LAND OF THE MOON

Anna Viemeister, Christine Moore Vassallo, Chantal Balestri, Nardo Poy, Juan Jose Lazaro, and Jeffrey Swann at the National Opera Center

Has it always been this popular for young opera singers to study abroad? We have noticed so many programs offering summer instruction; last night we were introduced to a new one with the romantic name of Lunigiana International Music Festival which will offer a new program of lessons, master classes, competitions, and concerts in the Tuscan town of Fivizzano from June 18th through June 28th.

By way of introduction Co-Founder and Artistic Director Chantal Balestri organized a concert to present the faculty for this festival, in which students and faculty will lodge and dine at the same hotel. The plan is to keep the all-in costs to a minimum.

Students of all ages will be accepted; voice, piano, and string instruments will be taught. Some unusual venues for performances have been planned. Some of the faculty members performed last night for an audience that included several luminaries in the field.

The program opened and closed with music by Chopin, sensitively performed by Jeffrey Swann. The opener was the lovely Nocturne op. 15 n.2 in F-Sharp Major to which Mr. Swann applied just the right rubato, dynamic variation, and a light touch for the embellishments of the line which, in vocal music, would be called fioritura. Would it be fair to call Chopin a bel canto composer?

The closing piece was the elaborate Ballade op.23 n.1 in G Minor, in which we heard a succession of diverse themes in different moods. Mr. Swann explained how the Ballade tells a story and, we opine, each listener can apply his or her own story.

As far as the vocal music which comprised most of the program, we were riveted by mezzo-soprano Anna Viemeister's performance of Eboli's aria "O Don Fatale" from Verdi's Don Carlo, one of our favorite operas. In this barn-burner, the Princess Eboli is filled with remorse for getting her beloved Queen in trouble. She blames her beauty. Ms. Viemeister was convincing both vocally and dramatically, with some wonderful sounds at the bottom of her register.

We can say the same about the equally passionate "Voi lo sapete", from Mascagni's verismo masterpiece Cavalleria Rusticana. We have not heard this role sung by a mezzo but the high notes were tossed off easily and we enjoyed the shifts in color as Santuzza reflects on her original happiness and eventual shame.

Soprano Christine Moore Vassallo played to her vocal strengths in the upper register in "Vissi d'arte" from Puccini's Tosca. We were happy to hear her in opera because both women used the loathed music stand for their lieder selections.

We were very interested in the two settings of the same text written in the Baroque period by one Lope Felix de Vega Carpio. Eduard Toldrá set it in 1940 and entitled it "Cantarcillo", part of his Seis canciones Castellanas  It is a lullaby for the baby Jesus sung by his mother, in this case, Ms. Vassallo.

We might never have recognized it as the same text Brahms used for his "Geistliches Wiegenlied" in 1884, for which Emmanuel Geibel adapted Carpio's text. Brahms scored it for alto, piano, and viola. Ms. Vassallo sang, Nardo Poy played the viola, and Juan Jose Lazaro gave us the same high quality piano we enjoyed as accompaniment for all the singing. The only disappointment was the presence of the music stand.

We also enjoyed Ms. Viemeister's performance of "Gestillte Sehnsucht", another work Brahms scored for piano, viola and alto. We will add that the German diction was excellent.

With talent such as we heard last night, the students accepted into this summer program will be fortunate indeed. We wish Lunigiana great success in their inaugural season and hope the success will be "over the moon". Co-Founder Andrea Rossi was not present last night but shared the dream of Ms. Balestri who did a fine job of describing the program.

(c) meche kroop

PASSION

Elizabeth Bouk and Jonathan Fox Powers in Sondheim's PASSION at Utopia Opera

Most people enjoy having their opinions validated and we are no exception.  In the Director's Notes for Sondheim's Passion, presented by the reliably adventuresome Utopia Opera, Benjamin Spierman eloquently addresses the issue of opera vs. musical theater. We are in complete agreement that any division is unnecessary and only results in contentious discussion. Drama with music, when sung by classically trained singers without amplification qualifies a work as "opera" in our opinion.

One of the distinguishing features of "opera" is that it is passionate.  People die for love, kill for love, and live on the edge.  That is why opera is the perfect antidote for our "whatever" age, marked by indifference and irony.

The very title of Sondheim's work tells us so.  The story was adapted from Ettore Scola's film Passione d'Amore, itself adapted from the 19th c. novel Fosca by Iginio Ugo Tarchetti. The renowned James Lapine wrote the book. 

The story concerns a young military officer whose pity for his Colonel's sickly cousin ends up becoming love. Fosca is a disagreeable and demanding woman with a sad past and she stalks Captain Giorgio Bachetti obsessively until she wins him over.

That he has a romantic and sexual relationship with Clara, a woman he adores, does not stop Fosca from throwing herself at Giorgio without reservation or reason, sacrificing all dignity in the process.

Elizabeth Bouk was convincing as Fosca, somehow hiding her natural beauty to portray a woman who believes herself to be homely. It was satisfying to watch her blossom when she succeeded in winning Giorgio's love.

Giorgio was well enacted and sung by Jonathan Fox Powers who showed us his character's inner kindness but also his attempts to firmly reject Fosca's initial advances. His fine voice suited the part well.

We particularly enjoyed Dennis Wees' portrayal of Colonel Ricci, so protective of his unfortunate cousin and so angry when he believes that Giorgio has taken advantage of her. He also has a fine voice and employs it well.  

Actually, the encounters between Giorgio and Fosca were set up and encouraged by Doctor Tambourri, played rather woodenly by Jack Anderson White.

As Clara, Giorgio's married lover who loves with the necessary restrictions of a married woman who stands to lose her child in 19th c. Italy, Paige Cutrona was barely audible except when she employed the upper end of her register where she had an attractive sound. The spoken dialogue and lower notes could not be heard.

Mr. Spierman himself appeared as Fosca's father, in flashback, with Hannah Spierman portraying her mother with a fine sizable sound. Also seen in flashback was the "Count" Ludovic (Jonathan Price) who took advantage of Fosca which probably led to the decline in her health.

Comic relief was provided by the military men who gathered over meals and billiards, commenting on the action like a Greek chorus. Performers were Ray Calderon, Benjamin Herman, Platon Vavylis, Nick Miller, and Ross Schwaber.  It was in these scenes that Sondheim's familiar wordplay was most in evidence.

The music is through-composed with several impactful duets. Most of the arias involve the reading of letters written by Giorgio to Clara and by Clara to Giorgio. We hear Sondheim reaching for something grander in this work, arguably his most operatic creation. Under the baton of Artistic and Music Director William Remmers, the orchestra played well.  On the audience level we had a string quartet plus bass and two keyboards. On stage and off to the side, as usual, we had a pair of horns, a trumpet, percussion, and four wind players who alternated among oboe, English horn, clarinet, and flute. 

Originally Jonathan Tunick composed the lush orchestration and we have no evidence that this was changed for Utopia Opera's production. The score is definitely worth a repeat hearing.

Speaking of repeats, you will have a couple opportunities to catch this chamber opera. There is a matinee today and another on Sunday and an evening performance tonight at 8:00.  The work is seldom produced and we encourage you to seize the opportunity.

(c) meche kroop

MANNES CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

I-Yun Tsai, Wenting Yu, Wen Guan Li, Zhihong Li, Jingci Liu, Pavlina Dokovska, and Ganson Salmon

Only in New York can one hear a highly professional concert and find out that the artists are students. The quality of the performances were uniformly splendid in last night's recital at the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Last month we reviewed the graduation recital of tenor Ganson Salmon, the highlight of which was his performance of Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe, composed during the period when Robert's longing for Clara was at its peak. Last night's repeat performance was in honor of Clara, who was not only her husband's muse, but, as related by Pavlina Dokovska, created her own musical career after rebelling against her strict family and the extant cultural norms.

For details about Mr. Salmon's artistry with this song cycle, we refer readers to our recent review, http://www.vocedimeche.reviews/search?q=ganson+salmon. We will only say that Mr. Salmon, Heinrich Heine, and Robert Schumann seem even more united than before as Mr. Salmon has settled into the work; he held us spellbound with his mastery. The connection between him and his superb collaborative pianist Brianna Han has intensified.

The program included selections from Kurze Waltzer for four hands by Wolfgang Rihm. The thrill of hearing contemporary music that we actually enjoyed was quite overwhelming. The music is charming, accessible, listenable, and even danceable. 

The four fortunate hands that brought us such joy belonged to Wenting Yu and the very beautiful Jingci Liu who were totally in tune with one another.

There was sufficient differences among the brief waltzes that our attention was held throughout. There was great variety of melodic intent, mood, tempi and dynamics.  Now if we could only get Mr. Rihm to write an opera! He has written dozens of lieder and we mean to track them down.

The final work on the program was Johannes Brahms' rousing Piano Quartet in C minor, op.60. It opened with a muscular Allegro non troppo which was followed by the Scherzo in a somewhat unusual position. The third movement, Andante, opened with a lyrical theme in the cello, played by Zhihong Li, making it our favorite part.  The Finale featured the violin of I-Yun Tsai and the piano of Wenting Yu. And we all know that the viola fills in all the gaps. Wen Guan Li played it well.

Mannes can be very proud of their students, all on their way to superstardom.

(c) meche kroop

A HEARTY EVENING FOR A HARDY AUDIENCE

Jessica Gould and Diego Cantalupi at the Fabbri Mansion Library

Wednesday night's weather was atrocious but that didn't stop fans of Salon Sanctuary Concerts from finding their way to the stunning but geographically inaccessible Fabbri Mansion to hear music of the early 17th c. As a matter of fact, the concert was sold out and a second performance had to be scheduled to accommodate everyone who wanted to share in the artistry of soprano Jessica Gould and theorbist Diego Cantalupi. We New Yorkers will go anywhere in any weather when we sniff out a good thing.

And a very good thing it was! In a velvet gown, Ms. Gould was the image of a diva (think Tosca) but sang in a manner that expressed the spiritual nature of the text. As Founder and Artistic Director of Salon Sanctuary Concerts, Ms. Gould is known for her diligent scholarship. Every program is a means of "viewing history through the prism of music".

The period represented in this program, entitled I Viaggi di Caravaggio is the early 17th c. and the place is Rome. The Catholic church was re-asserting its dominance in a movement known as the Counter-Reformation. Adherents to the faith were gained by utilizing the unparalleled power of the arts. Spirituality and sensuality were mingled in architecture, music, and the paintings of Caravaggio--and also in the licentious behavior of the clergy.

Listening to the music on the program, one could not help but observe the bones of rigid adherence to Catholic doctrine clothed in the sensuality of the human voice and the theorbo, so perfectly played by Mr. Cantalupi.  Those of you who were unable to snag tickets to this concert may be interested in the newly released CD also entitled I Viaggi di Caravaggio, the tracks of which are a close replica of the concert.

Ms. Gould does not adhere to the rigid customs of Baroque period singing.  Of course, we have no record of how these works sounded four centuries ago, but contemporary performances often seem sterile, whereas Ms. Gould's performance was luscious and involving. It was always obvious that she knew what she was singing about as she shared her passion with the audience.

The texts were often disturbing, dealing as they do with the crucifixion. But the music is always gorgeous and deeply affecting. If one did not understand Italian and Latin, one could be at an advantage! But if one does, one found the enunciation clear.

Melismatic singing appears in almost every song, or should we call them prayers! Sometimes they stretch into lengthy vocalises.  In Giovanni Antonio Rigatti's "Ave, Regina Caelorum" we enjoyed the joyful central section which Ms. Gould colored differently.

Contrasts abounded through this narrow slice of early 17^th-century repertoire. The tender sweet lullaby "Figlio Dormi" made the horror of Tarquinio Merula's "Canzonetta spirituale sopra alla 'Nanna' "  which offers Mary’s sorrow-filled premonition of her babe's tragic future, all the more stark and shocking.

Giovanni Felice Sances' "Stabat Mater dolorosa" ended with an exquisite "Amen" but not until Ms, Gould let loose on the word "paradisi". We heard the same florid singing in Benedetti Ferrari's "Queste pungenti spine" on the word "saette" (thunderbolts). This fioritura and changes of vocal colors keeps things interesting!

It was a great idea to alternate the vocal works with instrumental ones, performed solo by Mr. Cantalupi. All the selections were composed by the same composer Girolamo Kapsberger, who, if we are not mistaken, was the teacher of Girolamo Frescobaldi, whose aria "Se l'aura spira" so enthralled us last month when sung by Anna Caterina Antonacci.

"Toccata IV" had a meditative quality and made use of intervals of a second. "Toccata VII" was similarly meditative but made far more demands for virtuosity on the artist. There were exciting scale passages and descents into the lowest register of that most complicated instrument, the theorbo. "Canzon I" had a lot of contrast and some lovely arpeggiated chords and trills.

But our favorites were the gentle "Sarabanda" in 3/4 time and the lively "Bergamasca" in duple meter which made us want to get up and dance!

(c) meche kroop

RETURN OF TWO WINNERS

Craig Rutenberg, Kyle van Schoonhoven, and Heidi Melton

Among many other reasons, we love the George London Foundation because we get to hear competition winners a few years after they win; we love witnessing artistic growth. We first became aware of tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven in 2014 when Daniel Cardona put him onstage as Lt. Pinkerton in a recital of Puccini arias by the Martha Cardona Opera Theater. His sizable instrument made a sizable impression on us.  We were thinking "Wagner". He has proven us right.

Several times we heard him sing the mad scene from Britten's Peter Grimes and grew to enjoy that disturbing aria more and more. It was that performance that led to a breakout 2017 with awards not only from the George London Foundation but also the Metropolitan Opera National Council. We were overjoyed to learn that he would be singing Wagner at the recital yesterday at the Morgan Library.

Dramatic soprano Heidi Melton won her London award in 2009, before we began writing. But we did review her superb performance 3 years ago at the Schimmel Center when she dazzled us with her huge resonant sound, highly dramatic interpretations, and crisp English diction. Apparently Planet Opera has recognized her Wagnerian gifts and is keeping her busy.

That 2015 recital included Debussy's Trois Chansons de Bilitis which Ms. Melton reprised yesterday. She employed a fine vibrato that added shimmer to the sound and gave us some fine French, every word of which was comprehensible. This work requires the singer to provide three different colorations to the three songs. Ms. Melton nailed them all--the adolescent innocence and sexual awakening in "La flûte de Pan", the ripe sensuality of "La Chevelure", and the sad disillusionment of love grown cold in "Le tombeau des Naïades". She even captured the negativity and indifference of the male voice.  The contributions of collaborative pianist Craig Rutenberg added to the classical imagery.

"Isolde's Narrative and Curse" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde was so exceptional that we reached a new level of understanding of this opera, an understanding that we did not achieve in the latest iteration at the Metropolitan Opera. First of all, there was an acoustic and linguistic clarity that was abetted by completely convincing dramatic intent and liberal employment of gesture and facial expression.

This lengthy scene requires Isolde to go through a wide range of emotions from the tender memories of nursing Tristan to rage at the injustice she is suffering, compounded by the shame of falling prey to her enemy. The performance was nothing short of riveting.

Mr. van Schoonhoven's performance was no less satisfying. He opened the afternoon with some 20th c. songs in English; that we actually enjoyed them says a lot since that is not our favorite language nor our favorite period. Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Silent Noon" was delivered with ringing tones, excellent diction, and a centered stage presence. We liked the delicacy of Mr. Rutenberg's accompaniment and Mr. Schoonhoven's equally delicate messa di voce.

That Britten set the folk song "O Waly Waly" with the same reverence he applied to W.B. Yeat's text "The Salley Gardens" reminded us of Brahms. The melodies are simple but the piano score interesting. The brief "Love Went a-Riding" by Frank Bridges benefitted from Mary Coleridge's verse which rhymed and scanned.

We never much cared for the text Wagner wrote for "Rienzi's Prayer" but the music is gorgeous and Mr. Schoonhoven applied his huge sound and a variety of dynamics to lend interest to the work. We far preferred "Mein lieber Schwan!" from Lohengrin, as the knight makes his farewell.  There we have a fortunate marriage of text and music; Mr. Schoonhoven made the most of it.

By the time these three outsized artists completed the "Bridal Chamber Scene" from Lohengrin, we had decided that this opera goes on our wish list. We have never seen it but we believe we have heard the best of it in this performance! The scene begins with warm and tender feelings on both sides until Elsa tries to get Lohengrin to identify himself.  Her suspicions have been aroused by the evil and manipulative Ortrud. The knight tries to evade her importuning but fails. We believed every dramatic moment.

After such a recital, an encore would not have been necessary but the audience demanded one and the artists generously complied with a romantic duet from Franz Lehar's operetta Der Zarewitsch in which the voices rose in sweet harmony.

It was quite an afternoon and we believe the air in the theater is still vibrating from those astonishing overtones. Mr. Rutenberg paid a well deserved tribute to our dear Nora London whose foundation has launched so many operatic careers. How happy we are that the recipients of awards return to perform. That is also a tribute!

(c) meche kroop

SONGS FROM THE CELLAR

Michal Biel and Alex Rosen

The only event that could psych us up as much as the debut of a new opera company is the debut of a new vocal series. A vocal series that highlights the advanced students from the Juilliard Vocal Arts and Collaborative Piano Departments would have been at the top of our wish list. We attend and love the monthly liederabends at Juilliard and the graduation recitals as well.  But we are greedy for vocal music and we admire the entrepreneurial spirit that made possible this extra-curricular series of performances.

In this case, two of our favorite Juilliard pianists--Katelan Terrell and Michal Biel-- have coordinated a new series called Songs from the Cellar, having joined forces with Alessandro Pittorino, Executive Director of Arts at Blessed Sacrament where he serves as organist.  Indeed, descending the staircase at the 71st St. entrance, one would expect to find oneself in a cellar; but no, we find ourselves in a spacious performing space with a big wide stage and ample seating with excellent sightlines. What a find!

That stage was graced and held last night by bass Alex Rosen and pianist Michal Biel. Mr. Biel, who graduated from Juilliard last year, has played at so many recitals there that we knew exactly what high quality to expect. Mr. Rosen has also been seen, heard, and reviewed by us multiple times but we had yet to hear him perform a complete recital.

Just a couple weeks ago he starred as Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor and gave a rousing performance filled with pathos and humor, not to mention full deep round tones. But his appearance was heavily disguised by makeup and a fat suit. Last night he appeared au naturel and we were reminded of how much we had enjoyed his way with Strauss' unique and lesser known songs, his part in Mozart's Requiem and his Monteverdi (with Opera Lafayette).

As soon as Mr. Rosen began singing some serious songs by Schubert, we recalled that we had heard him sing two of them before. When a singer performs songs we don't care for in a way that brings us to favor them, it tends to stick in our memory. The sacred "Grenzen der Menschheit" and the profane  "Prometheus" make a fine pair. We especially love Prometheus confronting Zeus with his anger and disappointment. In between the two we heard the sad tale of "Der Atlas", sung with powerful intent and plenty of variety in the piano.

What impresses us most about Mr. Rosen, aside from the textured tone, diction, and phrasing, is his storytelling ability. Each song becomes a mini opera; he pulls us into each story with his involvement in the text. He is not afraid to throw himself into the text with generous gesture and facial expression.

Happily there was plenty of Schubert on the program. The opening set was particularly suited to the storm outdoors which the appreciative audience had braved for the occasion. There were storms at sea, boatmen, rivers and such. When Schubert wrote strophic songs, he must have hoped that they'd find their way into the repertoire of singers like Mr. Rosen who would know how to change the vocal color from one stanza to the next.

We particularly enjoyed "Liebhaber in allen Gestalten", with its romantic text by Goethe, and "Auf der Donau", in which the two outer sections allow the singer some lyrical legato singing, with plenty of contrast for the turmoil in the central section. Mayrhofer's text is introspective and philosophical and the vocal line revealed the beauty of Mr. Rosen's lower register.

In terms of charm, we loved "Fischerweise", von Schlechta's tale of a fisherman and a "wanton" shepherdess who is not going to catch that fish!

Hugo Wolf's songs made an appearance on the program with his Michelangelo Lieder--Wolf in his most serious mood. "Alles endet, was entstehet" gave Mr. Rosen an opportunity to show off his lovely pianissimo.  "Fühlt meine Seele das ersehnte Licht" ended with a heart stopping downward scale in the piano.

Just as actors love a good death scene, singers love a good drinking song and Wolf wrote some that were fresh to our ears--"So lang man nünchern ist" and "Ob der Koran von Ewigkeit sei". They were fun but there was even more fun on the program.

Francis Poulenc's very first youthful song cycle--Le Bestiaire-- comprised six short poems selected from 30 written by Guillaume Apollinaire about denizens of the world of fauna.  We wish that he had set them all, or at least published the additional six about which we have only heard. There is such a variety of rhythm, color, and mood that it takes a singer of Mr. Rosen's caliber to make the most of them. We kid you not, dear reader, but Mr. Rosen actually made a face like a camel and moved like a shrimp!

Our only complaint about this recital was its brevity.  But then it's always good to leave your public wanting more.  There will indeed be more, but not more of Mr. Rosen who has been snapped up by Les Arts Florissants, Opera Philadelphia, and Cincinnati Opera.

We urge you to get out your calendars and save March 9th, April 15th, and April 28th. We personally know the artists and can guarantee you a splendid evening at a modest cost.

About 6 or 7 years ago, pianist Lachlan Glen launched a series comprising Schubert, all Schubert, and nothing but Schubert lieder. Folks on Planet Opera are still talking about it.  We hope that 6 years from now, folks will be talking about Songs from the Cellar!  Don't miss out!  It's casual, comfortable, artistic...and there are projected titles so one doesn't have to look down at libretti.

(c) meche kroop

LADIES FIRST

Matthew Wages, Richard Holmes, David Seatter, Sarah Caldwell Smith, Daniel Greenwood, Natalie Ballenger, Joanie Brittingham, Alexa Devlin, Anthony Maida, and Tanya Roberts

Think of a string of beautiful colorful beads, gathered from many forgotten pieces of jewelry and strung together to create something novel. That was the image we got while enjoying Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE! last night. 

Instead of presenting another complete operetta by this most prolific composer, Artistic Director Alyce Mott decided to create an evening of rarely heard gems extracted from a number of his operettas, written with a variety of librettists, including Henry Blossom, Gene Buck, Buddy De Sylva, Glen MacDonough, Harry B. Smith, and Robert B. Smith.

As usual, Ms. Mott supplied the libretto; the performers--gifted vocally and dramatically in equal measure--brought the songs to vivid life, under the direction of Emily Cornelius with charming choreography by Susanna Organic. Michael Thomas ably filled the job of Music Director and pianist.

Over the past couple of years attending these performances, we have developed an affection for what appears to be a repertory company. We can almost predict what roles each performer will play. There is a similarity to Herbert's "ladies" and he loves putting them in ridiculous situations. 

We saw scenes extracted from ten of his lesser known operettas dating from The Idol's Eye in 1897 to his very last one, the 1922 Orange Blossom. Herbert dominated Broadway for a quarter of a century and did not alter his style very much. He had a clear opinion of what his audience wanted and he gave it to them--interesting characters dealing with preposterous situations in a light-hearted manner.

We are glad that Ms. Mott compared Herbert to Sondheim. What other American composer beside Sondheim has ever managed to marry word and musical phrase in such an engaging manner! If only we had clever lyrics like that to listen to today! Which brings us to our only criticism--the clever lyrics were not always clear. But that happened only about 10% of the time and only bothered us because the rhymes were so darned clever.

Tanya Roberts and Anthony Maida did a swell job as narrators, establishing the background of each scene. Ms. Roberts was hilarious as "the 5' lady with the 8' kick". David Seatter delighted us as a hot air balloonist who "just dropped in" as he circumnavigated the world. And Mr. Seatter enunciated each word clearly. Alexa Devlin made use of the lower end of her register in "Song of the Priestess". These three songs from the 1897 The Idol's Eye made us want to see the entire work.

The complex overlapping vocal lines for the Ensemble in "The Face Behind the Mask" was the standout number from the 1914 The Debutante. It revealed Herbert as the gifted composer he was.

From the 1905 Mlle. Modiste, our favorite number was the marvelous satire involving a girl from Iowa--"The Keokuk Culture Club", sensationally performed by Ms. Devlin. It seemed very au courant.

Another sensational performance was that of Natalie Ballenger who portrayed a very catty woman in "She's a Very Dear Friend of Mine" from the 1904 It Happened in Nordland.

Tenor Daniel Greenwood paid vocal tribute to women in "The Century Girl", the hit number from the 1916 show of the same name.

Mr. Maida filled a similar role as he idealized "The Princess of My Dreams" from Ziegfield Follies of 1921. 

The 1922 Orange Blossoms contained two numbers that scored. In "New York is the Same Old Place", Ms. Roberts and Mr. Seatter had complaints about our fair city that seemed not to have changed in almost a century! But the very funny "Way Out West in Jersey" had Ms. Devlin and bass-baritone  Matthew Wages contemplating a move to the wild west across the Hudson River. Richard Holmes was absolutely charming as a former roué in "This Time It's Love".

Joanie Brittingham had fun portraying a woman whose education was deficient in "Professor Cupid" from The Debutante of 1914 and a sadder girl indeed in "The Lonely Nest" (from Orange Blossoms), in which Michael Thomas' piano stood out.

Sarah Caldwell Smith made the perfect ingenue in "If I Were on the Stage" from Mlle. Modiste.

The ensemble work showed evidence of a great team spirit in this company.  The entire evening was sheer delight.

Upcoming in April will be The Enchantress, from which we heard two numbers; but in April we will get to hear them with an orchestra. Yay!

Ms. Mott asked the audience which Herbert operetta they would like to see.  What a difficult choice! Based on what we most enjoyed last night, we would vote for Orange Blossoms. 

(c) meche kroop