MA NON! THE MUSICAL!

Emma Grimsley and Matt Dengler

(Photo by Andrew Boyle)

You are unlikely to see a show this compelling on Broadway, which is where it belongs.  Unfortunately, no composer alive today is writing music that can touch the quality of the late 19th century composer Jules Massenet and it is his music that compelled us to brave the frigid temperatures and slushy icy streets of Brooklyn to see an original reinterpretation of Massenet's Manon, presented by Heartbeat Opera.  And so should you, if you would enjoy an entertaining evening that has one foot in opera and another foot in musical theater.

We have often written that Broadway is to contemporary audiences what opera was to that of the 19th century. We have enumerated Broadway musicals that we held in the same high esteem as opera--many of which were written by the late great Stephen Sondheim. Just as not all operas of years gone by have survived, so not all musicals of the 20th and 21st century will pass the test of time. Consequently, there need be no explanations, apologies, or categorization. A good show is a good show.

However, the triad of good storytelling, good music, and good voices must be met. The feature that removes Broadway shows from our consideration is the damage that electronics have done to our appreciation of the human voice. Performed in an opera house without amplification, A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd are both operas, as are several more we could name.

This is the reason that we responded to Heartbeat Opera's hybrid production of Massenet's Manon with less enthusiasm than the rest of the audience. The storytelling was compelling, the drama was intense, the performers were appealing, and the reduction of the score absolutely brilliant. If some of the voices were a shade less than stunning we could not honestly say, such was the electronic sound design. Voices were sometimes a touch too loud or almost inaudible. The subtle changes of color and vibrato were lost. Enunciation was often lazy. We longed for titles.

We wondered why the decision was made to provide an English libretto but no titles. The verses were translated from the original French of Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille into colloquial English with more of an emphasis on rhyming than on poetry. Supplementary dialogue was of a colloquial nature.  We did miss the beautiful marriage of the French language with Massenet's vocal line, as did our guest who is an opera singer and a Francophone. As noted, performing in English does not obviate the need for titles.

The storytelling hews rather closely to that of Meilhac and Gille and tells the story of a young woman who is not satisfied with the limited roles available to women of that epoch. She is high-spirited and rebellious and not quite resigned to conventional marriage or convent life. She is torn between her love for the Chevalier de Grieux and the life of luxury available to courtesans. She exhibits the qualities of a sociopath, manipulating her lover and her "sponsor" Guillot. She comes to a bad end. The women of the audience get to enjoy identifying with her power over men whilst criticizing her immorality. She is indeed a tragic figure but we were unable to shed a tear for her, although we have shed many for Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata.

Emma Grimsley played the role to the hilt and is just young enough and pretty enough to be believable. (We might add that we reviewed Ms. Grimsley a decade ago in the leading role of Jerome Kern's Sally produced by Light Opera of New York. Her voice was scintillating and needed no amplification.) Her foolishly adoring lover was given a fine interpretation by Matt Dengler. Her wealthy "sponsor" was convincingly portrayed by Glenn Seven Allen. The cousin Lescaut who pimps her out was similarly effectively enacted by Jamari Darling.  Justin Lee Miller made a fine Count des Grieux.

For this abridged version of scarcely more than an hour and a half, roles were eliminated and cast members did double duty in minor roles. Not at all minor were a pair of "fallen women" (there were three in the original). Their roles were much expanded and provided lots of comic relief. Pousette was played by Kathryn McCreary and Natalie Walker performed the part of Javotte.

The new English book and lyrics are credited to Jacob Ashworth and Rory Pelsue who also provided the excellent direction. Scenic Designer Alexander Woodward did much with little--Manon's trunks from Act I became a bed and "la petite table" of Act II. Impressive crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the spacious playing area of The Space at Irondale. Period appropriate costuming by David Mitsch worked well.

We have saved the best for last. Daniel Schlossberg conducted his own arrangement from the keyboard-- a chamber orchestra comprising violin, cello, bass, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, and harp. The colors were glorious and did justice to Massenet's composition. We have no complaints about the score and don't think Massenet would have objected to the co-opting of his composition.

We cannot say we were thrilled to the core but we are glad that we didn't leave clutching our proverbial pearls and we feel confident in recommending the production for a fine evening's entertainment. We are left wondering whether any audience members will be tempted to see the opera from which this was derived, sung in an opera house with unamplified voices.

© meche kroop

 

SLAYLEM WITCH TRIALS

 Judge and Witches at Heartbeat Opera's "Slaylem"

 Those Heartbeat Opera mischief-makers were at it again with this year's version of their annual drag show, this year held at the venerable and oh-so-appropriate Judson Memorial Church, home to wild theatrical events since our earliest days in Manhattan.  Here's a little secret "dish" for you, Dear Reader. Someone very famous in the opera world got his start there portraying The Operatic Prince in Al Carmine's radical interpretation of the fairy tale Snow White. What a glorious thing to return to our very first exposure to NYC's radical theatrical scene!

We have never missed any of Heartbeat Opera's annual drag shows, always marveling at the creativity, originality, and gender bending. One can always count on stunning performances and fabulous costuming and makeup. This year was no exception and an enormous crowd of revelers had the time of their lives enjoying the exposure of hypocrisy from America's past history. 

In the 17th c. the colonies were not immune to the witch hunting craze consuming Europe. Arthur Miller chose to dramatize this embarrassing piece of history with a serious drama The Crucible, referencing McCarthyism, whilst Heartbeat Opera's devilish crew chose to treat the subject with satiric ridicule, which mass hysteria richly deserves. We hope at least some members of the audience were able to draw parallels with some of the issues being dealt with even today four centuries later.

It appears to us that Heartbeat is moving in a more popular direction than it has in prior years, engaging more of the audience by adaptation, changing of lyrics, and inclusion of more contemporary references for which we needed some assistance from our companion who is more familiar with pop culture and pop music than we are.

Some pieces were instantly recognizable such as the "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem, and "I am the Wife of Mao Tse Tung" from John Adams' Nixon in China. Our opera singer companion was able to identify some bel canto numbers that we missed. And who could have failed to identify Copland's "Simple Gifts" although we did not know it came from a ballet Appalachian Spring, written for the Martha Graham Company.

But this was not the point. The point was to entertain, to amuse, to play mind games by means of double entendre and gender bending, to poke fun at the pompous, and, above all, to make everything outrageously sexual as seen through the LGBTQ lens.  The work brought the audience to their collective feet.

The performers got into their characters with glee, intensity, and over-the-top humor. The always notable John Taylor Ward made good use of his long lanky frame to portray The Judge and Jamilyn Manning White went from Abigail to a sexy red-clad devil. The similarly long and lanky Hans Tashjian portrayed Misery; Bernard Holcomb took the role of Clemency; Angela Yam performed the role of Rebecca; Mercy was portrayed by Rodolfo Girón; Chastity was brought to life by Curtis Bannister. Needless to say, the voices are operatic and nothing was out of their vocal reach. It was a real mind fuck to hear familiar melodies with new English lyrics and to be unable to identify the music!

These unexpected lyrics were supplied by Director Nico Krell, violinist Jacob Ashworth, and Co-writer Garrett Bell. Mr. Krell did a fine job of keeping the story moving with raunchy vignettes. All three are credited as "Creators".

Under the direction of Dan Schlosberg, the orchestra comprised Mr. Schlosberg himself at the piano, Mr. Ashworth playing violin, with Mira Williams playing viola and Julia Henderson playing cello. Just as fantastically costumed (see our entries on Facebook and Instagram) as the stage performers, they did a fine job moving seamlessly from classical music to numbers of the popular genre.

The fantastic costumes were designed by David Quinn and we were most impressed by Ms. White's red devil costume. A sexier devil we have never seen! The costumes of the Pilgrims were grim on the outside but often hid racier elements. Maiko Ando's makeup added to the effects.

This queer extravaganza ended with a touching group sing of "Make Our Garden Grow" from Bernstein's Candide. As Generation Z would say "They ate and left no crumbs.

© meche kroop

THE EXTINCTIONIST

Philip Stoddard and Katherine Henley

(photo by Russ Rowland) 

 

                                                                                                
                Katherine Henley and Claire Leyden

                 (photo by Russ Rowland). 

  

How interesting that our companion for the evening (an opera singer) came up with the same thought as we did at the conclusion of Heartbeat Opera's production of The Extinctionist. "This would have made a great play!" Upon return home we took a look at the program for the first time, only to learn that the work was adapted from a play by Amanda Quaid!  She wrote the libretto for this work, which is the first commission ever made by this risk-taking company.

There seemed to be two interwoven themes at play. One was a woman's fear of bringing a child into a dying world and the other theme being marital discord over the issue of starting a family. Fortunately, the play is not polemic and leaves the audience to decide for themselves. Good theater makes us think. We have heard that art is a mirror that gets us to see ourselves plainly.

Th woman in the story is well performed by Katherine Henly and her ambivalence about pregnancy resulted in palpable anguish. That she is the only character who feels threatened by catastrophic global warming makes us focus on her dilemma. On the one hand, a potential child comes to her in her dreams and we learn that she and her best friend, winningly played by Claire Leyden, had long planned to get pregnant at the same time (as did two sisters of our acquaintance). On the other hand, she is terrified by what she alone perceives as the end of the world as we know it.

A meeting between the two women had our main character shocked and distanced by her friend's rapture at being pregnant. "How could anyone bring a child into the dying world?"--a thought we ourself have shared.

The woman and her husband had been trying to achieve pregnancy for some time and one gathers that they may have married believing that they both wanted the same thing. The husband, ( played by Philip Stoddard) is not exactly sympathetic.

The most awkward scene we have ever seen onstage was the woman being given a pelvic exam by her gynecologist and later given a diagnosis which we will not reveal. We do wish the production team had consulted  a genuine doctor as we found a couple inaccuracies in the dialogue and action; but perhaps the scenes with the physician (played by Eliam Ramos) were meant to be the woman's perception, rather than reality.

The work was well directed by Shade Ghaheri and Kate Noll's scenic design was stunning.  The couple's bedroom was tasteful and modern, indicating that they were financially comfortable. It occupied one side of the wide stage whilst the other side served at times as a living area and at others as a gynecologists examining room. Bare trees and dying plants were scattered about the stage.  Reza Behjat's lighting design subtly contributed to the mood of each scene  Projection design by Camilla Tassi was apt, as is seldom the case. Scenes of weather disasters served to remind us what stirred the woman's anxiety. Costume design by Haydee Zelideth and Asa Benally was apt. The child puppet, created by Afsaneh Aayani, was adorable.

So, Dear Reader, as drama it worked.  But, and this is a big but, this was billed as an opera. Was the music good? Yes, it was. Dan Schlosberg's original composition for piano, violin, viola, electric guitar and percussion would make an excellent curtain raiser on any symphonic program. 

Although the instrumentals served to heighten the mood, the vocal lines were entirely unmusical. We wondered how the cast managed to learn their parts. And to sing with such excellent diction! This is a common feature of contemporary operas and the reason that they are rarely seen a second time. We want to leave the opera humming a melody.  Our brains are programmed to want this!

It is likely that some of you, Dear Reader, will disagree with us and that is fine. We all attend live events for different reasons. We would just as soon have seen the play.

© meche kroop

EUGENE ONEGIN (the Cliff Notes)

 Edwin Joseph and Emily Margevich

(photo by Russ Rowland)

Last night at the Baruch Performing Arts Center, we attended the premiere of Tchaikovsky's heartbreaking opera Eugene Onegin, performed by Heartbeat Opera (no relation);  at least we heard a 100 minute adaptation of the opera. The co-adaptors were Director Dustin Willis and Artistic Director Jacob Ashworth who also conducted the chamber orchestra.

We have been writing about Heartbeat Opera since their inception ten years ago (under different leadership-- by Louisa Proske and Ethan Heard). They have always put a unique spin on the classics, some of which thrilled us and some of which dismayed us or puzzled us.  This production had some very rewarding moments, some insightful ones, and some puzzling ones.

Chief among the delights was the singing. Soprano Emily Margevich made a believable and touching Tatyana. In the lengthy letter scene, she showed us all the unbridled passion of an adolescent girl with all of  its concomitant terrors. She reminded us of Juliet in the early scenes of the ballet version of Romeo and Juliet, almost dancing around her bedroom, trying to put her wild thoughts into words. It was a commendable performance.

As the "older man" she falls in love with (probably an older man of twenty-five) we found baritone Edwin Joseph thoroughly believable and as fine in his singing as was Ms. Margevich.

Flirtatious sister Olga was finely realized by the excellent mezzo-soprano Sichel Claverie and as Olga's devoted fiancé and childhood sweetheart Lensky, we thought tenor Roy Hage performed admirably, delivering a poignant "Kuda, Kuda". Also fine were Shannon Delijani as Madame Larina and Tynan Davis as Filipyevna, the nursemaid. Rounding out the cast was Lloyd Reshard, Jr as Prince Gremin.  More about him later.

Spoiler Alert! If you plan on seeing this production, and we hope that you do, you may want to stop reading here, especially if you are new to this standard of the Russian repertory. One difficulty for us was making the effort to block our memories of prior productions and comparing them. Still, we couldn't help seeing the falling Autumn leaves as Madame Larina and Filipyevna peeled apples or potatoes in the opening scene nor could we not hear in our mind's ear the chorus of peasants in the background, here omitted.

In this production, the nearly bare set made use of wooden frames and planks, metal step-ladders, and reams of fabric. One could see right through the performing area to a kind of workshop/storage room "backstage". The two older women were busy doing something we couldn't make out and Madame Larina appeared to be pouring something from a flask and drinking.  Vodka perhaps.

For the name-day scene, a raised platform was erected right in front of the audience with an abundant buffet set up upon it. Olga, dressed as a clown, sings the aria usually sung by the French tutor Monsieur Triquet. At this point, the chamber orchestra (comprising strings, French Horn, Clarinet doubling on Bass Clarinet, Harp, and Guitar) goes mad, out of tune and cacophonous with electric amplification. Perhaps this is to mark the flip from pleasant drama to tragedy as Olga flirts with Onegin, angering Lensky who then challenges Onegin to a duel.

Equally. puzzling was in the final act, when Prince Gremin sings his aria into a microphone (!) and then is wheeled off like a dressmaker's dummy (!!).

There are a number of liberties taken with the opera, chief among which is the subtext of a homosexual relationship between the two men. Was this "concept" suggested by the director? It is no secret that Tchaikovsky was homosexual and that he himself received a letter from a pupil whom he later married to no good effect. But does that mean that his stories have a homosexual subtext? There are a few scenes between the two men that were unconvincing and if Mr. Willis wanted to persuade us that Lensky's jealousy was directed differently than in the Pushkin verse novel upon which the opera is based, he failed.

There were several other puzzling episodes. What was the intent of having Maestro Jacob Ashworth interact with the singers, at times abandoning his post, so to speak? And watching the singers participating as stage hands constructing and dismantling the set?

The final scene, in which Onegin tries to persuade Tatyana of his love, is staged in a frame, reminding us of a marionette theater. The rest of the cast and some of the musicians are watching. When she bids him to get up, it is not an Onegin begging for her love, but an Onegin who has pressed her to the floor and lain on top of her. And then, off to the side, a bereft Onegin is cradling the dead Lensky in his arms.

Those puzzling moments aside, a good case could be made for an abridged version of the opera. Tchaikovsky's libretto uses much of Pushkin's text from the latter's verse novel, but he also altered certain things which one could learn from reading the original. So the current revision is not an insult. However it would have been better had it made theatrical sense. 

As far as the alteration of the music, lots of classical works have been altered or re-orchestrated and symphonic works have been reduced; we were not disappointed in this case.  As much as we love the orchestral original, the arrangement was interesting and the melodies we know and love were preserved. We cannot tell from the program who was responsible since the program indicates  Dan Schlosberg under "newly arranged".   Our guess is that Mo. Ashworth newly arranged the music and Mr. Schlosberg might have newly arranged the libretto with "co-adaptors" Mr. Willis and Mr. Ashworth.

We spoke to some women after the performance, women who had never seen or heard the opera. They loved it. Much can be said for a "virgin experience".

© meche kroop

THE GOLDEN COCK(erel)

Heartbeat Opera Gala Drag Show--"The Golden Cock"

Our beloved Heartbeat Opera has been undergoing major changes for the past couple years.  We are excited about an upcoming Eugene Onegin; they can be expected to put a most original stamp on it, as they usually do. We will withhold judgment until we see/hear it.  But there is never any doubt in our mind about the joyful entertainment provided at their annual drag show.

What we love about them comprises the wildness and originality of the costumes, the imaginative script, the bawdy gay humor, the clever play on words, the excellence of the musical values, and the sneaky topicality.

With Russian operas and Russian singers being cancelled (both literally and figuratively), how completely outrageous it was to do a send up of Rimsky-Korsakov's final opera The Golden Cockerel, composed in 1907 but not performed until after his death. It is rarely produced but six years ago we had the pleasure of seeing it twice! It is the story of an autocratic king who invades an innocent country (!) and gets advice from a bird.  The music is just as glorious as one might expect and the not-so-hidden message was as true today as it was in the early part of the 20th c. and six years ago.

The story was, of course, fractured and splintered to provide opportunities for typical Heartbeat hijinx and double entendres. Rimsky-Korsakov's music received lots of stage time but so did several other Russian composers. Our companion joined me in identifying most of them including Rachmaninoff's "vocalise" and Tatiana's waltz from Eugene Onegin. We also heard some Rossini for good measure.

Musical values are always excellent with Heartbeat Opera. The chamber orchestra comprised Co-Musical Directors Jacob Ashworth (violin) and Daniel Schlosberg (piano) with Angela Shankar playing clarinet and saxophone and Deanne Cirielli enchanting us with her harp. It was impressive that four musicians could create such a full sound, but with Mr. Schlosberg doing the arrangements, we would expect no less.

The singing was exceptional as well with bass John Taylor Ward towering over everyone else. Tenor Elliot Paige is another "regular" that we always look forward to seeing and hearing.  Countertenor Daniel Moody made a fine showing as well. The female voices had less stage time but were also excellent--soprano Ariana Wehr and contralto Sara Couden. Special guest artist John Holiday provided a rare treat as well with his inimitable countertenor

The show was created by  Mr. Ashworth and Nico Krell who also directed. The extravagant costumes were designed by David Quinn. The Master of Ceremonies was Maxim Ibadov. One thing about the annual drag show that impresses us is how well everyone works together; the ensemble feel is unmistakeable. Everyone seems to be having fun and this mood is infectious. The audience was filled with smiling faces.  Yours could be among them if you read this in time.  There will be two shows at Roulette tonight, Friday November 10th. It is well worth a trip to Brooklyn. In these troubled times, there is nothing like gay humor to lift one's spirits!

© meche kroop

 

HEART FAILURE

 

We have reviewed Heartbeat Opera's productions from its inception. We have often written "Our heart beats for Heartbeat Opera".  We have rushed home from their productions bursting with energy, eager to share their prodigious creativity with our readers.  Last night our heart went into arrhythmia; had Quando lasted another moment, we might have had a heart attack. In any case we are heartbroken.

We always like to begin our reviews with something we enjoyed about a production. The only positive thing about last night was the venue.  It is always fun to visit the McKittrick Hotel; the fellow who took us up in the elevator was pleasant.

We believe a work of art should stand on its own merit. Requiring a lengthy exegesis seems to portend disaster.  It's like trying to "explain" a painting.  You know the typical drivel from the Director' Notes--"The way I conceive this work is....yada yada yada".  "What I am trying to illustrate here is....yada yada yada".

There were, of course, note for the press. We generally don't read these, preferring instead to meet a work face on.  Either we "get" it or we don't. Well, dear reader, we did not. We were reminded of that species of "performance art" that is neither here nor there, but something existing in the self-absorbed mind(s) of the so-called creator(s). We decline to name the participants in this worthless production. They are probably filled with joy over the sold-out nature of the performances and we do not wish to rain abuse on their parade.

The performance began with a short film that made little sense, if any.  A  couple is sauntering down a dark street dressed in evening clothes. He thinks she is mysterious because she won't tell him her last name. They come close to an argument about protesting. She doesn't like his wealthy friends.  He tells her they are not friends, they just have "deep pockets".

Suddenly he urges her to pick up the pace. She dawdles spitefully, listening to a street performer playing a saxophone. He leaves her there.

A butler dressed in white is handing out white costumes to some people in their undies. One is wearing "tighty whities".  There seems to be some sort of protest with people carrying signs. There is an orgiastic quality.

The aforementioned woman arrives.  She and the aforementioned man sing some operatic arias, including a love duet from Verdi's La Traviata.  At this point, dear reader, we thought the idea was to expose members of the mostly young audience to opera, in which case the poor sound design did nothing to achieve the goal and did a disservice to the highly regarded singers who shall remain nameless. The woman appears to stab the man with what looks like a cello bow.  He bleeds from the mouth. The "protesters" were horrified. So were we.

There was a 5 minute intermission during which we went to the ladies rest room to eavesdrop. Young women were gossiping about their lives and no one said a word about the performance. We asked the young man sitting next to me what he thought.  "It's OK", was all he was willing to share. 

The performance resumed.  The women on the other side of me resumed their texting. The film was shown again and this time two characters called "Disruptors" made weird noises and hurled imprecations at the screen. The white haired woman banged the piano and played what seemed to be a flute. The young man banged on cymbals and scraped the edge of same with a bow. He cruised around the audience which remained impassive. The two reminded me of unruly schoolchildren. We felt like doing some disrupting of our own. Finally, we fled into the rainy streets, regretting the misuse of our Saturday night. 

Clearly, the "creators" wanted to say something but they failed abysmally to get their point across. If they were trying to skewer traditional opera, they only managed to send us running back to The Metropolitan Opera which, for all its flaws, does occasionally bring beauty into the world. Quando was produced in collaboration with Long Beach Opera and this was the world premiere. We cry "bullshit"!

© meche kroop

FUN(D) RAISING

 John Taylor Ward, Elliott Paige, Alissa Anderson, and Samarie Alicea

Last night marked a major event on the New York music scene. It was the opening night gala of Heartbeat Opera's annual extravaganza; it was extraordinary and extravagant--over the top in terms of concept and execution. With his customary wit and originality, Director Ethan Heard created an evening of satire and camp that left the audience exhilarated. The evening scored high marks even for the fundraising which was actually fun. One would have to be a Scrooge not to make a financial contribution to a company that actually pays its members.

The concept for the show Messy Messiah was having fun with Händel's masterpiece.  Methinks that singers love the piece because they get paid; but perhaps it is overplayed at this time of year and a worthy object for poking, prodding, twisting, and toppling. We adore satire and particularly the LGBTQ version. We want you to go to one of the two shows tonight (if there are seats available) and hesitate to spoil the fun so...if you are going, read no further. Here come the spoilers.

Cast members and musicians come down through Elliott Paige's chimney as this tenorrific artist relaxes by the fire. Lengthy-limbed bass-baritone John Taylor Ward sweeps around the stage with stature exaggerated by what must be platform shoes, fingers elongated into icicle-like appendages. Soprano Samarie Alicea, cute as a button, prances about in harlequinish attire. Adele's "laughing song" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus was given quite the twist. Contralto Alissa Anderson, wrapped in a voluminous black cloak and carrying a lantern, gave us a novel interpretation of "Must the Winter Come So Soon" from Barber's Vanessa. Ballet dancer Jourdan Epstein left us gasping by balancing on point on the top of a wine bottle--on one foot!

We are posting multiple photos on Facebook for those who will not have the privilege of attending. Even those fortunate enough to attend one of tonight's performances will miss one of the highlights of the evening.  A mystery guest arrived wrapped in gold fabric like a gift. Hearing an ethereal voice singing "Vedrò con mio diletto", we instantly recognized the brilliant voice of counter-tenor Anthony Ross Costanzo. How appropriate to portray this guest artist as a gift! 

There were gags both subtle and obvious, including a photo of the late drag persona Divine showing up in the middle of "Oh night divine".

The chamber orchestra was completely in the mood with Music Director and violinist Jacob Ashworth conducting Daniel Schlosberg's inventive arrangements of the Händel, Tchaikovsky, Barber, and Strauss selections. Trumpeter Evan Honse had a fine solo onstage. In the "pit" he played alongside Mr. Schlosberg on the piano, violist Hannah Levinson, oboist Hsuan-Fong Chen, and Mr. Ashworth.

The lavish and witty costumes were designed by Fabian Aguilar and  makeup, by Maiko Ando. Choreography was realized by Eamon Foley.

The energy never let up nor did the dazzlements cease. Heartbeat Opera never heard of the "Irish goodbye".  Just when you thought there could be no further entertainment, on came yet another solo. The evening was capped by a role-reversed onstage proposal. We are keeping that a secret!

© meche kroop

WORTH A SECOND SHOT

Casey Candebat as Max in Heartbeat Opera's  Der Freischütz (photo by Andrew Boyle)

We cannot recall ever returning to an opera during the same run to hear a different cast. This "first" for us came about because there was so much going on musically, dramatically, and scenically that we couldn't grasp it all in one visit. In all honesty, if we weren't completely booked we would see it again. And again.

To get the singing on the table right away, the "Red" cast was just as fine as the "Green" cast we heard a few days ago. Tenor Casey Candebat employed his fine instrument and persuasive acting to create a sympathetic "underdog" whom we wanted to see succeed. As his dangerous "friend" Kaspar, baritone Daniel Klein was chilling.

Soprano Katherine Whyte evoked similar sympathy as the anxious bride-to-be Agathe, singing with full and luxurious tone. As her cousin Ännchen, Nicole Haslett delighted with her high-lying tone and cheerful personality. In fact, their duet was one of the highlights of the evening with the two personality styles contrasting as much as those of Tatiana and Olga in Eugene Onegin.

The other singers were as mentioned in our prior review of the "Green" cast, contributing their superb characterological interpretations and fine singing. 

We came to opera through our interest in theater and therefore are always paying attention to theatrical values. The direction by Louisa Proske and Chloe Treat could not have been more effective. There were many small touches that we became aware of by taking a new vantage point on the opposite side of the theater. 

The overall situation was that of "theater in the square" with the entire black box theater utilized to create an immersive situation, making us feel somehow complicit in the story. We forgot our liberal tendencies and felt like a member of this Southern small town, recalling our youth in North Florida where there were barbecue joints and honky-tonk roadhouses and what we called "cracker houses" similar to the set created by Sara Brown, who must be some kind of genius.

She created a building that served as a roadhouse, but which converted, by the raising of shades, into one of those "cracker" houses. We could peer inside and see a woman sewing, perhaps sewing Agathe's wedding veil. We could see the religious statues and cross, reminding us of what it's like to be surrounded by fundamentalists with their superstitions. We could see the bridesmaids preparing for the wedding. We could see Agathe and Ännchen sitting on the porch, as they do in the South. We could feel the tension of a community that values their guns and hunting; we felt the toxic masculinity of the gun culture that makes life difficult for a man who can't compete on that level.

We had a better view of Samiel (Butoh dancer azumi O E) lurking in the shadows, emerging from her identity as a member of the community (the seamstress), removing the mask and revealing her evil origins and later rolling under the house to hide. Does evil lurk everywhere?

We were nearly shaking in our seat during the Wolf Canyon scene. Oliver Wason's lighting contributed greatly to the eerie effects of the smoke and azumi's dancing (as Samiel) heightened the terror. The musical contributions of Daniel Schlosberg were amplified by the electronic alterations wrought by William Gardiner. It was far more effective than any horror movie we have ever seen.

Our position gave us a better view of the chamber orchestra and the versatility of the musicians in realizing Mr. Schlosberg's reduction of the orchestral score. If we haven't previously made it sufficiently clear, the music is astonishing in its variety and complexity. There was gentle folk music for the female chorus with each bridesmaid singing a different verse. Claire Leyden's verse included the unrolling of her hair curlers in rhythm with her charming singing. This was just one of countless little moments that struck us as original and memorable.

What also became visible from our new vantage point was that one of the figures appearing in Max's terrifying visions in Wolf Canyon was his own "shadow". If, dear reader, you are wondering whether we figured out the ending, we still have not. Max's "shadow" (the intense Eric Delagrange) reappears and seems to both confront the community with their collective guilt and also offer clemency and the end of gun culture; but he carried a machine gun and seemed brutal. We will need to think about this some more.

In any case, what you experience depends upon where you sit. Perhaps if you sat higher up near the positions taken by the Sheriff and the Governor, you would have had a different experience. It is quite revolutionary for the action to take place in the midst of the audience!

Good storytelling doesn't shrink from moralizing. Bullying leads to desperation and desperation leaves people open to manipulation by evil forces. Punishment can be leavened with mercy and forgiveness.

There are four more performances and hopefully a few tickets left. Please don't miss this revolutionary take on a rarely seen opera!

© meche kroop

SHAKEN AND STIRRED

Cast of Heartbeat Opera's production of Der Freischütz

We count on Heartbeat Opera to take an opera and shake it up; we count on Heartbeat Opera to stir our feelings. With a very rare exception we enjoy the process and we always leave provoked in some way, ready to reconsider issues that were previously given the "already/always" treatment. (If you are so inclined, dear reader, take a look at our review of their production of Beethoven's Fidelio by entering it in the search bar.)

Last night at the Rose Nagelberg Theater of the Baruch Performing Arts Center we saw Carl Maria von Weber's 1821 opera Der Freischütz, an opera that we had never seen and, therefore, felt no investment in preserving in its original form, as we would with, say, La Traviata. As a matter of fact, we avoided reading anything about the opera beforehand, and especially not the Director's Notes. We firmly hold the position that a work of art should speak for itself! This one spoke loud and clear.

The story is based upon a German folk legend with supernatural elements and contains spoken dialogue which, we posit, puts it in the category of singspiel, like Die Zauberflöte. For this production, the story was moved up from its original setting (as we have since learned) in 1648 Germany to contemporary United States.

It appears to be post-Afghanistan or post-Iraq and takes place in what must be a Red state since all the men are armed and very much attached to their guns. We sensed that the hero Max and his buddy Kaspar are veterans. The townspeople are a nasty bunch and infected with toxic masculinity. The chief forester Kuno of the original has been changed to a sheriff whilst Max and Kaspar seem to be his deputies.

Max wants to marry Kuno's daughter Agathe but Kuno insists that his prospective son-in-law be the best shot in town; Max seems to have lost his groove and suffers humiliation at the hands of the locals; their particular form of torture seems to be a form of waterboarding (learned in Iraq, we presume).

Max is now ripe for the machinations of Kaspar who promises to solve his problems--with a little supernatural help. Let us leave the story here for awhile so we can give credit where it is due. 

Friedrich Kind's original libretto has been adapted by Co-Artistic Director Louisa Proske who, in our eyes, is some kind of artistic genius. Dialogues were written by Michael Attias; we have no idea how closely they hew to the original German but they succeed in telling the story and making it work.

The music is as von Weber wrote it and it is magnificent. Music Director Daniel Schlosberg has scored the work for piano/keyboard/accordion (which he played himself), violin and viola (played by Concertmaster Jacob Ashworth), another set of higher strings, a cello, a guitar, and several winds played by three additional musicians. There was a great deal of sound coming from seven musicians!

Never having heard the orchestral version, we have no basis for comparison but what we heard was glorious to the ear and filled with interesting harmonies and sonorities. From the first wind chorale, we were completely drawn in.

We might add that the supernatural scene taking place in the Wolf Canyon involves some electronic input (credited to William Gardiner) that felt just right. The direction of this scene (Direction by Ms. Proske and Chloe Treat) was the most chilling scene we have ever witnessed at the opera, thanks to some special effects like visions, smoke, and a very talented Butoh dancer named azumi O E who enacted the part of Samiel with twisted body and twisted hands. The entire effect was cinematic and would have been right at home in a horror film.

We realize we have yet to mention the singers who were uniformly excellent in their acting as well as singing. Tenor Ian Koziara made a sympathetic "underdog" and we truly felt for him. Poor Agathe was portrayed by soprano Summer Hassan who excelled at being the tortured bride-to-be, anxious about Max and the upcoming wedding. The scene in which her bridesmaids come to help her with her toilette was a marvel.

We loved soprano Jana McIntyre as her cousin Ännchen; she had quite a lot to sing and sang it well. We enjoyed the contrast between Agathe's heavy hearted singing and Ännchen's cheerful singing.  Von Weber's vocal lines and rhythms beautifully limned each character.

The manipulative Kaspar was powerfully sung and acted by bass-baritone Derrell Acon. Baritone Quentin Oliver Lee sang the role of the Governor, and also that of one of the locals named Kilian. Sheriff Kuno was portrayed with strength by bass Kevin McGuire.

We were happy to see bass Eric Delagrange in a role at the end that puzzled us. As deus ex machina, he is supposed to be a holy hermit but in this iteration he seemed threatening. We are going to have to think about that issue for awhile.

The female chorus was superb, comprising Emily Donato, Jessica Harika, Claire Leyden, and Siobhan Sung. No less superb were the men: Phillip Bullock, Michael Celentano, Cory Gross, Patrick Lord-Remmert, and Anthony McGlaun.

The set by Sara Brown was remarkable. The Rose Nagelberg Theater was converted into a small town with the audience on three sides, making us feel very much a part of the action and therefore complicit. A house was constructed in one corner with shades that rolled up, giving us a view of the action inside. Wolf Canyon was created with "smoke and mirrors", a miracle of lighting by Oliver Wason. Beth Goldenberg's costumes were on point.

The amount of creativity that went into this provocative production impressed us enormously but what really mattered was the effect the production had on us, since it related so deeply to contemporary issues: military PTSD, gun culture, toxic masculinity, superstition, etc.

We were so affected by it that we plan to return to hear the other cast and to sit on the other side to get a different perspective and perhaps some additional insights.

© meche kroop

(RED) HOT MAMA

Curtain Call for Heartbeat Opera's Halloween Extravaganza at Roulette

We have been a fan of Heartbeat Opera since they first started producing opera. We were immediately bowled over by their Daphnis et Chloé, taking Offenbach's silly but bawdy story and telling it in the most creative way. Casting it with fine young voices and creating costuming and sets with far more imagination than expenditure, the work was an immediate hit and won our heart.

Since then, we have watched Heartbeat grow to become a full-fledged opera company producing one hit after another--most often presenting operas with an original take that sometimes thrilled us and sometimes upset us--but always left us feeling involved. Their productions have always been radical, original, and adventuresome; their audience is mainly young. We decided that there must have been something special in the water at Yale School of Drama, where Co-Artistic Directors Louisa Proske and Ethan Heard got their training.

Since we loved theater long before we got interested in opera, we always look at opera productions with an eye for dramatic validity and also for entertainment value. For us, it doesn't matter how famous the stars, how gorgeous the voices, or how well conducted the orchestra is; if the show doesn't work dramatically it doesn't hold our interest.

We are filled with anticipation for their December production of Weber's Der Freischutz, but until then we had our yen for Heartbeat-style entertainment well satisfied by their stunning Halloween show at The Roulette. Using the vital and worthwhile theme of Saving Mother Earth, there was plenty of eye and ear candy to make the bitter pill easier to swallow.

The "plot" followed the line of facing the peril to our planet and reforming ourselves. The theme involved trees ("Ombra mai fu" from Händel's Serse), flowers (the "Flower Duet" from Delibes' Lakme), melting icebergs ("Gelida in ogni vena" from Vivaldi's Farnace), birds ("The Lark Ascending" by Vaughan Williams), global warming ("Too Darn Hot" from Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate), nuclear peril (John Adams' Dr. Atomic), and so on, right up to the finale of "Make Our Garden Grow" from Bernstein's Candide. Even Stravinsky, Mozart, and Wagner were on board. The cleverness with which the music was pressed into the service of the theme of the show was outstanding.

All the voices were admirable but we were particularly taken with the coloratura of Ariana Wehr who was dressed as a polar bear but still managed to take Vivaldi's vocal lines seriously with admirable ease of fioritura. The always effective John Taylor Ward did double duty as a plant and as the Monster of Climate Collapse.

Patrick Kilbride was covered with flowers and Dustin Ceithamer appeared as Mother Earth.  There was quite a face-off between "her" and the Monster. Clinton Edward and Brendan Henderson danced their way through their roles as birds, choreographed by Eamon Foley.

Words fail us in describing Miodrag Guberinic's elaborate and inventive costumes; we suggest that you see the photos we have posted to our FB page--Voce di Meche where you can also see Maiko Ando's fabulous makeup.

Even the musicians wore wigs and makeup. Musical Direction was by Jacob Ashworth (violin) and Daniel Schlosberg (piano and harpsichord) joined by violist Hannah Levinson and cellist Madeline Fayette. Onstage for the jazzy numbers was saxophonist Michaël Attias.

Props, like the suspended globe, were designed by Corinne Gologursky and Nicholas Hussong provided the projections, mainly quotes from famous people with serious messages consistent with the theme.

Also consistent with the theme was the provision of metal straws with the drinks for guests to take home. We have been using ours!

Significantly, a portion of the ticket proceeds went toward supporting Earthjustice. Heartbeat Opera is known for their socially oriented productions, such as their work with the incarcerated for their production of Beethoven's Fidelio.

This is the kind of work we would be happy to see again; however, like last year's Halloween show, part of the value comes from the knowledge that it is transitory in nature--very much ""of the moment"-- and can be cherished the way one cherishes a flower. The plant which produced the flower, however, is a perennial!

© meche kroop

AN UNLIKELY MARRIAGE

Patrick Kilbride, Paul Max Tipton, and Lucía Martín Cartón  (photo by Russ Rowland)

It seemed like a strange coupling but strange couplings often produce very special children and such is the case with the marriage of Heartbeat Opera with Opera Lafayette. Opera Lafayette is a longstanding (25 years) fixture in D.C. and we have enjoyed their annual visits to NYC for some time since they bring lovely productions of Baroque opera. Heartbeat Opera has been growing for only five years and is best known for their radical reinterpretations of the classics, thus achieving impressive recognition and honors from the opera community.

The lovechild of this visit was a riveting production of Alessandro Stradella's 1681 opera La Susanna, a retelling of the story from The Book of Daniel about an innocent young woman blackmailed by two venerable but lustful judges and condemned to death. The story has a happy ending due to a deus ex machina in the person of the youth Daniel who cross-examines the two judges, thus exonerating Susanna and condemning the wicked judges to death.

This story was the inspiration for Carlisle Floyd's 1955 opera Susanna and the Elders, remembered primarily for the soprano aria "Ain't it a Pretty Night". The story has been immortalized by many Renaissance painters; many of the works so inspired were exhibited in the Gallery of BAM Fisher where last night's opera was performed.

Ethan Heard's direction shed so much light on the issue presented by the story that we had tears dripping from our eyes. The story was presented with specificity, leaving us to identify with Susanna and her predicament; memories were evoked that left us shaken and angry. Good art should make us feel and think; this Mr. Heard accomplished, all while the Baroque ensemble soothed us with lovely harmonies. 

If this had been set by a contemporary composer, it would likely have had a jagged atonal setting that would have just left us irritated. The contrast between the lovely music and the horrifying story worked to great advantage.

The framing device for the story was an academic lecture on female studies and also art history, since the scenes of the violation employed a stop-action or freeze strategy which imitated the many paintings we saw in the Gallery. This narration is generally performed by a male character named Testa, but was here performed by Sara Couden whose powerful contralto was employed both effectively and musically to further the characterization.

As the eponymous Susanna, the plangent soprano of Lucía Martín Cartón could not have been better. She radiated joy and innocence in Act I, and conveyed both fear and hope in Act II. 

As the wicked judges we heard two fine singers who had the unenviable task of making us hate them. Tenor Patrick Kilbride and bass-baritone Paul Max Tipton were scarily convincing in their lust and deceit. Moreover they sang a particularly fine trio with Ms. Couden in Act I.

Soprano Ariana Douglas rounded out the cast. She didn't have much to do as a student in Act I but in Act II she portrayed Daniel as a White Knight who got involved by conducting the cross-examination whilst Ms. Couden's professor kept her distance.

These fine voices were matched by some splendid playing of the chamber orchestra off to the side. We never would have expected to hear Ryan Brown, founder and artistic director of Opera Lafayette and Jacob Ashworth, music director of Heartbeat Opera (as well as music director of Cantata Profana) sitting side by side bowing their violins! A theorbo, a cello, a bass, and a harpsichord completed the group.

Reid Thompson's scenic design was simple and effective. There was a large round vessel center stage which served well for Susanna's Act I bath, as well as a prisoner's docket for Act II. There were three enormous statues onstage,  male authority figures--a statesman, a priest, and a soldier--representative of all types who have been involved in abuse of power toward women.  All were carried offstage at the end. Lighting by Oliver Wason was effective.

Beth Goldenberg's costumes for Act I were perfect. Susanna wore a shimmering body suit for which, fortunately, she had the right body; it fostered the image of happiness, innocence, and moisture. (In place of water there were tiny sparkly confetti.) The judges were dressed in what appeared to be Renaissance robes.  

In Act II, Susanna wore an orange prisoner jumpsuit which jolted us into contemporary times. Our main quibble was with the Professor who was costumed a bit too glamorously for someone giving an academic lecture. It would have been more appropriate had she been wearing a tailored pantsuit.

Emma Jaster's movement direction was as fine as we have come to expect from her.

Of course this story has contemporary resonance. What upset us the most, among the many memories that were evoked, was a documentary we saw that was smuggled out of a Middle-Eastern country in which an innocent woman was buried up to her neck and stoned to death--all captured on film. Every time we see a woman on the streets of New York who has been taught to cover up her beauty so as not to inflame a man's lust, we feel the same anger; oh, the injustice of it all! 

The success of this particular treatment of this particular opera drove the point home without spoonfeeding, without hammering us on the head with contemporary examples.  Therein lay the artistry.

Although opening night was sold out, perhaps you will be able to snag tickets for tonight, tomorrow or Sunday matinée. We recommend it highly. We reviewed two operas this past week in which the directors tried too hard to make the stories "relevant". This was different.

(c) meche kroop

DRAGUS MAXIMUS--a Homersexual Opera Odyssey

Justin Mock, Nicolette Mavroleon, Sara Couden, John Taylor Ward, Drae Campbell, and Jamilyn Manning-White at Roulette

We didn't even have to think of a clever title for our review. The supernally creative team at Heartbeat Opera did it for us. Conceived by Co-Artistic Directors Louisa Proske and Ethan Heard, and directed by Mr. Heard, the 2018 version of Heartbeat Opera's annual Halloween drag extravaganza left us grinning from ear to ear. What an overdose of imagination we witnessed, surpassing even last year's Mozart in Space.

The overall concept was that of the blind poet Homer, wearing golden winged shoes provided by Mercury,visiting various mythological creatures in ancient Greece.  He encounters one phantasmagoric creature after another, many of whom offered arias of the Baroque period, when operas were written based on mythology.

The entire evening was dazzling and we scarcely know what to write about first. Since our focus is on opera, let us begin with Nicolette Mavroleon in drag as Nerone singing "Come nube che fugge dal vento" from Handel's Agrippina, fiddling on a golden violin whilst Rome burned virtually through projections by Shawn Boyle. Nero renounces love in favor of political power. We confess to being distracted by her golden costume but not too much to miss appreciation of a fine vocal performance.

Similarly, Jamilyn Manning-White's elaborate black and silver costume, complete with snakes coming out of her head almost distracted us from the world premiere of "Feed the Snakes", composed by Co-Music Director Daniel Schlosberg with lyrics by Royce Vavrek. Ms. Manning-White is a riveting performer with equal dramatic and vocal skills.

These two fine artists reappeared as Sappho and her Muse singing "Pur ti miro, Pur ti godo" from Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, the gorgeous final duet between Poppea and Nerone.

Sara Couden impressed as Dejanira singing "Where Shall I Fly?" from Handel's rarely produced Hercules. Dejanira has gone mad after causing the death of her husband Hercules. She gets many changes of mood, color, and tempi.

The always marvelous John Taylor Ward appeared as the scary-looking cyclops Polyphemus, singing "Fra l'ombre e gl'orrori" from Handel's Aci, Galatea, e Polifemo. Who but Mr. Ward has the vocal range and agility to pull off this buffa aria!

In a totally different role, Mr. Ward created a very tall and very skinny leather-bound fly, a manifestation of Jupiter, buzzing around the lovely Eurydice (lovely Ms. Manning-White) who attacked him with an electrified fly swatter, in the duet from Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. There was also a performance of the famous "Can-Can" with a Minotaur doing a split at the end.

Drae Campbell was just right as Homer, feeling his way around with a blind man's cane. Justin Mock appeared as the winged Cupid, as Cerberus (the three-headed dog) and as the Minotaur. Aphrodite was performed by Pearl Harbor, whose real name is Wo Chan. This role was lip-synced and the beautiful voice we heard was that of Peregrine Teng Heard who also wrote the show with Mr. Heard.

Co-Musical Directors Jacob Ashworth and Daniel Schlosberg provided the music with Mr. Schlosberg's arrangements for violin (Mr. Ashworth and Mélanie Clapiès), cello (Clare Monfredo), bass (Dara Bloom) and clarinet (Gleb Kanasevich). Mr. Schlosberg conducted from the harpsichord.

The fantastic costumes, hair, and makeup were designed by Fabian Aguilar, Jon Carter, Miodrag Guberinic, and Andrew Jordan. Their contributions were essential to putting the concept across.

Choreographer was Heartbeat regular Emma Crane Jaster. Lighting was by Krista Smith. Props were designed by Corinne Gologursky.

All of these wildly talented people contributed to an evening that made our heart beat faster. We could not imagine a better celebration of the arts and gender diversity/fluidity!

(c) meche kroop