Shakespeare Opera Theatre's Susannah: All the Room's a Stage

Life sure is complicated.  You’d think a small community, a rural community in Tennessee surrounded by nature and filled with God-loving people, making a living from the land, would be neighborly and peaceful, people living in harmony, forgiving others so they can receive forgiveness…a little gossip at the worst.  Susannah, young and innocent, thought that was her community, but with her parents long gone, she was raised by her often inebriated, non-churchgoing brother Sam.  She cherished her life in the community and with Sam, though her circumstances raised suspicions about her.  Problem was, she was pretty and beginning to be perceived by the local ladies as a threat. Then, she turned nineteen, filled out, and sometimes, innocently bathed nude in a creek close to her home in the woods, where she lived alone with the unmarried Sam.  As luck or fate would have it, four of the church elders went looking for a place for the revival preacher in town, the Reverend Blitch, to baptize those in the community coming forward to express their faith and receive redemption, and one of the Elders remembered a creek not too far away that would work.  What they saw there stirred up a mess of trouble.

Susannah poster; courtesy of Shakespeare Opera Theatre.

If this story sounds familiar, maybe you’ve read the Book of Daniel in the Apocrypha and its story of “Susanna and the Elders”.  Both Handel and Stradella wrote baroque oratorios/operas that followed the biblical story closely.  Composer Carlisle Floyd based his opera Susannah on the biblical source but made substantial changes to tie the story strongly to American society of his day and his experience. Susannah premiered in 1955 at Florida State University, where the 28-year-old composer was a professor.  Floyd was quite familiar with the background for the opera he wanted to compose, and he wrote the libretto himself.  He grew up in South Carolina, where his father was a Methodist preacher, and the family often moved from town to town.  His mother encouraged his interest in music.  He attended many revival services and was familiar with the folk songs and hymns of the region, but he reported that he developed mixed feelings about the church, resenting the tendency of members to judgment, hypocrisy, false righteousness, and the abuse of power and the social order it imposed.  Susannah addresses those issues.  Don’t attend expecting a happy ending; this is modern opera verismo.  Unlike Handel and Stradella’s versions, there is no Daniel to come to Susannah’s rescue. 

1953 Photo of Carlisle Floyd while at Florida State University; downloaded from Florida Memory website (https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/48136).

Shakespeare Opera Theatre hits above its weight in the quality of the professional singers the company attracts.  Susannah has 12 roles, including four principal characters – Susannah, Sam, the Reverend Blitch, and Little Bat singing solos, plus church members, the four elders and their wives, singing recitatives and providing the chorus.  (Note: on different performance dates, the role of Susannah rotates between two singers, the same for Mrs. McLean.)  The cast members were all effective at making what appeared to be simple characters complex and believable, wearing their group identity.  A personal, lighthearted example – when I first moved to this area to work at NIH, my colleagues always laughed at me when I was talking on the phone to someone in the South; I was unaware that I had slipped back into my heavy Southern accent, a group behavior different from my present group.  Singers in Susannah are required to use a rural Tennessee dialect, and this cast executed that well.  The full ensemble numbers were a highlight of the evening. 

Soprano Kristine Overman gave a convincing performance, changing from the innocent to the embittered Susannah.  She is an accomplished, talented singer, comfortable in her low and high registers and virtuosic in high range, though for me, quick transitions between the two sometimes felt abrupt.  Her performance was very affecting overall.  Growing up in Georgia, I can testify that I knew girls like that, who started out sweet, and life changed them; it was always sad.  Her brother Sam was played by tenor Nico Caruso, who sang beautifully and demonstrated such caring that, despite Sam’s substantial flaws, he became my favorite character.  Little Bat, Susannah’s only friend, also flawed, was sung and played splendidly by tenor Kurt Lannetti.  Ah, the Reverend Olin Blitch, now there’s a piece of work.  Baritone James Myers gave us a somewhat toned-down revival preacher and sang with less power than I had anticipated, especially for a fire and brimstone preacher.  Yet, it worked to make his complexity and remorse over his actions more believable. 

Like for all popular operas, the beauty of the music is a major factor in their success.  Carlisle Floyd achieved that with Susannah.  Some arias were lyrical and beautiful, such as Ms. Overman’s singing of “Ain’t it a pretty night”, or jaunty and fun, such as Mr. Caruso’s rendition of “Jaybird”.  Some are beautiful, but not so pleasant, as in Mr. Myers’ impassioned singing of “Hear me, O Lord”, filled with guilt and fear.  While composer Floyd frequently employed similar musical structures from folk songs and hymns, he also used dissonance to reveal or reflect darker elements in the action.  SOT productions are mainly accompanied by piano.  The Collaborative Pianist and Conductor for Susannah is Andrew Kraus, who played impressively and coordinated well with the singers

SOT’s Artistic and Managing Director, Dr. Lori Lind, is also in charge of stage direction, production design, and production management.  She is a magician at working within the confines of Hudson Hall, the venue for their performances, to create attractive, story-supporting sets.  For different scenes, Susannah requires a home in the woods, a church sanctuary, a social hall, and a creek for bathing.  Her design blending these together is attractive and works well to keep the story and its impact flowing, though not the creek; that and the nudity are intimated, out of view.  Kudos to Dr. Lind.  Costumes are appropriate, fitting in with the setting.

In directing SOT operas, Dr. Lind often chooses to make them immersive.  Let me try out an aphorism on you: the closer you are to an event, the greater its impact on you; it’s why people pay more for front-row seats.  For this production, SOT has you sitting within the performance, with its cast of 12 singers often spread around the performance room, not just the stage, and walking among the audience as they move about.  Nothing is required of you, except maybe a little neck strain from turning to see who was singing.  Patrons are seated at large tables to enjoy the refreshments offered and to chat with each other; SOT’s approach is very casual, drinking your glass of wine and turning to look around is okay.  If you haven’t heard opera this close, you ought to give it a try.  Dr. Lind, who sometimes combines sources for SOT productions, remained true to Floyd’s Susannah for this one.  It is well done, and if you’ve seen it before, it should be very familiar.

Composer Floyd wrote a dozen operas, and several achieved a measure of popularity, but Susannah is among the most often performed American operas.  I grew up in the south, where it was said that country music, still my first love, was three chords and the truth.  Susannah contains more chords than three, but it’s the same principle behind its popularity, music expressing the truth that endures in a way words alone cannot.  Let me make clear that the truth here is not a religious truth; it is the truth about us.  Susannah shows us how human flaws play out when amplified and reinforced by groups, whether religious groups, political groups, or other types of groups. 

Here is the hope: when we see clearly where we have gone wrong, we change.  Opera helps us to see where we’ve gone wrong and provides beautiful music and singing to enjoy at the same time.  Shakespeare Opera Theatre excels at this, and does so right in our backyard.

The Fan Experience: Performances of Susannah were scheduled for July 10, 11, 18, and 19 in Hudson Hall at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean.  The opera is sung in English, no surtitles.  The performance lasted about two hours with one intermission.  Check the program for the exact cast scheduled for the performance you wish to attend.

Shakespeare Opera Theatre has another opera, Tartuffe by Kierke Mechem, running concurrently with performances scheduled for July 13, 16, and 17.  Productions next season will include Amahl & the Night Visitors, Winter Nights Recitals, Murder in the Cathedral, and Falstaff.

SOT’s performances have more of a party atmosphere, rather than the church service atmosphere of our major opera halls.  I have found little pretense with SOT; they readily own their limitations and still manage to engage us fully.  Dress is “as you like it” and seating is at tables.  Snacks and drinks are offered for sale, which help finance the company and which can be consumed before, during, or after performances.  Attendance by children is welcomed, though parental discretion is of course advised. 

Wolf Trap Opera's La Cenerentola: Bel Canto Boogie

Wolf Trap Opera served up a new production of Giacchino Rossini’s La Cenerentola on Friday night. What fun!  My bottom-line conclusion was that this is about as close to a rock and roll show as classical opera has ever delivered.  I sometimes muse whether the great composers would have become rock and rollers if they had come along in the 1950’s or 60s; I’d bet on Rossini.  Let’s see, Rossini’s music is characterized by great melodies, jaunty rhythms, frequent, often surprising crescendos, as well as exquisitely beautiful passages.  The singing in La Cenerentola is bel canto style with exciting coloratura and lovely legato singing, but also highly playful and comedic passages with rapid-fire patter singing and bold ensemble numbers sung with staccato emphasis, all well done by WTO singers, and in this performance, all you can eat.  While I will single out individual performances for comment, WTO trainees appeared in force for this one: the more junior WTO Studio Artists, providing the chorus, embellished the entertainment as did the more polished Filene Artists providing the solos.  The WTO orchestra fully supported the singers and would have made Rossini proud, while clever, creative costumes, sets, and staging took full advantage of every comedic opportunity. 

Angelina (Sophia Maekawa), forced into a family maid role, cleans up. Photo by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Rossini wrote La Cenerentola (The Cinder Girl or Cinderella) which premiered in 1817, after his now more popular masterpiece, Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), which premiered in 1816, both taking him less than a month to write. He was the Lennon-McCartney of his day.  There were some shortcuts for each I won’t go into, and things were simpler then, but still, these are outstanding achievements and still popular 200 years later; will the Beatles be popular that long?  Under deadline pressure on Rossini to produce an opera for a festival, his librettist Jacopo Ferretti suggested the Cinderella fairy tale for his story, but changed it for Enlightenment sensibilities: good triumphs in the end and no magic; in fact, La Cenerentola’s second title is  Ossia La bontà in trionfo, which translates to English as Or, Goodness Triumphant.  Instead of a fairy godmother, we have Alidoro, the Prince’s tutor and philosopher, seeking a good woman to marry the Prince.  To get to know the candidates himself for what they really are, the Prince assumes his valet Dandini’s identity, and vice verssa, for his quest.  The Palace’s carriages transport everyone around with no midnight deadline.  Angelina (Cenerentola, Cinderella) is still a good girl, and pure-hearted, and her sisters are still shallow, in love with themselves and their position in society, though the father of those two, a Baron and stepdad for Angelina, is a cruel, self-serving dude wanting to marry off one of his two daughters to the Prince to save himself from pending financial ruin.  Angelina is the kind, loving daughter who is abused and treated like a maid.  The Prince finds and re-finds Angelina though a bracelet, not a glass slipper, but in a greater twist, good not only triumphs but is forgiving, as Cinderella will not allow her stepdad and stepsisters to be punished.  Good triumphs all around. (Anybody see Washington National Opera’s Treemonisha this year, a similar theme.)

Stepdad Don Magnifico (Ziniu Zhao) is partying at the palace and the stepsisters Clorenda (Angela Yam) and Tisbe (Emily Treigle) are in a happy moment. Photo by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Although an overall pleasure for the audiences, The Barns’ theater has a smallish stage and an orchestra pit that appears to be mostly under the stage.  Despite the limitations, including seven solo performers and a nine-person male chorus performing as the palace staff, the set design was attractive, period conforming, and appeared large enough that size was not an issue; kudos to Scenic and Costume Designer Jacob A. Climer.  Another word about the male chorus: they sounded great, a strong feature of the production, kudos to Chorus Master and Coach Michael Lewis, and to Director Joel Ivany, who employed them cleverly for laughs arising from some hilarious placements, gestures, and brief dance moves (boogie).  In fact, the same is true for deployment of all the performers, save for Angelina who was employed for more serious impact. The ensemble scene where Alidoro reconfigured the stance of each stunned and motionless singer, feature by feature, while they sing “Siete voi” looking straight ahead, singing in a staccato style, was a comic treasure.

Prince Ramiro (Angel Raii Gomez) sings with palace staff (chorus) at attention. Photo by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

The cast was headlined by mezzo-soprano Sophia Maekawa singing the role of Angelina.  In my report on her performance as Cherubino in last year’s The Marriage of Figaro, I remarked that “Sophia Maekawa took full advantage of the role, singing impressively, and stealing scenes by providing the best comedic performance of the opera”.  Her voice and singing were quite beautiful in Friday night’s performance as well, and she successfully portrayed Cinderella as a good-hearted yet quietly strong-willed person.  There was, however, an issue in the first act in that this is an opera of big personalities and her character dressed in grey and white family-maid’s clothing, while being ordered around, was pushed too much to the background in my opinion, and there was not enough time devoted to portraying her generous, giving nature; this was compounded by her relatively soft singing in a couple of ensemble numbers in which she was almost drowned out by the orchestra and the other singers.  She was featured up front more, and gave a standout performance in the second act, with the action revolving around her.

Alidoro (Cumcur Görgün) dressed as a beggar. Photo by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Bass Cumhur Görgün portrayed Alidoro, the opera’s pilot, appearing as needed to steer events towards Angelina’s emancipation and reward.  His voice, singing, and acting were impressive, with arias delivered confidently.  All of the Filene Artists are experienced performers and vocal competition winners.  For example, Mr. Görgün won first prize in the 2025 Luciano Pavarotti Naples Opera competition and second prize in the 2024 Giargiari Bel Canto competition, while Ms. Maekawa won First Prize in the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Arizona District). 

Dandini (Korin Thomas-Smith) enjoying his impersonation of the Prince. Photo by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Prince Ramiro was performed by tenor Angel Raii Gomez, who impressed with his virtuosity and steely high notes.  He was a might too belligerent for my tastes, but it played well into the comedy.  Mr. Gomez was a National Finalist in the 2025 Laffont Competition and won the 2023 Giargiari Bel Canto competition.  Canadian baritone Korin Thomas-Smith, one of CBC Music's "30 hot musicians under 30," played Dandini, the Prince’s valet pretending to be the Prince, with charm and comedic flair.  His vocals were excellent and his expressive movements a delight for the audience, probably the principal scene stealer in the performance. 

Every one is confused by what is transpiring: left to right - Prince Ramiro (Angel Raii Gomez), Dandini (Korin Thomas-Smith), Don Magnifico (Ziniu Zhao), Angleina (Sophia Maekawa), Tisbe (Emily Treigle), and Clorinda (Angela Yam). Photo by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Angelina’s stepsisters, Clorinda and Tisbe, were played by soprano Angela Yam and mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle, who sang audaciously with comedic precision and acted with brash, shallow arrogance in putting Angelina down, all the while drawing attention to their colorful costumes. Bass Zinui Zhao portrayed their father, Don Magnifico with meanness and comic intensity, yet also possessing a human, tragic element.  His vocals were excellent, a couple of his arias were standouts.  In fact, Rossini gave almost all the principal singers their moments in the solo aria spotlight, and all delivered handsomely.

The Wolf Trap Orchestra under the direction of Conductor Lewis Lohraseb was on point all evening in playing Rossini’s lively and complicated score beautifully.  Maestro Lohraseb, who adjusted on the fly all evening, has conducted many leading symphonies and opera orchestras in the US and Europe, and is thought to be a rising star in the field.  His personality demonstrates an ingratiating charm as evidenced in his pre-opera talk.  It takes a lot of talented, dedicated people to deliver a performance this delightful and so true to the spirit of Rossini’s music; kudos to all. 

Angleina (Sophia Maekawa) at the palace, different persona, same heart. Photo by Rich Kessler; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Wolf Trap Opera’s performance of La Cenerentola was a comedic delight and a musical treasure.  However, for me, while the messages of character being more important than status and wealth came through, as did the strength of character shown by Angelina in doing the right thing in forgiving her stepfather and stepsisters, those elements were overwhelmed by the stronger musical and comedic presentations, which were outstanding.  On the other hand, and to be fair, my wife disagreed that the critical elements of Angelina’s character were underplayed.  My retort, simply, is that in Angelina, my wife recognized a sister, which after all sort of makes me a prince of a guy.  Happy Father’s Day to all the other princes out there!

The Fan Experience: Performances of La Cenerentola were scheduled for June 18, 21, 25, and 27.  The opera is sung in Italian, and English surtitles are shown on a screen overhead.  The performance with one 20-minute intermission lasted about 2 hours 45 minutes.  An entertaining and insightful pre-opera talk was given by Conductor Lohraseb one hour before the performance.  Remaining performances were close to sellouts as of this report. 

Wolf Trap Opera’s next opera production will be Eugene Onegin taking place on July 17, 19, 23, and 25.  Their final opera production this season will be Tosca in the Filene Center on August 7. Check the WTO website for info on other upcoming operatic presentations, such as the popular “Aria Jukebox”. 

The Barns, overall, is an excellent venue for opera, intimate and with good acoustics.  Even the seats at the back and in the balcony are relatively close to the performers, but some in the very front and in the back on the floor lack a view of the surtitles.  The floor seats are not tiered but those in the balcony are; some balcony seats are restricted view by structural posts.  Food and beverages are available before the performances and during intermissions; drinks are allowed in the theater.  During DC’s hot, humid summers, it has excellent air conditioning.  Parking is free, plentiful, and is easy-in/easy-out. 

American Opera Initiative's 2026 three 20-Minute Operas: Opera, It's a People Thing

My first descriptive adjective for this Washington National Opera production is exciting.  Imagine the agglomeration: In a large rehearsal room, holding roughly 200 audience members seated on three sides of a square staging area, three new operas by three new composers and three new librettists were premiered; these are new 20-minute operas commissioned by WNO’s AOI program and developed over twelve months in consultation with a composer mentor, a librettist mentor, a WNO conductor and director, accompanied by a 13-piece chamber ensemble from the WNO Orchestra, and performed by outstanding Cafritz Young Artist singers. The creation, development, and performance of these operas was a highly organized professional development experience for everyone involved, resulting in a highly entertaining and culturally enriching experience for audiences at two performances on Friday evening at the WNO Rehearsal Studio in Takoma, DC. 

This was opera up close and personal, and reflected life as we know it today with a magical touch or two.  In my opinion, despite its limitations, the Rehearsal Studio overall provided a more rewarding experience in some ways than performances in the larger Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, which I also loved.  For America’s 250th anniversary, Washington National Opera’s 70th season, and American Opera Initiative’s 13th season, opera was never presented more ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’, and I might add “among the people”; the Studio’s intimate setting had the Cafritz Young Artists an arm’s length away from the audience. 

l to r: Anneliese Klenetsky as the wife, Michelle Mariposa as the consultant, and Robert Frazier as the husband in The Curse of the Magi. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of the Washington National Opera.

Individual discussions of The Curse of the Magi, The Mold and I, and Mickey Dee and the Eclipse follow, but first some general comments.  The Cafritz Young Artists selected for this performance are highly talented young professionals, successful in numerous award competitions; for example, Michelle Mariposa was a winner in the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont competition.  The ten artists chosen for the three operas all have appeared in WNO’s mainstage productions this season; for example, Viviana Goodwin played the lead in this year’s Treemonisha.  While the sample size was only twenty minutes, the new music in all three operas was detailed, melodic, enjoyable, and supportive of the dramas.  Kudos to the composers and to Conductor William Long and the 13-piece WNO Orchestra’s chamber ensemble for the excellent accompaniment.  The limited lighting effects were well done.  The staging was limited to a few props, and today’s wear costumes were appropriate, with something special for the mold. The characters were moved around appropriately and unfolded in compelling, believable fashion (check the photos); kudos to Chloe Treat who directed all three in outstanding fashion. Kudos also to composer mentor Anthony Davis, librettist mentor Thulani Davis, and Christopher Cano, Director of the Cafritz Young Artists and American Opera Initiative programs, for their involvement and contributions.

Anneliese Klenetsky as the wife, Michelle Mariposa as the consultant, and Robert Frazier as the husband. Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of the Washington National Opera.

The Curse of the Magi – This was, shall we say, a ‘modern’ riff on O’ Henry’s great short story “The Gift of the Magi”.  Librettist Faiza Alex Manaa is a New York City-based librettist and composer-lyricist born in Egypt and raised in Ohio, with a passionate interest in arts accessibility.   O’ Henry had marriage partners struggling to get by, make sacrifices to buy their partners a Christmas gift, with an ironic twist at the end.  The twist in Manaa’s story, often expressed in rhyming couplets, is that two disillusioned spouses separately see the same special consultant for help with murder, not divorce, on their minds.  The consultant, soprano Michelle Mariposa, the wife, soprano Anneliese Klenetsky, and the husband, bass-baritone Robert Frazier, all had excellent performances, singing with beauty, rage, and occasional charm.  In fact, they were so convincing that at first, it was a little unnerving, but having exhausted their sense of being wronged to the consultant, they rediscovered what brought them together in the first place.  All’s well that ends well, especially when told with comedic touches, except for the consultant, who was annoyed at having lost two sales.  Mariposa’s assured and funny performance overall might have been my personal favorite of the evening.  I remember the music by composer Christopher Dietz as being enjoyable, enhancing the emotions expressed in the vocals, and embellished by accents from different instruments.  This was composer Dietz’s first opera, while his orchestral pieces have been performed by ensembles across the US and Europe since the early 2000s.  And as a reminder, all these productions were workshopped and received input from all parties involved; they were team efforts, a message in itself.

l to r: Nicholas Huff as the mold in human form, Lauren Carroll as Kerry, and Chandler Benn as Devon. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of the Washington National Opera.

The Mold and I – As the Covid pandemic eases up, Kerry is preparing to move out of her apartment where she has been isolated, to live with her boyfriend Devon, but when cleaning out a mold she found in her closet, the mold comes to life and speaks to her. She is cleaning up for a going-away party for the mold when Devon arrives to take her away.  An emotional battle ensues, as the mold woos Kerry to stay and Devon insists she leave with him.  Sentient fungi have been featured in several sci-fi stories, usually to the detriment of the humans.  Librettist Hannah Nikka Odsinada is a young writer, librettist, and vocalist who writes “about people who yearn for belonging in worlds that never quite accepted them”.  The Mold and I left me pondering exactly what it was about.  I was rooting for Kerry to venture out with Devon, especially since the mold was making her cough.  My wife thought the mold sang so sweetly, with such empathy, that she could see why Kerry might choose him, er… it. 

left photo: Lauren Carroll as Kerry and Chandler Benn as Devon. right photo: Nicholas Huff as the mold and Lauren Carroll as Kerry. Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of the Washington National Opera.

Again, the Cafritz Young Artists were terrific, singing and acting.  Soprano Lauren Carroll played Kerry; baritone Chandler Benn played Devon, and Nicolas Huff played the mold in the closet.  The mold’s emergence from the closet draped in a long stretch of wallpaper was quite amusing.  Ms. Carroll sang with such pathos we felt her pain.  Mr. Benn seemed perfect for the role, and Mr. Huff’s singing won most of our hearts.  Composer Dan VanHassel’s enjoyable score began with a jaunty rhythm to reflect Kerry’s hustle and bustle cleaning the apartment, then switching to rising and falling tides to reflect the emotional shifts.  While engaging and entertaining, Mold and I uses the absurd to explore what exactly…the impact of the Covid isolation, the appeal of gentle caring in relationships, the battle between safety and adventure for our souls…..?  I’m not sure and maybe that was intended.

Hakeem Henderson as Cosmo with (l to r) Thandolwethu as George, Atticus Rego as Andrés, Michelle Mariposa as Mom, and Viviana Goodwin as Katreesha. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of the Washington National Opera.

Mickey Dee and the Eclipse – This begins with an Edward Hopper “Nighthawks” vibe, lonely souls gathered in a burger joint, even though the people were talking.  The story was inspired by the creators’ experiences during the 2024 solar eclipse and their questions about its meaning.  The characters are awaiting the solar eclipse. UPS driver and widower George confides in the server and friend Andrés that he has the big C and likely not much time to live. Daughter Katreesha is arguing with her divorced mom Sophie over her plans to visit her dad.  As the eclipse arrives, Cosmos appears, signaling that something celestial is expanding possibilities, especially giving new hope to those felt robbed of time by disease and failed relationships.  The group dons eclipse glasses and marvels at the event together.  Afterward, their moods and outlooks change, and they become more conciliatory and loving.  Andrès and George acknowledge their friendship, Mom and Katreesha resolve their issues, and lonely Mom hits on lonely George.  Librettist Anita Gonzalez is a writer, director and educator, including experience writing librettos. From her artist statement: “Anita Gonzalez advocates for beautiful art crafted for social activism and consciousness raising.”  The libretto is well-rounded with a heart-rendering and hopeful ending, though for me, Cosmos’ arrival in a bright, colorful, magician’s costume, deliberately planned to have impact, was off-key, and while amusing, clashed with the emphasis on the theme of wonder and connection to something higher that causes people to reflect and come together. 

Viviana Goodwin as Katreesha, Thandolwethu Mamba as George and Michelle Mariposa as Mom, and Atticus Rego as Andrés. Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of the Washington National Opera.

Again, the cast of singers was uniformly excellent in singing and acting.  George was played by baritone Thandolwethu Mamba; bass Atticus Rego played André; soprano Viviana Goodwin played Katreesha, and Michelle Mariposa played the mother.  It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to hear them all.  Composer Dave Ragland is known for his opera compositions, which provided engaging music that complemented the stage action.  I think the theme of Mickey Dee and the Eclipse constituted an idea worth pursuing in longer works.

Some other adjectives come to mind in thinking about these operas: fun, interesting, thought-provoking, affecting, and high quality. The American Opera Initiative, a training program for opera professionals and allied artists, provided one of the most satisfying arts experiences that I have had.  While the loss of the imprimatur and facilities of the Kennedy Center might be disappointing for the Cafritz Young Artists and the new composers and librettists, the experience they provided for their audiences Friday night in the smaller Studio practice hall was rich and meaningful, people-to-people.  Three new operas, created through a collaborative process of many highly talented contributors, represent gifts to us all, providing opportunities to come together and connect through the shared experience, not an eclipse exactly, but the heavens did seem to open.   I suggest AOI consider a new slogan, “Opera, It’s a People Thing.”

First row, composers l to r: Christopher Dietz, Dan VanHassel, and Dave Ragland. Second row, librettists l to r: Faiza Alex Manaa, Hannah Nikka Odsinada, and Anita Gonzalez. Photos courtesy of Washington National Opera.

The Fan Experience: Performances of American Opera Initiative’s Three 20-minute Operas were scheduled for 7 pm and 9 pm in the Washington National Opera Rehearsal Studio in Takoma, DC on May 22. Operas were in English with English subtitles shown on large monitors on either side of the orchestra.

Washington National Opera’s 2026-2027 season has been announced, including performances of two new AOI program operas on January 15 and 16 in the WNO Rehearsal Studio: Wolf and Lambs.  Sell-outs are likely, so get your tickets early. 

The WNO Rehearsal Studio is a large rehearsal hall seating around 200 attendees just inside the DC line in Northeast DC.  Seating is not tiered and is limited to folding chairs on three sides of the performance stage (Suggestion: WNO should consider bringing in temporary flooring for these performances that raises the stage to improve viewing from the back rows).  If you are sensitive to sitting more than an hour in folding chair seats, bring your stadium cushions.  Get there early to get the best seats, the first or second rows.  Acoustics were fine.  I thought the opportunity to hear the singers of this quality perform new operas so close to the audience was vibrant and more than compensated for the limitations.

The drive from Tysons Corner in Friday afternoon rush hour took an hour and a half; Google maps directed us through DC. Metro is another option; the Takoma Park metro station is within walking distance of the Studio.  Parking around the Studio is limited to on-street parking and parking lots.  On-street parking in the vicinity is zoned and typically limited to two hours.  There are a couple of paid parking lots nearby.  We had a good dinner at Trattoria da Lina which had a parking lot beside the restaurant that cost $5 for unlimited evening parking, about a block and a half from the Studio.  Limited refreshments are available in vending machines inside.

Washington National Opera's West Side Story: A Dancing and Musical Feast

As a longtime fan of Washington National Opera, there were many side issues on my mind as I made the slow trek from Tysons to the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, most notably, WNO’s departure from the Kennedy Center into a nomadic existence, its last opera of the season being a musical, and that being semi-staged for the Strathmore performances.  More on that further down, and no, West Side Story had not been turned into an opera, though its composer, Leonard Bernstein was a classical composer who felt that the best parts of the musical were operatic.   Even performed by Washington National Opera, the singers wore hidden microphones and sang the vocals in a Broadway style.  What was different? Mainly, by employing operatic scale, primarily in the number of performers on stage and the number of orchestra members, WCO’s Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, who created and directed this production, has given this Broadway musical the operatic treatment.  Think of the difference between mom’s normal full Sunday dinner and a Thanksgiving feast.  My core impression of Francesca Zambello’s productions has never wavered: this artistic director gives good show.  And Thursday night’s performance was a dancing and musical feast.

A love-struck Maria (Shereen Pimentel) and Tony (Ryan McCartan) stare into each other’s eyes. Photo by Elman Studios; courtesy of Washington National Opera. (All photos are of fully staged production at The Lyric)

You are probably familiar with the story of West Side Story, which was based on the ill-fated love story in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.  The staged production premiered in DC before its move to Broadway in 1957, and a follow-up film in 1961; there was a remake in 2021 directed by Steven Spielberg.  The staged production was a wildly popular hit, and the original film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture; the remake won one Academy Award and was nominated for six.  The music and show tunes have been staples of America’s popular music repertoire.  While I could almost sing along on every tune, I have younger relatives who have never seen the staged or the filmed versions.  WNO’s production has likely introduced WSS to new, younger audiences as well as its opera faithful. 

l to r: Chino (Julio Catano-Yee), Anita (Amanda Castro), Bernardo (Yurel Echezarreta), and Maria (Shreen Pimentel). Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

West Side Story was created by titans of the industry: conceived by Jerome Robbins, based on a book by Arthur Laurents, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Leonard Bernstein, and choreography by Jerome Robbins.  The team decided on a setting very much in the news in the 1950’s, violence perpetrated by street gangs.  In this case, the Jets as a white gang in NYC are opposing the entrance of the Sharks, a gang of Puerto Rican immigrants, into their territory.  As they are planning a rumble, Tony in the Jet camp and Maria in the Sharks fall in love and commit to being together despite the disapproval of their families (aka, the Montagues and Capulets).  Deadly violence ensues with Tony killing Maria’s brother and Chino, her family-approved suitor, killing Tony.  Maria is left grief-stricken, calling out both gangs for their weaponized hatred.  Like opera, the music clarifies and intensifies the emotions being felt by all.  This production stays true to the sequence of musical numbers in the stage version. (Personally, I liked the movement of the Officer Krupke number to before the rumble in the film version; I didn’t want a comedy routine right after seeing deadly knife fights.)

Group scene: Sharks gang to left and Jets gang to right of center, Maria (Shereen Pimentel) on balcony, Anita (Amanda Castro) below in red, with Tony (Ryan McCartan) far right. Photo by Elman Studios; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

WNO opened their run of WSS as fully staged performances in Baltimore’s Lyric Theatre before moving to the Music Center at Strathmore.  The stage in Strathmore’s concert hall has excellent acoustics for musical performances but lacks an orchestra pit and the facilities to produce fully staged musical theater.  WNO’s semi-staged performance had the orchestra seated at the back of the stage, and while costumes, props, and lighting effects were employed, the scenery that contributes to the interest, beauty, and setting for an opera-style rendering was omitted.  For me, the only distracting element was seeing the orchestra behind the performers, attracting my attention away from the performance in front of them; I have attended many concert operas at Strathmore where the orchestra was on the stage and enjoyed seeing the conductor and orchestra playing, but then the singers were mainly standing behind music stands and singing.  Though in fairness, I will report that my wife insists it was not an issue for her.  (Note: the photos are from the fully staged production in which elements of the scenery can be seen.)

A Jets dance scene. Photo by Elman Studios; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

WNO assembled a terrific cast of 34 performers for this production, too many to single out in a brief report.  The principal singers for the roles of Maria, Tony, Anita, Riff, and Bernardo are established performers with impressive credentials, including Broadway experience.  Shereen Pimentel fit the role of Maria well, acting convincingly. I thought she needed a couple of numbers to get warmed up.  Her performance in the second act was outstanding, easy to see why she was selected for the role, and her acting in the final scene was perfect.  Ryan McCartan, who played Tony, is a crooner; he delivered beautiful vocals throughout. If he had been on American Idol when singing “Maria” he would have been complimented for making the song his own. The many duets between Maria and Tony were emotionally effective and were musically quite pleasing.  Amando Castro played the role of Anita with verve and charm; her acting, singing, and dancing drew attention to every scene she was in.  The roles of Biff and Bernardo were well played by Taylor Harley and Yurel Echezarreta; both sang beautifully, a brooding Riff and a Bernardo having a twinkle in his eye, hiding his deadly intent.  It was like they had stepped right out of the movie.  I thought that Wynn Harmon, as Doc, in a non-singing role, was especially effective at communicating the gravity of the situation in his appeals to the Jets to have some sense.

A dance scene with the Shark women. Photo by Elman Studios; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Director Zambello preserved the Jerome Robbins’ choreography and its impressive dance sequences. Perhaps because I was so familiar with the great and plentiful tunes and music in West Side Story, I thought the dancers were also principal stars of the show.  As a group, they brought energy and impressive physicality to the roles; their ability to dance in unison seemed flawless, and their control was impressive, dancing on what seemed like not much more than half the stage.  This group was exciting each time on stage with several members being impressive in singing assignments as well.  The dancers/singers’ rendition of “Cool” was a highlight of the opera for me.  Tip of the hat to Choreographer Joshua Bergasse.  Add on kudos to Associate Choreographer Kiira Schmidt Carpenter, Costume Designer Jessica Jahn whose costumes helped bring the story to life, and to Lighting Designer A.J, Guban, whose effects helped us focus our attention to the right spot.

Tony (Ryan McCartan) and Maria (Shereen Pimentel) embrace on the balcony. Photo by Elman Studios; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

The Washington National Opera Orchestra played Bernstein’s score well, keeping pace with a story having a lot of fast-moving action.  From where I sat, I thought the microphones for Tony and Maria were a little too hot for my ears, causing the vocals to push the music too far into the background for some numbers.  I most appreciated the music when few performers were on stage and the vocals were shared.  When the orchestra was the centerpiece, they shone. Perhaps my response was influenced by opera where, if there is a sound imbalance, it is the orchestra overshadowing the singers.  Interestingly, my wife, while not sharing my opinion, did say at intermission that the singing reminded her of how much she enjoys the direct, natural, unamplified sound of voices we hear attending opera.

While a group of Jets dance, Tony (Ryan McCartan) and Maria (Shereen Pimentel) look on. Photo by Elman Studios; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

WNO’s semi-staged production still deserved a ‘not to be missed’ ranking, and the audience concurred by giving the performers an enthusiastic standing ovation.  Even without the scenery, the rest of the feast was intact and importantly, the performance was highly engaging and effective in delivering WSS’s and WNO’s messages.  Maria’s ending admonition as she brandished Gino’s handgun rings in my ears even now as she declared that she loved both sides, but now she had learned to hate.  Given the divisiveness of our times, Director Zambello wanted to remind audiences viscerally where unrestrained prejudices could lead, with the hope “that we can challenge ourselves to think broadly about ways in which we arbitrarily dismiss the experiences and opinions of those who are not like us”.  In a beautiful statement in the program, Jamie Bernstein said her father wanted the listeners to decide if a better world was possible.

In the final scene, Maria (Shereen Pimentel) mourns over the body of Tony (Ryan McCartan). Photo by Elman Studios; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

As for my personal ruminations, I am reminded that Brother Dave, a comedian I enjoyed many years ago, had a phrase he repeated often: “It’s all in how you look at it”.  In that vein, I could remain devastated by WNO being pushed out of the former Kennedy Center and the loss of opera performances in the Opera House…or…be impressed with how WNO has not only survived but flourished with an outpouring of support from their fans.  I could be depressed at WNO’s facing a nomadic existence, or I could marvel at the ways the company has used this as an opportunity to reach out to and serve a wider community; Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, General Director Timothy O’Leary, and Music Director Robert Spano have been amazing in setting a course and navigating this new beginning.  I could bemoan the fact that I didn’t get to see a real opera as WNO’s last production of a season focused on American operas, or I could revel in getting to see one of America’s truly great musicals live, presented as a feast by a major opera company.  Through this upsetting upheaval, one thing has remained constant: Washington National Opera’s artistic director gives good show.  After this year’s Crucible, Treemonisha, and West Side Story, I’m upgrading my claim: Francesca Zambello gives great show, while consistently reminding us that a better world is possible.  It’s up to us.

The Fan Experience: Washington National Opera scheduled fully staged performances of West Side Story on May 8, 9, 10, and 11 in The Lyric in Baltimore and semi-staged performances on May 14 and 15 in the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda.  The performances were primarily in English with supertitles shown overhead and lasted about 2.5 hours with a 25-minute intermission.  WNO’s version of WWS was a co-production with Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, performances have appeared at all three venues previously.

And the recently announced 2026-2027 season reveals that Washington National Opera has not lost a step. The season is tagged as “Bold. Forward. Together”, an apt description, beginning with Madama Butterfly at DAR Constitution Hall in November. Hmmm...Artistic Director Zambello chose to go with the Italian Madama instead of the English Madame; what might that mean?

The Strathmore concert hall is a beautiful structure that has outstanding acoustics for concert performances.  Strathmore is conveniently located near the Grosvenor Metro Stop on the Rockville Pike.  Use of the parking deck is free on evenings and weekends.  I have found parking there to be easy in and easy out, though the exit from the parking deck is single lane and exit times vary significantly depending on the level where you are parked.  Refreshments and a cash bar are available.

Washington Concert Opera's Idomeneo: Mozart's Breakout Opera Shines in WCO's Hands

Let me play a bit: Imagine an opera performance where the singers sing their butts off, and the orchestra excels in delivering Mozart’s engaging music.  Well, that’s Washington Concert Opera for you.  Now, suppose you thought that the plot of production had enough stories to be a four-part mini-series.  Yes but, one can argue that opera lets you do that to an extent, with music filling in the emotion that must be built up over a longer time with words alone.  Maybe you thought the Greek god Neptune, a main character, was oddly missing from the stage.  True, but he did sing a bit off stage.  And suppose it seemed to you that the story seemed contrived to the point that Elletra’s story didn’t end but set the stage for season 2, likely named “Electra’s Revenge, Redux”.  Okay, I don’t really have a good answer for that one, though it is argued that she represents the pre-Enlightenment focus of opera featuring uncontrolled passion consuming itself for contrast… regardless, I’m grateful her arias were included in the opera!  One wonders how Lorenzo da Ponte would have handled all this, though somehow the Enlightenment-modified ancient Greek themes of virtue and redemption made me care about the characters, and let me also add that the singing and music charmed, sometimes thrilled me for over three hours.  There, in a nutshell, is my report on Washington Concert Opera’s performance of Mozart’s Idomeneo.  Explanations follow.

Photo of Washington Concert Opera cast, orchestra, and chorus on stage at Lisner Auditorium for their performance of Idomeneo. Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Giovanni Battista Varesco based Idomeneo (1791) on Antoine Danchet's French libretto for composer André Campra’s Idoménée (1712), which used a Greek myth: On returning from success in the Trojan War, Idomeneo, King of Crete, makes a devil’s bargain with Neptune, Greek god of the sea. During a life-threatening storm at sea, to save his life, he agrees to sacrifice the first person he sees when he steps ashore on his homeland.  Let that sink in, the pre-Enlightenment relationship between man and gods, which often became ‘be careful what you wish for’ stories.  The first person that Idomeneo sees on shore is his son and only heir, Idamante.  What’s a father to do in that situation?  Let that sink in, the relationship between a father and son.  Let’s digress further for a moment.  Mozart’s father Leopold recognized his son’s extraordinary musical gift as a young child and led/pushed Wolfgang towards success as a musician and composer.  Amadeus had reason to resent some of his father’s controlling actions, even though he loved him deeply.  At this point, Mozart had not had a major success in opera.  Was picking this story about a well-meaning father inadvertently risking his son’s life a coincidence?  The opera premiered in January 1791, when Mozart turned 25.  Idomeneo became a success.  Leopold, a successful musician, composer, and teacher himself, took pride in his son’s accomplishments and his role in Mozart’s development, though in later years the relationship became strained when his guidance was no longer needed or wanted.

Amanda Forsythe as Ilia and David Portillo as Idomeneo. Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

Back to our story: One might think that repercussions around Idomeneo’s misstep might be enough for one opera, but this one has more, a lot more.  Ilia, a captured Trojan princess, theoretically the enemy, has captured the heart of Idamante, and she is falling for him.  Still more, let’s add that princess Elettra (also known as Electra) is in court, having fled Greece after successfully plotting the revenge murder of her mother, Clytemnestra.  She is also in love with Idamante and not one to take kindly to being spurned.  Add to the mix also that Neptune brings forth a sea monster to wreak death and destruction, putting pressure on Idomeneo’s decision making; the Greek gods cared not how many humans had to die to make a point.  Throw in a chorus of townspeople who want Idomeneo to do something fast, and something has got to give.  In this case, that something was an Enlightment era composer and librettist who diverted from the tragic myth (Idamante’s death and Idomeneo’s descent into madness) to give us instead a god’s benevolence after Idamante proves worthy of surviving and replacing Idomeneo, a virtue-affirming happy ending for all, with one uncomfortable exception – Elletra is not happy and tells us about it in an aria highlight of the show.  All the humans having suffered and repented sufficiently to satisfy the gods, opera ends, and a well-deserved standing ovation concludes the evening. 

David Portillo as Idomeneo, Aviva Fortunato as Elletra, and Stephanie Doche as Idamante. Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

Maestro Antony Walker, as is typical, chose a terrific group of singers, some late replacements.  As a group, they seemed there to not only entertain but to impress and, with the help of Mozart’s music, to fully convey the nature and feelings of their characters.  They sang in character with some interactions between them, such that I got caught up in their many stories and forgot this was a concert opera, where the music and the singing are the focus.  Idomeneo was played by star tenor David Portillo, well known to DC audiences.  He has one of the most pleasing tenor voices I have heard and sang the role with expert craftsmanship and convincing passion.  Princess Ilia was played by light lyric soprano Amanda Forsythe, a Grammy Award winner.  She has appeared in many of the major opera venues in the US and Europe.  She sang beautifully, her voice having a youthful endearing quality in this role.  Idamante is a pants role (in Mozart’s day, a castrato role) and was sung by rising mezzo-soprano Stephanie Doche.  Her voice commanded the stage and was well suited to the pants role; she was impressive, regally maintaining her composure despite having to pursue a love, face rejection from her father, fight a sea monster, and willingly accept the call for her mortal sacrifice.  In reporting on a previous Mozart pants role in WCO’s La Clemenza di Tito last year, I commented that she “was stunning, a definite wow”, also apt for her performance in Idomeneo.  Rising star soprano Aviva Fortunato (a late replacement for soprano Amanda Woodbury who had to withdraw) gave her own ‘wow’ performance.  She sang with power, emotion, and ravishing coloratura, her final aria a highlight of the evening.

l to r: Stephanie Doche as Idamante, Amanda Forsythe as Ilia, David Portillo as Idomeneo, David Artz as High Priest, Matthew Hill as Arbace, and Aviva Fortunato as Elletra. Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

Local, highly regarded tenor Matthew Hill, now a veteran with WCO, made Arbace, the King’s advisor, seem like a major role with his singing, as he helped Idomeneo confront the problem of how to save his son.  Master Sgt. Hill is also a vocalist and enlisted conductor of the US Air Force Singing Sergeants.  Also adding to the performance admirably were bass-baritone Jim Williams as the off-stage voice of Neptune and tenor David Artz as the High Priest, pleading with Neptune to spare Idomeneo.  Joining the orchestra on stage was the Washington Concert Opera Chorus under the excellent direction of Chorus Master David Hanlon.  Mozart used the chorus in Idomeneo more than in any of his other operas, serving many roles. The Chorus vocals were impressive in serving these needs and as a group, they were one of the stars of the night.

Mozart received a commission to write this opera for the Munich winter festival and went there alone to compose the opera.  He communicated with the librettist by mail through his father.  Mozart’s attention to detail was such that he molded the score to fit the capabilities of the singers he had available to him.  Artistic Director and Conductor of WNO, Antony Walker contends that one reason Mozart put so much into this opera was that he wanted to show his father what he could do.  We were the beneficiaries of attention to detail of both Mozart’s and Walker’s conducting.  The music in Idomeneo had the qualities we want and expect from Mozart, music that was beautiful, creative, inventive, and melodious in helping the opera’s characters to express a range of emotions, though I must admit to the feeling that at a few points his musical playfulness lessened the match of music and emotions being expressed in the lyrics.  The cohesion between orchestra and singers was well done, especially considering the limited rehearsal time for some of the participants.  As I listened to the expert playing of the Washington Concert Opera Orchestra led by Conductor Walker, I thought the music was not only Mozartian in its beauty but also fun, drawing me more into the music.

l to r: Chorus Master David Hanlon, David Artz, Matthew Hill, Amanda Forsythe, Conductor Antony Walker, David Portillo, Aviva Fortunato, Stephanie Doche, and Jim Williams. Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

In my blog report on Wolf Trap Opera’s 2017 performance of Idomeneo which expressed my concerns with the plot while enjoying the singing and music, I stated: “it strikes me that Idomeneo might make an excellent concert opera.”  WCO turned Idomeneo into an outstanding concert opera and made me a fan of Mozart’s breakout opera, which I’m sure had made his daddy proud. The moral of this story is that when you have beautiful music by Mozart played this well and singers of this caliber to handle the vocals, you will respond like Neptune that all has been redeemed. Leopold would be proud.

The Fan Experience: Washington Concert Opera scheduled one performance of Idomeneo, held on May 9 in Lisner Auditorium.  The opera was sung in Italian. Supertitles in English were shown overhead.  The performance lasted slightly over three hours, including one 25-minute intermission.  A video recording on YouTube is available that features Co-Founder Peter Russell and Artistic Director Maestro Antony Walker discussing Idomeneo as part of WCO's Opera Gems.

Idomeneo was WCO’s final opera for the current season.  WCO has announced three productions for next season: Haydn’s Armida, September 24; Massenet’s Don Quichotte, March 14; and Bellini’s Il Pirata, May 2. Sounds like fun to me.

In my experience, all the seats in Lisner Auditorium are fine for viewing and hearing the performance, though the sound is probably better towards the center of the auditorium.  The seats in Lisner Auditorium were relatively recently upgraded with more legroom for the orchestra section and more comfort for all.  However, be aware, the terrace seats above the first row continue to have limited legroom.  Parking on the street around the auditorium is catch-as-catch-can; be sure to read the signs! There is a convenient underground pay parking lot on H Street across from Lisner.  You can pay with a credit card at stations after you return from the performance or on exit from the lot.  Beverages, but not snacks, are offered for sale at bars upstairs and downstairs in Lisner.  More attendance info can be found at this link.

Opera Philadelphia's World Premiere of Sleepers Awake: Complex, Multilayered, Dazzling

“Isn’t reality itself kind of a dream?” asks the Stranger in Sleepers Awake. Have you ever had an experience awake that felt like a dream, or a dream that seemed so real?  We speak of time passing slowly or fast, depending on the circumstances.  There is much about this opera’s creation, as well as its music and performance, that I found engaging.  The music is complex, the story multilayered, and the performance dazzling.

A world premiere of a new opera by composer Gregory Spears is sufficient inducement for me to drive from Tysons Corner to Philadelphia. I became a Spears fan after attending Fellow Travelers, performed by Virginia Opera, and then The Righteous at Santa Fe Opera.  I liked the stories, and importantly, I liked the music.  I felt excitement awaiting this performance, and great curiosity about what the composer would serve up in an opera based on “Sleeping Beauty” for Opera Philadelphia’s 50th season. 

Susanne Burgess as Thorn Rose, center stage, with the Opera Philadelphia Chorus wearing veils of sleep in the world premiere of Sleepers Awake. Photo by Jason Ardizzone-West; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Now, you are probably still thinking “Sleeping Beauty”, the Disney version we all know and love?  No, think what if it had been presented in an episode of The Twilight Zone. In this version, the sleeping beauty, Rose Thorn, is not happy about being awakened from such a darn good 100-year nap, even with a kiss, and neither are the awakening courtiers, workers, and townspeople.  And the would-be marital partner isn’t really her type.

How did this opera come to be?  To quote another book character, “…sometimes life seems programmed”; the genesis of ‘Sleepers Awake” provides strong evidence for that view.  Let’s start in 2024, when superstar counter-tenor Anthony Roth Costanzo became General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia; he was performing in that year’s new opera by composer Spears, The Righteous, which was premiering at the Santa Fe Opera.  The choral music in The Righteous is impressive (I attended).  Corrado Rovaris, Music Director and Conductor for Opera Philadelphia, encouraged Costanzo to commission a new work by Spears, and from this composer, they wanted an opera with a dominant choral focus.  Bring it on!

Johghyun Park as the Stranger. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Next, how did the acclaimed theater director Jenny Koons, known for immersive experiences, become involved in what would be her first opera production?  In response to a question, she replied, “Greg and I were matched by Zack Winokur at Little Island. We had individually been speaking with them about wanting to create something for a large group. In our initial artist blind date, we discovered a similar interest and obsession with ritual, myth, and the ways humans tell stories to, and about, ourselves. It was such a gift to be part of a development process so full of asking big questions and shaping a world so collaboratively”.  She fit perfectly with Costanzo’s desire to target "transformative" creators for OP’s 50th-anniversary season. 

Brian Major as Court Poet. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Composer Spears wrote the libretto in consultation with Director Koons. He chose works from three individuals as its basis: the main source was three versions (1919, 1920, and 1927) of the sleeping beauty myth written in a questioning fashion by Swiss author Robert Walser, as translated from German by Robert Sadan; a more traditional 1911 version by British author Arthur Quiller-Couch; and verses adapted from the 1599 hymn “Sleepers Awake” by Philip Nicolai, a German Lutheran pastor (translated from German by Frances Cox).  I learned of author and poet Walser when reading background for the opera.  He was a different dude, an original thinker, schizophrenic, passing away in a mental institution; his life has been described as meandering from job to job, and he did not achieve fame in his lifetime, though now he is highly regarded.  I have been reading some of his poetry, and am hooked; I am still pondering the last stanza from his poem, “The Brook”:

A poet sits by lamplight

and scribbles a short poem,

life forms a circle dance,

some are talking, others are silent.

What he shall not accomplish,

he gives and takes in abundance.

Katlyn Thierney as Lady-in-Waiting, Susanne Burgess as Thorn Rose, and Veronica Chapman-Smith as Mamselle. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

In Sleepers Awake, there are separate roles for Thorn Rose, the Stranger (aka, the prince and outsider to the community), the Court Poet, and the Godmothers.  However, the chorus is given the main role and accounts for about 70% of the singing.  The chorus also plays the characters of the courtiers, workers, and townspeople, with many stepping forward briefly from time to time to express their sentiments in more defined roles: Lady-in-Waiting, King, Chamberlain, Cook, Scullery Maid, and Mamselle.  After the first awakening, the community questions and shuns the Stranger. Then, led by the Court Poet, they tell their story of Thorn Rose’s birth, the curse of death on her 16th birthday, the King’s threatening decree to the community made to protect his newborn, Thorn Rose wounding herself with the poisoned spindle, and the youngest Godmother’s changing the curse from death for Thorn Rose to sleep for her, and again the group sans the Stranger falls asleep. Another kiss, another awakening.  The Stranger tells his background and efforts, and Thorn Rose expresses empathy for all who tried and failed, and her role in the story. The group begins to accept and embrace the Stranger while sleep comes again to all, the last being Rose Thorn and the Stranger.

Talk about immersive, the staging by Director Koons begins in the lobby before curtain time as village sleepwalkers stroll around (good photo ops).  The beginning of the opera seemed defined by a single monotone chord that plays for several minutes as the characters come to and assemble on stage.  The set by Jason Ardizzone West is a semi-circle with an upper level, a large pie-shaped center stage, and a large undulating disc, immersing all players in a community and a center for them to step forward from the sidelines.  Lighting by Yuki Link on the stage reflected moods, and effectively moved later out from the stage to incorporate the community in the audience.  Costumes by Maiko Matsushima were reflective of roles, not always time period.  There were usually over sixty performers on stage, chorus members, and other players, a challenge for the director.  Koons moved them around well with a charming ending touch of a dance having all members pair and march forward in a couple parade.   All in all, the staging was very well done, with great eye appeal, while bringing forward the themes presented in Sleepers Awake.

Brenton Mattox-Scott as the King holding baby Thorn Rose. Photo by Jason Ardizzone-West; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The Opera Philadelphia Orchestra ensemble under the direction of Maestro Rovaris gave their typically excellent performance, likely challenging in timing aspects with the in and out of the spotlight for various soloists, instruments placed in side boxes, and the number of percussive highlights employed by the composer. Composer Spears’ operas draw from many genres of classical music, from Medieval music to modern minimalism.  While he is well known for his use of minimalism, mainly recurring and evolving themes, I am most attracted to the beauty of his music and its tight support of storylines developing on stage.  His approach to Sleepers Awake was inventive.  Prominent players included two harps, one on either side of the stage, and a theorbo on the left.  For me, these added a fairy-tale feeling, appropriate for this production.  Instrumentation in the orchestra was limited to strings, a bassoon, two horns, and a variety of percussion instruments, one a slapstick used as a wake-up or call to attention, somewhat unsettling for those in the audience.  My one lingering concern with the music is in the middle section, when Rose Thorn’s curse was told and reenacted, it felt more repetitive without evolving, losing some of the interest piqued in the opening section, before heading into a standout final section.  That said, it was only one hearing, and I enjoyed the music overall and hope to hear it again; there was much new to experience and absorb.

Opera Philadelphia has an excellent chorus, and while the score allows for a smaller group, they were present in full 60-something-member force for this new opera, with a major role for the chorus.  They were excellent again under the direction of Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden.  Those who stepped forward to express sentiments as an individual character performed in a manner that added further enjoyment of the opera.  The four Godmothers stepping forward were particularly enjoyable separately and as a quartet: soprano Sophia Santiago, mezzo-soprano Annalise Dzwonczyk, mezzo-soprano Maren Montalbano, and alto Robin Bier.

The Opera Philadelphia Chorus. Photo by Jason Ardizzone-West; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Much was required of the individual singers to sing in the style specified by the composer.  They responded beautifully.  Rose Thorn was played by soprano Susanne Burgess, who sang well in style, and her aria expressing compassion for unsuccessful heroes revealed a prettiness in her voice that was at times breathtaking.  Tenor Jonghyun Park as The Stranger also sang well, especially in his major aria and in playing half of the evil Carabosse.  Baritone Brian Major seemed an assured natural in the role of the Poet and the other half of Carabosse.

I inquired why two singers, the Court Poet and the Stanger, sang the role of Carabosse at the same time; the singing and harmonics of this duet were a highlight for me.  Composer Spears’ answer reveals the depth of consideration that went into constructing this opera:

“Carabosse, would of course not have been in the palace when everyone fell asleep, so her role in the retelling would have to be played by someone else in the palace a hundred years later. I decided her voice would be created by the Court Poet and the Stranger singing together in a strange harmony — as if her presence must be conjured paradoxically, as a combination of two entwined perspectives. 

The resulting voice is the fusing of the voice of the ultimate insider (the Court Poet) and the only other true outsider in the palace at that time (the Stranger). For me this double voicing is a commentary on how an outcast's identity is often constructed from two perspectives simultaneously: the combination of the outsider’s voice and the voice of a community projecting their irrational fear upon them. You might have noticed that the Court Poet seems to instruct the Stranger in how to play this role of the outcast — guiding (mirroring) him both physically and vocally as they are both dressed up as Carabosse. Based on the Court Poet’s enlistment of the Stranger for this task, we perhaps see how the Stranger and Carabosse (both “uninvited” guests) are perceived as similar, and both subject to the fears, rejections, and projections of the larger group.”

The Stranger (Jonghyun Park) and Thorn Rose (Susanne Burgess) have bonded and are drifting into slumber. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Author and poet Robert Walser was a thinker, and Sleepers Awake is a thinker’s opera.  There are no grand passions revealed here (except for Carabosse’s in absentia).  The lovers’ bond was formed more by fate (or not understood personal forces) than desire.  The elements of the individuals’ impact on the community and the community’s impact on individuals are central themes.  The cycles in our lives, exertion then rest then exertion… stand out, as does the time we spend in between.  As the composer said in the program notes, are sleeping and awaking puzzles to solve or traps to escape.  The music, complex in patterns and instrumentation, clever in creating disorientating awakening and sleep cycles, was enjoyable overall.  I loved having an opera with a strong focus on the chorus, and one that grapples deeply with the meaning of our experiences.  The feelings the opera evoked are subtle and tentative; even as I reveled in our two protagonists finally pairing, it lacked romance, and then they went to sleep.  Even without grand emotions, Sleepers Awake is multisensory in a grand sense.  I don’t pretend to have a complete understanding of Sleepers Awake, but I’d like to grapple with it more when it is performed by other companies.  Perhaps for this type of opera, as the Stranger sings when Thorn Rose has accepted him, “Eating creates appetite”.

The Fan Experience: Performances of Sleepers Awake were scheduled for April 22, 24, 26 in the Academy of Music.  The opera was sung in English with supertitles in English.  The opera lasted 90 minutes, without intermission.  A highly informative pre-opera lecture and discussion was held one hour prior to the performance with Lily Kass, the Scholar in Residence for Opera Philadelphia.

Next up for Opera Philadelphia is the world premiere of The Black Clown on May 14, 15, 16, and 17. Pick your price ticketing as low as $11 for any seat remains in effect this season.  As of this post, tickets remain available.

Washington National Opera's The Crucible: Mendacity and the Fragility of Truth

A former boss used to tell me that fear is the emotion that cancels out all other emotions. The Crucible, the opera, is a witches’ brew of fear transforming people and institutions.  When you read about it in history books, the Salem Witch Trials seem a shocking historical oddity that happened a long time ago, but there is more to the story than fear of witches gone wild.  Be prepared: Arthur Miller’s play, turned into an opera by composer Robert Ward and librettist Bernard Stambler, bites, revealing the human factors that led to the atrocity, factors still lurking among us today; in 1682, would you have been willing to die rather than sign a false confession to save yourself, a confession that you conspired with satanic forces?  What would the price of your integrity be today?  Washington National Opera’s excellent production that began Saturday night leaves teeth marks.  Throw in the dramatic storytelling, excellent music, singing, and staging, and that’s a great night at the opera.

Village girls discuss who may be guilty of witchcraft in Washington National Opera’s The Crucible. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Once again, WNO’s General Director Timothy O’Leary and Artistic Director Francesca Zambello opened the proceedings to a well-deserved standing ovation, even before O’Leary revealed that Director Zambello, in recognition for her distinguished career dedicated to producing and directing operas, had been elected into the Opera Hall of Fame by OPERA America.  Imposing transitional challenges were faced after ending the alliance with the Kennedy Center; Director O’Leary has said it was like learning to fly an airplane while building it; as an example, not only did a new performance venue have to be found, but the 17 named singers and members of the orchestra for The Crucible had to be maintained with changed terms of contracts, including new arrangements for medical insurance while moving at flight speed.   Impressively, WNO’s seventieth season goes on as planned with three American operas from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which include the previously performed Treemonisha, the currently being performed The Crucible, and West Side Story, coming soon.  Kudos and a special tip of the hat to Director Zambello!

Betty Parris (Veronica Siebert) lies in bed as her father Reverend Samuel Parris (Alexander McKissick) and Tituba (Ronnita Miller) look on. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

The Crucible, the opera, omits some details covered in the play but adds acted scenes only articulated in the play, and deepens the emotional impact with music.  The plot (spoiler alert): Several young girls were seen dancing in the woods, some unclothed and drinking blood; a member of the group was a slave, Tituba.  As this news circulated in a community already imperiled by personal, business, and religious conflicts, the young girls started to exhibit strange behaviors, leading some to posit that the Devil was at work in their midst.  Under threats, Tituba confesses a relationship with the Devil, though she resisted his orders; her confession gave her exoneration, but witchcraft suspicions were validated. As this storm was brewing, farmer John Proctor was having marital difficulties with his wife Elizabeth, caused by his past affair with a servant girl, Abigail, an unhinged influencer among the young girls.  He sought Abigail out to confront her over her role in the arrest of his wife. The girls who danced in the woods began to name those suspected of engaging in witchcraft to deflect attacks on themselves, and some townspeople impugned neighbors with witchcraft lies to gain financial and property advantages.  Many accused were jailed, and a court, more concerned with protecting the court than the truth, handed out death sentences.  John attempted to save his wife by confessing to his affair as a reason for Abigail’s charges against Elizabeth, but not knowing this, Elizabeth denies he had an affair to protect him.  Abigail silently flees the community invalidating her charges and freeing Elizabeth.  John is offered exoneration if he will sign a confession of guilt.  With Elizabeth’s support for whatever he decides, he makes a decision to confess, but then is unwilling to sign the confession or incriminate others.  This flawed man, as all men are, rises to offer us a ray of hope for mankind.  While this story is fictionalized, many of the named characters are real people.  In all, the Salem Witch Trials caused 19 people, men and women, to be hanged for fabricated charges of conspiring with the Devil.  Many saved themselves by falsely confessing to witchcraft. 

A confrontation between John Proctor (Ryan McKinny) and Abigail Williams (Lauren Carroll). Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

My first worry with modern operas from the last half of the 20th century to the present day is what is the music like.  I am happy to report that composer Ward’s music was excellent and very well played by the Washington National Opera Orchestra led by Conductor Robert Spano.  Several times during the opera my focus shifted to the music and how enjoyable it was.  This is a story-driven opera; I was concerned the music would only be recitative, but it is lyrical and melodic in sections as characters reveal their feelings.  It is driven by focused musical detail supporting the action on stage, rather than grand musical themes, and it fits the libretto perfectly.

Cast photo of the trial scene. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Certainly, a highlight of the performance was the overload of talented performers, opera stars in the lead roles, and WNO’s highly talented Cafritz Young Artists in many of the supporting roles (8 currently in the program and 3 graduates).  There were seventeen named singers, and all were excellent.  It was a pleasure to hear star mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges and star baritone Ryan McKinney back in the Washington area again.  McKinney sang the role of John Procter and Bridges played Elizabeth, his wife.  Bridges’ voice and singing fit beautifully with Elizabeth being the emotional center of the opera.  Although she could bring the fire, there was a softness in her singing, revealing the tenderness of Elizabeth’s heart.  McKinney fit the role well bringing full measure of his impressive, stage-commanding baritone voice.  Cafritz Young Artist and prize-winning soprano Lauren Carroll demonstrated a striking soprano voice, affectingly portraying Abigail as the piece of work she was.  Slave Tituba was played effectively by mezzo-soprano Ronitta Miller, another impressive showing for a Cafritz Young Artist.  Soprano Kresley Figuerroa was thoroughly engaging vocally and the object of frustration as the weak-willed Mary Warren.

Judge Danforth (Chauncey Packer) confronts Elizabeth Proctor (J'Nai Bridges). Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Another character who chose honor over clemency was Nurse Rebecca, sung beautifully by mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa, with a voice so lovely I wished her part had kept her on the stage more.  Soprano Tiffany Choe played the role of Ann Putnam, singing perfectly her role of a distraught woman who first suggests witchcraft was causing the young girls’ problems.  I heard her and Mariposa sing in last year’s Mud Girl, one of the American Opera Initiative’s new twenty-minute operas.  I referred to them then as singing treasures; that label still works.  Ann’s husband, Thomas, was scarily played by baritone Chandler Benn as her co-conspiracy theorist.  Another role sung impressively was Judge Danforth, played by tenor Chauncey Parker, previously heard in WNO’s Porgy and Bess.  Tenor Alexander McKissick and bass-baritone Robert Frasier sang and acted well as Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale.  Tenor Nicholas Huff was bold and endearing in his attempt to defend John Proctor.  While there was some ensemble singing, a specific chorus was not used.

Elizabeth Proctor (J'Nai Bridges) comforts her husband John Proctor (Ryan McKinny) in jail. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Francesca Zambello’s swift-moving staging was effective at maintaining the tension throughout.  The austere set by Neil Patel with lighting enhancements by Jason Lynch and original lighting designer Mark McCullough, worked effectively in supporting the moods, and with small set changes for the forest scene and the courtroom, the stage was sufficient to showcase the drama.  Period costumes by Jessica Jahn were perfect. 

My picadillos with The Crucible are that we didn’t have time to get to know the characters better and feel more deeply for them; this story deserved the Ring Cycle treatment.  I also wonder how well audiences will identify with 17th-century Puritans as the complexities of the situation are revealed.  These could lower its intended impact.  Of course, my wife wonders now if I’ve become a bit stoic.

Arthur Miller’s play was written as a response to the Red Scare and McCarthy hearings of the 1950s.  Artistic Director Zambello also directed the highly acclaimed 2016 Glimmerglass Festival production of The Crucible.  She brought it to DC because she recognized that the elements leading to the tragedy long ago were rising in society then, and the divisiveness has gotten even worse today, when trust in news sources and the government is trending downward, conspiracy theories abound, and our politics has reached a new level of divisiveness.  It’s good to be reminded where this could lead. 

WNO’s production is excellent all around in bringing its powerful message to DC audiences.  The music is good and the singing terrific.  Don’t let fear of modern opera keep you home instead of in the opera house.  This one will serve you well.

The Fan Experience: Washington National Opera scheduled performances of The Crucible for March 21, 23, 25, 27, and 29 in Lisner Auditorium.  The opera is sung in English with English supertitles shown on a screen overhead.  The opera lasted about two hours and forty minutes with one 25-minute intermission.  A pre-opera talk was given one hour before the performance.

Washington National Opera will continue the second season with an American opera lineup celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with performances of West Side Story in May to be performed in both the Lyric Baltimore and the Music Center at Strathmore. 

In my experience, all the seats in Lisner Auditorium are fine for viewing and hearing the performance, though the sound is probably better towards the center of the auditorium.  The seats in Lisner Auditorium were recently upgraded with more legroom for the orchestra section and more comfort for all.  However, be aware, the terrace seats above the first row continue to have limited legroom.  

Parking on the street around the auditorium is catch-as-catch-can; be sure to read the signs! There is a convenient underground pay parking lot on H Street across from Lisner.  You can pay with a credit card at stations after you return from the performance or on exit from the lot.  Beverages, but not snacks, are sold at bars upstairs and downstairs in Lisner.  More attendance info can be found at this link.

Washington Concert Opera's The Pearl Fishers: The Usual Great Singing and Great Music

At the first intermission, my wife smiled and said that you could always count on Washington Concert Opera being a class act – full orchestra, full chorus, world-class singers, and dramatic impact even without being fully staged.  You can also rest assured that the season’s selections made by Artistic Director and Conductor Antony Walker will be filled with great arias and great music.  Thus, the performance of Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers (Les Pêcheurs de Perle, 1863) was pro forma, highly enjoyable and impactful.  If you are new to WCO, I’d guess that it knocked your socks off; knowingly, I had mine tied on.  This was the opera performed in 1987 by WCO in its first-ever performance.  An opera critic once told me that concert opera was candy for opera fans.  At age 39, WCO remains one of the best tickets in opera.

Emily Pogorelc as Lëila in WCO’s performance of The Pearl Fishers. Photo by Yassine El Mansouri / Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

If you thought The Pearl Fishers’ libretto was great storytelling, skip this paragraph and the next one.  I claim that The Pearl Fishers can be, and always has been, criticized for flawed storytelling, with inconsistencies and a lack of dramatic impact, making staging difficult, which makes concert opera a safe harbor for its great music and vocals.  Part of this opera’s problem is also a strength: it has two high drama stories going on at the same time: 1) rebuilding and betraying a life-long friendship, and 2) the mortal threats two lovers faced to be together.  The Fishers’ librettists, reportedly, did a rushed job, and a 24-year-old Bizet didn’t have the experience or authority to rein them in the way a Verdi or Puccini would have.  That said, the critics who heap criticism on the libretto also recommend attending the opera, heaping praise on the music and vocals.  Almost twelve years later, Carmen premiered, assuring Bizet’s place in the hall of fame for great composers.

Will Liverman as Zurga. Photo by Yassine El Mansouri / Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

A short synopsis of The Pearl Fishers, with spoilers: The people of a village in exotic ancient Ceylon proclaim Zurga their ruler.  Just then, Nadir returns to his home village and reunites with Zurga, his closest friend for most of his life, a friendship that had been broken when they fell in love with the same woman, a virgin priestess named Lëila.  They pledge their lifelong support for each other.  Later that day, high priestess Nourabad brings a veiled Leila into the village to ward off danger for the pearl divers’ harvest.  Zurga does not recognize Lëila and tells her that if she remains chaste and prays for the divers, she will be rewarded; if she breaks her vows, she will be killed.  In fact, Nadir had returned to the village because of rumors she would appear there; he is still in love, and Zurga’s jealousy still simmered.  Of course, Nadir and Lëila reunite, setting aside his friendship and her oath; they are discovered, and the villagers demand blood; the conflicted but spurned Zurga agrees.  Up pops a plot device: Lëila had saved Zurga’s life as a child.  Once he realizes she is Lêila, driven by his passion for her and the debt he owes her, Zurga sets fire to the village as a distraction, frees the two lovers, and is left to face the villagers’ wrath.  Although, I enjoyed it, I had problems; that said, if the intended message of the opera was that true love and honoring a good deed make us do crazy things, like betraying a friend, violating an oath, and setting fire to your neighbors’ homes with some of them inside, The Pearl Fishers’ libretto succeeded.

Anthony León as Nadir and Emily Pogorelc as Leïla. Photo by Yassine El Mansouri / Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

Bizet’s emotionally packed music was beautifully delivered by the Washington Concert Orchestra led by Maestro Antony Walker; he is deft at keeping music balanced and the singers and the music connected.  If you like melody, you like Bizet.  My son once told me that Carmen had too many hit tunes to be called opera.  The Pearl Fishers has its share of beautiful, heart rendering arias, and my favorite male duet in all of opera, “Au fond du temple saint”; have a listen to several versions on YouTube and pick a favorite (I have always felt the power in the sung duet was too strong for the scene of two friends reconciling, maybe a better fit supporting liberté, égalité, and fraternité in “Les Misérables”, instead of just fraternité?).  The music features several passages with lead instruments conveying the emotion, including harp and flute, played expertly.  The music is characterized by pleasing melodies and grand harmonies.  The melody in ‘Au fond’ is used several times in the opera, a unifying element.  The WCO Chorus, led by Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master David Hanlon, were prominently featured in the opera, describing the ongoing action and conveying the villagers’ emotions.  The forty-member chorus, equally divided between male and female singers, sang with appropriate power and beautiful harmony, and made me dislike them because of how blood thirsty they became.

Christian Simmons as Nourabad and Emily Pogorelc as Leïla. Photo by Yassine El Mansouri / Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

WCO offers semi-staging light with the singers moving away from the music stands to interact with each other.  This group was an outstanding group of singers and actors.  Let’s start with the lone female in the opera, soprano Emily Pogorelc, who is now appearing at major opera houses internationally and whose lyric coloratura voice is a perfect match for the role of Lëila.  Her first vocal demonstrated the smooth high register of her voice and singing.  A couple of her coloratura flourishes, while appealing did not sound perfect to me, but overall, she was excellent.  The fierceness of her singing in a confrontation with Zurga also made me sit up and take notice of her dramatic power.  In fact, I had heard her once before in Washington National Opera’s 2018 Candide; my report stated of her performance then: “Coloratura soprano Emily Pogorelc delivered the show stopping aria “Glitter and Be Gay” with both panache and feminine power; the audience erupted with applause and from there the train regained its momentum.”  She is definitely a soprano to look for again.

Will Liverman as Zurga and Anthony León as Nadir with Anthony Walker conducting the Washington Concert Opera Orchestra. Photo by Yassine El Mansouri / Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

Zurga was sung by baritone Will Liverman, well known to DC, who was a winner of the Marian Anderson Award; he is a former Wolf Trap Opera Filene Artist and currently serves as Wolf Trap Opera’s Artist-in-Residence.  He has had starring appearances with Washington National Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and Metropolitan Opera, as well as prestigious opera companies in Europe. The beautiful timber and power of his voice were on elegant display as Zurga, both as the principled village leader, conflicted friend, and jealous suitor with anger issues.  Nadir was played by young tenor Anthony León, winner of first prize in the 2022 Operalia international competition and the 2023 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition; his young career is off to a spectacular beginning.  He sang beautifully in show-stopper duet “Au fond du temple saint” as did Will Liverman.  For me, tenor León’s voice is a shade light for the role, but he more than made up for that with the clarity and precision of his singing and the stunning beauty achieved as his voice blended with Mr. Liverman’s.  He also demonstrated that beauty and purity of tone in his individual arias, clearly announcing his arrival into star status.  He knocked even my tied down socks off.  The fourth member of the WCO cast was bass-baritone Christian Simmons, also well known to DC audiences; he is a recent graduate of the Cafritz Young Artist Program, and has appeared in several WNO productions.  His young career has gotten off to a strong start in both US and European opera houses.  He sang well and provided a credible high priest as Nourabad.

The cast, orechestra, and chorus for WCO’s The Pearl Fishers receive a standing ovation. Photo by Yassine El Mansouri / Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

The real message of The Pearl Fishers that evening was a reminder that Washington Concert Opera continues to present gorgeous singing and music, and regardless of how you view the plot, at least the soprano didn’t die.  So, we thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to their next performance.  A review of WCO’s first-ever production stated, “One approached this project with all kinds of trepidations. It is a real pleasure to report that it is a success and that it very much deserves to survive and flourish. We need it.”  Still true today.

The Fan Experience: Washington Concert Opera scheduled performance of The Pearl Fishers on March 14 in Lisner Auditorium.  The opera was semi-staged and sung in French. Supertitles in English were shown overhead.  The performance lasted two hours and fifty minutes with two intermissions. 

WCO has one opera remaining for this season; Mozart’s Idomeneo will be performed on Saturday, May 9, at 6 pm in Lisner Auditorium.  WCO has also announced three productions for next season: Haydn’s Armida, September 24; Massenet’s Don Quichotte, March 14; and Bellini’s Il Pirata, May 2.

In my experience, all the seats in Lisner Auditorium are fine for viewing and hearing the performance, though the sound is probably better towards the center of the auditorium.  The seats in Lisner Auditorium were relatively recently upgraded with more legroom for the orchestra section and more comfort for all.  However, be aware, the terrace seats above the first row continue to have limited legroom.  Parking on the street around the auditorium is catch-as-catch-can; be sure to read the signs! There is a convenient underground pay parking lot on H Street across from Lisner.  You can pay with a credit card at stations after you return from the performance or on exit from the lot.  Beverages, but not snacks, are offered for sale at bars upstairs and downstairs in Lisner.  More attendance info can be found at this link.

Washington National Opera's Treemonisha: Born Under the Tree of Life

Both the Washington National Opera and Scott Joplin’s opera, Treemonisha, were reborn Saturday night with a resoundingly successful performance.  In their 70th season, and first production since leaving a 55-year association with the Kennedy Center, every element of the opera was imbued with the riches of talent.  The opera’s messages of empowerment through truth and education, moral purpose, the need for forgiveness, and community support, delivered with a spoonful of sugar and a bit of ragtime music, resonated strongly with the audience.  The performance received an enthusiastic standing ovation at the end, and so did WNO General Director Timothy O’Leary and Artistic Director Francesca Zambello when they tried to begin their opening comments.  A lot of love was shared Saturday night.

Treemonisha (Viviana Goodwin) assumes the role of teacher in her community. Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Scott Joplin (1867-1917), who became famous for his brilliant ragtime compositions, wrote one surviving opera, Treemonisha, and one lost to history.  He published the piano score and libretto in 1911, but the fully staged opera was never performed in his lifetime; any orchestrations were lost to history.  The usual opera funding issues, the avant-garde nature of blending ragtime and classical music forms, the prejudice and strict segregation of his day, and his untimely death at age 49, conspired against its production.  For perspective, a few examples: The first black singer to appear at the Met Opera was Marian Anderson in 1955.  The first black composer to have an opera staged there was Terence Blanchard in 2021 with Fire Shut Up in My Bones.  Locally, Morgiane, ou Le sultan d'Ispahan, an opera by black composer Edmond Dédé from 1887, received its first performance ever in 2025 by DC’s Opera Lafayette.

Joplin’s music enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 1970s, especially after being featured in the soundtrack for 1973’s “The Sting”.  A fully staged performance of Treemonisha in 1972, a joint production by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Morehouse College Music Department, is credited as the first fully staged production.  Subsequent productions have often featured different composers and librettists to fashion their offerings.  In 2023, Opera Theatre of St. Louis performed an adaptation with orchestration by composer Damian Sneed and libretto modifications by Karen Chilton. WNO’s production is a second adaptation by composer Sneed, expanded to include additional Joplin music, with dialogue and additional lyrics by Ken Bass.  Joplin’s libretto has received some criticism, but I rather liked the libretto in several of the songs and wished I had a copy of the libretto that WNO used.

Treemonisha’s adoptive parents, Ned (Kevin Short) and Monisha (Tichina Vaughn). Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

The plot, set in the late nineteenth century and designed to deliver Joplin’s messages, revolves around Treemonisha, who was discovered as a baby, under a tree, by Monisha.  Monisha and her husband, Ned, chose to take her in and raise her as their own.  They worked to have their daughter taught reading and writing by a white woman.  Treemonisha becomes a teacher in their black community, but encounters attacks from the conjurers, a group promoting superstitions and magical beliefs.  She is abducted by Zodzetrick and his band of conjurers who plan to punish her with torture.  She is rescued by Remus who has been sweet on her for some time.  Her community plans to punish the conjurers they have captured, but Treemonisha pleads for forgiveness and unity instead. The community accedes to her wishes, and she is recruited by both the women and the men of her village to be their leader. 

Treemonisha (Viviana Goodwin) and her beau Remus (Justin Austin). Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Be seated, it’s time for a personal testimony to help you understand why this opera resonated so strongly with me, despite weaknesses that I don’t want to mention (a story lightweight in terms of dramatic force for opera and pleasing music that might have been even richer had the composer been given the encouragement of a chance to try it).  I grew up in Columbus, Georgia, in the sixties and seventies with my adoptive parents who were economically poor.  My parents insisted that I study hard.  It seems like my dad told me a hundred times to get my education; he would say, “It’s the only thing they can’t take away from you.”  My mother had the strong moral purpose. As a result, I graduated from high school, college, and obtained a PhD.  I also grew up with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of peace, love, and nonviolent resistance to oppression, which resonated strongly with me in those days, and still does.  My response to Treemonisha is shaded by my personal history.

Let’s talk about this performance of Treemonisha and how its surfeit of talent made it work so well, beginning with the director, Denyce Graves.  You may know her for her career as an international star mezzo-soprano.  She began directing opera in 2022 with Minnesota Opera, and Treemonisha is her seventh opera in that role.  For her direction of Virginia Opera’s Loving v. Virginia in 2025, I reported that “…this is one of the best organized performances of an opera that I have seen; early on I thought the action had a Broadway show vibrancy”.  The same is true of this production.  I would also add that the talented performers imbued almost every scene with sparkle.  Director Graves had a rather large cast to move around, especially on the stage for Lisner Auditorium, smallish for a fully staged opera and made every aspect of the performance work for both storytelling and entertainment.

Treemonisha (Viviana Goodwin) is threatened by Zodzetrick (Jonathan Pierce Rhodes). Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

When I first sat down, I was surprised to see the stage framed by an eye-catching façade, which seemed more appropriate for a children’s opera.  Yet somehow, the proscenium—bright with a colorful floral pattern—suited the production perfectly, framing what unfolded like a joyful adult fairy tale.  Little more was added to the set than a few props and a decorated cutout of a large tree, and one for a partial view of an unpainted, small frame house.  The move from the Kennedy Center Opera House to the somewhat smaller Lisner Auditorium stage and orchestra pit undoubtedly placed some limitations on the staging.  The creative team made it work; it’s worth noting that WNO’s first performance seventy years ago was in Lisner Auditorium. 

The set was designed by Lawrence E. Moten III, who must be a genius.  Kudos also for the contribution of Lighting Designer Jason Lynch whose changes in lighting complemented the changes in scenes.  Special kudos also to Costume Designer Lynly A. Saunders, whose brightly colored costumes seemed to foretell a happy ending, and Choreographer Eboni Adams, whose dance creations were a performance highlight. 

Cast photo of the joyful dancers in Washington National Opera’s Treemonisha. Photo by Elman Studio; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

I counted fourteen named performers for this production, and all but one are veterans of WNO productions.  This was a talented cast overall, and the performers seemed to relish putting on a show that night; it was infectious.  The role of Treemonisha was sung by soprano Viviana Goodwin, a Cafritz Young Artist whom I have previously praised for her vocals as Clara in WNO’s Porgy and Bess.  She has a beautiful, expressive voice and was an excellent choice for the role.  Very likable, her vocals in the more lyrical numbers were emotionally charged and pretty.  The lone newbie for WNO was mezzo-soprano Tichina Vaughn who has performed in major opera houses around the world.  She was enjoyable both in her vocals and in her portrayal of a caring mother.  Her revelation of Treemonisha’s naming was a highlight.  Treemonisha’s love interest and rescuer was Remus, played by tenor Justin Austin whom I saw in a WNO American Opera Initiative production in 2021; he has gone on to a stellar career in opera houses across the country.  Distinguished singer Kevin Short played Ned, demonstrating his attention-garnering bass-baritone voice, which I have enjoyed on many occasions.  He appeared several times with both the Washington National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.  The would-be scene stealer was tenor Jonathan Pierce Rhodes who played Zodzetrick.  He sang well, giving us an amusing and then threatening leader of the conjurers.  He has appeared as a Cafritz Young Artist in several WNO productions; he is a promising young singer who seems born for the stage.  All artists on the stage were part of the fine chorus for this production and were a strong point of the performance.

The Washington National Opera Orchestra for this production was led by distinguished Conductor Kedrick Armstrong, Music Director for the Oakland Symphony, in his WNO debut.  The mix of ragtime rhythms with classical opera-style music, adding a bit of spiritual vibes and a barbershop quartet element, was pleasingly played by the ensemble.  Added on stage was Composer Damien Sneed playing piano, a treat, and another treat was banjo player par excellence DeAnte Haggerty-Willis, who started things off with a lively tune, so ingratiating I wished he had been featured more.  The music in the first half of the opera was different and pleasant, though not exceptional.  The second half upped the ante musically, much more interesting with some excellent arias.  Overall, composer Sneed’s orchestrations beautifully captured Joplin’s music.

Treemonisha, a truly American opera, was presented in a fun and joyful fashion, fully conveying Scott Joplin’s uplifting and inspiring messages, still and more than ever, very much needed in today’s America.  Composer Joplin was ahead of his time in presenting a young woman as a leader, and I think he foreshadowed the inspiring and hopeful messages of Dr. King.  This was a splendid team effort that launched Washington National Opera’s next chapter with great success.

The Fan Experience: Washington National Opera scheduled performances of Treemonisha on March 7, 8, and 15 in Lisner Auditorium.  The opera is sung in English with English supertitles shown on a screen overhead.  The opera lasted about two hours with one fifteen-minute intermission.  A pre-opera talk is given one hour before the performance.

Washington National Opera will continue the second season with an American opera lineup celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with March performances of The Crucible in Lisner Auditorium and West Side Story in May to be performed in both the Lyric Baltimore and the Music Center at Strathmore. 

In my experience, all the seats in Lisner Auditorium are fine for viewing the performance, but the sound is probably better towards the center of the auditorium.  The seats in Lisner Auditorium were relatively recently upgraded with more legroom for the orchestra section and more comfort for all.  However, be aware, the side terrace seats continue to have very limited legroom.  Parking on the street around the auditorium is catch as catch can; be sure to read the signs! There is a pay parking lot on H Street across from Lisner. Beverages for sale are offered at bars upstairs and downstairs.

Opera Baltimore's Lucrezia Borgia: Excellent Performance, A Special Experience

Opera Baltimore has been filling the opera void in Baltimore for 17 years this month.  It has grown from its beginning as Baltimore Concert Opera to its present format of presenting both staged and concert operas.  Its concert operas are held in the Engineers Club in Mount Vernon.  I first learned of and wrote about Baltimore Concert Opera in 2016 and attended my first opera there in 2017.  I became a fan.  Opera Baltimore, especially in their performances in the Engineers Club, makes opera fun – a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, palatial-in-appointments, a small-in-size concert ballroom, beverages that can be consumed at your seats, and opera sung live, only a few feet from the audience!  It is a very special experience which explains why I have been attending and reporting on this company’s performances ever since my first visit.  My attendance for Wednesday night’s excellent and fun semi-staged performance of Donizetti’s Lucretia Borgia started with a special feeling.  I felt like I had been away for a while and was returning home.

Caitlin Crabill as Lucrezia Borgia. Photo by Bart Debicki; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Composer Gaetano Donizetti and librettist Felice Romani’s Lucrezia Borgia premiered in 1833.  The opera is produced much less often than Donizetti’s more famous bel canto operas, such as Lucia di Lammermoor and L’elisir d’amore.   I kept thinking that Shakespeare must have inspired this opera – so many people die- but the story is based on an eponymous play by Victor Hugo.  Beyond the fact that Lucrezia Borgia was a real person in a powerful family during the Renaissance, the plots of the play and the opera are fiction and do the woman a disservice, just as the film “Amadeus” unjustly impugned Salieri.  Historical records portray the real Lucrezia Borgia as a capable administrator who became a patron of the arts.  She became a subject of controversy because she was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI, and he was rumored to have engaged her in an incestuous relationship.  Reports of her villainy as a murderer who favored poisons were made up to slander her and the family, and then became fodder for sensational rumors and storytelling.  Hugo’s play about love, honor, and karmic villainy gave Donizetti and Romani the idea for a dramatic opera showing a character capable of both great villainy and great love.  No big deal today, but then, it was scandalous, and the creators had to joust with the censors.

Lucrezia (Caitlin Crabill) is confronted by Orsini (Megan Marino) as Gennaro (Hayden Smith) stands by. Photo by Bart Debicki; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

The plot is worth relating, beginning with the prologue: (spoilers now) a young man, an honorable warrior captain named Gennaro, sleeps while his friends continue to party.  A woman comes upon him who clearly has strong feelings for him.  He awakes, and seeing her kind face, feels a deep attachment to her.  She does not reveal who she is.  His friends return and reveal she is the villainous, hated Lucretia Borgia.  She leaves as Gennaro stands vexed.  Act I: A few days later, back at her husband, the duke’s palace, she is demanding that he put to death whoever had defaced the family name on the palace, turning BORGIA into ORGIA, meaning orgy in Italian.  He, knowing of the time she has spent with the perpetrator and suspecting he is a love interest, readily agrees.  When she is told that the villain is Gennaro, she tries emphatically to retract her request, but the duke only lets her choose the method of execution (starting to sound like “Game of Thrones”?).  She chooses poison over the sword, but then secretly slips the young man an antidote, telling him to flee, which he does.  Act II: Gennaro’s young friends have been partying in a palace room and Lucrezia had them served poisoned wine.  She has the room sealed off and declares that five will die.  Gennaro has also had the wine and steps forward saying it will be six as he chooses to die with his friends; he refuses her offer of the remainder of the antidote.  Lucrezia reveals to him she is his mother just before he dies and he accepts her embrace; then she dies, grief-stricken.  Yet, for all its outrageousness, I enjoyed this opera.  Shakespeare would have been proud, and Turandot would have claimed a sister.  My son once told me that, only in opera do we get love stories about mass murderers.  Or in modern terminology, it’s complicated.

Lucrezia (Caitlin Crabill) pleads with her husband, the duke (Samuel Weiser), for Gennaro’s life. Photo by Bart Debicki; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

The story benefits greatly from Donizetti being at the height of his creative powers.  Lucrezia came after L’elisir D’amore and before Lucia di Lammermoor.  It contains his beautiful melodies and gorgeous bel canto vocals, and acting challenged by the tense drama presented.  For this concert version, the singing was accompanied by piano played expertly by pianist and conductor Husan Chun-Novak.  The semi-staging, mainly directing interactions by the characters and adding a few props, was well conceived by stage director and dramaturg Mary Elizabeth Williams.  For concert opera, the plot’s visual cues from the setting and action are omitted, so I read the synopsis before attending; the details in the story can be better made when fully acted, and I missed some in this performance, such as whether the ending of Lucrezia’s life foretold in her ending vocal was real or metaphorical. 

Lucrezia (Caitlin Crabill) reveals the truth to Gennaro (Hayden Smith). Photo by Bart Debicki; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Whether the message of human complexity, that even a villain can be a loving mother, is better served by fully staged or concert opera, let’s keep in mind that the focus of concert opera is the voice.  Relieved of detailed acting needs, the singers can concentrate more on their vocals, though in the semi-staged versions, they sing from memory without the score on stands in front of them.  Here is an element of the fun part provided by Opera Baltimore:  the singing was really good!  For Lucrezia, there are four principal roles, and OB filled them with four excellent singers.  The role of Lucretia is considered a star vehicle for a soprano, and OB’s choice soprano, Caitlin Crabill, did not disappoint.  She is an accomplished young artist whose trajectory is ascending; she has already appeared with several regional opera companies, including a role in OB’s Maria Stuarda last year.  Her approach to the role emphasized the dramatic and emotional richness of her singing rather than frequent bel canto embellishments.  One of her arias near the end displayed the most fireworks vocally, and she delivered it beautifully.  It was an affecting performance overall. 

Conductor and Pianist Husan Chun-Novak. Photo by Bart Debicki; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Gennaro was played by tenor Hayden Smith.  The quality of his voice pleasantly surprised me.  He was a Studio Artist with Wolf Trap Opera and has appeared in several regional productions to this point.  He gave a performance that was pleasing throughout, with passionate singing and a compelling portrayal of Lucrezia’s perplexed son.  Samuel Weiser, who sang the role of the duke, has been praised for his stentorian bass-baritone voice, including by me, for his portrayal of Leporello in last season’s Don Giovanni from Annapolis Opera; he also spent three seasons as a Cafritz Young Artist with Washington National Opera.  He sang well and gave us a regally confident duke imposing his punishment on his wife.  The singer who sang the role of Orsini, Gennaro’s closest friend and ally, a pants role was mezzo-soprano Megan Marino.  Again, it was a sit-up-and-take-notice performance from her entrance down the aisle, singing all the way.  Her singing and the quality of her voice were impressive.  I took special note of the smoothness of her singing in her lower register.  Her portrayal was so convincing it took me a few minutes to decide if the long hair was signaling a female in the role. 

A cast photo in the royal concert ballroom of the Engineers Club. Photo by Bart Debicki; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Opera Baltimore’s group of principal performers was remarkably talented.  They were aided and abetted by a talented supporting cast, including Zinnia Frank, Timothy Kjer, Norwood Robinson, Benjamin Ross, and Peter Juengs, who all added to the quality of the performance, especially the pleasing vocals.  The opera also benefited noticeably from a fifteen-member chorus that sang beautifully.

My bottom line – This performance was lifted by extraordinary singers.  I liked it and would enjoy seeing and hearing this performance again.  I am now also interested in seeing a fully staged version of Lucrezia Borgia, which had little interest for me before Wednesday night.  Opera Baltimore wants their concert opera performances to be a gateway drug.

Opera Baltimore’s President and General Director Julia Cooke. Photo by Bart Debicki; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Baltimore Opera’s bottom line, from President and General Director Julia Cooke in her program notes: “To gather for live music, to choose beauty and emotional honesty, is not indulgence: it is affirmation.”

The Fan Experience: Performances of Lucrezia Borgia were scheduled for March 4, 6, and 8 in the Engineers Club.  The opera was sung in Italian with supertitles shown on a screen overhead.  The opera lasted about an two hours and a half, including a fifteen-minute intermission.

Dr. Aaron Ziegel, OB’s Scholar-in-Residence, provides a pre-opera talk one hour before each performance.  He also provides three or four one-hour, highly informative Zoom classes called Opera Insight for ticket holders on each upcoming opera, which are later posted on YouTube.  These not only discuss the opera to be presented but also offer a deeper dive into opera itself.  In the series for Lucrezia Borgia, I especially enjoyed hearing his explanation of Donizetti’s use of double arias. 

Opera Baltimore has one more opera this season, another concert opera in the Engineers Club.  Pelléas et Mélisande is scheduled for April 22, 24, and 26.  Their website, operabaltimore.org, is very detailed with useful information for planning your visit, including parking options.  The open bar serves a variety of beers and cocktails, which can be taken into the theater.  I don’t usually have alcoholic beverages when attending operas I will report on, but for this opera, I would have recommended they offer a cocktail named Poisonous Wine. 

Also on the website, check out the large range of community outreach programs that OB offers for Baltimore and the large number of other opera-related offerings, such as Thirsty Thursdays.  A relatively new program that caught my eye was their Generation Opera program, whereby you sponsor a student to attend an opera, and they will be seated next to you at the performance. 

Pittsburgh Opera's Time to Act: An Opera for the Age

When you hear the names Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, and others, what feelings do you experience?  I feel sadness, fear, anger, and helplessness, even though I have never been closer to a school mass shooting than TV coverage has taken me.  My time in school was finished long before shooter alert drills became a thing.  What must students feel today, those who have been in a mass shooting, but also most students, who in today’s environment feel and are at risk, required to perform practice shooter alert drills?  Time to Act, premiered by Pittsburgh Opera on Saturday night, addresses these issues and feelings, not from a political point of view but from the perspective of their emotional and psychological impact.  Filled with trepidation about attending an opera on this topic, I was, nevertheless, strongly drawn to its currency and bravery, and the feeling of being in good hands with its creators, composer Laura Kaminsky and Director Crystal Manich.

A traumatized Alona (Timothi Williams) acts the role of Antigone in Time to Act, a Pittsburgh Opera premiere. Photo by David Bachman Photography; courtesy of Pittsburgh Opera.

The setting for Time to Act is a high school classroom where the drama club meets.  The students and their teacher are in the early stages of planning a performance of Sophocles’ Antigone, in which Antigone is sentenced to death by King Creon for giving her brother’s body a burial, denied by the king, who labeled her brother a traitor.  Alona, a new student at the school is added to the class.  She mostly keeps to herself and, after being provoked by a school active shooter drill and an aggressive student, reveals to the class a life-altering secret.  The class members react to the news and must come to terms with her secret and the powerful feelings it has unleashed.  They perform Antigone their way, as the arts provide a way to move forward.

left: Yazid Gray as drama teacher Robin Grace. right: Erik Norstrom as Ty, an injured football player. Photos by David Bachman Photography; courtesy of Pittsburgh Opera.

Time to Act is a new chamber opera by Laura Kaminsky, whose Act One is the most frequently performed contemporary opera.  The director of the production is Crystal Manich; this is her eleventh gig as director for a PO opera production.  She is also the librettist, and Time to Act is her first libretto.  The idea for the opera came from Kostis Protopapas, an alumnus of Boston Conservatory and then artistic director of Opera Santa Barbara. In 2018, following the Parkland tragedy, he contacted director Manich to suggest she develop an opera based on the impressive activism of the surviving students and then brought her and composer Kaminsky together.  The opera percolated over the intervening years with input from other sources and feedback from a pre-opera walk-through with students of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. 

The class caretaker, Bailey (Shannon Crowley), starts the class with a hand clapping routine. Photo by David Bachman Photography; courtesy of Pittsburgh Opera.

Librettist/director Manich makes the point that the story is unusual in its focus on children and the issues they confront today.  I found this to be a compelling element of Time to Act’s appeal.  The story is powerful, embracing rather than hiding from its life-altering impacts and offering the arts as a path for understanding, healing, and regaining strength and direction…and influencing the future - a comment that went by quickly in the libretto was ‘Can a book stop a bullet’..  The use of hand and chest clapping, accompanied by music to bring the group together and engage each with the drama to be presented, was effective and worked well with the nature of composer Kaminsky’s music.  That said, the story as written seemed a little bumpy and not entirely convincing.  Ty, as a stereotypical, shallow jock protagonist, seemed too superficial for the leader archetype, making it difficult to readily accept his sensitivity to the secret he bore; his conversion at the end to gain a hopeful and more satisfying ending for the drama was not entirely convincing.  I wished the story had been more about Alona and her catharsis and resurgence; she was the more interesting and engaging (and likable) character.  Admittedly, Time to Act was a little preachy, but it was also highly compelling drama; my attention was engaged the entire hour and forty-five minutes. 

José (Logan Wagner) performs for the teacher and class. Photo by David Bachman Photography; courtesy of Pittsburgh Opera.

The cast was anchored by the excellent baritone Yazid Gray, a former Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist himself, who played the adult in the room, the drama teacher.  He both sang well and acted convincingly in centering and drawing the students into the play by eliciting their feelings when they say the words, a very appealing character.  I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Gray in productions by Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and Maryland Lyric Opera; he is a talented performer.  Each student evidenced a distinctive personality and viewpoint (different archetypes in composer Kaminsky’s terms, alluding to Greek tragedies).  Ty, the school football captain with the injured arm, was played by baritone Erik Nordstrom.  In his second season with the Resident Artists, he has performed in several roles for PO, including the principal role of Angelotti in Tosca, this season’s opener.  He sang well in Time to Act and made the character distinctive, if difficult to like, a singer with a bright future ahead.  One of my favorite performances came from tenor Logan Wagner, who sang the role of José, a romantic dedicated to acting, who liked to rewrite the words; he was very convincing in his acting and had a good chance to show off his beautiful voice.  Soprano Shannon Crowley sang and played Bailey, the spirited caretaker in the group, in charming fashion.  Mezzo-soprano Timothi Williams, the only principal singer not associated with the Resident Artist program, sang the role of Alona with a stage commanding presence.  She sang well, adding impact to the drama brought by a character with a damaged personality.  She has a lovely, highly pleasing voice.  This performance should win her starring roles in the future.

Alona (Timothi Williams) at last confronts the provocative Ty (Erik Nordstron). Photo by David Bachman Photography; courtesy of Pittsburgh Opera.

Composer Laura Kaminsky specializes in chamber works, often addressing social issues.  Her highly acclaimed Act One is about a male transitioning to a female, and its orchestra is a string quartet.  Her music for a Time to Act was performed impressively by six players on seven instruments, including violin, cello, bass, clarinet, saxophone, percussion, and piano.  The music can be described as contemporary jazz fusion, melodic, tonal, and dissonant.  The ensemble coordinated well with the action on stage, led by conductor Michael Sakir.  The music was highly varied to support different characters and scenes, with a frequent and strong use of percussion to accentuate emotions.  The music had a raw, elemental nature, serving well an opera where characters are pushed to their limits. This was not Mozart’s music, but one might ask, ‘Would Mozart’s music fit this scenario?’. The five principal singers were joined on stage by an eight-member chorus playing high school students.  Led by chorus master Mark Trawka, the chorus singing was some of the most beautiful in the opera. 

The staging was simple and effective, a classroom with expected features, a blackboard, a few desks, shelves to hold student backpacks, a box for collecting cell phones, and a disturbing PA system announcing the shooter alert practice.  The student costumes were appropriate for high school students; kudos to scenic and costume designer Lindsay Fuori.  Nothing more was needed, which should encourage other companies to perform it.  I hope it gets performed a lot, soon.

Bailey (Shannon Crowley), Alona (Timothi Williams), José (Logan Wagner), and Ty (Erik Nordstrom) perform Antigone their way. Photo by David Bachman Photography; courtesy of Pittsburgh Opera.

Time to Act was good opera and spellbinding theater, highly compelling in reflecting what is happening today, allowing us to briefly walk in the shoes of those most directly affected.  That’s what opera should do, and the performance of Time to Act was highly affecting.  It is how opera and the arts do more than entertain.  Performances bring us together and help us see and feel what others are experiencing, especially needed in divisive times and tragic times.  Kudos to composer Kaminsky, librettist/director Manich, and the Pittsburgh Opera for bravely going there.  Librettist/director Manich has said she hopes the times change, and Time to Act becomes a relic, losing its relevance, while its message of the healing power of the arts endures.  Yes, let’s hope this work is only an opera for the age and not an opera for the ages.

Bottom line - I was glad I had made the four-hour drive from Virginia to see it.

The Fan Experience: Pittsburgh Opera scheduled performances of Time to Act for February 28, March 3, 6, and 8.  Due to strong ticket demand, a fifth performance has also been scheduled for March 9.  The opera is sung in English with English supertitles shown on a screen above.  The opera lasted about an hour and forty-five minutes without an intermission.  Time to Act was co-commissioned by Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Montana, and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, with additional funding from Opera Santa Barbara; future performances in their venues are anticipated. 

Performances of Time to Act take place in the Bitz Opera Factory at 2425 Liberty Avenue, with a seating capacity of about 200.  Seating is cozy and tiered, giving good views of the stage.  The Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra performs in a balcony behind the stage.  Refreshments are available in the lobby.

Pittsburgh Opera’s 2025-2026 season has one production remaining, Verdi’s Falstaff on April 28, May 1 and 3, in the much larger Benedum Center.

I have not seen but am aware of one other opera that deals with the aftermath of a school shooting, Kaija Saariaho’s highly regarded Innocence, which will receive performances in April at the Met Opera. Sadly, performances in theaters as part of Met Opera’s Live in HD series have not been scheduled.

Virginia Opera's Intelligence: Excellent in Music, Singing, and Story...Almost There

This recent opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer had great music, great performances, and a blockbuster story told cleverly, with an impactful bottom line…impressive, so close to being a great opera. In fact, two of the later scenes of the second act were great opera.  This was such a rich story; I struggle to explain why I came away feeling that it fell just short of greatness. As I think more about the performance, I can’t escape the feeling that it wasn’t as affecting as it could have been.  Let me report and try to explain.

Mary Jane Bowser (Jacqueline Echols McCarley), slave, Civil War spy, can read, write, do math, and remember everything. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

The composer and librettist of Intelligence are two of the most revered opera luminaries working today, already with lists of successes to their names.  Virginia Opera has recently produced several excellent modern operas with connections to the Commonwealth.  Fellow Travelers in 2023 comes immediately to mind, as does 2022’s production of Three Decembers by Heggie and Scheer, and then 2025’s world premiere of Loving v. Virginia.  In just the second production of Intelligence, Virginia Opera brought the opera from Texas to Virginia, where the story takes place, after premiering with Houston Grand Opera in 2023.  I caught the final performance of this opera’s run in Fairfax on Sunday afternoon, after it previously played in Norfolk and Richmond, the actual city of the story.  I had posted a preview of this Richmond spy story in January. 

Elizabeth (Ashley Dixon), leader of the spy ring, and her protege, Mary Jane (Jacqueline Echols McCarley), face fear together. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

(This report does have spoilers.) The opera’s plot tells an amazing story of a Richmond pro-Union white woman, Elizabeth Van Lew, and her black slave, Mary Jane Bowser, who worked together at great risk to their lives during the Civil War to provide crucial intelligence to General Sherman, hastening the end of the war.  The Van Lews were a wealthy, prominent family in Virginia.  Their slave Mary Jane had received special treatment since birth; she had been baptized and married in the Lew’s white church, was sent north to be educated, and sent to spend time in Africa.  She could read, write and do math, key elements for spying, and she could remember everything.  Her blackness and slave status provided cover for her skills – the white officials and soldiers assumed she lacked the intelligence to read and write, and easily ignored her as she worked as a maid in the Jefferson Davis home.  History tells us that Elizabeth and Mary Jane, owner and slave, were real spies, who worked together during the Civil War, though the story of their relationship in the opera is historical fiction.  Three other characters in the opera are in the history books, Mary Jane’s husband Wilson, a slave runner for the spy network, Henry, the slave butler in the Jefferson mansion, and Callie, Elizabeth’s sister-in-law living with her.  Completely fictional characters in the plot were Travis, an amoral Confederate Home Guard trying to catch the spies, and Lucinda, a ghost/spirit whom only Mary Jane could see.  A trio of dancers were also important to connecting Mary Jane to her ancestry.

Confederate House Guard Travis (Craig Irvin) meets Callie (Maureen McKay), Elizabeth’s sister-in-law. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

VO assembled a cast for this production to make Virginia proud.  Outstanding soprano Mary Jane Bowser was played by Jacqueline Echols McCarley.  She has performed with Washington National Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Metropolitan Opera, among others (if you are googling her, the use of her married last name in cast listings is recent).  Listening to her sing was amazing, like watching Tom Brady play football, a consummate professional with outstanding skills; her voice has a beautiful timbre, and every word sung seemed to carry its own color.  Mezzo-soprano Ashley Dixon gave a portrayal of Elizabeth Van Lew that was tone perfect in singing and acting.  She has also appeared with established opera companies across the US, and interestingly for this production, she was the cover for Elizabeth in the Houston Grand Opera performance of Intelligence.  Young mezzo-soprano Cierra Byrd played Lucinda with such splendor vocally and acting, it was hard to believe she is a recent graduate of the Met Opera Young Artist Development Program; she also covered the role for HGO.  Soprano Maureen McKay, who is headed to the Met Opera to play Papagena, was also excellent singing and acting in the role of Callie. 

Baritone Craig Irvin, also an established veteran in opera houses across the country, played Travis, giving us the villain and oppressor we love to hate in painfully convincing style, accentuated by well-sung threatening vocals.  Bass Kevin Thompson played the love struck butler Henry with a powerful, expressive bass voice.  Tenor Edward Graves sang two lovely arias as Mary Jane’s husband Wilson.  He also was a cover for the role with HGO.  In non-singing roles, dancers Noelani Corey-Bar, Amaya Weston, and Christine C. Wyatt (who was also the choreographer) added beauty and drama to the performance.

Mary Jane (Jacqueline Echols McCarley) confronts her heritage with Lucinda (Cierra Byrd) and dancers Noelani Corey-Barr, Amaya Weston, and Christine C. Wyatt. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

Guess which opera won best opera recording at this year’s Grammy Awards.  Yep, Jake Heggie’s Intelligence.  It was deserved.  The music was atmospheric in support of the scene, musically interesting, and inventive, with a minimal use of dissonance to reveal unspoken elements in a scene, and a score I immediately wanted to hear again.  This was a score where the percussion section got a workout, highly rhythmic and changing, with different sections of the orchestra taking lead, violins, woodwinds, and even a piano.  The music incorporated several styles, including classic opera, jazz, and blues.  Mr. Heggie’s music was beautifully played and well done, accompanying and embellishing the vocals.  Kudos to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Brandon Eldredge.

Wilson (Edward Graves) as Mary Jane’s husband and spy runner. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

Because of smaller stages of the venues used by the Virginia Opera, the staging of the opera had to be changed substantially.  Veteran Director Kyle Lang, who has directed eleven operas for VO did another fine job with the flow of Intelligence on stage. The design was impressionistic and effective with a large oak tree projected onto a scrim in the back and windows hanging down to indicate a house, with side panels moving in and out to add other features.  The costumes by Costume Coordinator Pat Seyller and Wig and Make-up Designer Elysse Mesick were quite good, effectively placing the characters in their roles.  The least effective staging was the fire scene; it was not clear what was happening and the urgency of getting critical intelligence to the field got lost.

Butler Henry (Kevin Thompson) reads to Mary Jane (Jacqueline Echols McCarley) who claims to be illiterate. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

With all that, what did I find wanting that affected my overall assessment?  Even though several highly dramatic scenes were presented in Act 1, I was mainly engaged intellectually. Perhaps because there was so much to tell in a short time.  As I expected, the spy story in Act 1 also gave attention to Mary Jane’s need to know more about where she came from and who she was as she was confronted by a ghost from the past, a theme that exploded in Act 2 and landed with the greatest impact.  The importance of the women’s efforts to win the Civil War seemed to fade quickly in Act 2.  Travis, the Confederate soldier and symbol of oppression, added little to the spy tension, more feared for the guy he was, including his unrestrained lechery for Mary Jane. Subplots abounded. Did we really need Edward the butler pursuing his love interest with Mary Jane, especially in the death scene? Just me perhaps, but I thought the spy story and its dangers were diluted too much. Act 2 was much more engaging.

The confrontation between Elizabeth (Ashley Dixon) and Mary Jane (Jacqueline Echols McCarley) with Lucinda (Cierra Byrd) standing by. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

Big spoilers lie ahead. Go back if you want to see the story afresh.

On the other hand, let me address the two scenes I found great. I thought one of the last scenes could win a Tony award.  Callie discovers the dead Travis with a partially dug grave outside by the old oak tree.  She struggles, on her knees, by the grave, whether to support the South by revealing what has happened or to cover it up by finishing burying Travis to avoid what the scandal would do to her family.  At the same time, unknown to her, Elizabeth stands close by, pointing a pistol at her, torn between protecting the cause or her brother’s wife.  Both sing repeatedly, “If I do this, I will be chained to you forever”, to music that sounds like the pleasing melodies we take home with us from the best musicals and operas.  Oh, I longed for more of that, so clear, and with the music, so little spoken while so much was said.

The final scene was also outstanding.  Mary Jane learns her truth.  Elizabeth has lied to her.  Her relationship with Elizabeth is broken, and Mary Jane plans to move on.  She sings to Elizabeth with passion the most important message in the opera: “You don’t control my story now”.  This was powerful, crucial to understanding race relations as human relations – it is human to want to control your own story.  Don’t tread on me.  I demand my inalienable rights.  Let freedom ring for all.  It is what the appeal of America is about, is it not?  It is the essence of being human, is it not?

Kudos to all involved in this production, and kudos to Virginia Opera for their gift to the Commonwealth!  We learned about two meanings of intelligence.  We learned about the importance of secrets in war and secrets in our personal lives.  And we were entertained while we learned.  Not bad for an afternoon, hey?

The Fan Experience: Virginia Opera scheduled performances of Intelligence for Norfolk, January 30, February 1; Richmond, February 6, 8; and Fairfax, February 14, 15.  The opera lasted around three hours including one intermission.  It was sung in English with projected English subtitles. As of this posting, the online program for Intelligence can be accessed at https://dpb-web.instantencore.com/program/50512/virginia-operabriintellig/page/278875/home?cid=5206347.

Virginia Opera’s next production will be Aida, to be performed in Norfolk on March 13, 15 and in Richmond on March 20, 22.  OV’s website states that the expense of moving Aida to another location was prohibitive, so this production will not travel to Fairfax.  I would also add that to ensure that future productions do appear in Fairfax, increased attendance and generous donations would help.

Opera Philadelphia's Complications in Sue: A Night at the Opera (but different) to Remember

In its 50th anniversary season, Director Anthony Roth Costanzo calls this Opera Philadelphia season ‘opera, but different’.  One of the many remarkable things about Opera Philadelphia’s world premiere of the thoroughly engrossing Complications in Sue was the rapport between audience and performers.  I felt the performers were excelling in response to the enthusiastic audience throughout.  The many deer-in-the-headlights moments experienced by the audience seeing themselves, or at least their friends, in this drama, were soothed by the wrap-it-in-humor strategy and by the embrace from the performers in a, if we are honest, we’ve-all-been-there storyline.  It was as though the audience kept saying yes! to the chaos (complications) presented on stage.  This may have been enhanced by an opening night crowd that surely included many friends and family members of the performers and by the younger audience makeup due to OP’s second season of ‘name your own price’ ticketing.  Regardless, this was a night at the opera (but different) to remember.

Sue (Justin Vivian Bond) is welcomed to life by Death (Rehanna Thelwell). Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Complications in Sue is different in many ways, most strikingly, it is composed of ten eight-minute scenes organized by the decades of Sue’s life and complications ensue.  This is a thoroughly modern opera with references to life today – Christmas by Amazon, TV news, smartphone addiction, and more.  The brilliant libretto for the complete story was written by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Michael J. Jackson, who had contacted Costanzo wanting to expand into opera – a librettist new to opera.  It gets even more different; each scene has a different composer.  Let me repeat that, each of the ten scenes has a different composer, who was only given the libretto for their scene and a summary of the opera to work with.  The many different characters in the scenes were played by just four opera singers and cabaret star Vivian Julian Bond who came up with the idea for this opera and appears in all scenes as Sue.  To be performed in OP’s 50th anniversary season, the opera was created over a single year, enough time for the composers to write their eight minutes of music.  The list of distinguished composers, in order, includes Errolyn Wallen, Missy Mazzoli, Andy Akiho, Nathalie Joachim, Dan Schlosberg, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Alastair Coleman, Kamala Sankaram, Rene Orth, and Nico Muly.

In scene 2, Mrs. Claus (Kiera Duffy) presses the case for ten-year-old Sue with Santa (Nicholas Newton). Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Somehow, the ten eight-minute pieces of music worked as a whole, perhaps because the music must, in each scene, project and reflect a Sue changed by time.  The Opera Philadelphia Orchestra, under the direction of Caren Levine, in her OP debut, played beautifully.  The music from ten different composers was seamlessly integrated with the singing and stage-action, a remarkable achievement.  I enjoyed the music of each composer and thought each did an impressive job of enlivening the story onstage, adding color and unspoken emotion.  I remember especially liking the music in scene 3 (Andy Akiho), but that was seven composers ago, and now I can’t recall it well enough to explain why.  Wish I could hear them all again.  Justin Vivian Bond as Sue was the connecting thread of the storyline for all ten scenes.  There was nothing I noticed in the score that musically related the continuing elements of Sue, such as a common leitmotif for Sue, used by all, that a single composer might have done.

Co-Ed 1 (Kiera Duffy), twenty-something Sue (Justin Vivian Bond), and Co-Ed 2 (Nicky Spence). Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

In scene 1, Death sings to baby Sue that ‘life is full of wonder/life is full of woe’.  I thought Sue’s story provided a counterpoint to the film “The Life of Chuck”, which centers on moments in life that make it worthwhile, amid the chaos.  Sue’s scenes made me wonder what happened, exactly, and what it means about Sue, and about my life.  CIS shows us that while we change, we carry our previous selves with us.  The point is made that ten-year-old Sue still lives in almost 100-year-old Sue; the parts that are true, who we really are, don’t change.  We see complications on the outside and inside of Sue, but mostly missing is the Sue I wanted to know better, the one we glimpsed who was excited by Christmas and believed in Santa Claus.  I came away feeling that we had gotten together and talked about someone we know who had passed away. The real Sue came across as buried at an early age, while the one trying to find or avoid herself made it to 99.  I know an opera was good when I am still thinking about it for days afterward.

The uplifting message was brought home by Sue’s performer, who was given a few minutes to speak as Justin Vivian Bond.  Bond had some choice words for the country’s leaders and government officials, gender-phobes, and others of like small-mindedness, eliciting a vote of appreciation from the audience, though I would have preferred that the opera stay opera at this point.  Bond ended by saying that, in life, look deep inside, find out who you are, and live that life; I can cheer the sentiment.  This interlude, with Bond speaking as Bond, was unusual for opera, breaking the fourth wall.  It will be interesting to see how other companies perform this opera and what happens to this segment.  Bond’s magnetic stage presence and costumes often made her the center of attention, making the opera somewhat about the famous cabaret performer.  I believe Complications in Sue can stand on its own without this novel interlude, or perhaps let Mr. Jackson’s Sue speak in the interlude, revealing more about her life.

A newscaster (Rehanna Thelwell) reports from inside Sue’s imagination. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

CIS was also different in having two directors, Raja Feather Kelly and Zack Winokur.  The staging was fluid and affecting, with no hint in the action that suggested more than one director was at work.  There were also two costume designers, JW Anderson for Bond, and Victoria Bek for the remainder of the cast.  The work of both was well done, audacious for the cabaret star and enhancing and supportive of the drama and entertainment being provided.  Sue began with simple, effective sets by Krit Robinson, and in later scenes, added a set of frames that allowed Yuki Link to apply creative lighting with special effects.  Overall, a highly effective staging.

Fifty-something Sue (Justin Vivian Bond) is confronted by her algorithm. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The stellar cast also included four additional outstanding singer/actors – well known to OP fans were soprano Kiera Duffy, mezzo-soprano Rihanna Thelwell, bass-baritone Nicholas Newton, and newcomer, British tenor Nicky Spence.  Thelwell was unable to sing for this performance; from the side of the stage, cover singer mezzo-soprano Imara Miles sang her parts beautifully, while Thelwell performed the role onstage.  The two came across largely as one.  This was a challenging opera, I would think, for all the singer/actors.  Each played three different roles and all played Death.  Singing vocals written by so many composers must have been difficult to master for a single opera.  I also noted that lines were often repeated multiple times for effect and impact; getting the inflections right required extraordinary talent.  Each performer/performance was simply outstanding.  The fact that an opera of this complexity could be created and performed at this level in a year’s time is nothing short of miraculous.

Death (l to r, Nicky Spence, Kiera Duffy), Rehanna Thelwell, and Nicholas Newton) confronts Sue (Justin Vivian Bond) for one last time. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

My bottom line: Complications in Sue was fun at the opera, and a cause for reflection.  Opera is always an enormously collaborative enterprise, including composer, librettist, singers, musicians, supernumeraries, director, and more, but OP has pushed the limits in sponsoring an opera that has ten composers!  It was reported that the opera would not be finished until opening night.  In only his second year as General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia, Anthony Roth Costanzo’s contract has been renewed.  He thus has received a vote of confidence for setting this new direction for Opera Philadelphia.  Clearly, OP’s audience loves him, and he is returning that love with increased attendance and enthusiasm.  In Sue, he and the team he assembled gave us a night at the opera (but different) to remember.

The Fan Experience: Opera Philadelphia scheduled performances for February 4, 5, 6, and 8 in the Academy of Music.  The opera was sung in English with supertitles in English shown overhead the stage.  The performance lasted an hour and a half with no intermission.

Virginia Opera Brings Intelligence to Virginia: Conductor Turner Talks About the Music and More

Virginia Opera is readying its production of Intelligence (Norfolk, January 30, February 1; Richmond, February 6, 8; and Fairfax, February 14, 15); this will be only the second production of this opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer.  This team collaborated on five previous full-length operas, including Moby-Dick and Three Decembers, as well as many shorter works and songs.  Mr. Heggie’s opera Dead Man Walking, with librettist Terence McNally, is arguably the most popular contemporary opera.  They are considered leaders in their fields today.  Intelligence also has another hook for Virginians besides the stature of its creators – it is based on a true story that happened in Richmond during the Civil War, a tale about spies inspired by real events, women spies who formed a team, one a wealthy white woman and the other was her black slave; what happened, you say?  The opera premiered with Houston Grand Opera in 2023 and has been nominated for best opera recording for the 2026 Grammy Awards.  Intelligence was a success with both audiences and critics, who considered it a significant new American opera.

Ashley Dixon as Elizabeth Van Lew and Jacqueline Echols McCarley as Mary Jane Bowser as Civil War spies in Virginia Opera’s production of Intelligence. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

The storyline about the bravery and under-appreciated intelligence of a wealthy, white, union-favoring owner and her educated, black, union-favoring slave, operating an intelligence gathering ring in the capital of the Confederacy, is certainly compelling, and there is another side to this story that might hit even harder than the dangerous intelligence gathering espionage.  However, this is an opera, so what about the music?  Who better to ask than Virginia Opera’s Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Adam Turner, so I arranged to call him, and ever gracious, he took the time to chat.  I offered some questions to help focus the discussion.

Adam Turner, currently in his eighth season as Artistic Director & Chief Conductor of Virginia Opera (following four seasons as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor),

What makes you decide to attend a new opera?  What questions are you considering when you attend?

 Artistic Director Turner said he was always scouting for new stories and performers he might bring to Virginia audiences. He is also especially interested in having Virginia Opera produce operas with connections to Virginia, either storyline, composers, or performers.  He had received a grant from Opera America’s New Works Exploration Fund which provided travel funds, so he started checking around for what might have promise.  He saw that Houston Grand Opera was presenting a new opera titled Intelligence in 2023.  The story sounded interesting, and the composer and librettist were friends whose work he greatly admires, having performed many of their works and worked in a workshop with the team.  He had selected Three Decembers for performances in Virginia in 2024.  He knew that attending Intelligence would put him in good hands.  When he found out that this Civil War story took place in Richmond, he said to himself, why Texas?!  This opera should be performed in Richmond he thought, one of Virginia Opera’s three performance venues.  Okay, but what about the music?

What was your first impression of the music in Intelligence?

Maestro Turner said that once he heard the music, he became excited to perform it.  He prepared to hear Intelligence by asking his friends, Jake and Gene, for a copy of the score and libretto; then, he played as much as he could on the piano before attending.  He felt at the time that this was one of the team’s best works, and being a Virginia story, he felt it needed to be presented in Virginia. He said that he is most impressed with the use of harmony and use of rhythmic patterns in Heggie’s music.  He had loved the music in Heggie’s Three Decembers, which VO performed in 2022 (I agree).  He says the music in Intelligence is melodramatic, with strategic use of dissonance, and melodies that became earworms for him, difficult to shut off when he went home at night.  Sometimes the music is reminiscent of musical theater.  When I mentioned that I had enjoyed the arias in Heggie’s Dead Man Walking that had more of a New Orleans blues sound and wished for more, he said Intelligence was Heggie’s bluesiest opera yet.

He said that while operatic, it is also frequently cinematic in its use of music.  He noted that the cinematic element of the score for Intelligence was perhaps especially exemplified in the music played during scene changes.  He also stated that in a sense the score included a percussion concerto, providing rhythms for African dance and interesting sounds throughout, adding an eerie mood to some scenes.  “Percussion instruments used throughout the score include Timpani, Crotales, Chimes Xylophone, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Congas, Tom-toms, Tamtam, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Hi-Hat, Suspended Cymbal, Crash Cymbal, Tambourine, Claves, Anvil, Slapstick, Triangle. There are several effects indicated throughout the score which add to the eeriness of certain moments – brushed cymbals or brushed Tamtam evoking a haunting “swish” sound, cymbals played with hard and soft mallets, bowed Vibraphone, etc.”  Something I will look forward to hearing.

Jacqueline Echols McCarley as Mary Jane Bowser and Cierra Byrd as Lucinda, with dancers Noelani Corey-Barr, Amaya Weston, and Christine C. Wyatt. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

If you heard a work that you didn’t know, would something make your think it might be Heggie?

He said that Heggie’s composing voice had a catchy quality to it that it made it easy for him to identify the composer’s work.  He used an example of two other composers, “Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Sondheim in Conversation – JRB sent a melody (no harmony or tempo/style indication provided) to SS who re-harmonized the piece by Brown; in the concert JRB played his original harmonization first, then Sondheim played his ‘re-harmonization’ after Brown, and it sounded more like Sondheim’s music.  (This entire exchange can be heard on the Jason Robert Brown/Stephen Sondheim Live in Concert album - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCUeumgAjb8). The whole point of this exchange implies that much of a composer’s ‘voice’ can be identified by harmony and rhythm”. 

Did the singers find it easy or difficult to make the vocals theirs?

Conductor Turner said that Heggie was very attuned to voice and composed vocals in a way that allowed leeway for interpretation.  His singers had risen to the occasion.  His role was to tailor the musical expression to fit the singer’s voices.  Some of the singers were familiar with the music because they had served as covers in the previous production: mezzo-soprano Ashley Dixon covered the role of Elizabeth Van Lew for HGO; tenor Edward Graves covered the role of Wilson.

What changes are made for VO’s production?

 Maestro Turner said that there are no musical changes to the score for VO’s production and only a couple of words for the libretto.  He said there would be around 40-50 players for this production, only slightly fewer strings than used in the Houston production.  

He added that “the Houston Grand Opera’s stage is larger than VO’s venues.  A completely different production (scenic design, costume design, staging, and choreography) would be needed.  VO veteran director Kyle Lang came on board for this production, his 11th VO opera.  Adam also sought out scenic designer Steven C. Kemp to contribute, who did such an excellent job for him with VO’s production of Carmen.  Mr. Lang (the director) also has dance experience useful for this production which has an important element of dance. The dance is being choreographed by Christine Wyatt, a DMV based choreographer, performer.”

How was Intelligence received in its first performance?

“Very well.  Enthusiastically, there was frequent spontaneous applause, for the dancers as well as the singers.  The story offered high drama.  It pulled at the heartstrings.  The action was fast and exciting. The music was romantic and lyrical.” That’s good enough for this blogger to look forward to attending. 

I’d also like to add a closing note on that other thing, the one that might hit harder (ok, here is a hint: it involves the relationship between the two women, owner and slave).  I listened to VO’s virtual book club discussion about the primary source for the opera’s storyline; to use Virginia Opera’s own words: “Southern Lady, Yankee Spy: The True Story of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Union Agent in the Heart of the Confederacy by Elizabeth R. Varon, a riveting account of a remarkable Richmond woman who built a covert pro-Union intelligence network during the Civil War”.  Author Varon was in attendance and so was librettist Gene Scheer who used these characters to create the storyline in Intelligence.  Author Varon, a professor of history at UVA, offered many interesting details about her book, its time, and events in the lives of the real two women after the war.  Librettist Scheer added a perspective that was also enlightening.  He stated that his goal was not necessarily to have the libretto report what happened accurately but to get the feelings right! History doesn’t record the feelings.  He used a term I loved: he said that he and Jake were “emotional archeologists”. 

So, when we attend Intelligence, we shouldn’t expect to just see and hear what these emotional archeologists have excavated, but importantly, look forward to experiencing it.

The Fan Experience: Virginia Opera has scheduled performances of Intelligence for Norfolk, January 30, February 1; Richmond, February 6, 8; and Fairfax, February 14, 15.  The opera lasts around two hours and is sung in English with English subtitles with one intermission.

If you are interested in a deeper dive, there are several online programs you might access:  

“Let’s Talk Opera: Intelligence“by Joshua Borths - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCF27UTcGvI

OV’s Virtual Book Club discussion on Southern Lady, Yankee Spy -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUtuuGTzyuk

Recording of the opera music and singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1utN36wufg&list=OLAK5uy_nY4Y21iyKlAVpsoBDVuODnFqRbmPjP_h4

Opera Philadelphia's The Seasons: Earth to Mankind, Come In

The Seasons is the sort of thing that can happen when talented and creative people get together and have a shared interest.  The group will expand as a vision and its needs materialize and come into focus, in this case, the production of a new baroque opera focused on the weather.  The assembled team is extraordinary. Let’s take a look at the opening credits in the program book for The Seasons (my comments in parentheses):

Music by Antonio Vivaldi (a draftee by the creative group, remember the 1700s, though Vivaldi came to praise the seasons, not to bury them)

Based on “The Four Seasons” with additional arias and ensembles by Vivaldi (the opera runs an hour longer than Vivaldi’s famous four violin concertos that include Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter)

Libretto by Sarah Ruhl (also a poet, playwright, and essayist)

Co-conceived by Anthony Roth Costanzo (performer for the first time while also general director/president of Opera Philadelphia) and Sarah Ruhl in collaboration with Pam Tanowitz (choreographer) and Zack Winokur (director)

Developed by SCENE and AMOK

The Cosmic Weatherman (John Mburu) warns of seasons out of order. Photo by Steve Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

 Then, the contributor list goes on (before I get to the singer-actors in the opera):

 Conductor – Corrado Rovaris

Music Director: Stephen Stub

Musical advisor: Grant Herreid

Dance Rehearsal Director – Mark Crousillat

Costume Designer – Carlos Soto

Co-costume Designer – Victoria Bek

Co-set Designer – Jack Forman

Co-set Designer – Mimi Lien

Lighting Designer – John Torres

The Poet (Anthony Roth Costanzo) sings in light snow and a backdrop of mountains made of soap. Photo by Steve Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

 Well, what has this team wrought, and does it work in performance?  First, let’s set the stage, there are five characters gathered at a farm to let the weather and nature spark their creativity, and an additional five dancers, plus an orchestra and children’s chorus – it is an opera constructed of existing Vivaldi music and arias with a modern story and new words (and includes some clever, environmentally friendly special effects).  The plan is disrupted as the seasons appear out of order and are marked with weather extremes, as The Cosmic Weatherman foretells in the prologue.  The vision is grand and timely, the relationship between people and the weather.

 The Poet – Anthony Roth Costanzo

The Farmer – Abigail Raiford

The Cosmic Weatherman – John Mburu

The Performing Artist – Whitney Morrison

Painter - Kangmin Justin Kim

The Choreographer – Megan Moore

Dancers:  Maggie Cloud, Mark Crousillat, Taylor Labruzzo, Brian Lawson, Stephanie Terasaki, Anson Zwingelberg

(l to r) Dancers Taylor LaBruzzo, Maggie Cloud, Brian Lawson, Anson Zwingleberg, Stephanie Terasaki, and Marc Crousillat. Photo by Steve Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

While both the words and music are critical to an opera’s success, my personal favorite is the music.  If the music is great, I can forgive a lot.  Vivaldi’s music is great.  Though best known for his musical compositions, he also wrote what is estimated to be over 40 operas, not often performed today and many lost to history.  I have enjoyed “The Four Seasons” for most of my life, simply as a good listen with lively and beautiful music.  In preparing for this opera, I discovered that the music was composed to reflect sonnets written for each season, perhaps by Vivaldi himself.  Vivaldi was trying something relatively new, attaching human sensorial impact to orchestral music, to hear his music and feel a connection to the weather.  As OP’s The Seasons is chamber-sized, the Perelman Theater was selected as the venue, whose pit was filled with twenty members of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Maestro Corrado Rovaris.  The music seemed played to perfection, fully displaying the beauty of Vivaldi’s music and arias while adding emotion to scenes on stage without distracting from the action on stage or competing with the singing.  Kudos to solo violinist Max Tan for excellent playing, and librettist Ruhl is to be cheered for making her story and words fit so well with Vivaldi’s music. 

Flutist/dancer Emi Ferguson and The Painter (Kangmin Justin Kim) above a fallen Poet (Anthony Roth Costanzo). Photo by Steve Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

If you like baroque music and melisma in your arias, this opera is for you.  OP assembled an outstanding group of singers for this production, led by world superstar countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo.  Several of his arias were breathtakingly beautiful as Vivaldi’s vocal works provide a perfect showcase for the arresting emotional presence that is conveyed by his extraordinary voice.  He is also an accomplished actor and stage presence who gave a convincing portrait of a troubled poet who falls for The Painter, played by talented countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim, who sang well as he yields to his feelings and a hot relationship with the poet.  There were many comic touches in the opera, with soprano Abigail Raiford’s farmer making a salad while recording a video for Instagram being a hilarious highlight; her voice and singing were also highlights.  While these characters in Ruhl’s words were more attentive to the weather inside them than outside them, The Performer, played by soprano Whitney Morrison, had a clear-eyed view of the changing seasons (“What the hell is it doing snowing in summer!”).  She sang beautifully, expressing anger and fear, imploring the others to join her on the watercraft she had put together from garbage.  Perhaps the most sympathetic character was The Choreographer, played by mezzo-soprano Megan Moore, who was not yet ready to commit to a relationship with the Farmer because of a recent breakup.  She sang well with affecting emotion and became a special point of sadness.

left - The Performance Artist (Whitney Morrison). right - The Farmer (Abigail Raiford). Photo by Steve Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The Cosmic Weatherman, sung by bass-baritone John Mburu, appeared at the beginning, several times during the opera, and at the end to proclaim the dangerous period that climate change had brought upon the world and exhorting his listeners to fight, leaving no doubt about the message this opera wished to convey.  A ray of hope among losses was offered at the end when the Commonwealth Youth Choir sang an ensemble piece by Vivaldi beautifully under Program Director/Conductor Dominique DeSilva.

The dance element, enriching the opera with its portrayal of the weather events, was one of its most enjoyable aspects.  The synchronized ballet and individual performances were in the right mood, flowed smoothly with grace and pinpoint execution, and were visually beautiful.  The opera featured an outstanding flute solo by Emi Ferguson while dancing on stage with the dancers.  It took me awhile to believe that a dancer was the flutist playing the piece with such beautiful execution.  Her performance was mesmerizing and joyous. 

The Choreographer (Megan Moore) surrounded by dancers. Photo by Steve Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The staging of the opera used simple sets, with a screen in the rear, and dropdowns overhead, illuminating place and mood by use of special effects of lighting, projections, and snowflakes and bubbles, used effectively for the most part, slightly distracting at times - large soap bubbles.  Co-creator Costanzo worked with Jack Forman, an MIT doctoral student in materials science, to have special effects that were environmentally friendly and safe for the players on stage, such as making snow showers from soap.  The lighting and projections were used effectively to portray the seasons gone wrong.  My favorite was the icicles that hung from strings about the stage in different moving patterns, particularly as an adornment for Costanzo’s soulful singing.  When the opera premiered at Boston Lyric Opera in March, technical issues prevented many of the planned special effects from being employed.

l to r: The Farmer (Abigail Raiford) and The Choreographer (Megan Moore) during a fire. Photo by Steve Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The Seasons’ artistic entertainment was outstanding in most regards, and the opera can easily be recommended for those high points alone.  How well it delivered its message of preoccupation while outside disaster looms is open to question, and frankly, I struggled with this issue.  Director Winokur did a good job of structuring the opera’s flow and employing the special effects.  Seasons and their weather patterns are a challenge to portray on stage, even with the help of Vivaldi’s music and the dancing.  The director and libretto did an excellent job describing the weather inside and outside the characters, but for me, less well in portraying the emotional connection between the two.  The weather was already disjointed as the characters appeared, not something new; we didn’t get a chance to feel their connection to nature and its healing effects.  If one reads the synopsis, the weather events were there that should have emphasized the threat that was building, a weather change evoking a lover’s quarrel and a winter storm raising survival as an issue.  There were a lot of weather events, perhaps too many, packed into the last third of the opera that perhaps needed more dramatic development.  Also, in the libretto much more was explained than I could take in watching and listening with so much going on, music, singing, acting, and special effects as multiple weather events exerted themselves.  Viewing this, for whatever reasons, I was more concerned with what was happening to the characters in the moment than experiencing a sense of loss and impending doom; the emotional center of the opera was the weather inside, for me.  

The Seasons was a pleasure to attend, and I definitely would not want to have missed this extraordinary assembly of talent. I’m not sure that viewing the opera will awaken many from what librettist Ruhl describes as their helpless numbness when confronting climate change.  My wife disagrees, and the Cosmic Weatherman did his best to raise consciousness – and I hope I’m wrong.  Personally, I went home feeling highly entertained by the great music, singing, dancing, and compelling individual stories as well as the atmospheric snowflakes and bubbles. But perhaps, my sense of doom over the future arising from global warming was already substantial, and my sense of helplessness too strong for the Cosmic Weatherman alone to penetrate.

The Fan Experience: Performances of The Seasons were scheduled for December 19, 20, and 21 in the Perelman Theater and were sold out.  The opera was sung in English, Italian, and Latin with supertitles in English.  The opera lasted a little over two hours, including a 20-minute intermission.  A pre-opera discussion was held one hour prior to performance with Lily Kass and guest Jack Forman.

Next up for Opera Philadelphia is the world premiere of Complications in Sue on February 4, 5, 6, and 8. Pick your price ticketing as low as $11 for any seat remains in effect this season.

Washington National Opera's The Marriage of Figaro: Both Sweet and Good for You

An all-star cast, a new music director, and a returning stage director gave us Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte’s The Marriage of Figaro (1786, Le Nozze di Figaro) in full measure.  Washington National Opera’s production, running through November 22, provides everything you might want from classic opera buffa.  The expression on my face changed with the drama on the stage, but the smile in my heart began with the first notes of the overture and lasted through the standing ovation at the end.  Entertaining, rewarding, enriching, this one checked all the boxes, classic opera at its best, art that entertains and embeds itself in your heart!  Kudos to WNO’s Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, General Director Timothy O’Leary, and everyone involved for bringing this treasure to DC in such fine fashion.

The betrothed couple, Susanna (Joélle Harvey) and Figaro (Le Bu). Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Mozart and Da Ponte collaborated to produce three operas, all still popular today: in addition to Figaro, Don Giovanni (1787), and Così fan tutte (1789).  As was the case with all their collaborations, there is more afoot than comedy; the social change rippling through society at that time was also a target of the operas.  The ruling class at the time didn’t take well to such themes in performance art, and such works faced roadblocks in getting to the stage.  In the pre-opera talk by Ken Weiss, Principal Music Coach of the Cafritz Young Artist Program, he pointed out that by making Spain its setting, instead of Vienna where it was first performed, and modifying Beaumarchais language from the play (The Mad Day, or The Marriage of Figaro) that the opera is based on, allowed Figaro to get past the censors and the emperor.  There is another famous opera(s) based on a Beaumarchais play, The Barber of Seville, containing many of the same characters at an earlier time.

Cherubino (John Holiday) and Countess Almaviva (Rosa Feola) share a moment. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

In Figaro, the wooing of Rosina by Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville is now past, and the Count has been messing around; Countess Rosina is distraught.  Count Almaviva now desires to bed Susanna, his wife’s servant, supposedly justified by droit du seigneur (right of the lord).  Figaro, servant of the Count and Susanna’s husband to be, joins forces with his betrothed, the Countess, and a love-struck page, Cherubino, to outwit the Count.  Dr. Bartolo, whom had tried to keep Rosina for himself in the earlier chapter, and Marcellina, his housekeeper, are part of a sub-plot, with Don Basilio, Don Curzio, Barbarina, and Antonio all making appearances.  Plots and subplots are begun and go astray, and hilarious surprises abound in classical opera buffa style, which is to say, in classical commedia dell’arte style.  Regardless, it was an excellent plot device for Beaumarchais to make the point quite clearly that nobility had more control over their subjects, even their bodies, than should be granted; this was a controversy roiling aristocracies of the continent at that time.  It allows Da Ponte and Mozart to bring us to the conclusion that both rulers and subjects are flawed human beings and that love conquers all, with the only path forward being to ask for and give forgiveness and move on.  Due to the exceptional likability of the music and the themes of human susceptibility to transgression, the recurring need for forgiveness, and the righting power of love, we continue to embrace The Marriage of Figaro.

l to r: Count Almaviva (Will Liverman), plots with Marcellina (Elizabeth Bishop), Don Basilio (Rodell Rosel), and Dr. Bartolo (Sir Williard White). Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Did I mention the all-star cast?  Figaro has four leading roles, seven substantial supporting roles, and a chorus.  The word for this cast overall is stellar.  Lyric soprano Joélle Harvey proved to be a perfect Susanna, in both singing and acting.  She has a beautiful voice, sings expertly, and is a charmer on stage.  This was her first appearance with WNO; she was a late addition to the cast when the previously scheduled soprano had to withdraw.  Ms. Harvey has previously garnered high praise for her Susanna at the Royal Opera Covent Garden and for her Pamina at the Met Opera.  The role of the Countess was sung to perfection by international superstar soprano Rosa Feola.  She sang with incredible feeling and beauty in a role that is the emotional center of the opera.  Her “Porgi, amor” mourning her husband’s infidelity was touching.  She and Ms. Harvey sang a drop-dead beautiful “Sull’aria”, an all time favorite of mine.  Ms. Feola, who has starred at both the Met Opera and La Scala, appeared as Juliette for WNO in 2023.  Bass-baritone Le Bu, who is relatively new to leading roles in staged opera, impressed from his first appearance on stage with a strong, commanding voice; we appear to have a new major talent on our hands.  He gave us a more reactive than reflective Figaro but performed well overall.  He is in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera.  In 2022, he won the Met Opera Laffont Competition and in 2024, won the prestigious worldwide Operalia competition.  The Count was played by baritone Will Liverman, well known to opera fans in DC, Philadelphia, and NYC.  He sang beautifully, giving us a determined, angry Count when foiled, then displayed a more appealing range of emotions in the second half of the opera. 

Susanna (Joélle Harvey) emerges as the surprise noise maker in the closet while the Count (Will Liverman) and Countess (Rosa Feola) are poised for action. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

A surprise casting by Washington National Opera for the role of the young, hormone-driven Cherubino was one of the reasons I was looking forward to attending this performance.  Mozart wrote this part for a mezzo-soprano in a pants role, a woman playing a man’s role.  Instead, WNO cast highly regarded countertenor John Holiday, who has the tessitura to sing the role.  He has a beautiful voice and sings with precision.  Mr. Holiday was funny, effective, and consistently excellent in the part, and I enjoyed him as adding a novel element, though I still prefer it as a pants role, at least if it is not Mr. Holiday.  The remaining performers in supporting roles also have impressive biographies.  Bass-baritone Sir Williard White and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop not only sang well but were a rather charming pair in addition to being amusing.  Tenor Rodell Rosel as teacher Don Basilio was a genuine hoot as the focal point of humor.  Soprano Lauren Carroll, a Cafritz Young Artist, as Barbarina, tenor Hakeem Henderson, a Cafritz Young Artist, as Don Curzio, and bass Kevin Thompson as Antonio, all contributed substantially to the performance.  Mozart is a master at composing ensemble singing.  Figaro at times includes not only duets and trios but ensembles of 4 to 7 singers.  This cast, with their tight singing, performed the ensembles in a highly enjoyable fashion. 

Susanna (Joélle Harvey) and Countess Almaviva (Rosa Feola) prepare Cherubino (John Holiday) to appear as a woman. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

This performance was Robert Spano’s first as confirmed Music Director for WNO, though not his first as conductor.  Under his direction, the Washington National Opera performed Mozart’s score beautifully.  In terms of volume, coordination with the singers, and emphasis, I enjoyed every minute and never felt anything was askew.  I enjoyed the WNO chorus led by Steven Gathman which mainly stayed in the background for this performance.

Director Peter Kazaras also directed this production staged by WNO in 2016.  The set, at times, was impressive, with columns and lighting; kudos to set designer Benoit Dugardyn and lighting designer A. J. Guban.  The colorful period costumes by Myung Hee Cho were delightful, adding to the production’s charm.  The flow of the four-act opera, changing sets with the action, supposedly completed on just one day, was well done by Director Kazaras.  The were many small touches that conveyed the humor and the emotions.  I might have liked the Count’s contrition to be a little more effectively presented.  The changes made from the 2016 production were well considered.

An ensemble number sung by Susanna (Joélle Harvey), Figaro (Le Bu), Marcellina (Elizabeth Bishop), Dr. Bartolo (Sir Willard White), Antonio (Kevin Thompson), Barbarina (Lauren Carroll), and Cherubino (John Holiday). Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

I will add some of my text from a previous report on this opera: “The old saying is that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely; power has been corrupting mankind since Adam and Eve.  Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, however, also saw that human beings are capable of magnanimity, reform, redemption, and plain silliness, as well as corruption, but most importantly, they understood that the healing grace is love.  The team’s profound insight that human goodness is a work in progress, coupled with their keen sense of humor, provided us with stories in which we can see and laugh at ourselves.  Color those stories with Mozart’s ability to write music of great beauty and charm that fully illuminates the human heart, and classics emerge, beloved in every age.” 

There are several works of performance art besides opera that I watch over and over.  With the holidays approaching, I think of “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart, which also tugs at my heartstrings every time I watch it.  Live opera is a little different; no two performances are the same.  By attending an opera repeatedly, one hopes each time that the team will get it right, so it can be enjoyed as expected or in a new way, while enjoying what new performers bring to the roles.  WNO’s 2025 production of The Marriage of Figaro provides just what we want, great music, great singing, and a performance that enlightens and touches the heart.

The Fan Experience: Washington National Opera scheduled performances of The Marriage of Figaro for November 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22.  Cafritz Young Artists performed all roles for the November 15 performance. Performances are sung in Italian with English supertitles shown over the stage.  The performance lasted about 3 hours and 15 minutes with a 25-minute intermission.  Pre-opera talks are given in the Opera House one hour before performances. 

The digital program book The Marriage of Figaro is online and can be accessed at this link.  Soprano Yaritza Vélez is listed in the program as Susanna.  However, she had to withdraw and the role, as noted above, is played by soprano Joélle Harvey. 

As a heads up, WNO’s new 20 minute operas of the American Opera Initiative frequently sell out. Get your tickets for January 24 early.  WNO will perform the family opera The Little Prince on Dec 12-14, Tremonisha March 12-22, The Crucible March 19-29, and an operatic version of West Side Story on May 8-23.

Kennedy Center parking is typically plentiful, with rates around $25 per day, with a small discount for Kennedy Center members when reserved ahead of the day.  The Metro to Foggy Bottom and the free red Kennedy Center buses, running from there to the Kennedy Center every 15 minutes, are an excellent option.  There is an advantage in arriving a bit early.  KC frequently has multiple performances on its different stages overlapping, which can create traffic jams and sometimes security checks when VIPs attend.

There are snack stands in the main lobby, and on the Terrace level, the KC Café offers food cafeteria-style at moderate prices; fine dining is available on the Terrace level in the Roof Terrace Restaurant; a discount is available to KC members.  Food and drinks except water are not allowed inside the opera house, but you can purchase reusable capped containers with your drinks that you can take inside. Take the container back with you on your next KC visit to get a discount on your drink.

Annapolis Opera's Don Giovanni: Small Scale, Large Impact

Since the World Series finished the day before I attended Annapolis Opera’s Don Giovanni, I will say upfront that this small opera company won the game with a team effort, displaying excellence all around.  Don Giovanni, first performed in 1787, remains one of the ten most often performed operas in the world.  It is large in many regards – in terms of the number of principal soloists, orchestra size, and sets for frequent scene changes; it is a mainstay of large opera houses.  Yet, the beauty of its music, vocals, and insights into human society and personal challenges, also lead to frequent productions by smaller companies.  It is high entertainment that also teaches us something about ourselves.  In fact, I contend that AO’s smaller scale, well-crafted staging kept a focus on the story’s messages that can be obscured by elaborate sets and staging, a staging that might seduce us the way that the character Don Giovanni would.  Big has its advantages, but big is not necessarily better, or as reflective of real life. 

The spirit of the Commendatore (Benjamin Sieverding) arrives to give Don Giovanni (Efrain Solis) one last chance to repent, while his servant Leporello (Samuel Weiser) hides behind chairs. Photo by Caroline Sykes; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte collaborated on three operas, all of which are popular classics.  In addition to Don Giovanni, there are The Marriage of Figaro (1786) and Così fan tutte (1790).  There might have been more, but Da Ponte lost his position and salary at court and left town, and Mozart died in 1791 at the age of 35.  The social commentary in their operas was edgy for the times and drew contentious scrutiny by the censors.  Giovanni is a rich nobleman who presents himself with deceptive charm to take advantage of women and men; Figaro centers on a servant who outwits his ruler, and Così displays young women who change partners rather easily.  Giovanni is based on the Spanish legendary, fictional character, the wealthy Don Juan, whose calling in life was to romance and seduce women without regard to propriety or morality.  The disarming, affluent, amoral aristocrat Don Giovanni sees men and women as being there for his pleasure and manipulation without regard to their feelings or well-being.  In my younger days, he would have been called smooth-talking, someone to keep an eye on, someone who makes you keep your hand on your wallet. 

Don Giovanni (Efrain Solis) calls on Leporello (Samuel Weiser) for assistance. Photo by Caroline Sykes; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

The story begins with him being too forceful in the seduction of Donna Anna and then his killing of her father, who comes to her defense.  Throughout, Donna Elvira, a previous seductee, tries to call him to account for his actions and protect others from him.  At the same time, Giovanni continues his pursuit of one woman after another with the aid of his servant and enabler for hire, Leporello.  He attempts to seduce young Zerlina at her wedding party, drawing the ire of her new husband Masetto.  Finally, the spirit of the dead father, the Commendatore, appears to offer him a last chance at redemption.  Don Giovanni is unrepentant and meets his fate.

Now, let’s talk about the fun stuff.  Mozart’s exquisitely beautiful music in Don Giovanni is filled with melodies that are chart toppers among opera’s greatest hits.  His music constantly reflects and supports the actions and emotions displayed on stage.  Annapolis Opera’s Artistic Director and Conductor Craig Kier led the 24-piece Annapolis Symphony in fine fashion in terms of pace, emphasis, and timing with the singers.  I greatly appreciated his decision to play the marvelous overture without silent action occurring on stage, allowing the music to be enjoyed without distraction.  Just listening to this Annapolis Symphony’s playing of the music from Don Giovanni would be an excellent evening’s entertainment.  The Annapolis Opera Chorus, under the direction of Chorus Master Joann Kulesza, added more delight. 

Leporello (Samuel Wieser) shows Donna Elvira (Johanna Will) a list of women that Don Giovanni has made love to. Photo by Caroline Sykes; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

The next pleasing aspect of this performance was the talented cast of eight soloists.  One of the most enjoyable and notable parts of any Mozart opera is the ensemble numbers, ranging from duets to the entire cast; for me, he and Rossini stand out in this category.  Sometimes I feel that Mozart is just showing off.  This excellent cast delivered them well.  Don Giovanni was played by baritone Efrain Solis, who has previously performed with AO, as well as Virginia Opera and Washington Concert Opera; one reviewer praised his premiere at the Metropolitan Opera this year as “sensational”.  He has a powerful, attractive voice, and sings with apparent ease.  He conveyed both Don Giovanni’s charm and vileness.  His servant and sidekick, Leporello, sung by bass-baritone Samuel Weiser, whose voice has been correctly described as stentorian; he can bring the boom when needed, but also delivered some mean patter singing in this role.  He displayed a character that was both ingratiating as he counseled Donna Elvira about the Don’s more than two thousand other lovers and was off-putting with his ‘if the price is right, I’ll look the other way’ attitude.  In this production, the final scene of the original performance was deleted, as is often done, a scene where several of the characters gather briefly to moralize that Giovanni got what was coming to him.  Personally, I like this change; the point had already been clearly made.

Don Octavio (Charles Calotta), Donna Anna (Sofia Scattarreggia), and Donna Elvira (Johanna Will) arrive wearing masks at the party. Photo by Caroline Sykes; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

A highlight of Don Giovanni is the arias given by Mozart to a trio of women that Giovanni beds or attempts to, Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina.  Donna Anna, who wants to avenge her father’s death, was played by Sofia Scattarreggia, an Italian American soprano living in Spain.  My impression on hearing her in the opening of Act 1 was that, though she sang well, her voice might be light for this role; however, her gorgeous singing in Act 2 of “Non mi dir, bell’idol mio”, where she pleads for understanding from her fiancé Don Octavio, won me over completely.  Soprano Johanna Will portrayed Donna Elvira.  She wields her attention-commanding voice with emotion and finesse.  She sang Donna Elvira’s signature aria, "Mi tradì quell'alma ingrata", in Act 2 when she expresses her conflicted feelings for Giovanni with grace and beauty.  Soprano Sara LeMesh played the role of Zerlina with the coquettish charm one might expect a young bride to have. That, combined with the prettiness of her voice and her dexterity in high registers, made her singing of “Vedrai, carino” in Act 2 a special delight, where she offers her love as a pain reliever to a battered Masetto.

There are three more guys to mention: Don Octavio, Masetto, and the Commendatore.  Tenor Charles Calotta sang the role of Octavio.  My first thought was that with a golden tenor voice this bright and powerful, Mr. Calotta has a great career ahead of him.  He displayed convincingly his love and concern for Donna Anna in his beautiful and tender rendition of “Dalla sua pace” in Act 1.  Baritone Brandon Bell sings well and had the stature to portray Zerlina’s young, jealous hothead of a husband with a tender side.  His singing of “Ho capito! Signor, sì” where he has to capitulate to Giovanni while filled with jealous anger, had the correct comic touch.  Benjamin Sieverding was not especially notable in the opening sequence where he is dispatched, but his return as a talking statue of himself was impressive.  He commanded the stage in his statue scene with his presence and singing of his invitation to Don Giovanni to dine with him; it gave one shivers.

Don Giovanni (Efrain Solis) is confronted by Don Octavio (Charles Calotta) while in between, Masetto (Brandon Bell), Donna Anna (Sofia Scattarregia), and Donna Anna (Johanna Will) look on. Photo by Caroline Sykes; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

Ah yes, the staging.  The set is limited for this production, mainly consisting of wall panels that appear as stone walls with side entrances and exits.  Some additional distinguishing features are added to help convey the setting, such as the party scene and an effective use of lighting, especially in the final scene.  The 18th-century costumes were spectacular, but I thought we needed to grade the sets on a curve since the stage at Maryland Hall is small, and AO likely does not have a large budget for staging.  Director Stephanie Havey did a good job of moving the characters about as needed, and there were a lot of scene changes. The swordplay, with added gunshots, worked well enough.  However, about halfway through Act 1, I realized that the sets and staging were working.  I was getting caught up in the action and the drama.  I cared about these people, each with their unique challenges.  I think the key element was the smooth flow of the story in this staging that emphasized the storytelling and not special effects or peripheral issues.  The set for the last scene was striking and effectively designed with the statue that speaks confronting Don Giovanni. Well done to Director Havey, Lighting Designer Christopher Brusberg, Scenic Designer Steven C. Kemp, Wardrobe Supervisor Sharlene Clinton, Wig/Make-up Designer Priscilla Bruce, and Fight Director Casey Kaleba. 

Newlyweds, Zerlina (Sara LeMesh) and Masetto (Brandon bell) at their wedding party. Photo by Caroline Sykes; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

As I reflected on this opera now, I remember a comment I made in my report on a previous version I saw years ago: “… presenting the Don Juan story in the #MeToo era makes it extremely timely, as does its first use of the element of horror in opera, so prevalent in today’s movies and TV shows.”  Well, #MeToo has matured, but the issues haven’t disappeared, and smooth-talking charlatans with power over others are still around.  These characters have their charm and appeal, which makes us vulnerable.  In her insightful program note, Director Harvey discusses Giovanni’s ability to “lull his victims into a sense of safety so they willingly surrender” and how by creating chaos “…he draws desires and aggression out of those around him and creates confusion that dislocates a social hierarchy.  Through diversion and chaos, he slips through the fingers of his enemies.”  She discusses how three strong women are forced to confront their own issues of autonomy, and how, in defining moments, each character must decide where their allegiance lies, as do we all.

In addition to the beautiful singing and the gorgeous music, Annapolis Opera delivers the moral questions and lessons of Don Giovanni clearly, with large impact.

The Fan Experience: Performances of Don Giovanni were scheduled for October 31 and November 2.  The opera was sung in Italian with English supertitles shown on screens adjacent to the stage.  The opera with intermission lasted about 3.5 hours.  A pre-opera talk was given an hour prior to the performance.

Parking at Maryland Hall is free and plentiful but arrive early.  Parking is not ordered which can make arriving close to parking time a little anxiety producing in finding the empty spots.

Washington National Opera's Aida: Grand Opera Presented Grandly

This production of Aida is just as entertaining this time around as it was in 2017; you get a lot for your money in this one.  My problem with Aida is that nutrition matters to me, whether food or art.  In a late masterpiece, composer Giuseppe Verdi, at the height of his powers, offered a smorgasbord of delights in Aida, a French-style grand opera, complete with singing, acting, music, dancing, and storytelling, set in a fascinating time and exotic locale. Given all this, directors must decide the balance they want between the sweets and the protein, both are taste treats, one delights, and one sustains.  Each time I have viewed Aida, I come away buoyed by the delights, but a little unsatisfied.  Is that due to the opera itself or the choices made in its production?  I had the same reaction to this production of Aida when it was first offered by Washington National Opera in 2017.  That is my ongoing dilemma.  Most attendees will long remember the exciting, even thrilling, music and singing and pomp and pageantry offered, same as before, but a slight feeling of emptiness also carried forward for me each time, as if something was missing.  Three people are caught in tragic, life-altering circumstances: I feel that I should be weeping at the end, and I never was. 

Radamès (Adam Smith, on podium center) returns triumphant wtih solo dancers Jenelle Figgins and Dwayne Brown (left of center) in celebration. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Aida tells the story of Ethiopian princess Aida, a captive in the court of Egypt’s Pharaoh in ancient times. She is under the control of the pharaoh’s daughter, Princess Amneris.  Henceforth, I will refrain from making references to Egypt.  WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and the director for this production, which she adapted and set in more recent times, where two unidentified military dictatorships are at war.  There is no mention of Egypt, though both sides still pray to the ancient gods; it happens.  Back to our story, Aida and Amneris are both in love with Radamès, a young military officer who desires the glory of leading his country’s forces against the enemy from the other country; he thinks the emperor will then grant him his wish to marry Aida.  He gets the job and is successful, but his reward isn’t quite what he hoped for.  While Amneris tries her best to subdue Radamès’ love for Aida, Aida’s father Amonasro appears and hatches a plan for Aida and Radamés to run off to her country while the father’s country defeats the forces of Radamès’ country with info unsuspectingly revealed by Radamès.  Well, I won’t spoil the ending, but it just doesn’t work out for anybody.  Athough the WNO’s staging is effective in many ways, lost is the charm imparted by ancient Egypt, and for me, the staging lessens the impact of the tragedy.

Opening night photos: (left photo) Radamès (Adam Smith) andRa Aida (Jennifer Rowley); (right photo) Amneris (Raehann Bryce-Davis) hovers over Aida (Jennifer Rowley). Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Verdi’s first opera appeared in 1839.  More than twenty operas later, Aida was first performed in 1871; it was Verdi’s first collaboration with librettist Antonio Ghislanzoni, and the opera premiered in Egypt.  Based on Verdi’s indications, many expected him to retire at that point; perhaps even Verdi himself thought that.  Yet six years later, Otello was first performed, and six years after that, Falstaff.  At the time he composed Aida, he was a master of his craft, perhaps the grand master of his time.  For many years, Rigoletto, composed in 1851, was my favorite opera.  When I compare the music in Rigoletto to that in Aida, his later work appears more refined, more focused in its support of the unfolding drama on stage, less restrained by convention, and even more beautiful.  Under the direction of guest conductor Kwamé Ryan, the Washington National Opera Orchestra delivered Verdi’s music beautifully, in grand style.  From sections that highlight single instruments to various groupings, the full orchestra, the music helps to bring the story to life.  If for no other reason, attend Aida to hear the music in Aida and experience its magic. 

This production boasts other reasons, such as a talented cast of singers.  There were cast changes for different nights for the roles of Aida, Amneris, and Radamès.  I was unable to attend opening night, and I chose to attend one of the alternating performances that featured a different cast of principal singers.  My plan was partially thwarted because highly regarded tenor Robert Watson had taken ill, and tenor Adam Smith, who shared the performances, stepped in after appearing the previous night.  Mr. Smith is also highly regarded and drew praise for his Radamès on opening night.  He previously appeared a year ago in WNO’s Romeo and Juliet; I commented on that performance, “The surprise of the evening to me was just how good tenor Adam Smith was…”.  No longer a surprise, he was every bit as good as Radamès.  His lovely tenor voice and ability to reach and sustain notes made his vocals a highlight of the evening. 

(left photo): Ramfis (Morris Robinson) and Radamès (Adam Smith); (right photo) Amonnasro (Shenyang) and Aida (Jennifer Rowley). Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Soprano Amber R. Monroe sang the role of Aida, displaying intense emotionality.  Her acting was uneven, but her singing was beautiful.  The overtones in her voice, created by an excellent vibrato and the strength of her mid-to-low range, make her a good choice for such a dramatic role.  Mezzo-soprano Agnieska Rehlis was a highlight in the role of Amneris.  She sang well with convincing emotion.  She was a princess who wore her royalty and her jealousy on her sleeve.  I might have felt saddest for her as she eventually realized what she had done and took ownership of it.  Sadly, for this group of talented performers, there were only a few softer, gentler vocals for the principals to sing, mostly singing under strong emotion and/or high stress.  Also, one pick I have with the plot is that we only meet the principals in the midst of their struggles.  How can I be drawn into the Aida/Radamès love affair if I don’t know how it developed?  A woman taken hostage after a battle killing citizens of her country, including family and friends, has fallen in love with one of the soldiers who did it; how did that happen?  It’s like we entered the love story of Aida and Radamès in Act 3.

The cast in the supporting roles were very powerful.  Bass Morris Robinson, well-known to DC audiences, was an outstanding high priest, Ramfis.  He sang well and was a commanding presence as a power figure.  Bass-baritone Kevin Short, as the king delivered his vocal lines well, and bass-baritone Shenyang was a very effective Amonasro.  Soprano Lauren Carroll, a Caftitz Young Artist, sang beautifully off-stage as the priestess, and tenor Nicholas Huff, a Cafritz Young Artist, delivered his report from the field with passion. The chorus plays a substantial role in Aida, and the Washington National Opera Chorus under the direction of Chorus Master Steven Gathman was a delight.

Acrobatic child dancers in military uniforms perform. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Costumes by Anita Yavich were well suited to the setting chosen by Director Zambello, being flashy and eye-pleasing.  They were in notable display on the dancers, flashy in the case of the young acrobatic dancers who wore military uniforms as children, and eye-pleasing on the dancers, especially solo dancers, Dwayne Brown and Jenelle Figgins, who were highlights of the performance.  The otherwise plain sets were often decorated with stunning displays of shimmering giant tapestries, created by artist RETNA (Marquis Lewis), which were mood-creating, through lines and undecipherable letters and colors, replacing Egyptian statues and stone work.

Yes, I enjoyed the singers and their singing immensely, the dancers and their dancing immensely, and the musicians and their music immensely, but the mood they imparted was one of amusement, not fascination and intrigue.  Keeping the time in ancient Egypt, with its mysticism, might have better supported the story.  The plot was certainly operatic in nature, highlighting the burden of loyalty to a cause on personal relationships.  However, a scene that could have been more powerful for today occurs when Radamès asks that the prisoners be pardoned, as the priest and crowd call for blood, but it is brief, tacked inside a scene of triumph, pageantry, and celebration, and motivated by Radamès own desires.  Perhaps there was too much that was fun.  Director Zambello insists Aida is a chamber opera.  I get her point, but that chamber opera is set within a grand opera that makes the whole experience enjoyable.  In lunching with a work colleague once, she remarked, while looking at my plate, that there seemed to be a lot going on; it wasn’t a compliment.  Some great lines get passed by, such as Amneris to Aida, “But earthly sorrow is not eternal.”  And how can you focus on the blood thirsty crowd in the triumph march scene when the music, choral singing, dancing and eye-catching and pleasing set is such great fun?  Or feel the intensity of a love affair given so little love time for the lovers.  The grand part of the opera needs to be in sync with the chamber part.

So, does WNO’s staging focus too much on the delights to effectively communicate the human stories, or is this simply the dilemma of grand opera?  Well, we will always have the music. (And to be fair, my wife totally loved it, and so did audience around us.)

The Fan Experience: [Note: a recent report in the Washington Post stated that ticket sales were down substantially this season.  Many KC fans are avoiding attending performances this season as a political protest.  Without question, the staff and performers of the Washington National Opera rely on our support to continue to provide high quality artistic performances and performers, a group only recently beginning to recover from the shutdowns of the COVID era.  The arts are under stress.  For this reason and my love of opera, I choose to continue my support of WNO.] 

Performances of Aida were scheduled for October 24, 26, 29, November 1 for one cast of principals and 25, 30, November 2 for another.  The opera was performed in Italian with English supertitles.  The opera lasted a little over three hours with one twenty-minute intermission.  Pre-opera talks were given for ticket holders one hour prior to performance.

The digital program book for Aida and the upcoming performances of The Marriage of Figaro can be accessed at this link.   https://encoremagazine.com/washington-dc/the-kennedy-center-opera-house/aida-the-marriage-of-figaro/

As a heads up, the new 20 minute operas of the American Opera Initiative frequently sell out. Get your tickets for January 2026 early.

Parking in the Kennedy Center is typically plentiful, with rates around $25 per day, with a small discount for Kennedy Center members when reserved ahead of the day.  The Metro to Foggy Bottom and the free red Kennedy Center buses, running from there to the Kennedy Center every 15 minutes, are an excellent option.  There is an advantage in arriving a bit early.  KC frequently has multiple performances on its different stages overlapping, which can create traffic jams and sometimes security checks when VIPs attend.

There are snack stands in the main lobby, and on the Terrace level, the KC Café offers food cafeteria-style at moderate prices; fine dining is available on the Terrace level in the Roof Terrace Restaurant; a discount is available to KC members.  Food and drinks except water are not allowed inside the opera house, but you can purchase reusable capped containers with your drinks that you can take inside. Take the container back with you on your next KC visit to get a discount on your drink.

The New Opera Lafayette's New Staging of the Very Old "Dido and Aeneas": Not a Misstep

Under new leadership, in a new venue, Opera Lafayette has done it again, breathing new life into a classic work of centuries yore, in a performance that was entertaining, enlightening, authentic, and culturally enriching, while exhibiting charm and delight with its creativity and performance artistry.  With Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (1689), his first production as Artistic Director, Patrick Quigley has scored another hit for the company, continuing its mission while adding touches of his own.  In his words, this season “extends the legacy of founder Ryan Brown, who established this company as a rare home for French Baroque opera in America.  That legacy of scholarship and excellence endures, coupled with a wry twist, pairing historical accuracy with a knowing wink.”  Dido is French Baroque opera, you question?  We’ll deal with that later. 

Belinda (Chelsea Helm, center left) listens to her friend Dido (Mary Elizabeth Williams, center right) while the students look on. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography, courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

Composer Henry Purcell (1659-1695) is credited with putting English classical music back on the map after the English Civil War and the decline of court music; he has had a significant influence on composers after him.  Amazingly, he only composed one complete opera, that being Dido and Aeneas, yet that opera is said to be the first great British opera!  The opera was important in enhancing his connection to theater and future employment.  Semi-operas came after with additional great music.  The story of his full opera from a life that only lasted 36 years gets even better.  Historical evidence suggests it was first performed by amateurs in the Chelsea boarding school for girls in London in 1689.  However, its exact history is uncertain and has been the subject of debate among music historians.  An original manuscript of the score was never found, and the current opera has been pieced together from different sources holding parts of the score.  There is a historical copy of the libretto by Nahum Tate (1652-1715), who used as source material his play Brutus of Alba and Virgil’s Aeneid; Mr. Tate later became Poet Laureate of England. 

Belinda (Chelsea Helm, front left) sings as Aeneas (Elijah McCormack, front center) and Dido (Mary Elizabeth Williams) experience their bonding. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography, courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

In the opera, Dido, Queen of Carthage, has fallen in love with the Trojan hero Aeneas; he has been shipwrecked in Carthage on his journey to fulfill his destiny of founding Rome.  He declares his love for her, and they plan to be together.  However, a sorceress and her coven of witches devise a plan to have an impostor appear as Mercury and tell Aeneas that the gods insist he must continue that night on his journey.  He plans to depart Carthage, and upon learning of his decision, Dido is distraught.  He claims he will stay with her, but her heart is broken, telling him that he must go and she must die.  He leaves and she sings a now-famous aria lament.  While Virgil emphasizes Aeneas duty to serve the gods and found Rome, librettist Tate uses demonic forces to bring about the tragedy, a popular theme in English theater of the day; remember the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.  While author Virgil focuses on duty and honor, librettist Tate bends the drama towards the power of fate and lessons of love.

The coven of witches celebrate the arrival of the Sorceress. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography, courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

Ok, the French baroque opera connection: Purcell’s score for Dido and Aeneas was significantly influenced by Italian and French opera of the times, particularly the inclusion of dance and a focus on tragedy found in the operas of Lully in Paris; nevertheless, Dido is substantially English with its choral elements and libretto in English.  Nahum’s poetry in the libretto reminded me of Shakespeare.  Some examples:

The sorceress and the coven state their purpose -

“…what's thy will?

  Harm's our delight and mischief all our skill.”

As Dido dies, the Cupids gather -

“With drooping wings ye Cupids come,

  And scatter roses o'er her tomb,

  Soft and gentle as her heart;

  Keep here your watch, and never part.”

First Witch (Cecelia McKinley, left), Sorceress (Hans Tashjian, center), and Second Witch (Kayleigh Sprouse, right) plat Dido’s destruction. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography, courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

The opera is concise, telling the story in just over an hour, as the mood of each scene changes.  The music, the singing, the dancing, all play important roles in telling the story; there are recitatives and arias, but no spoken dialog.  The inclusion of dance may have been influenced by the boarding school’s founder and director, Josias Priest, a choreographer at Theatre Royal.  Opera Lafayette has removed the action from mythological times and placed it in the boarding school, complete with the young women in training and their mentors who act out the story, the story of Dido, within the story of the opera’s first performance.  Impressively, each element was excellently executed, and it worked as a whole!  Despite the absurdity of the story, I felt sad for Dido as she died of a broken heart, ending our enchanting evening together.

The role of Dido was played by international soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams, an inspired choice.  She appeared previously with Opera Lafayette in OL’s world premiere of Morgiane.  Her range and her command are amazing; her voice was always imbued with the emotion the words express, a truly compelling Dido and schoolmistress.  As I sat there, I felt that listening to her sing was like being bathed in roses.  Her accomplices all served their roles well.  Her friend and a mistress at the school was Belinda, sung beautifully by soprano Chelsea Helm.  She communicated genuine concern for Dido, a compassionate counterpoint to the emotional Dido.  Playing the roles of Second Woman and spirit was soprano Kayleigh Sprouse, who has an attention-garnering voice, adding delight to this production.  Aeneas was played by male soprano Elijah McCormick, who was rather stiff, officious, and sang beautifully.  The Sorceress was sung by bass-baritone Hans Tashjian who also played a Sailor.  As Sorceress, he made a Halloween-worthy entrance.  Mr. Tashjian is a large man who is imposing in a large dark cloak.  He sings very well, but his voice and nature were more playful than frightening.  Contralto Cecelia McKinley added appealing dramatic depth as Second Woman, First Witch.

Dido (Mary Elizabeth Williams) ascends to her death as Belinda (Chelsea Helm) observes. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography, courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

Director Quigley led an eighteen-piece ensemble expertly in producing Purcell’s beautiful Baroque music.  The music began delightfully and contributed to the mood and action in each scene; it’s easy to see why this is called a great opera.  Always with Opera Lafayette, authenticity is the key; the music is played on period instruments that included a harpsichord, contrabass, and theorbo.  The program notes reveal that OL’s production delivered the music “as is” without adding to or deleting from the accepted score.  The Opera Lafayette Chorus, led by Director Quigley, also plays a substantial role in Dido and Aeneas, not only singing but playing supporting roles from school girls to witches to spirits and others.  The chorus consisted of seven female singers: Annabelle Welford-Small, Kyeugeun Lee, Mary Wright, Matilda Smolij, Susan Kravinski, Charlotte Stewart, and Elizabeth Barnes.  Vocal music is a specialty of Director Quigley.  He comes to OL after 24 years as Founder and Artistic Director of the Miami vocal group, Seraphic Fire.  For more insight into his plans for Opera Lafayette, I recommend critic Charles Downy’s excellent interview with him in the Washington Classical Review.

Artistic Director Patrick conducting the Opera Lafayette Orchestra. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography, courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

The small stage at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue served very well for this opera, and Opera Lafayette made the most of it with stage design by Lisa Schlenker, costumes by Lynly Saunders, and Lighting by Christopher Brusberg.  The stage design allowed the cast to move around the props as scenes changed, and the costumes with the girls in school uniforms seemed perfect.  There were even some special effects with lighting, well done by all.  The staging was well and effectively executed by Connie Hayes, adding dramatic and comic effects while moving around quite a few players in the constrained area during dance numbers.  Well done, delightful!

Opera Lafayette has a record of inventiveness that is astounding when I look back on the many performances I have attended.  OL has ventured outside France on a number of occasions in the past, such as placing an opéra comique in a Colorado barn; OL gave the first-ever performance of an opera written in 1887 and has often engaged in collaborations with dance companies and even a pop fashion designer.  Mr. Quigley has begun by moving the ball forward.  He concludes his program notes with the following statement on this season’s offerings: “Each program holds scholarship in one hand and playfulness in the other.”  Bring it on.

The Fan Experience:  Performances of Dido and Aeneas were scheduled for October 16 and 18 in the Sixth and I, DC and for October 20 in EL Museo del Barrio, NYC.  The opera is sung in English with English supertitles shown overhead.  The opera lasts 70 minutes.  The performances were close to sellouts.  Ticket prices varied from $35 to $110, and some of the balcony seats have restricted view.

An informative pre-opera talk is given by Professor Amanda Eubanks Winkler one hour before the performance, dealing with the history of the opera and its first performance in a boarding school for girls.  Director Quigley roamed the audience with a microphone to allow a few questions after the talk.

Venue photo. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography, courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

Sixth and I, while suitable and adequate for the performance, as a venue poses some challenges for attendees.  Some things to consider, I took the subway from Tysons Corner and walked two blocks from the Gallery Place subway stop to the theater, rather than engage downtown DC traffic and locating a parking spot close to the theater; there are parking garages around the venue.  Coming out of the theater, we exited on the side of the building, not the front where we entered.  Though the tickets have seat numbers, the seating is by section; you can sit at any vacant spot in your section, another reason to get there early and hear the pre-opera talk.  All of this is spelled out on the Opera Lafayette website.  I got there early and was seated in the center.  From there, I was close to the orchestra which was seated below the stage, and the acoustics were excellent.  Going in with the early crowd, I did not notice any stands offering snacks or drinks.

Opera Philadelphia's Il viaggio a Reims: 14 Voices in Search of a Plot...with Music by Rossini

General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia, and world-class countertenor, Anthony Ross Costanzo is now in his second year with OP and his first in full charge of the season’s program.  In his first season, he took a big swing for the stressed opera company by instituting Pick Your Price seating, starting at $11 for any seat.  OP played to packed houses last season and will again this season.  How this all plays out for the success of the company is to be determined, but it has been enormously successful thus far, especially in attracting attendees new to opera (while many of the nation’s top companies struggle with declining attendance); OP also just held its most successful ever fund-raising gala.  This season, President Costanzo takes another big swing with a new season he describes as “opera, but different”, a season which will include Costanzo singing a role himself (talk about pressure).  Il viaggio a Reims (The Journey to Rheims, 1825), a classic opera by composer Giacchino Rossini and librettist Luigi Balocchi, opened Opera Philadelphia’s 50th anniversary season this year, but with a new storyline from the original.  And this one appears to be the least “different” of this year’s offerings. 

Cast photo of the developing final scene of Il viaggio a Reims directed by Damiano Michieletto. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The title of my report is intended as a play on Pirandello’s famous Six Characters in Search of an Author, where six characters intrude on a rehearsal and demand that the director and actors tell their story.  The “fourteen singers”, a large number for an opera, refers to a scene where there are fourteen singers on stage for a single ensemble number, an impressive feat for composer Rossini (take that Mozart!); the only plot is that the travelers, museum staff and paintings, with shared interest, are moving to a new location.  Director Damaino Michieletto, in his first visit to America, presents his version of Il viaggio a Reims, keeping Rossini’s music and Balocchi’s libretto intact but substituting a story of his own, designed to make the opera more accessible to modern audiences, while keeping the more universal human flaws and interactions, lessening the themes of cultural differences and European unity.  Though written as a comedy having a bit of fun with the characters, the opera’s original purpose was as an event to commemorate the 1825 coronation of Charles X of France.  In the original, a diverse group of European aristocrats are headed to Reims for the coronation but due to a lack of horses, get stuck in a hotel on the way.  Director Michieletto’s version, first produced by Dutch National Opera in 2015, changes the focus to the relationship between art and people and the premise to a diverse group of characters in an art gallery of today getting stuck because there were no hotel rooms in the new location for the gallery, I think.  Admittedly, I was confused as to what exactly was going on in the first act; think of the Marx Brothers’ “A Night at the Opera” staged in an art gallery where the figures in the paintings come to life, not all completely clothed.

left: Brenda Rae as Madama Cortese. right: Lindsey Reynolds as La Contessa di Folliville. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Composing a “commemorative opera” for the king’s coronation was a smart move by Rossini.  He managed to wrangle a sizable pension from the king just four years later, after writing what would be his final opera, Guillaume Tell; he was only 37 years old and had been living in France since 1824. After surviving a scuffle with a new administration, he enjoyed 39 years of that pension before his death in 1876.  The original version had a theme of European unity but worked in humorous social and political satire.  The opera is occasionally performed today, after being lost and then resurrected in 1984, performed at “Rossini Opera Festival” in Rossini’s hometown of Pesaro, Italy; since 2001, the opera has been performed each year at the festival by young and upcoming singers.  Many different, creative versions of the opera have been produced.  Director Michieletto’s version is more focused on visual humor and human foibles but does end in a brilliantly constructed scene about the coronation of Charles X, via a painting by François Gérard.  Humorous scenes in Act I include a duel between two men over a woman, all characters from a painting, and a scene where characters in modern paintings roam the stage.  The second act seems at least more coherent as the nature of each character has become more familiar.  Therein is an emotionally touching scene as two characters from a painting, experiencing a heated lover’s dispute, wind up advisers to a real-life couple having a similar fight in front of them, evidencing the bond between art and people, a major theme of General Director Costanzo’s.

Emilie Kealani as Corinna being pursued by Minghao Liu as Il Cavaliere Belfiore. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Rossini wrote a vocally demanding opera that featured Europe’s best singers in honor of the new king.  Opera Philadelphia included one opera superstar, soprano Brenda Rae but also featured a large, highly talented and accomplished group of singers who handled Rossini’s bel canto roles impressively.  Ms. Rae sang with professionalism portraying the amusing uptight, stressed-out museum owner, Madama Cortese.  I will single out a few other members of a huge cast.  The most impressive vocal fireworks came in the scene featuring soprano Lindsey Reynolds as la Contessa di Folleville who was distraught over having nothing appropriate to wear to the new opening.  Ms. Reynolds sang with the power and virtuosity that commanded my attention and delight, and to my ears garnered the loudest applause.  Scott Conner had some fine moments as Lord Syndey restoring a painting (Sargent’s Madame X) while he falls in love with its subject (she responds), and bass-baritone Ben Brady was quite amusing as Don Profundo auctioning off museum pieces with a rapid-fire patter aria, fitting for an auctioneer.  The love triangle of tenor Alistair Kent as Count Livenscof, baritone Alex DeSocio as Don Alvaro, and mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck as La Marchesa Melibea was a treasure.  Australian Kent has performed in the major opera houses of Europe; he is an impressive young bel canto tenor whose singing most clearly represented bel canto.  Alex DeSocio is a highly promising young baritone with a powerful and pleasing baritone voice; take note of Mr. DeSocio.  Ms. Beck was pleasing in her singing and especially endearing in the scene comforting the female member of the feuding lovers.  Finally, I will mention one more stand out performer, Filipino soprano Emilie Kealani singing the role of art student Corinna being pursued by Il Cavaliere Belfiore played amusingly by Minghao Liu .  She sang beautifully in several highlight moments, the aria “Arpa gentil” for which she sang offstage accompanied by a harp and as the singer of the group-chosen aria finale, “All’ombra amena” which celebrates the coronation of Charles X.  All the singers and chorus were pleasures and added significantly to the performance.

Scott Connor as Lord Sydney who has fallen in love with Madame X. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

If you like Rossini, this opera has terrific Rossini music played with passion and verve and romantic touches by the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Corrado Rovaris.  The performance included a sneaky beginning that turned into a rousing overture and several musical interludes, almost breathtaking, with beautiful harp accompaniment for a couple of the arias.  Yes, there were typical Rossini crescendos.  This was an opera where I was tempted to close my eyes and just listen, but so much was happening on stage, I’d never catch up with the action.  As is typical, the Opera Philadelphia Chorus Master’s work was excellent, kudos to Elizabeth Braden.

Katherine Beck as La Marchesa Melibea and Alisdair Kent as Il Barone di Libenskof having a lovers’ quarrel. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Did the modernized staging work to make the work more accessible to today’s audiences?  Not having seen a live performance with the original staging, I can only say that at least to some degree it succeeded, but the history lesson might have also been interesting, especially if it also included more luminaries like, for instance, OP veterans Lawrence Brownlee and Lisette Oropesa that would add to the fun.  This version was well staged, with visually engaging sets and costumes, fast-paced scenes filled with humor, and some standout special effects, even involving us more emotionally near the end.  The final scene was perfectly balanced for the Academy of Music stage.  Kudos to the entire creative team: Director Damiano Michieleggo, Set Designer Paulo Fantin, Lighting designer Alessandro Carletti, Costume designer Carla Teti, and Hair and Makeup Designer Amanda Clark.

Opera Philadelphia’s production of Il viaggio a Reims is a fitting kickoff for its 50th anniversary season with new leadership on board.  To everyone’s credit, the first act was effective as lighthearted if bewildering comedy; both acts excelled with the gorgeous music and arias of Rossini; and the last act is a must see for its brilliant staging, at least once.  So, go for the music, the bel canto singing and its high entertainment value, but consider orienting yourself by reading the synopsis in the opera program before viewing; keep in mind that in this version, characters will be stepping in and out of paintings.  Il viaggio a Reims certainly fits with the theme of “opera, but different”, and in a sense it could be viewed as President Costanzo’s coronation, whose tenure is playing like an opera itself; he deserves support as he attempts to stick the landing in the years to come.

The Fan Experience: Performances of Il viaggio a Reims were scheduled for September 19, 21, 26, and 28 in the Academy of Music.  The opera was sung in Italian with English superscripts shown above the stage.  The performance Friday night lasted a little over three hours with a 25 minute intermission splitting the three-act opera into two.  The Pick Your Price format extends for the remainder of this opera season; very limited seats were available for remaining performances at the time of this report; it might be best to call Guest Services at 215-732-8400. Next up for OP is The Seasons which will feature countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, but alas, all three performances (December 19, 20, and 21) are sold out.

An informative and helpful pre-opera talk is given by OP scholar-in-residence Lily Kass one hour prior to performance.  To paraphrase General Director and President Constanzo from his opening remarks, opera thy name is emergency.  Forthwith, singer Anthony Reed who was to have played the role of Don Prudenzio was ill; this role was sung by bass-baritone Zachary Altman from the house left box and walked onstage by Assistant Director Anderson Nunnelley.