ANATOMY THEATER

Anatomy Theater

Gross Anatomy Lab in medical school lasted for three miserable hours and this was taken into consideration when we decided not to become a surgeon.  David Lang's new music-theater piece entitled Anatomy Theater lasted less than half as long and involved no misery whatsoever. Rather, it involved our rapt attention such that we resisted the urge to look away from its gruesomeness.

Mr. Lang, who also wrote the libretto with Mark Dion, based his work on texts from the 16th and 17th c, a time during which the church held sway over people's beliefs and there was no science without the encroachments of religion. It was posited that the devil's evils were implanted within people's bodies.  But in which organ? That was left to anatomists to determine.

These dissections were open to the public and one wonders whether bloodthirsty entertainment was involved along with moral instruction. This would be a rather different situation from that which is depicted in Rembrandt's painting "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nikolaes Tulp" in which seven scholarly scientists can be seen watching Dr. Tulp's dissection of a cadaver's left arm, all in the spirit of scientific inquiry.

The bulk of Mr. Lang's piece takes place in a more public theater in which men (no women allowed) observe the post-mortem dissection of the recently dead Sarah Osborne (mezzo-soprano Peabody Southwell) who murdered her abusive husband by drugging and smothering him, after which she smothered her two children. And yet, one can feel sympathy for this poor creature when she relates the sordid details of her miserable life.

Before the show actually started, audience members were welcomed to the BRIC performing space by costumed "wenches" who offered steins of beer and sausages before the hanging took place. Indeed we felt transported back to the 18th c. when bodies of executed convicts were made available for public dissection.  There was a festival spirit as poor Sarah was dragged through the corridors of the space by hooded men, reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan.

The poor woman confessed and told her tale and was convincingly hanged in a scene of frightening verisimilitude. Her body was purchased by one Joshua Crouch (Mark Kudisch) to provide fodder for the anatomy theater. We in the audience became the observers and therefore complicit.

The shots there were called by one Baron Peel (bass-baritone Robert Osborne) but the actual bloody work was performed by one Ambrose Strang (tenor Timur). The instruments involved were shown and discussed and the unfortunate subject was covered with blood in a scene as convincing and disturbing as the hanging.

Although no aberrations were found in the organs, Mr. Peel would not be seen giving up on his religion-inspired belief. What was interesting to us was that the same deed could be conducted in the spirit of the advancement of science or, alternatively, to advance the cause of religion. The dissection was just an additional measure of punishment for the miscreant.

As a subject for a theatrical work, this was a daring choice. The execution (pun not intended) of the concept was superb, with Bob McGrath's direction most effective.  Mr. Dion's set design featured a cabinet of skulls and surgical instruments; Video Designer Bill Morrison and Projection Designer Laurie Olinder provided meaningful contributions by way of antique drawings. Christopher Kuhl's lighting and Alixandra Gage Englund's costume designs were effective.

When we see a piece such as this one, we think of it more as a play with music than as an opera. We ask ourselves whether the music contributes to the telling of the tale. We liked Christopher Rountree's conducting of this eclectic music, especially the sections of minimalism that brought Philip Glass and Steve Reich to mind. Although the musicians of the International Contemporary Ensemble were not identified in the program, their performance of the music was just fine. Along with strings we spied a trumpet, a flute, and the beloved bass clarinet.  But we cannot say that the music told us any more about the characters on stage than the performers did. We think about Mozart's characterizations and how they told us so much about the bravado and defiance of Don Giovanni, for example, or about the dignity and despair of the Countess Almaviva.

The vocal lines were not at all melodic but we no longer hope to find that characteristic in contemporary operas, which is the reason we are rather unwilling to experience them. In the case of Anatomy Theater, we enjoyed the work for the drama and the effective realization of the story.

The performers were particularly effective at conveying the drama.  As already noted, Ms. Southwell evinced sympathy for her character, Mr. Kudisch was appropriately lascivious and slimy. Mr. Osborne generated total conviction in the rightness of his work, and Timur showed the doubts of Mr. Strang as he found no signs of the devil in the extracted organs.

We take exception to the amplification of the voices, leaving us unable to evaluate their honest timbre. Fortunately we have heard Mr. Osborne before on numerous occasions and recall well how fine a singer he is. The other artists were unknown to us so we cannot comment on their vocal skills. We are not sure why body microphones were used, in light of the small size of the theater and the small size of the chamber orchestra.

We would not hesitate to recommend this work on the basis of its dramatic values but we did not come home humming the score.  We are quite sure Mr. Lang did not intend for us to do so. From a similarly gruesome work (Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd) we surely did! And that is a work we have seen many times and hope to hear unamplified (!) someday in the future.

This New York premiere is part of the Prototype Festival, now in its fifth year of presenting new indie chamber "opera". By rupturing the boundaries of chamber opera, do we lose the meaning of the word "opera"?

(c) meche kroop

ESPANA ALLA ROSSINI

Anna Tonna, Elaine Rinaldi, and Elisabet Torras Aguilera

Although we are in a studio in the theater district of Manhattan, it is not difficult to imagine that we are attending a musical soiree in the home of a wealthy Madrileno patron of the arts in 1830. The music, the singing, the dancing, and the effective costuming all contributed to the delightful illusion.

Gioachino Rossini lived from 1792 until 1868 and composed 40 operas in a period of 19 years, arguably the most famous of which is Il Barbiere di Siviglia. But he also composed many wonderful songs and he loved the mezzo-soprano fach. According to Simon Saad, the knowledgable lecturer who introduce4 Ms. Tonno's program, Rossini had strong ties to Spain, both through his banker/friend and through his Madrilena wife Isabella Colbran. In point of fact, he only visited Spain once in 1831 but had strong feelings for the country that helped form the backbone of vocal technique in that period.

Ms. Tonna chose seven of his finest songs for her showcase program this afternoon, and if you are tempted by our description, you will be happy to learn that the program will be repeated tomorrow Monday, January 9th, at the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo at 6:00PM.

The first song on the program, "La passeggiata", dedicated to a Spanish queen, is filled with lavish embellishments which perfectly suited Ms. Tonna's coloratura technique, including a very fine trill. We loved the alternation between lyrical measures and staccato ones.

The second song "A Granada" was also dedicated to a Spanish queen, and was also in waltz time, but with lyrics of a more serious nature.

For "Canzonetta Spagnola", Ms. Tonna was joined by the fine Spanish dancer Elisabet Torras Aguilera. The text for this song was written by Signora Rossini (Ms. Colbran) and the rhythms are particular dance-worthy. When most people think of Spanish dance, they think of flamenco but it is evident that Spanish dance makes use of European ballet footwork but with a somewhat different use of the arms and the accompaniment of castanets. It was a pleasure to watch.

"La promessa", again in waltz rhythm, was dedicated to the wife of Rossini's banker friend, and is one of our personal favorites. Ms. Tonna got to show off her facility with wide skips in the melody and to utilize dynamic variety.

"L'invito", in Bolero rhythm, employed a text by the very same Count Carlo Pepoli who wrote the libretto for Bellini's I Puritani.  "Sorzico" in Basque rhythm, utilizied a text by Metastasio and the octave skips were deftly handled by Ms. Tonna.

The final work on the all-too-brief program was "Nizza, je puis san peine", the only work on the program sung in French. Ms. Tonna was joined once more by Ms. Aguilera who responded to  the lively Tirana rhythm with a freer style. There was some pretty fancy footwork and some familiar pirouettes, along with the customary crisp castanets.

We have reviewed Ms. Tonna on a number of prior occasions and have always loved her expressiveness and beautiful voice. For this showcase, her effective accompanist was Elaine Rinaldi.

If you are unable to make the Monday performance, all is not lost! There is a recording entitled "Espana alla Rossini" which contains even more material than this showcase.  Enjoy!

(c) meche kroop

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL--A GLORIOUS M.E.S.S.

Mezzo-soprano Renee Rapier with Verona String Quartet and Lachlan Glen at the piano

We have wanted to share M.E.S.S. with our readers for some time but were sworn to secrecy on this innovative and daring project which seems destined for success.  Tenor Ben Bliss and pianist Lachlan Glen are not just amazing artists but thoughtful and industrious entrepreneurs.  Anyone who attended the year long survey of Franz Schubert's 600-plus song output in one season will know just how dedicated is Mr. Glen and how able to follow through on his ideas.

The idea for M.E.S.S., which stands for Mise-en-Scene Studios, is one which virtually guarantees the further life of opera for the next generation of opera goers and stands a good chance of bringing new life into the art form. The founders are not alone in their goals and several of their ideas have already been put into practice by other companies who are taking opera out of the concert hall and utilizing unusual venues.

What is new about this project is the consideration of every detail within a novel concept that appears to benefit everyone. We all want affordable opera in intimate spaces. We all want to see artists well remunerated for their work. We love the idea of spontaneity of attendance without tying ourselves down a year in advance. We all love the idea of making opera a social event, providing opportunities for artists and their fans to mingle over edibles and libations.

Last night was a great example of what this model will look like. Throngs of young people crowded into a loft, never mind the inclement weather, to enjoy drinks and crepes and music.  And oh, what music! For us, the highlight of the evening was being THIS close to top tenor Ben Bliss singing "Una furtiva lagrima".  It was our first attempt to make a video with our iPhone and it is posted on our FB page Voce di Meche. (This is the same Ben Bliss who starred in Die Zauberflote at the Met which would have seated you as far away as the length of a football field.) His performance of "Maria" from Bernstein's West Side Story was matchless.

There were no "low-lights". We were introduced to mezzo-soprano Renee Rapier who delighted us with Ernest Chausson's "Chanson Perpetuelle" and also sang some cabaret material with beautifully modulated dusky tone and affecting expression-"My One and Only Love", "Orange Colored Sky" and "Dream a Little Dream of Me". The combination of mezzo and tenor is not all that common (We don't believe that Ferrando and Dorabella ever sing together in Cosi fan tutte) but we loved every moment.

The instrumental entertainment was provided by the Verona Quartet who, among a legion of honors, are enjoying their second year as Graduate Resident String Quartet at The Juilliard School. The quartet comprises violinists Jonathan Ong and Dorothy Ro, violist Abigail Rojansky and cellist Warren Hagerty. They performed two movements from Ravel's String Quartet in F Major and, best of all, the first movement of Dvorak's Piano Quintet #2 in A. We would have killed to hear the rest of the work, a personal favorite. Mr. Glen's piano knitted everything together in a terrific tapestry of sound.

Let us not forget Mr. Bliss' performance of two songs by Vaughn Williams which could absolutely change our mind about singing in English. He is a consummate storyteller and made every word as clear as crystal in "From far, From Eve and Morning" and "Bredon Hill".  If he wants to sing an editorial about politics we would still want to listen!

Of course, the purpose of this glamorous Saturday night was not just to wine and dine and entertain us, but to introduce the audience to this novel concept, some elements of which have been borrowed from other successful companies. The business model has been thoroughly worked out. Membership will replace rigid subscription commitments. Adequate endowments will substitute for expensive fundraising efforts. There will be several levels of involvement in M.E.S.S., from free entertainment for students all the way to elite membership for big donors.  Everyone will have a place. Venues will shift. Flexibility will be a key word. There will be no attempt to have "a house". But there will be "a home".

We have counted ourselves in and will keep you, dear readers, informed of future events.  M.E.S.S. expects to have a full season of opera with a resident ensemble company within three years but there will be more events starting in the Spring.

(c) meche kroop

ALL MAHLER!

Getting to Brooklyn seems easier when we are highly motivated. That one of our favorite performing groups planned an evening of lieder by one of our favorite composers, featuring four of our favorite lieder singers--that was motivation enough!  The Brooklyn Art Song Society could not be happier in their new home than we are. The explosive growth of their audience is testament to the worth of their programming.

Brent Funderburk and Sidney Outlaw

We will never forget the first time we heard Gustav Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.  We were thunderstruck! We have heard it several times since then, always enjoyed it immensely, but never felt the same rapture as we did that night.  But last night, the performance of the work by baritone Sidney Outlaw renewed that feeling of discovery. We are quite sure that the preparation involved was extensive; yet the performance was one of immediacy and seeming spontaneity.

Mr. Outlaw's German is more than crisp. Every word is intelligible, both to the ear and to the heart. That his instrument is a gorgeous one is selbstverstandlich. But the way he uses it is astonishing! He made good use of rubato and dynamic variety, as well as of his wide palette of vocal colors. There was just enough gesture and facial expression to get the mood across to those who speak no German. The gloom and doom of "Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht" gave way to the attempt at cheer in "Ging heut Morgen uber's Feld". The anguish of "Ich hab' ein Gluhend Messer" was fortified by collaborative pianist Brent Funderburk's rippling piano and the dirge-like "Die zwei blauen Augen" was accompanied by a rumbling trill from this superb pianist, whose postlude trailed off with the same artistry as Mr. Outlaw's delicate pianissimo.  What a performance!

Michael Brofman and Hyona Kim

The second piece on the program was Mahler's Kindertotenlieder. If the first piece involved a wide selection of colors, this piece involves many shades of grey. Ruckert's poetry about losing a child would seem to echo Mahler's own losses, since it is told from a father's perspective. It is strange that we can't recall having heard it sung by a female voice before last night, but mezzo-soprano Hyona Kim's dusky instrument seemed just right and the piano of Michael Brofman (Founder and Artistic Director of B.A.S.S.) supported her grief stricken outpouring throughout. 

What we heard amounted to the stages of grief one might endure--although maybe not the same stages as Elizabeth Kubler-Ross delineated.  This parent experiences denial and also an attempt to repair the loss by visualizing his beloved daughter entering the room. There is some irony and some hopefulness of future reuniting. We liked the limping piano which spoke to us of crippling feelings. We felt the obsessive ruminations in the repetition of "In diesem Wetter"--an attempt at what psychologist would call "undoing".

Miori Sugiyama and Christopher Herbert

The final work on the program comprised ten selections from Des Knaben Wunderhorn--a completely different kettle of fish. These folksy tales seem to be of two ilks--there are tragic songs on the theme of the high cost of war, mostly given to the serious and scholarly Christopher Dylan Herbert--and amusing tales that delight while tickling the funnybone. Most of these were sung by soprano Kristina Bachrach. Both artists were accompanies by the always excellent Miori Sugiyama.

Miori Sugiyama and Kristina Bachrach

Mr. Herbert excelled in the ironic "Revelge" and the tragic "Tamboursg'sell" in which Ms. Sugiyama produced some fine drum rolls on the piano. We enjoyed the manner in which he elucidated the various voices in "Der Schildwache Nachtlied".  In "Wo die schonen Trompeten blasen" we heard a lovely sweetness in his upper register and his delicate pianissimo seemed to hang in the air.

But we mostly enjoyed the irony of "Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt"--the story about some attentive critters of the sea who listen to St. Anthony's serum but remain unchanged. Hmmmm! We were not alone in enjoying the charm of "Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht", perhaps because we rarely have seen Mr. Herbert's lighter side.

Soprano Kristina Bachrach is also gifted with voicing different characters which she did so well in  the tragic "Das irdische Leben" in which she portrayed the starving child and the postponing mother. The waltzy "Rheinlegendchen" always charms us and Ms. Bachrach performed it just right. "Verlorne Muh" reminded us of all the women we know who try too hard. The hilarious tale of a singing competition between a cuckoo and a nightingale "Lob des hohen Verstands", as judged by (of course) an ass, always tickles us and Ms. Bachrach excelled in her portrayal. 

We always have a quibble and here it is. Mr. Herbert and Ms. Bachrach used the loathsome music stand. As fine as their interpretations and acting were, the occasional glancing and page-turning served to interrupt their connection with the audience.  We got the impression that the score was more a "security blanket" than an absolutely necessity. This was not modern music, nor were these songs rarities. If one can learn a song 95%, why not make the extra effort to go the full 100% and give the audience a full measure of your talent?  Something to think about.

(c) meche kroop

ENSEMBLE CONNECT

Rosie Gallagher and Julia Yang 

With vocal music at the top of our list, we rarely attend instrumental recitals but the three composers on last night's program at Juilliard are well known to us by way of their vocal compositions, so we were eager to see how we would react to their instrumental music. If we were to appreciate this music we would want to hear it well played and so we did. 

Celebrating its 10th anniversary during the 2016–2017 season, Ensemble Connect—formerly known as Ensemble ACJW—is a two-year fellowship program for the finest young professional classical musicians in the United States that prepares them for careers combining musical excellence with teaching, community engagement, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership. It offers top-quality performance opportunities, intensive professional development, and the opportunity to partner throughout the fellowship with a New York City public school.

James Austin Smith, Remy Taghavi, Mika Sasaki, Nicolee Kuester
and Bixby Kennedy

The first ensemble of the evening comprised Rose Gallagher playing the flute and Julia Yang playing the cello. The work was by Heitor Villa-Lobos whose Bachianas Brazileiras has always delighted us especially when sung by Larisa Martinez! The work they chose, Assobio a Jato from 1950, was a bit more modern than our preferred period but we found it original and it held our interest.  Ms. Gallager tooted away while Ms. Yang produced a long legato line--but then the the flute picked up the lyricism and the cello went all pizzicato. We loved the sonorities of the Adagio movement but found the strange "jet-engine" ending a bit bizarre.

The second group to perform joined forces for Mozart's 1784 Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat Major, K. 452. This unusually scored piece reveals Mozart's inventiveness at its height. The melodies therein would find a home in any of Mozart's operas (and no doubt, some of them did, since they sounded deliciously familiar). The Larghetto was delightful and sweetly lyrical with a touching section in the minor key. Nicolee Kuester had a fine horn solo. The ensemble comprised four other grand musicians--James Austin Smith playing oboe, Bixby Kennedy playing clarinet, Remy Taghavi playing bassoon--and all knit together by Mika Sasaki playing the piano.

NEW YORK OPERA COLLABORATIVE

Suchan Kim, Seung Hyeon Baek, Michael Fennelly, Victor Starsky, Ashley Bell, Augusta Caso, Jordan Pitts, Nicole Guberman, and Jason Tramm

There can never be too many small opera companies in New York City and we felt privileged to attend the stunning debut of New York Opera Collaborative at The National Opera Center last night. A collaboration between Host and Co-Producer Andrea DelGiudice (herself a renowned spinto soprano, voice teacher, and Vocal Director of the Narnia Festival) and Artist Manager and Co-Producer Peter Randsman (whom we recently met judging a vocal competition), this venture brought in such a large audience that extra chairs had to be brought in to accommodate the crowd. Somehow, good news travels fast on Planet Opera.

Most of the cast was known to us and we expected to hear some fine performances in this concert version of Puccini's beloved masterpiece Madama Butterfly. We were not disappointed. Voices were glorious all around and the Italian diction perfectly clear--a good thing when there are no titles to read. Each singer created a believable character--there was nothing generic in any performance.

New York Opera Collaborative shares our mission of keeping opera alive; it was created to sponsor and mentor young artists and to give them a chance to try out new roles in a safe environment. Several of the young artists will go on to perform these roles with other companies like Heartbeat Opera (one of our favorite companies) for example, or as a Studio Artist with Sarasota Opera. We found ourselves wishing that the cast had committed the roles to memory since being on the book presents a barrier between fellow artists and between artist and audience. The dramatic skills each brought to the role was in evidence but a bit difficult to sustain, what with the glancing and page turning.

Soprano Ashley Bell wore the role of Cio-Cio San as well as the kimono and tabi she sported. The intensity of her "Un bel di" was shattering and she brought every skill in her armamentarium to bear on her delivery. The remainder of her performance was marked by a bright clear tone, excellent phrasing, and a wide palette of colors. She convinced us as a naive and hopeful 15-year-old, a deluded bride, an angry woman when challenged, and a resolute and noble figure who refuses to live without honor. It was a bit difficult to imagine her motherly feelings without a child present but the colors of her voice did the trick.

In the thankless role of the arrogant US Naval Lieutenant Pinkerton, tenor Victor Starsky played his role to the hilt. He sang with a lovely legato. Our wish for him is the same as our wish for most tenors--that they learn that sometimes less is more--singing high doesn't mean singing loud. Mr. Starsky sounded the best in the tender passages at a pianissimo level. His transformation to a place of anguish and remorse at the end of the opera was quite moving.

As Suzuki, mezzo-soprano Augusta Caso sang with a lovely rich tone and was quite believable as the voice of reason, whether she was comforting or confronting Butterfly. We have heard Ms. Bell and Ms. Caso sing together on a prior occasion and find them extraordinarily well matched. Their duet was a true high point of the evening.

Our favorite character in the opera is Sharpless--he is the one with "eagle vision", able to predict but helpless to forestall the coming trainwreck. Baritone Seung Hyeon Baek, recently so astonishingly effective in Cardona Opera's Cav&Pag, was able to capture the dignity and humanitarian nature of the man, while producing his customary burnished sound that falls so pleasantly on the ear. Significantly, he sang off the book and more credit to him.

In what amounts to a cornering of the baritone market by Koreans, Suchan Kim did double duty as the angry Bonze and the suitor Yamadori, whom he wisely portrayed as a serious suitor, avoiding all the silly kitsch that has become a boring accretion to the role. In this case, we know that Butterfly does not reject him because he's a fool but because she is faithful to her Pinkerton and still believes he will return to her.

In the role of Goro, we heard Jordan Pitts whose sweet tenor fell on the ear like warm butterscotch. He too avoided overplaying the part and we were able to focus on his mellifluous sound. It is still sounding in our ear.

Soprano Nicole Guberman is new to us and, since Kate Pinkerton has few lines to sing, we can only say that we very much want to hear more of her.

Conductor Jason Tramm, sitting off to the side, was totally immersed in his conducting and seemed to be breathing along with the singers. We always enjoy that kind of involved conducting.

At the piano, we had Michael Fennelly whom we have heard countless times but not in a full length opera. He is so noticeably involved with both the score and the singers that there was never a lapse of support. He seemed to know exactly when to exert full power on the keyboard and when to lighten up and give the singers plenty of room. We were able to hear subtleties in the score that we never noticed with a full orchestral reading. Such nuance is appreciated.

In spite of the music stands, this was one of the most affecting performances of Madama Butterfly we have heard. What an auspicious debut! We count ourself in for this company's future performances.

(c) meche kroop

A PC MIKADO

W.S. Gilbert (Joshua Miller), Richard D'Oyly Carte (Matthew Wages), and Arthur Sullivan (David Macaluso)
(photo by Carol Rosegg)

For us, art and music of quality are what it's all about; we confess to care not a whit for political correctness and we resent tampering with the classics.  We approached New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players' new production of The Mikado with a great deal of trepidation.

We need not have worried. Whatever offensive material that was extirpated from the original "really won't be missed". This version succeeded on every level and can be recommended without reservation. Director David Auxier's concept is a framing device that brought to mind Mike Leigh's fascinating film from 1999--Topsy Turvy--which showed the trials and tribulations that underpinned the seemingly effortless oeuvre of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Today, in similar fashion, a full year of labor and much consulting and compromising with a mostly Asian advisory board were not visible in the finished product. What the audience gets is a lengthy evening of effervescent entertainment that flew by in double time. Part of the credit goes to the prodigious talents of composer Arthur Sullivan and librettist W.S. Sullivan. The rest goes to Mr. Auxier's concept and a lot of hard, but invisible, work.

In a clever framing device, we get a glimpse of the interaction among Gilbert, Sullivan, and impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte. There are petty squabbles and negotiations plus various complaints from the members of the D'Oyly Carte company. A case of writer's block is solved when Gilbert gets knocked out by a falling sword which D'Oyly Carte has brought back from a London exhibit of Japanalia. As we recall, in the Victorian period, Great Britain was fascinated by the recent opening of trade with Japan.

The blow to Gilbert's head leads him to imagining all of the cultural inconsistencies of his own nation grafted onto a mythic Japan. The Mikado is the result. Gilbert's skill always lay in satirizing the ridiculous bureaucracy, sexual prudery and cultural inconsistencies of his time and place. Moreover he did so by skillfully using his native language in a manner that has never been equalled.

Sullivan brought to the table a banquet of musical gifts. The tunes are infinitely hummable and we dare anyone to attend without humming a few of them all the way home and on into the night and next day. His rhythms are infectious and, to appreciate his consummate compositional skills, we recommend listening to the harmonies and overlapping voices of "Young Man Despair" sung in Act I by Pooh-Bah, Nanki-Poo, and Pish-Tush--or the "merry madrigal" of Act II.

Once the prologue ends, the opera begins and scenic elements and characters from the Prologue are transformed. D'Oyly Carte becomes the ambitious Pooh-Bah (sung by baritone Matthew Wages). Sullivan becomes Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko (sung by baritone David Macaluso), and Gilbert becomes Pish-Tush (sung by baritone Joshua Miller).  The men are dressed in Victorian fashion but with Japanese fabrics and accoutrements. Gilbert carries a notebook and we are never allowed to forget that he is writing his libretto in his head.  This work, like others of Gilbert and Sullivan, examines British mores and institutions and ridicules them. It is not at all unusual in the world of opera for plots to be transposed to other countries or other epochs. It is easier to look at oneself from afar!

Tenor Daniel Greenwood made a splendid Nanki-Poo and impressed with his delivery of "A Wondering Minstrel I";  soprano Sarah Caldwell Smith made a winsome Yum-Yum, his love interest. We enjoyed her aria "The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze".  It was a memorable performance, both vocally and dramatically.

The "Three Little Maids From School" trio is always a delight. Ms. Smith was joined by the lovely soprano Alexandra Haines as Peep-Bo and mezzo-soprano Amy Maude Helfer as Pitti-Sing who contributed greatly to the complicated execution plot, balancing the male voices.

Caitlin Burke brought the house down as the angry and violent Katisha, chiming in with her "daughter-in-law elect", infuriating the Mikado. There was something very touching about her softening when Ko-Ko wins her hand by singing "Willow, Tit-Willow".

Chris White electrified the proceedings with large booming tones as he related ways to "let the punishment fit the crime". He had suitably magisterial presence while keeping the humor going.

All of the singers seem to have experience in opera as well as musical theater and brought both excellent voices and convincing acting skills to the production. Mr. Auxier's direction and choreography could not have been better. The sets by Anshuman Bhatia were simple (a mountainous scene as backdrop and two shoji-screened rooms); the lighting by Benjamin Weill was dramatic.