century ago. He also joined Ms. Loiacono for an Argentine tango--Carlos Gardel's "El dia que me quieras". 

Ms. Loiacono hails from Argentina herself; she was just as fine in her duet with Mr. Jaramillo--"El Gato Montes" from the 1916 zarzuela by Manuel Moreno Penella.  The work achieved great popularity in Spain and also in el Nuevo Mundo. The harmonies were lovely and there was passion to spare.

She also had a lovely solo in Maria Grever's "Jurame".  So many lovely songs have come from Mexico!

Ms. Heimur offered the lovely "Estrellita" which was written by Manuel Ponce a century ago; it is often considered a folk song perhaps because Mr. Ponce failed to copyright it. In any case, this lovelorn lady wishing upon a star is charming in both text and melody.

We particularly enjoyed "La rosa y el sauce", the sad tale of a willow who loved a rose which was picked by a girl, leaving the willow to weep. The song was written by Argentinian composer Carlos Guastavino and beautifully sung by Ms. Heimur.

The final song in this group was the bitter "No puede ser" from Pablo Sorozabal's wonderful 1936 zarzuela La Taberna del Puerto. Mr. Jaramillo once again expanded his vocal artistry and dramatic reach.

It was wonderful to witness a new audience come to a church on a Friday night and have such a fine time. The response was enthusiastic.  This is not the only company to do outreach in neighborhoods but we always appreciate the creation of new audiences. The Sacred Heart Church provides a fine home for Opera New York with its beautiful cavernous space and lively acoustics. We suspect this audience will return for more.

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OPERA TO DIE FOR

Jason Graae, Michael Pilafian, Veronica Loiacono, Edgar Jaramillo, Jodi Karem, Elena Heimur, Roberto Borgatti

Judith Fredricks, Artistic Director of Opera New York, came up with the perfect theme for last night's Opera/Cabaret at The Metropolitan Room--it was all about operas ending in death. But she also came up with a compensatory final scene illustrated above--the "Libiamo" from Act I of Giuseppi Verdi's masterpiece La Traviata--a celebration of life.  This masterstroke ensured that the audience would leave smiling, not weeping over the sad fates of Violetta, Cio-Cio San, Turridu, Carmen, and Tosca.

Scenes from each opera were extracted and presented with narration by host Jason Graae (who plays a mean oboe).  The major focus seemed to be on Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Soprano Veronica Loiacono made a touching Cio-Cio San with her intense acting matching the glories of her voice. As Suzuki, mezzo-soprano Jodi Karem made a fine supporting presence and tenor Edgar Jaramillo excelled as Lt. Pinkerton. We enjoyed the love scene, the flower duet which was performed in perfect harmony, and Cio-Cio San's lamentable suicide sung with heartbreaking intensity.

Scenes from Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana followed with a curious twist.  Ms. Loiacono performed the role of the seductive Lola which is normally given to a mezzo, and Ms. Karem took the lead as Santuzza, a role generally sung by a soprano!  That they both were extraordinarily effective is evidence of their versatility. Mr. Jaramillo took off his jacket and dug deep into the role of the fickle and ill-fated Turridu who gets stabbed offstage, in contrast with Cio-Cio San who committed hara-kiri in full view of the audience, leaving the ladies at our table gasping for breath.

Ms. Karem returned to her usual fach for the death scene from Georges Bizet's Carmen with Mr. Jaramillo as her murderously jealous lover Don José.  Ms. Loiacono jumped to her death as Tosca.

After these two brief numbers, a number of scenes from Verdi's La Traviata served to whet the appetite for the missing bits. Our tubercular courtesan Violetta was passionately performed by soprano Elena Heimur who had to negotiate three very different stages in Violetta's sadly truncated life.  In her Act I scene, performed with Mr. Jaramillo as her Alfredo, she is about to fall in love.  In Act II, after Mr. Jaramillo did justice to Alfredo's joy in "De' miei bollenti spiriti", she must face Alfredo's father with dignity.  And in Act III, she is on her death bed, exhausted by her illness, and collapses into Alfredo's arms.

Baritone Roberto Borgatti made a fine Germont Père, who has come to Violetta's country retreat to get her to make the ultimate sacrifice--to give up Alfredo whose scandalous affair is about to ruin his daughter's chance to make a favorable marriage. (Autre temps, autre moeurs!) Here, Ms. Heimur was called upon to show her nobility of character.

And Germont is required to begin with severity towards a woman of whom he disapproves and to end with some compassion for her.  Mr. Borgatti handled this beautifully, as well as his subsequent "Di provenza il mar, il suol", in which he must console his devastated son. We recall well Mr. Borgatti performing the entire opera a couple years ago with New York Opera Exchange. He was superb then and even better now.

The versatile accompanist for the evening was pianist and Artistic Director Michael Pilafian.  Significant contributions came from Mr. Graae's oboe.

This program will be repeated Sunday night at 7:00.  It is not to be missed!  It's a fine way to introduce people to opera in a relaxed setting and minus the longueurs.

Additionally, there will be two nights of operetta at the same venue on Thursday at 7 and Friday at 9:30.

(c) meche kroop

OPERA NEW YORK WITH SUSAN GRAHAM

Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham as Carmen

Once again The Metropolitan Room played host to Opera New York, which has been creating quite a sensation with their presentation of opera in a cabaret environment, one of the many avenues available to bring opera to a wider audience.

The brainchild of Artistic Director Judith Fredricks (who also directs the scenes), these evenings draw a wider audience every time they perform.  Last night's event "Where Opera and Cabaret Collide!" was part of The First International Cabaret Festival. That the audience was having a whale of a good time was made evident by the thunderous applause, whoops and hollers which followed each number, as well as by the rapt silence during the performances. Did we mention that it was "standing room only"?

The evening was made extra special by the presence of world renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, fresh from her triumphs at Houston Grand Opera. Ms. Graham always uses her gifts well and amplifies them with her larger-than-life personality. Last night we heard the Habanera from Bizet's Carmen as we have never heard it before. Without sets or costumes Ms. Graham created the personality of this dangerous Spanish temptress from the center outward. When she sang the word "l'amour" she seemed to be not only tasting the vowel but savoring it.

The remainder of the program, emceed by Jason Graae, hewed closely to the prior programs with a stunning addition.  Soprano Veronica Loiacono performed "De España Venga" from Pablo Luna's zarzuela, El Niño Judio.  Readers may recall how beloved zarzuela is to us and to say we were thrilled would be an understatement.

Perhaps because it was a festival, perhaps due to the artists getting more comfortable with the cabaret setting, or perhaps because of the presence of Ms. Graham, everyone's performances seemed to be even sharper than ever before.

Tenor Edgar Jaramillo's "Federico's Lament" from Cilea's L'Arlesianna was even more heart-wrenching than before (with oboe accompaniment from Mr, Graae), as was tenor Percy Martinez' "Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. We felt feelings we had never felt before during prior hearings.

Soprano Elena Heimur was even more extravagant in "Musetta's Waltz" from Puccini's La Bohème and mezzo-soprano Jodi Karem was even more seductive as Maddalena in the quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto.

Baritone Roberto Borgatti swaggered magnificently and wandered the aisles of The Metropolitan Room impressing the ladies as he leaned into the "Toreador Song" from Carmen, with just the right amount of bullfighter arrogance.

Music Director Michael Pilafian handled the piano accompaniment to perfection.

It was a splendid evening and no one wanted it to end to make room for the late show. We are sure they will return for more on March 9th. There seems to be a growing demand for opera up close and personal, especially when performed so well.

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FROM THE MET TO THE METROPOLITAN

Veronica Loiacono, Elena Heimur, Roberto Borgatti, and Jodi Karem

We didn't expect opera to go so well in a cabaret setting but last night was our second such adventure and we are happy to report that in the right hands it goes very well.  The right hands belong to impressario/singer/teacher/coach Judith Fredricks who created the show at the Metropolitan Room on W. 22nd St. By the time you get to the end of the review, you will probably want to attend the show on Thursday evening if you are lucky enough to snag a table.

The room was packed last night and the audience was as good as the singers. In spite of the imbibing of alcoholic libations, the audience was absolutely silent until the end of each aria (or duet or ensemble), bursting into wild whoops and applause at the appropriate time.  We do not know whether the audience comprised seasoned opera goers searching for more intimacy of presentation or cabaret folks new to opera.

Host for the evening was Broadway's own Jason Graae who introduced each number and told a bit of the backstory. He also sang the role of Papageno in the second act duet from Mozart's Magic Flute (in English) with lovely soprano Veronica Loiacono as his Papagena.  Moreover, he accompanied several pieces on the oboe! His introductory number was "Wilkommen! Bienvenu!" from Cabaret.

If there were any skeptics in the audience they must have been immediately won over by "Sous le dome épais" (The Flower Song) from Leo Delibes' Lakme. Soprano Elena Heimur and mezzo Jodi Karem had lovely chemistry together (eye contact!) and balanced their voices perfectly in Delibes' winning harmonies.

Tenor Edgar Jaramillo gave a moving account of "Federico's Lament" from Cilea's L'Arlesiana that brought us to the edge of tears.

Ms. Loiacono has just the right coquettish looks and coloratura skills to be a most convincing Rosina in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Her performance of "Una voce poco fa" included wild flights of fioritura that we so love.

Ms. Karem's dusky mezzo could have seduced tenor Percy Martinez' Samson even if she were not as beautiful as she is.  This Delilah was a double threat as she sang "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix", from the Saint-Saëns opera.

Ms. Heimur's generous soprano filled up "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from Puccini's La Rondine and did so in a most moving manner.

The final tragic quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto was well handled by Ms. Loiacono as the doomed Gilda, baritone Roberto Borgatti as the eponymous Rigoletto, Ms. Karem as Maddalena, and (surprise!) the very sweet voiced Mr. Jaramillo playing the wicked two-timing Duke. It's a big challenge for him to portray a slimeball!

Mr. Martinez distinguished himself as Canio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. His "Vesti la giubba" was deeply moving and succeeded in evoking sympathy for the character.

The second scene of Puccini's La Bohème involves Musetta making a big show of herself in "Quando m'en vo" while the other Bohemians are sitting at a table. The scene was well staged by Ms. Fredricks and superbly sung by Ms. Heimur who let out all the stops. Mr. Graae hammed it up as her elderly admirer.

Mr. Martinez and Mr. Borgatti tackled "Si, pel ciel" from Verdi's Otello and nailed it. Mr. Borgatti had to trick Mr. Martinez into believing that his beloved Desdemona was unfaithful.  Another slimeball role, but well done.

A scene from Bizet's Carmen starred Mr. Borgatti in the Toreador song and Ms. Karem as Carmen. Ms. Heimur and Ms. Loiacono (as Mercedes and Frasquita) flirted madly with him. Ms. Karem's Carmen was as superbly seductive as her Delilah and she accompanied herself on the castanets in the "Gypsy Song".  

We were totally satisfied with the evening but there was one more aria coming--Mr. Jaramillo gave us a fine Calaf singing "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's Turandot, and drove the audience wild.  He has a generosity of spirit when he sings and can achieve volume at the upper end of the register without tightening his throat.  A real pleasure to hear!

Accompanist and Music Director for the evening was Michael Pilafian who got everything just right.

We have heard all of these singers before and they just keep getting better and better. Thursday's program will have someone new on board and some alterations in the program. If we can shift things around we will go again. Opera and cabaret could be a match made in heaven. Exploring new venues and new audiences need never involve a sacrifice of quality.

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GOOD EVENING OPERA, MEET CABARET

Jason Graae, Veronica Loiacono, Roberto Borgatti, Elena Heimur, Edgar Jaramillo, Jodi Karem, Judith Fredricks, and Percy Martinez

It's a rather new concept--bringing opera out of the concert halls and into different venues, bringing it to people who may not have been exposed to opera or who have been intimidated by it (really??).  Judith Fredricks has been producing and directing evenings of opera arias in an off-Broadway studio with table seating and wine service. But, it was time to try something on a larger scale--opera in a nightclub.

Would it work?  Would the audience drink too much and get loud and drown out the singers? We had our anticipatory misgivings. We well remember our evenings of opera arias at Caffe Taci where the owner worked the room asking people to quiet down.

Our anxieties were for nothing.  Last night's performance at the Metropolitan Room went astonishingly well. Perhaps it was the excellence of the singers but the room was totally silent during the performances until the audience burst into wild applause with shouts of "Bravo!" and "Brava!". Ms. Fredricks gamble paid off in spades.

Host and narrator for the evening was the congenial and multi-talented Broadway star Jason Graae who explained what each opera was about and what the singer was singing about. Thankfully, no amplification was needed or used; Michael Fennelly accompanied on the piano with some surprising contributions from an oboe, played by the versatile Mr. Graae.

The arias and duets were well chosen for their familiarity, providing a sense of comfort for those in the audience who were on the newbie side. The six singers were well known to us and impressed us with the way they adapted to the new situation. They seemed motivated to outdo themselves by singing the best we have ever heard them.

Fast-rising tenor Edgar Jaramillo wowed the audience with "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca. His voice and gesture painted a vivid picture of a life-loving artist recalling the most sensual experiences of his life as he faces his imminent death. We have rarely felt that aria as intensely.

Mr. Jaramillo tackles every aria with the same involvement, as we observed in his "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot.

Soprano Veronica Loiacono made a pitiful plea to her poppa in "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. She next appeared as Gilda in the final act quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto with baritone Roberto Borgatti as the titular character. (No, we don't suspect Ms. Loiacono of having Daddy issues.)

Mr. Jaramillo again stood out as the licentious Duke with his latest conquest Maddalena sung by mezzo-soprano Jodi Karem.

Ms. Karem appeared in a couple temptress roles and certainly has the appearance and seductive color in her voice to carry it off. She was superb as Delilah seducing Samson in "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" by Saint-Saens. More seduction came in the person of Carmen manipulating Don Jose (finely sung by tenor Percy Martinez).  Of course he couldn't resist!

Mr. Martinez shone last night in several other roles as well. His "Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci showed an original interpretation that never seemed copied from anyone else's and was, therefore, more moving. He was also fine as Otello in his duet with Mr. Borgatti as the treacherous Iago in "Si, pel ciel" from Verdi's opera of the same name.

Mr. Borgatti found his perfect role as Escamillo, manifesting just the right amount of vocal and dramatic self-confidence in the Toreador song from Bizet's Carmen. He strutted around the small stage swirling his jacket like a cape.

Soprano Elena Heimur showed her versatility in three very different roles. First as Lakme in the famous duet "Sous le dome epais" from the eponymous opera by Delibes (with Ms. Karem); then in "Ch'il bel sogno" from Puccini's La Rondine; and finally as Musetta singing her famous waltz from Puccini's La Boheme, with Mimi, Rodolfo and Marcello mugging in the background.

The finale of the program was the "Libiamo" from Verdi's La Traviata in which the entire ensemble took part. We join them in toasting one of the new directions opera is taking. Thanks Ms. Fredricks, thanks Mr. Graae, and thanks Metropolitan Room for a revolutionary evening. We've moved from the Metropolitan Opera to the Metropolitan Room.

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SINGERS WITH SOUL

Percy Martinez, Veronica Loiacono, Therese Panicali, Judith Fredricks, Michael Fennelly, Jodi Karem, Edgar Jaramillo, Roberto Borgatti, Chaz'men Williams-Ali

Summer has arrived and it is a good time to enjoy our favorite pastimes in less formal settings. Opera New York, founded by diva/director/teacher/coach/impressario Judith Fredricks has a program called "Opera Goes to the Cabaret" in which emerging artists, coached by Ms. Fredricks and accompanied by the amazingly versatile pianist Michael Fennelly, have a chance to show their stuff in an intimate studio environment. The audience has a chance to relax at table seating and sip wine while enjoying the delicious fruits of the hard work of these artists.

Ms. Fredricks has a knack for finding promising talent and bringing out the best in them. What they all have in common is that they sing from the heart--something which Ms. Fredricks emphasizes in her coaching. It's quite a challenge to convey the sense of an aria extracted from an opera and isolated from all staging and costuming. The fact that we felt immersed in the opera when only a small piece was performed is evidence of the success of the approach. It's kind of an artistic hologram.

Take, for example, the terrific tenor Edgar Jaramillo who embodied all the joy of "Recondita armonia" and the painful final words of Mario Cavaradossi facing death in "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca. In the former we could see him comparing Tosca's eyes with those in the portrait he was painting and in the latter we could see the stars and inhale the fragrance of the night.  Now THAT"S acting. Add to that his warm rich voice and stress-free technique and there is a performance to remember. 

Furthermore, he "plays well with others" as witnessed by the stellar duet "O soave fanciulla" from Puccini's La Boheme that he sang with soprano Veronica Loiacono. This stunning soprano made a fine Mimi and also excelled in her solo "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's Russalka. She was riveting in "Regnava nel silencio" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, showing evidence of Lucia's instability. Her wild vocal flights in the cabaletta had us on the edge of our chair. This is a voice just made for bel canto.

Ms. Loiacono also performed the "Barcarolle" from Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffman with mezzo-soprano Jodi Karem and the two voices balanced perfectly. Ms. Karem appeared later as Delilah in the Saint-Saëns opera Samson et Delilah. Her rich voice was filled with the requisite seductiveness in "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix". In "O don fatale" from Verdi's Don Carlo she successfully conveyed Princess Eboli's remorse.

We had the delightful opportunity to hear a very large voice that sounds great right now but also has room to expand further. Soprano Therese Panicali filled the room with sound in Turandot's aria "In questa reggia" from Puccini's Turandot, and again in "Dich teure Halle" from Wagner's Tannhaüser.

Baritone Roberto Borgatti performed the role of Rodrigo in "Per me giunto" from Verdi's Don Carlo and then dug into the role of Iago in Verdi's Otello; he expressed all of Iago's bitterness in "Credo" and then used his wonderful instrument to insinuate suspicions against Desdemona with Othello portrayed by tenor Percy Martinez in "Si, pel ciel".

Mr. Martinez had some excellent solos as well; he was very intense in "Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci showing enough depth of feeling that we could almost forgive Canio for murdering Nedda. He also brought the program to a close with a larger-than-life "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot.

There was yet another fine singer on the program--Chaz'men Williams-Ali whose finely textured tenor was just right for "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La Boheme. We heard a lovely diminuendo and no strain on the high notes, nor did we hear any as he went from sweetness to arrogance in his excellent "La Donna è mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto.

It is rare to hear a mixed program such as this one in which every singer was excellent. We are sure to be hearing much more of each of them. As if this bounty were insufficient we also heard the astonishing Michael Fennelly perform the virtuoso work "The Nun's Dance" from Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable. It was a frenzy of showmanship.

Ms. Fredricks closed the evening by sharing with the audience her interest in getting cabaret style opera into the schools and communities of the Boroughs of NYC. She has started a crowdfunding event at www.GoFundMe.com/OperaNewYork and we are passing the information along to YOU dear reader who may wish to make a small (or large) donation to make a difference in the cultural life of our town and to help educate young audiences to guarantee the future of opera.  Let's do it!

(c) meche kroop

SHAKESPEARE GOES TO THE OPERA

Benjamin Ian Meyerson, Sultana Shoshani, Laurel Shoshani, Omar Bowey, Patricia Vital, D'Ariel Barnard and Veronica Loiacono

As the final entry in their Summer Festival of the Performing Arts, Opera New York presented an evening of dramatic readings by The Bard along with excerpted arias and duets from operas based upon four of his tragedies. 

Shakespeare's plays have inspired literature and ballets as well as operas; although his oeuvre is renowned for his memorable use of the English language in iambic pentameter, his plays survive very well as operas with stories somewhat altered and in other languages.

Why is that, we may ask.  It would seem that the carefully wrought plots and the fullness of the characters are largely responsible.  Whether sung in Italian or French, we submerge ourselves in his stories and identify with his humanity.

Last night's program opened with Romeo and Juliet.  Artistic Director Judith Fredricks, who also directed the operatic segments of the program, explained to the audience why Juliet is sung in two different languages, adaptations having been composed by different composers.  She further explained that Juliet would be sung by different sopranos according to the type of voice each possesses.

Delightful D'Ariel Barnard used her crystalline coloratura and considerable acting skills to convey a young girl's desperate infatuation in the demanding aria "Je veux vivre" from Charles Gounod's work. 

Then Sultana Shoshani performed the balcony scene with Benjamin Ian Meyerson as her Romeo. She was finely costumed and coiffed for the part and read Shakespeare's words in a way that could be described as musical.  She totally convinced as a young girl in love.  But we enjoyed her even more when she played a scene with Laurel Shoshani as her nurse.  The Bard invested this scene with humor as The Nurse refuses to give Juliet the information she so badly desires.  Later the two were equally fine, but no longer humorous, as The Nurse horrifies Juliet with her tale of Tybalt's death and Romeo's banishment.

Sultana Shoshani and Laurel Shoshani

Soprano Veronica Loiacono had the weightier voice needed for Juliet's "Poison Aria" and admirably lived up to the challenge. Yet another Juliet, Patricia Vital, sang the love duet with rising star tenor Omar Bowey.  There was some marvelous music-making to be heard.  Ms. Vital switched easily to Italian for "Oh quante volte" from Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi.  As much as we love Gounod's melodic writing, nothing can equal Bellini's long sinuous lines and Ms. Vital gave an impassioned and musical performance.

Macbeth was given a similar treatment with Sarah Charles' recitation of Lady Macbeth's "Letter Monologue", followed by a sit-up-and-take-notice delivery of similar material by soprano Julia Rolwing whose recitativo was even more convincing.  Her ample voice and committed delivery of "Vieni! t'affretta! " was one of the highlights of the evening.

Julia Rowling

Greg Coughlin impressed with his reading of Macbeth's monologue and Ta'u Pupu'a did likewise with his huge tenor in "Ah! La Paterna Mano", an aria sung by the grief-stricken Macduff.

From Hamlet we heard Ephraim Shoshani (the Shoshani family must be the 21st c. Barrymores!) recite "To be or not to be" in a unique and interesting manner, after which we heard another highlight of the evening--Patricia Vital singing Ophelia's "Mad Scene" from the opera by Ambroise Thomas.  This was probably the best performance we have heard from her.  She created a character both innocent and unbalanced, using her impressive instrument in the numerous runs and trills, showing great bel canto skill.

Patricia Vital

The final section of the program involved readings from Shakespeae's Othello and duets from Verdi's Otello.  Baritone Roberto Borgatti was chilling in Iago's aria "Credo in un Dio crudel" and again in a duet with tenor Joseph DiSalle as the eponymous tragic hero.  Both men have substantial voices and are a pleasure to hear.  Mr. Borgatti is especially attuned to the Italian language and phrasing.

Mr. DiSalle also sang The Love Scene and The Death Scene with soprano Elena Heimur as his Desdemona. She sang a very touching "Willow Song" as well.

Elena Heimur and Joseph DiSalle

Robert Wilson was the versatile accompanist for the vocal part of the evening. The theatrical scenes were very finely directed by Fred Blankfein.

It was a long evening that seemed to go by very swiftly.  We are sorry to see the Summer Festival end but are looking forward to more Shakespeare next month from Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble.  The Bard rules!

(c) meche kroop

A CENTURY OLD AND STILL FRESH

Omar Bowey, Elena Heimur, Joseph DiSalle, Roberto Borgatti, Veronica Loiacono, Jodi Karem, Patricia Vital, Walter Hartman and D'Ariel Barnard

Having enjoyed last Sunday's concert of opera scenes presented by Opera New York, we decided to see what this ambitious company could do with operetta.  The program was introduced by Director Judith Fredricks ; she described operetta as the bridge between European opera and American Musical Theater, an opinion that agreed totally with one we have often expressed.

She spoke of marching songs, drinking songs, romance, intrigue, silly plots and ravishing high notes--all of which we heard and enjoyed last night.  The names of Sigmund Romberg, Rudolf Friml, Victor Herbert, Franz Lehar and Johann Strauss Junior may or may not be familiar to you but they certainly were to your grandparents and possibly your parents.  These operettas were written about a century ago and merit revival as much as the zarzuelas we wrote about in our last entry.

Many of the singers last night were written about last week and we were delighted to hear them sing these treasures with neither amplification nor a whiff of irony.  Once again, Robert Wilson was the versatile accompanist.

D'Ariel Barnard (last Sunday's Frasquita) initiated the program with Nacio Herb Brown's "Love is Where You Find It" from The Kissing Bandit.  The song has a gypsy flavor and several melismatic passages to which this stunning soprano lent her brilliant coloratura.  Although not strictly speaking an operetta of that epoch, her delivery of Bernstein's "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide was thrilling.

Soprano Elena Heimur showed a fine voice and significant versatility in selections from Romberg's The New Moon, both in her solo and in a duet with the ardent tenor Joseph DiSalle entitled "Lover Come Back to Me".  It was so heartfelt that we were glad that he came back!

Soprano Veronica Loiacono, seen last week as Micaela in Carmen, impressed us with her performance of "Vilia" from Lehar's The Merry Widow and continued on with the Merry Widow Waltz in a duet with baritone Roberto Borgatti, whose secure baritone served him well in "One Alone" from Romberg's Desert Song.

Mezzo-soprano Jodi Karem (last week's Carmen) was delightful as Prince Orlofsky in "Chacun à son goût" from Strauss' Die Fledermaus, interpolating some clever and topical English lyrics.  It was astonishing to witness her versatility.

From the same operetta, soprano Patricia Vital (last week's Norina) performed "Adele's Laughing Song" with brilliant top notes, fine coloratura technique and a charming persona.  It was truly memorable.

Young tenor Omar Bowey reaffirmed our high opinion of his performance last week as Ernesto in Don Pasquale.  His sweet voice was perfect for "One Flower in Your Garden" from Romberg's The Desert Song.  We expect to hear a lot more from this gifted young man.

Bass-baritone Walter Hartman, last week's excellent Don Pasquale, was a real audience favorite in "Every Day is Ladies Day" from Herbert's The Red Mill.  He has a dark covered bass that lends itself to comedy for which he has quite a flair.

We have already put next Sunday evening's program on our calendar and so should you.  It will comprise readings of Shakespeare's texts and selections from operas based on his plays.  It promises to be a compelling evening.

ⓒ meche kroop

SMILES ON A SUMMER NIGHT

Edgar Jaramillo and Jodi Karem

 D'ariel Barnard, Jackie M. Hayes, Roberto Borgatti, and Jodi Karem

Daniel Quintana, Patricia Vital, Walter Hartman and Omar Bowey

Summer is indeed a time for informality and so it was that we found ourselves at a café table, relaxed and smiling, enjoying excerpts of three operas and hearing some fine voices. Only a few were previously known to us (and much admired) and we were happy to be introduced to some new ones. Cleverly staged by Director Judith Fredricks with the versatile Robert Wilson as accompanist, the entire experience was pleasurable.

First on the program was Carmen, at least all of the essential scenes from Bizet's most popular work.  In the role of Don José, we heard the creamy-voiced tenor Edgar Jaramillo who seemed to reach into the depths of his soul to reveal the weak-willed country boy who is seduced away from his military and marital plans by that bad girl we all adore, the eponymous heroine.

Jodi Karem  has a fine mezzo and certainly conveyed Carmen's sexuality in the way the audience expects to experience it; nonetheless we sense that she has a deeply personal sexuality that she could bring to her interpretation.  She seemed more authentic in the tavern scene where she gets angry at Don José and mocks him.  That was riveting!

We had the same feeling about Veronica Loiacono in her interpretation of Micaëla.  She has a lovely soprano and gave us what we expected of a girl from the country; but in "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante" she could probably benefit by digging a little deeper into some frightening experience of her own that she had to overcome, in order to make her portrayal feel more authentic.  That girl is pretending not to be scared!

As Escamillo, baritone Roberto Borgatti sang at the same fine level that he achieved several months ago as Giorgio Germont.  His interpretation of the arrogant toreador was right on the mark and he sure twirled that cape!

D'ariel Barnard and Jackie M. Hayes produced some beautiful harmonies as Frasquita and Mercedes. Singing in French is quite challenging, not only the vowels but the maintenance of an even barely accented vocal line.  Everyone's French was comprehensible but all could benefit by working on line.  Much of the phrasing was rather "four-square".

An excerpt from Puccini's Manon Lescaut followed with two big beautiful voices filling the room from stem to stern.  Julia Rolwing sang the eponymous heroine and Ta'u Pupu'a sang the role of Le Chevalier des Grieux.  The singing was outstanding but a bit more connection between these two artists would have been welcomed.

The final work on the program comprised excerpts from Donizetti's Don Pasquale.  Bass Walter Hartmann made an effective titular character and had the audience giggling.  He was especially fine in his patter song and had a fine duet with Norina, his intended bride.  That role was well sung and portrayed by soprano Patricia Vital.

We understand the justification for presenting the work in English, with the marvelous baritone Daniel Quintana employing his comic flair to narrate the action.  However, English is most difficult to understand in the upper register and we missed much of what Ms. Vital was singing; in the lower register, everything came across.  Some of the translation worked rather well but in other cases the accents of the text did not quite fit the accents of the music, as is often the case.

Mr. Quintana is truly a stage animal and did exceptionally well as Dr. Malatesta, both in his patter song and in his duet with Norina.  Last but by no means least, we were quite taken with Omar Bowey who brought his fresh sweet tenor to the role of Ernesto.  We were astonished to learn that he is only 21 years old and still an undergraduate.  We want to hear more of this promising young tenor as he matures.

Opera New York has several more tempting recitals to offer for the month of July.  Take a look at www.operany.com!

 © meche kroop

A VALIANT VIOLETTA

Nadia Petrella (photo by John Solis)

We do a lot of sitting on benches in chilly industrial spaces and on hard wooden pews in churches and on uncomfortable metal bridge chairs; the payoff is getting to hear some wonderful voices of young artists on the way up.  These young artists are not jaded and don't fly in from Europe or Russia to do their thing and leave.  They work hard as an ensemble and manifest the freshness and enthusiasm that we so greatly admire.

Last night we were privileged to attend the latest entry by New York Opera Exchange which has had a most successful season.  The production was of Verdi's La Traviata and the thrill came from two cast members who nailed their roles.

Soprano Nadia Petrella turned in a heartfelt performance in the title role.  She has an exciting instrument that seems to do her bidding without effort; the fioritura never seemed to be done for effect but rather seemed to come out of her emotions. Her "Ah, fors'è lui" was so compelling that the audience burst into applause before she could continue with "Sempre libera".  This arresting cabaletta left no doubt about her ambivalence.  Will it be love or frivolous fun?

It was all there--diction, phrasing, accuracy--in sum, a memorable performance.  This is a character who loves life and must go through all the stages of grief--denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  Ms. Petrella's dramatic gifts revealed them all; impressively her vocal output never wavered.

Baritone Roberto Borgatti was equally impressive as Germont, especially since this was the first time he sang a role he was born to sing.  He has a substantial voice, great technique and dramatic chops to match.  His arias in Act II were so fine!  In "Pura siccome un angelo" he must convince Violetta to give up Alfredo.  In "Di Provenza il mar, il suol" he must console his son and persuade him to return to his family.  He succeeded on both counts.
 
We particularly enjoyed his interpretation.  He did not come across as a mean man, just one who is protective of his family. He limned the character's growth from disapproval to empathy in a way that made perfect dramatic sense.  We loved the scene in which he shames his son for his ugly behavior toward Violetta.

The role of Alfredo was sung by tenor Lindell O. Carter and, sorry to say, his portrayal missed the mark.  It would not have stood out as disappointing were the other principals not so superb.  We wondered whether he may have been cast at a later time than the others because there was a lack of connection.  In the first act the lack of chemistry between him and Violetta made us wonder why she would prefer him to the Baron.  An enormous suspension of disbelief was necessary to imagine him as an infatuated young man.

His acting was wooden and his intonation was not always accurate.  He gave the impression of insecurity.  In the third act he was much more convincing in his bitterness and anger.  For the most part however, he seemed to be staring off into space, or perhaps watching the conductor for cues, rather than connecting with the other singers.

We go along with the saying that "There are no small roles".  Indeed, soprano Kendra Berentsen turned in a most believable performance as Annina, devoted servant of Violetta.  Tenor Victor Starsky did a fine job as Gastone and mezzo Ann Louise Glasser was just about perfect as Flora.  Her scenes with Violetta were utterly convincing.

Bass-baritone Colin Whiteman made a sympathetic Dr. Grenvil and bass-baritone  Javier Ortiz portrayed the Marchese with style.  Baritone Nicholas Wiggins was commanding as the Baron.  These are all singers we look forward to hearing in upcoming productions.

Alden Gatt was Music Director and Conductor David Leibowitz put the large orchestra through their paces without ever drowning out the singers, even though there was no pit for the orchestra.  The acoustics of the church hall made the force of the brass section rather intense.  We heard a gorgeous oboe solo in the "Addio del passato bei sogni ridenti".

Co-directors Jennifer Bushinger and Justin Werner had a "concept" that almost worked.  The 19th c. Parisian setting envisioned by Verdi was updated to the 1940's and the locale changed to Italy.  Violetta was supposed to be an aristocrat who has become a courtesan to support herself.  Germont père et fils were transmogrified into members of the U.S. military.

What did NOT work were the disjunctions between libretto and titles and the anachronisms.  Let us consider a few.  There were no duels in Italy in the 20th c.  American soldiers did not come from Provence.  When the chorus (a superb chorus we might add) sings the rowdy songs of Carnevale and the titles say that they are celebrating the end of World War II, we feel duped.  Perhaps if you had never seen the opera and didn't know Italian you may not have noticed it.

Sadly, we confess that we are not color-blind.  It would not have disturbed us if Germont and Alfredo were both portrayed by African-American singers.  But it did bother us that father and son were, well, so unalike.  Others may not have noticed. And if there were still Italian aristocrats in the 1940's who retained their titles, we do not think they would be black.

What we DID like about the direction was the opening tableau vivant during the overture in which the major characters enact the same scene we will see at the close of the opera.  And we liked the scenes of Annina helping Violetta dress for the party.  It revealed a great deal about the feelings the two women had for each other that justified the tender nursing care received by Violetta in the final act.  The death scene brought tears to our eyes and that is always a good sign!

Set Design by James McSweeney was minimalistic--a fireplace, a couch and an escritoire.  Costume Design by Taylor Mills was apropos and effective.

There will be one more performance, a matinée on Sunday, very worth your while.  We are already marking our calendars for the next season when NYOE will be presenting Johann Strauss' delightful Die Fledermaus, Donizetti's Lucia i Lammermoor and Bizet's Carmen--happily, all done in the original language.

© meche kroop