The Righteous premiered at Santa Fe Opera on July 13; the title made me wonder if the opera would be taking a position in the cultural divide by disparaging religious faith. Rest easy, it hits close to home and takes its theme from the biblical story of King David, but it is human nature, not faith that is the target. The Righteous is a complex drama with multiple threads and levels shrouded in beautiful music. The opera views its characters through a lens of human understanding, even a forgiving lens, recognizing that as humans, we are tossed about by conflicts between our desires and ambitions and our moral convictions, and worse, humans must live with uncertainty in knowing whether we and the people in our lives are genuine. We must also live with the impact of wrong guesses about ourselves and others. Religious or not, we are all humans on a path to self-discovery. In the opera’s terms, life is messy and short, and wisdom is slow. Let’s delve further into the story and performance (caution: spoilers lie ahead).
l to r: CM (Brenton Ryan) and Paul (Greer Grimsley) observe the sunset (the real sunset!) as David (Michael Mayes) sings an opening prayer aria. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
The story takes place in an unspecified state in the American Southwest over the period from 1979 to 1990; I was alive then, so I’m in. This, like most decades in U.S. history, was a time of crisis and change. The 1980s featured the AIDS crisis, the rise of feminism, the war on drugs, the Iran-Contra Affair, the arrival of CNN, the rise of televangelism, the arrival of the Mac, the Challenger explosion, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first American woman in space, and more. The role of television was growing in our lives bringing these events into our homes, and broadcasters, advertisers, and politicians were learning how to influence our choices. On one level the opera deals with how current events shape our lives.
The genesis of the opera came about five years ago when Director Kevin Newbury consulted with composer Gregory Spears and librettist Tracy K. Smith about developing a new opera to be commissioned by the Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Newbury directed the premiere of The R(e)volution of Steve Jobs in 2017 by SFO, an opera that will be produced by Washington National Opera in 2025. The Santa Fe Opera has achieved status as a premier American opera company and an SFO premiere draws attention, covered by major news sources across the U.S., with their new opera receiving additional performances by other companies. Composer Spears already has successful operas to his credit; I saw his excellent opera Fellow Travelers performed by the Virginia Opera two years ago. Librettist and poet Smith has published six books of poetry, one a Pulitzer Prize winner, and has collaborated with Mr. Spears on a previous opera; she was the 22nd Poet Laureate of the U.S. Such resumes create both anticipation and expectations. In fact, my pre-performance worry over whether I would like the music, as I do with all new operas, had been partly assuaged by my previous exposure to Mr. Spears’ work. SFO supported this pair with a star-studded cast and creative team.
l to r: Two friends talking - Paul (Greer Grimsley) and CM (Brenton Ryan) in the background and David (Michael Mayes) and Jonathan (Anthony Roth Constanzo) in the light. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
Many character names in the opera recall names prominent in the Bible. David is a young man who experienced a calling from God to become a preacher, and he wants to advocate for Samaritanism, love thy neighbor of all backgrounds and help thy neighbor. Paul is a rich oil tycoon who wants to be governor and use David to get more votes; he has a wife Marilyn, a gay son Jonathan, a daughter Michelle, and a close colleague CM. David and Jonathan are best friends. Jonathan wants the relationship to be more, but David won’t go there. David believes God wants him to marry his sister Michelle. She accepts believing David’s primary commitment after God will be to her and their family; there is of course financial and prestige benefit to David from the union. Sheila is a member of David’s church, and he asks her to run a bible study group. Her husband has just shipped overseas, leaving her and their young daughter on their own. Now the dissonance. Paul learns people are starting to want David to be a write-in candidate. To Michelle’s surprise, David is considering whether he is meant for more than preaching. In a chance meeting at the church, Sheila (aka Bathsheba?) reveals her true heart and a spiritual message that came to her and sustained her. David and Sheila begin an affair believing God has brought them together. Sheila’s daughter Shannon later adds an age gap level to the drama. After, Paul’s sudden death, David runs for office and begins to compromise his values for power and influence, weakening his relationship with God. All relationships are going to change in these voyages of self-discovery. Again, in terms of the opera, joy comes and joy goes.
l to r: Michelle (Jennifer Johnson Cano) sits worrying about her marraige while David (Michael Mayes) and Sheila (Elena Villalón) bond. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
The libretto for The Righteous is rich in poetry; I wish it was available for reading. Ms. Smith constructed an opening prayer in the opera as a villanelle, a form of poetry. Phrases abound that seem likely to be used as quotes, that raise points revealing complexities, and leave you wondering. Importantly, her chosen words work in opera. The music by Mr. Spears is also richly textured, interesting, and sometimes beautifully romantic. The music shades and foreshadows the drama. The beautiful, sometimes inspirational music tailored to each character, often has soft dissonance entering and lurking below the heart felt expressions, revealing the characters are unaware of or are hiding something signifcant. In a film clip, composer Spears raises the question of whether the characters can hear the music or only the audience can; he writes music that informs the audience of what the characters must contend with that they cannot see and how that affects them.
photo 1: Trouble between Sheila (Elena Villalón) and David (Michael Mayes). photo 2: David (Michael Mayes) ponders his relationship with God. Photos by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra playing under the direction of Conductor Jordan De Souza were engaging with horns and strings featured, many adornments, often with the pulsating music in support of the arias and drama. Mr. Spears says the combination of poetry and music in the prayer arias makes them psalms. The spiritual flair revealed in Mr. Spears music compels me to listen to his orchestral work, “A New Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei” for the Mozart Requiem; I would welcome more inspirational music by him.
The excellent cast of soloists for The Righteous were led by star baritone Michael Mayes, an excellent choice for the role of David. The opening prayer aria sung by Mr. Mayes clearly demonstrated the power and the beauty of his voice and singing, as well as his believability in the role. I fondly remember attending the Washington National Opera’s 2017 production of Dead Man Walking starring Mr. Mayes, a role that helped establish his career and prominence. Sheila was played by the rising star soprano Elena Villalón, who sings with clarity and great depth of feeling. She is coming off her performance as Amore in Met Opera’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Her well-played journey in the opera as Sheila was the most engrossing of the evening. Michelle was beautifully played by mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano. Her plaintiff arias as the disillusioned and abandoned wife were touching, especially in an emotionally charged scene where she prays out loud, at one of David’s church services, for husbands who are unfaithful to their wives; in an especially poignant scene between her and Sheila, she reveals that at least at the end she has found a feeling of freedom.
photo 1: Michelle (Jennifer Johnson Cano) talks with her mother Marilyn (Wendy Bryn Harmer). photo 2: David (Michael Mayes is confronted by Jacob (Nicholas Newton) with a community request. Photos by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
Countertenor Anthony Roth Constanzo, a current mega-star and newly appointed President and General Director of Opera Philadelphia, gave us a sympathetic Jonathan as a gay man unable to fit in or have the love he longs for, a highlight in the opera. Mr. Constanzo’s singing, especially his clarion high notes, was a pleasure; his crystal-clear voice would sink into a low register and tail off when meeting with frequent disappointment. Bass-baritone Greer Grimsley gave us a convincing Paul and tenor Brenton Ryan, as Paul’s friend and right-hand man. was a standout in the role. Among several well-played, well-sung supporting role performers, I will only mention that soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer was the perfect wife to Paul and that bass-baritone Nicholas Newton gave an attention getting performance as Jacob, seeking and not getting help from David for his poor, drug-ravaged community. Mr. Spears gave the Santa Fe Opera Chorus a lead role and they sang with power and passion; kudos to Chorus Master Sussane Sheston.
The Righteous ensemble. Photo by Curtis Brown; courtesy of Santa Fe Opera.
There is a lot going on in this opera, and Director Newbury manages it well, keeping the focus on character development and illuminating the internal conflicts of the characters. The opera tells its story well; rather than repeating all scenes one after another, Mr. Newbury often has two or three scenes on stage at the same time with the spotlight shifting back and forth among them, sometimes with ensemble singing. This added to the cohesion of the storytelling and saved some time. Also, kudos to Scenic Designer Mimi Lien as well-designed sets were moved into and out of place with flowing, unobtrusive precision. Devario Simmons’ costumes clearly evoked the 1980s. Lighting Designer Japhy Weideman did well but was no match for the stunning visuals provided by the Jemez Mountains and clouds framing the lighting effects of a setting sun whenever the back panels of the stage were open; this beautifully scenic setting is a special benefit of attending Santa Fe Opera performances, transcendent once again.
The Righteous is powerful storytelling backed by beautiful music and singing. At the end of this powerful drama, the entire cast was on stage to sing a final prayer, the convergence demonstrating that all the changed, partially broken players were in the same group, the humans. I will be thinking about this world premiere for a long time to come.
The Fan Experience: Santa Fe Opera scheduled performances of The Righteous for July 13, 17, 26, 30. August 7, 13. The opera is sung in English with subtitles in English and Spanish provided on individual screens on the backs of seats. The performance I attended on July 17 lasted three hours and included a 25-minute intermission.
The Crosby Theatre of the Santa Fe Opera, which seats about 2,000 patrons is an open-air structure on each side and at the back of the stage. The design is modern and attractive. Sunsets and thunderstorms become part of the opera experience. See SFO’s detailed and helpful website for information on food/dining options available and for directions.
Santa Fe Opera is located about five miles north of the city with easy access via highways 285/84 or a couple of backroads, if you are adventurous. As you move away from the heart of the city, you are quickly into the vast expanse of sky that New Mexico offers. The SFO program book includes this statement, “We acknowledge and pay deep respect to the people, elders, and ancestors – past, present, and future – of the Tesuque Pueblo whose beautiful lands have provided the stunning backdrop for our theatre and performances for over sixty years.”
Many attendees arrive early for the excellent opera talks one and two hours before the performance. The talk I attended for The Righteous was provided by Oliver Prezant. Attending his insightful lecture, delivered in a humorous style, had me much better prepared to understand and enjoy the opera – highly recommended.
The tailgating tradition at SFO, some were astonishingly elegant, could not be observed this trip as it was raining when we got there. In general, the SFO patrons were dressed in a casual style. Bring a sweater or light jacket; Santa Fe is seven thousand feet above sea level; nights can be chilly even in July and August, and breezes flowing through the opera house can make it feel cooler.