TAKING IT OFF

The Hot Box Girls (plus one)

We just can't stay away from Opera Burlesque performed by The Hot Box Girls! The part of their performances that amazes us is that they can produce such exemplary singing while artistically disrobing. Singing alone requires attention to so many details--breathing, phrasing, diction, communication, dynamic control, etc.  Throw a little ecdysiastic action into the pot and one wonders how these lovely ladies can be so successful.

We have enjoyed their shows, at the opulent and intimate Duane Park on The Bowery, a number of times but this is the first time we got to hear Founder and Artistic Director Rebecca Greenstein, freshly arrived from Vienna, where she is enjoying a great artistic success.  She tells us that the Viennese have edgier taste than we New Yorkers do.  Here in the Big Apple, the material is largely confined to arias that we know and love.  Nothing wrong with that!  We are willing to bet that some members of the audience came for the T&A and left with a taste for opera.

Presenting opera in new ways, in new places, and directed toward a new audience, is all the rage these days. So, we sit on wooden bleachers drinking beer and we sit in elegant nightclubs drinking champagne. All for the sake of art.

The cast of Opera Burlesque changes from month to month.  Who knew there were so many opera singers with ecdysiastic talent! One favorite of ours is Trixie La Fée (née Francesca Caviglia) whom we have requested to never ever drop her act with the two huge red feathered fans. Her artistic manipulation of these props have interesting resonances as wings of a bird or a butterfly.

Not only that but she has a scintillating soprano which she showed off well in "V'adoro pupille" from Handel's Giulio Cesare; she has a commendable coloratura as well as a way with feathers.

New to us this time around was Ladybird Finch (née Rachel O'Malley) who was lovely in "Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle?" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.

Dixie DeLight (née Kacey Cardin) is always a delight and we particularly enjoyed her "Ah! non credea mirarti" from Bellini's La Sonnambula. Regular readers will recall our affection for bel canto and Ms. Cardin did justice to this gorgeous aria.

Also on hand and well-remembered from prior performances was Sean D'Leer (née Melanie Long) who put a lot of pizazz into Rosina's aria "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Ms. Greenstein herself, appearing as Jessica DoRight, worked the audience well as Musetta in "Quando m'en vo" from Puccini's La Bohème, strolling through the audience and teasing the men, just as Musetta would have done.

It occurred to us how well the selections were chosen in that they mostly all provided an excuse to flirt, entice, and seduce.

Even the lone male in the show, Lance-a-lot (née Brad Lassiter) was seductive as Escamillo in the "Toreador Song" from Bizet's Carmen and as Sergeant Belcore in "Come Paride vezzoso" from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore.

Seth Weinstein as Count von Bang-it-out produced the always reliable piano accompaniment.

Allyson Webb (as Ally Cat) had a non-singing role as a French maid who assisted the singers in unlacing their corsets and picking up discarded garments. She put a lot of personality into the role.

The closing number, sung in English, was the bubbly "Champagne Chorus" from the beloved operetta Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss, Jr.  We raise our glasses as well to toast new forms, new venues, new audiences,and new converts to opera.  PROSIT!

(c) meche kroop

OPERA WITH PASTIES

THE HOT BOX GIRLS (photo by Travis Chantar)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(c) meche kroop

THE IMPRESSIVE IMPRESSARIO

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

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

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

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

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

© meche kroop

MADAME BOVARY, the musical

We are continuing our exploration of the American musical and trying to decide if this popular art form is the contemporary equivalent of 19th c. opera--popular entertainment in the language of the country of origin.  Paul Dick has adapted the novel by Gustave Flaubert and written the music and the lyrics; it is being presented UNAMPLIFIED in a black box theater at the Roy Arias space.  It was entertaining.

Does anyone not know the story of the romantically inclined young woman living in provincial France in the late 19th c.?  To a 21st c. woman, it is difficult to imagine her counterpart in that epoch without options.  There was no life for a woman without marriage and our heroine marries a country doctor who comes to tend to her father.  She rapidly succumbs to the tedium of being a wife without ever learning what it means to be a woman or even a person.  She descends into orgies of "shopping therapy" and a couple tawdry affairs and finally, deeply in debt, she kills herself with arsenic.  Sad story.

Mr. Dick has hewn fairly close to the book and has retained the original time period but has modernized much of the dialogue, making it familiar to contemporary ears but paying the price of loss of authenticity.  His music is tuneful and accessible; it was excellently played by Music Director Rebecca Greenstein and an orchestra was never missed.  The lyrics scanned and rhymed and were often clever, as in "I Insist!" or just plan lovely, as in "Rain on the River" in which the listener could hear the rain falling.

Direction and choreography were by Marlene Thorn Taber who kept the story moving along.  The minimal set design--a bed, a table, some chairs and an authentic appearing pharmacist's corner--were by Aaron Sheckler.  Period appropriate costuming was by Roejendra Adams.

The performances were of variable quality.  The weight of the show was carried well by petite soprano Hayley Hoffmeister as Emma Bovary; her acting was as good as her singing.  To her credit, she was able to arouse empathy for this unfortunate heroine.  Her boring but devoted husband was played by Roger Rathburn whose speaking voice was beautifully resonant but whose singing voice seemed frayed; we wondered whether he was meant to appear the age of her grandfather and felt that this casting choice added another dimension to Emma's unhappiness, one which was not in the novel.

As Rodolphe, Eyal Sherf was appropriately slimy as he plotted in advance how to seduce and abandon Emma; the audience's laughter seemed a bit inappropriate but, then again, that was written into the libretto and was never emphasized in the book.  More laughter, also deliberate, was provided by Christopher G. Teft who made the most of his role as Homais who manipulates Emma into buying things and then throws her into bankruptcy.

Leon was played by Patrick Thomas Spencer who did not convince.  In the ensemble were John Raymond Barker, Alison Novelli, Mia Rose Spackman and Carl G. Zurhorst.

It was a fine way to end the holiday weekend and we will be looking for more musicals by Mr. Dick who seems to have already written quite a number of them.

© meche kroop

MARRYING MOZART

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(c) meche kroop

DER KAISER VON ATLANTIS

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(c) meche kroop