Saturday, July 30, 2011

"La Cenerentola" at Union Avenue Opera July 29 through August 7

The cast of La Cenerentola
© Ron Lindsey, 2011, All rights reserved.

Rossini’s romantic comedy La Cenerentola, based in part on the classic fairy tale Cinderella, was your prototypical rush job. He threw it together in three weeks at the end of 1816 when the libretto he was supposed to set was rejected by the Papal Censor. By way of contrast, mezzo Abigail Fischer spent months learning the elaborate flourishes of the title role for the current Union Avenue Opera production.

In both cases, it was time well spent. The score is a charming cornucopia of elaborate coloratura arias, rapid-fire patter songs, and the kind of layered ensembles that earned Rossini the nickname “Signor Crescendo”, while Ms. Fischer’s performance is pure brilliance — as is that of everyone else in this remarkable cast.

The role of Cenerentola is something of a rarity — a leading coloratura part written for a contralto — but Ms. Fischer sounded completely comfortable with both its range and ornamentation. She has power and flexibility to burn and respectable acting chops as well — a fine performance all the way around.

Rossini was generous to the lower male voices as well, with choice roles for two basses and a baritone — the social-climbing stepfather Don Magnifico, the Prince’s wise tutor Alidoro (substituting for the fairy godmother because Rossini hated supernatural elements in opera), and the wily valet Dandini, who spends most of the opera masquerading as Prince Ramiro so the latter can get an unvarnished look at the Magnifico family.

Bass Adam Fry gives us a delightfully pompous and brilliantly sung Don Magnifico, while bass Kenneth Mattice is all wry amusement as Dandini. Their second-act duet is a classic combination of physical and vocal comedy. Baritone E. Scott Levin has less interesting material to work with as Alidoro — the character is essentially a saintly fellow who delivers the libretto’s explicitly Christian message about the last being first — but he makes the most of it. It’s a fine performance, sung with complete conviction.

Tenor Keith Boyer is also completely invested in the role of Prince Ramiro, whether he’s mooning over Cenerentola or engaging in byplay with Dandini. He’s got a good, clear but not overpowering voice that serves him well.

Soprano Gina Galati and mezzo Kara Cornell are Cenerentola’s stepsisters Clorinda and Tisbe. In this version of the story they’re not so much wicked as foolish, superficial, and terminally self-involved. Both singers get the characters’ comic bitchiness just right and, along with their fellow cast members, navigate the elaborate score with ease.

For this small-scale production, Rossini’s chorus has been reduced to a trio of courtiers sung by Anthony Heinemann, Nathan Ruggles, and Joshua J. Stanton. All three are nicely delineated characters and their voices blend well.

That said, this Cenerentola is not without its issues. Patrick Huber’s set is a bit Spartan, to begin with, so that even the palace seemed threadbare. It also has, I think, too many levels and stairs for the available space, which cuts down on the usable playing areas. Many scenes are shoved off to platforms on the extreme left and right where viewing angles and acoustics are less than ideal, and actors are often left with no sensible way to relate to each other physically.

Given the physical constraints of the set, stage director and Union Avenue Opera Principal Director Jolly Stewart creates decent stage pictures and — unlike so many directors of comic opera — understands that her performers don’t need to be in constant motion to be interesting. Sometimes we just need to be able to enjoy the scintillating music.

Conductor Elizabeth Hastings does a respectable job with the score, but on opening night some of the playing was a bit scrappy, the big ensemble numbers did not always sound as tight as they should have, and the tempo for the famous overture was rather on the stodgy side. The lack of a percussion section also makes the overall sound a bit anemic to my ears, lacking that punch that is so much a part of the Rossini sound.

Still, when all is said and done, Union Avenue Opera has produced another winner in La Cenerentola. The evening, small flaws aside, is beautifully sung, smartly acted, and tremendously entertaining. This is not an opera that comes around often — the last local performance was by Opera Theatre back in 1987 — so it’s definitely worth your time.

La Cenerentola runs through August 7 at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English titles that are easily visible throughout the theatre. If the relatively light attendance on opening night is any indication, there should still be good seats available for the remaining performances. For more information, you may visit unionavenueopera.org.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

A Look At "Cenerentola" Costumes

The light comedy and elegance of La Cenerentola will be reflected beautifully in the costumes of Michele Siler, who has shared with Operatic Saint Louis renderings of her designs for all the characters in their various settings and disguises throughout the opera. Click on the images for a closer look.
Angelina/Cenerentola (at home)

Don Magnifico (at home)

Clorinda (at home)
Tisbe (at home)
Alidoro
Dandini (left) & Prince Ramiro (right, in valet disguise)

Prince Ramiro (left) & Dandini (right, in princely disguise)
Angelina/Cenerentola (at the ball)

Clorinda (at the ball)

Tisbe (at the ball)
Don Magnifico (at the ball)

All images ©Michele Siler. All Rights Reserved. Not to be re-posted or redistributed without permission.
La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Sunday, July 24, 2011

"La Cenerentola" Opens Friday at UAO

Union Avenue Opera continues its season with Rossini's La Cenerentola, a sparkling rendition of the cherished fairytale Cinderella in this timeless story of the triumph of love. Rossini's interpretation is sure to delight audiences of all ages. Through a series of disguises and clever deceptions, Prince Ramiro aims to find his true love. Meanwhile, the gentle and kind spirited Cenerentola finds the courage within to defy those who stand in her way as she journeys from servants' quarters to a princess' throne.

St. Louis audiences last saw La Cenerentola at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 1987. The Metropolitan Opera recently broadcast its 2009 revival of the piece into movie theaters across the country. Click here for a full synopsis of the opera.

Singing the role of the rags-to-riches heroine, Mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer makes her Union Avenue Opera debut as Angelina (nicknamed "Cenerentola" by her step-relatives). Tenor Keith Boyer, who most recently sang the role of Tchekalinsky in Pikovaya Dama and performed on the 2010 Gala Concert at UAO, sings the role of Prince Ramiro. (Singers pictured at left | photo: Ron Lindsey) Returning after his engagement last summer as Hortensius in La fille du Régiment, Baritone Scott Levin will portray Alidoro, the Prince's tutor. Soprano Gina Galati (Giorgietta in 2008's Il Tabarro) and Mezzo-soprano Kara Cornell (Zweiter Dame in 2007's Die Zauberflöte) sing the wicked step-sisters Clorinda and Tisbe, respectively. Two baritones make their UAO debut: Kenneth Mattice as Dandini, the Prince's valet, and Adam Fry as wicked step-father Don Magnifico. Tenors Joshua Stanton, Anthony Heinemann and Baritone Nathan Ruggles comprise a chamber chorus of courtiers.

UAO Principal Stage Director Jolly Stewart stages the production. Conductor Elizabeth Hastings makes her UAO debut in the pit. The design team includes Patrick Huber (scenic) and Michele Siler (costumes). Sarah Rugo serves as Stage Manager and Vera Parkin serves as production répetiteur.

Dr. Glen Bauer of Webster University will be giving an Opening Night Lecture on the opera. The lecture begins at 7pm Friday, July 29th, one hour before curtain, in the Fellowship Hall of Union Avenue Christian Church. This lecture is free to the public.

La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Friday, July 22, 2011

Where's the glass slipper?

Are you a little puzzled as to why the Prince (Pictured: Keith Boyer | photo: Ron Lindsey) in the picture is examining a bracelet instead of a glass slipper? It is fair to wonder why. Ones perception of the Cinderella story can be challenged by an adaptation such as La Cenerentola. By and large, our American understanding of the fairy tale is often influenced by adaptations derived from two tellings: Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm’s Aschenputtel (1815) and Charles Perrault’s Cendrillon (1697). The former largely influenced Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, while elements of the latter influenced Rodgers & Hammerstein, Walt Disney and Jules Massenet…and Perrault applies to Rossini as well.

Jacopo Ferretti’s libretto, for all of its quirks, has a general framework with the archetypes and symbolism in the Perrault (glass slipper, fairy-godmother, wicked step-parent). There has also been strong suggestion that Ferretti borrowed several characters (or at least an Italianization of their names) straight out of the earlier opera Cendrillon by Maltese composer Nicolas Isouard which debuted a mere seven years before Cenerentola. Nonetheless, the changes are worth a look.

Glass Slipper to Bracelet

Cinderella had lost some kind of footwear long before Perrault added the “glass” detail to the slipper. Rossini’s version replaces the slipper with two matching bracelets. When the opera premiered in Paris, some critics rudely suggested that the bracelet replaced the slipper because the original Roman Cenerentola—contralto Geltrude Righetti—had ugly feet. Signora Righetti fired back at these detractors, explaining that the bracelet was an exercise in good taste, since in Rome, the sight of a woman’s bare foot was considered indecent. “Signor Parisian Journalist,” she added, “should not think that I say this to defend my feet: he does not know me, and if he did, he might say that I have more to gain by adopting the original slipper than by clinging to the bracelet.” Though the bracelet has remained a unique quality of the Italianate Cinderella, it is worth noting that some G. Schirmer editions of the opera include an alternate recitative (in English only) that provides an ending with the glass slipper.

Fairy-godmother to Old Philosopher

The Alidoro figure was previously seen in Isouard’s Cendrillon. The character’s resurgence in Cenerentola might point to Rossini’s larger, overarching decision for the opera itself. Constrained by physical limitations in Italian theatres of the day, Rossini knew that this piece could not be a magical spectacle with an enchanted pumpkin-turned-carriage or helpful rodent-friends of the heroine. The presence of a philosopher fills the role of not only a friend to Cenerentola, but also the Prince’s tutor. Rossini also managed to depart from Isouard’s Alidor, who was far more magical, using an enchanted rose to transform Cendrillon for the ball. Nonetheless, it bears mentioning that Alidoro does have a slight measure of “magic” about him, given that he uses the art of disguise, appearing as an old beggar in order to elicit a response from the three daughters in Don Magnifico’s house.

Role Reversals

A common thread through almost all versions of Cinderella is role reversal: the poor girl becomes a princess, the wicked relatives are undone, etc. The Ferretti libretto adds even more role reversals. Usually, Cinderella only meets the prince after being magically transported to the castle, but in this version, the Prince actively seeks out Cinderella at the outset of the drama. In doing this, Ramiro and his valet embark on yet another role reversal by having Dandini swap clothing with him in order to do some important reconnaissance on the daughters in the Don Magnifico household. Possibly the most striking role reversal occurs at the ball. Cenerentola approaches the Prince, gives one of the bracelets to him and promises that if he really cares about her, he shall find her.

These changes are but a few made by Rossini and Ferretti. Composer and librettist certainly give the new listener a fair amount to chew on, and why not? Themes, archetypes and symbols have been visited and revisited often in literature and film. Why should Opera be any different? Composer and librettist have managed to provide the inevitable “happy ending” just as in other adaptations, but by a decidedly unique journey.

—Phil Touchette

La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Interview with "Cenerentola" Director Jolly Stewart

Operatic Saint Louis interviewed Union Avenue Opera's Principal Stage Director Jolly Stewart about the company's upcoming production of Rossini's La Cenerentola. Stewart most recently worked with young artists at the Johanna Meier Opera Theatre Institute at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. La Cenerentola marks her fourteenth production with the company.
Operatic Saint Louis: You have sung the role of Clorinda in La Cenerentola numerous times and used the opera as a scene study with voice students at Washington University. How do your past experiences with the opera inform your vision of this full production?

Jolly Stewart: An intimate knowledge of the music is of course very important, but when one has sung it and felt it in one's own body, the experience is much more visceral on some level than just hearing a piece.

As far as my vision is concerned, it is a fairy tale, but there is a reason that most of the world could tell you this tale. We can all relate at some point to feeling unappreciated or downtrodden about something in our lives. The wishes generated from this state are not always realized, but we recognize the unspoken hopes that things will get better. Although there are many comic moments in this opera, most of them are born of real human behavior we see in ourselves or others.

OSL: Rossini's librettist Jacopo Ferretti includes the character of Dandini, the prince's valet, an archetype rarely found in the Cinderella story (though there is a Dandin in Nicolas Isouard's Cendrillon of 1810). How does Dandini add spice to the Cenerentola plotline?

JS: It is always amusing to see a valet or butler who is more rules- and etiquette-oriented than the person he is serving. I imagine that it was barrels of fun for Dandini to be given full permission to imitate his master. In our production, Dandini and Ramiro have more or less grown up together as buddies, except Ramiro just happens to be a prince and Dandini becomes his valet. Having the sisters think that they are falling for Dandini, only to discover that he is not the prince at all and hearing the extreme snub they have given Ramiro, which later comes back at them, makes for lots of laughs. Keeping Dandini busy with the sisters also allows more time between Ramiro and Cenerentola.

OSL: How does Alidoro, the philosopher, influence the course of events?

JS: We refer to him as the "fairy-godfather." He serves three purposes in this opera. First of all in his appearance as the beggar, we discover Cenerentola's charity towards someone in need. Later we observe the prince asking for advice from his tutor and mentor. The third role of the philosopher with powers to help people change things in their lives is probably the most important role.

OSL: In terms of character, what traits of Rossini's Angelina/Cenerentola do you believe set her apart from other Cinderellas of Massenet, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and so on?

JS: Although I love the music Massenet wrote for Cendrillon, I find the character of Cenerentola vastly more interesting and fleshed out. We see her "goodness" acted out in many ways. Two of the most obvious ones being her interaction with Alidoro, where she gives "the beggar" bread and coffee; the other happens at the end of Rossini's piece, when despite all the despicable abuse taken from her step-father and step-sisters, she wants to reach out to them and share her wealth and happiness.

OSL: For a comedy, there are a few moments of the Ferretti libretto which are decidedly dark. For example, the step-sisters hurl insults such as alma di fango (literally, "soul of mud") and step-father Don Magnifico at one point claims Cenerentola is dead when Alidoro attempts to establish the existence of a third child in the house. How do you deal with presenting these darker moments in an otherwise sophisticated comedy?

JS: Sometimes insults are hurled out of habit. Even though there is no love at all from the other members of Cenerentola's household, I feel that she has learned to live with it, because it is part of what happens daily. She turns it off. Therefore she is able to recover quickly from Magnifico's declaration of "morì" (dead) and only a few measures later contradict her step-father. A page or so later he insists again that the "third" sister is dead. This time she ignores him and is amused and amazed at her family's confused state.

OSL: Rossini's scores never hurt for exciting coloratura and ensembles. What arias, duets and ensembles do you most enjoy bringing to life onstage?

JS: It is all so witty and full of bubbles and spritz. One of my favorite duets, however, is between Magnifico and Dandini, where the valet informs Magnifico of his humble state. Some of the large ensembles are astounding. The composer is able to repeat long coloratura passages in different characters all the while keeping the characteristic momentum of the Rossini "train" going at an amazing clip.

OSL: Can you recommend musical moments audiences should definitely look out for?

JS: There is one seven measure passage where Cenerentola is begging her step-father to allow her to go to the ball. The music is an ascending phrase which to my mind foreshadows some of Verdi's beautiful melodies. One of the ensembles I was describing earlier is what I call "gruppo." It comes pretty close to the end. Also the tenor aria rivals the "high C" aria from Donizetti's La fille du Régiment. At the very end of course Ceneretola sings one of the great lyric mezzo coloratura arias "Non più mesta."

OSL: The Cinderella story has taken place in a variety of times and settings, giving the director a number of possibilities. In working with your design team, what concept did you arrive at for sets and costumes?

JS: We debated between the Empire and Biedermeier periods and decided that especially for the sisters, the Biedermeier costumes would lead to more comedy. Without a curtain it is difficult to go back and forth between Magnifico's house and the palace/castle. So we are asking the audience to buy into the idea of having the set changed in front of their eyes during musical numbers. It becomes more and more part of the story. I won't give away more than that.

Operatic Saint Louis: Some folks might be flummoxed by a Cinderella without the familiar glass slipper, wicked step-mother, fairy-godmother and magical spectacle...how would you convince them into attending La Cenerentola?

Jolly Stewart: First and foremost, the music is absolutely delicious. It sweeps you off your feet. The glass slipper is not nearly as important as the actual thing which draws the two lovers together. They both find each other so appealing and full of goodness and joy, that even without a slipper or a bracelet, I feel they would have found each other again.
La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Thursday, July 14, 2011

From One Fairytale to the Next...

Just as Union Avenue Opera heads into its second weekend of the Chinese fairytale of Turandot, the company readies itself for quite possibly the most-told fairytale of them all with Rossini's La Cenerentola ("Cinderella"). The cast and crew arrived in town earlier this week and rehearsals are fully underway.


Mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer (pictured above | photo: Ron Lindsey) sings the title role with Tenor Keith Boyer as Prince Ramiro. Several UAO veterans and newcomers fill out the cast. Jolly Stewart directs alongside debuting conductor Elizabeth Hastings. Be sure not to miss this charming, effervescent, Italianate take on the Cinderella story. Don't forget to bring the kids, too!!

La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Critical Notices for "Turandot"

Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX and Operatic Saint Louis, Harrison Kaplan of BroadwayWorld.com, Darren Orf of St. Louis Magazine, Gerry Kowarsky of Two on the Aisle and Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have seen Union Avenue Opera's Turandot. Here's a sampling of what they had to say (to read full reviews, click on the reviewer's name):
"Alexandra LoBianco is riveting in the title role...Her character is rock solid, her performance is completely 'in the moment', and her voice is a thing of beauty ... [Von Felker, Sturdevant and Papas] have created fully realized, credible characters. Their second-act trio...is one of the highlights of the evening ... [T]he Union Avenue choristers carry [the music] off splendidly, with crisp enunciation and great precision ... Whether you’re a fan of Turandot or encountering its unsettling mythic world for the first time, you can’t go wrong with this production." --Chuck Lavazzi

"[T]he orchestra, conducted by artistic director Scott Schoonover is in fine fettle with their achievements here ... Mark James Meier's stage direction is superbly mounted, and the action is always clear and concise in execution ... Patrick Huber's multi-level scenic design is eye-catching, conjuring up the locale in nice fashion ... Teresa Doggett's costumes are well done as always, and also aid greatly in setting the proper atmosphere and mood ... Union Avenue Opera has set the bar high with this equally tragic and hopeful presentation of Puccini's Turandot." --Harrison Kaplan

"LoBianco’s strong-willed princess Turandot came to life in her powerful arias, and [Adam] Herskowitz’ bold voice fit the bold character of Calaf perfectly, but the performance that was most captivating was [Christia] Starnes’ Liu...Starnes’ voice filled the theater with all the pain and suffering of her character, and performed the most moving parts of the piece perfectly ... [T]he stage director (Mark James Meier) successfully maneuvered the 30 or more actors, never detracting from the central action or voice of the piece ... Turandot is stunning." --Darren Orf

"The Union Avenue orchestra plays very well under Scott Schoonover's direction. The delicate parts of the score are especially gorgeous ... LoBianco is a powerful Turandot and she meets her vocal match in Adam Laurence Herskowitz's Calàf ... Stage Director Mark James Meier marshals his forces well in the limited space available ... Fine work of the children's chorus reflects well on their director Rose Fischer-Vargas ... Next year Union Avenue will be tackling a reduced adaptation of 'Das Rheingold.' That's a lot to chew off, but I'm not going to bet against this little opera company that could." --Gerry Kowarsky

"LoBianco exhibited a beautifully steely voice and rare dramatic commitment as the bloodthirsty ice princess...one of the best all-around performances I can remember at UAO ... [Adam Herskowitz's] money notes...are both thrilling and absolutely solid. Christia Starnes...sang with gorgeous tone and enviable technique, spinning out her high notes flawlessly; her death scene was deeply affecting ... Aaron Stegemoller sang well as her master, Calaf's father, Timur ... Tenor Jon Garrett made a strong impression as the Emperor. Artistic director Scott Schoonover has an excellent feel for the score ... Union Avenue Opera's production of 'Turandot' is a winner." --Sarah Bryan Miller
Turandot concludes its run this weekend: Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16. Performances begin at 8pm. Sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church located at 733 Union Blvd in St. Louis. Tickets range $30-52. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase tickets or learn more about this production, please visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/ or call 314.361.2881

Sunday, July 10, 2011

"Turandot" at Union Avenue Opera July 8 through 16, 2011

Alexandra LoBianco, Jon Garrett
© Ron Lindsey, 2011, all rights reserved.
Turandot is one of the most popular and, in many ways, most controversial of Puccini’s operas. Left unfinished at the time of the composer’s death in 1924, it has never been given a fully satisfactory finale. Critical opinion has been divided on the work’s merits from the first performance. Even the pronunciation of the title character’s name has been disputed. Do you pronounce that final “t” or not?

Judging from the response of the opening night audience, the one thing that’s not in dispute about this Turandot is the quality of the production. The fact that it’s so consistently engaging and entertaining despite the opera’s dramatic flaws is a testament to the talent and energy of a company that I have come to regard as one of the area’s great musical treasures.

Based on an old Persian fairy tale as retold by Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi, Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni’s libretto tells the story of the misandryst Chinese princess Turandot whose suitors must answer three riddles to win her hand. Failure means death, and as the opera opens the body count is already fairly high. Witnessing the execution of the latest loser, Prince Calàf falls instantly in lust with Turandot despite warnings from his blind father Timur, the slave girl Liù (in unrequited love with Calàf), and palace functionaries Ping, Pang, and Pong. He answers her riddles, poses one of his own, and finally wins her, generating his own share of death and misery along the way.

That’s the Cliff’s Notes version, anyway. Wikipedia has a far more detailed synopsis. The bottom line, though, is that Turandot and Calàf are two of the more appalling characters in operatic literature. The former is clearly unhinged; the latter a callow youth determined to possess his lust object regardless of who gets hurt (quite literally, in Liù’s case) in the process. Puccini’s music redeems them somewhat, but ultimately Turandot’s story is a fairly unpleasant business with a thoroughly unbelievable “happy” ending cobbled together from Puccini’s notes by composer and pianist Franco Alfano.

That means that if Turandot is to work at all, the principles have to be completely invested in their roles. Happily, Union Avenue has, with few exceptions, assembled a cast that can both act and sing up a storm.

Soprano Alexandra LoBianco is riveting in the title role, utterly convinced of her divine lineage and irrevocably determined that no man will ever posses her. Her character is rock solid, her performance is completely “in the moment”, and her voice is a thing of beauty. Her Turandot is a monster, to be sure, but a fascinating one.

The characters of Ping, Pang, and Pong might appear to be comic relief – and they are, to some extent – but Puccini and his librettists have given them a psychological depth that goes far beyond superficial laughs. Baritone Todd von Felker (Ping) and tenors Clark Sturdevant and Andrew Papas (Pang and Pong) have created fully realized, credible characters. Their second-act trio, in which they lament their service to the homicidal Turandot and long for bucolic homes, is one of the highlights of the evening and was the first number to generate spontaneous applause. Nicely done, gentlemen.

Every Puccini opera has a suffering heroine. In the case of Liù that means both romantic yearning and physical torture. The role demands a lot both dramatically and vocally, but soprano Christia Starnes is more than up to the challenge, with a voice that handles those soft high notes with ease and acting skills to match. Bass Aaron Stegemöller is a solid Timur and baritone Nathan Ruggles is appropriately imposing as the Mandarin who reads Turandot’s savage decree.

Tenor Adam Laurence Herskowitz brings a fine, ringing tenor voice to the role of Calàf but, alas, not much else. The problem is not that he acts the role badly but rather that he doesn’t act it at all, displaying no emotion when he’s not in focus and stock operatic gestures when he is. Tenor Jon Garrett’s Emperor Altoum sounds fine but looks rather like Buster Keaton at his most doleful. He’s been given a throne that leaves his slippered feet dangling, making him look like an aging toddler stranded in a high chair. It rather detracts from the role’s tragic dignity.

The chorus and children’s chorus carry much of the narrative weight in Turandot. Puccini has lavished some of his finest music on them, and the Union Avenue choristers carry it off splendidly, with crisp enunciation and great precision. This is not the first time I’ve remarked on the high quality of the choral work at Union Avenue; I expect it won’t be the last.

Like the West End Players, their fellow tenants in the Union Avenue Christian Church, Union Avenue Opera appears to be dedicated to presenting “big theatre in a small space”. Turandot, with its emphasis on spectacle and lush, exotic sound, pushes that dedication to the limit, sometimes resulting in awkward and static staging. Fortunately, under Scott Schoonover’s assured direction, Puccini’s consistently captivating score carries the work forward even when the sheer number of bodies on stage makes physical movement impossible. I heard some fatigue in the brasses towards the end of the third act on opening night, but otherwise this struck me as a very fine reading.

Colorful and well-chosen costumes by Teresa Doggett (the Hardest-Working Woman in St. Louis Show Business) and striking art deco-inspired sets by Patrick Huber add polish. Stage director Mark James Meier does a respectable job given the constraints imposed by the large cast and small stage. When he actually has some space to work with – during the Ping-Pang-Pong trio in Act II, for example – he creates some very memorable stage pictures.

Whether you’re a fan of Turandot or encountering its unsettling mythic world for the first time, you can’t go wrong with this production. It’s not perfect, but it’s well worth the time and attention of anyone who loves opera. Performances continue through July 16th at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, you may visit unionavenueopera.org, check out their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter @UAOpera, or call 314-361-2881.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

'Turandot' Opens Friday Night at Union Avenue Opera

Puccini’s final masterpiece Turandot opens Union Avenue Opera’s 17th season under the baton of Artistic Director Scott Schoonover. This passionate opera tells the tale of Princess Turandot whose cruelty masks her fear of love as she subjects her would-be suitors to answer three impossible riddles. Failure to answer means death, until the brave and noble Calàf falls in love with Turandot and attempts to beat her at her own dangerous game.

St. Louis audiences last saw Turandot onstage here at UAO in 2004. Mark James Meier's production scored a critical and box office success for the company. Soprano Lise Lindstrom, the leading lady, went on to make the title role a staple of her repertoire, and in 2009 made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the ice princess. Click here for a full synopsis of the opera.

Singing the title role, Soprano Alexandra LoBianco (pictured at right \ Photo: Ron Lindsey) returns to the Union Avenue Opera stage after her critically-lauded 2009 company debut as Leonora in Il Trovatore as well as an appearance in UAO's 2010 Gala Concert. She recently debuted as Turandot with West Bay Opera in Palo Alto, CA and looks forward to singing the role once again. Fresh from an engagement with the Metropolitan Opera on Tour in Japan, Tenor Adam Herskowitz makes his UAO debut as Prince Calàf. Bass Aaron Stegemöller, another artist making his UAO debut, sings the role of Timur, deposed King of Tartary. Last seen in her company debut as Desdemona in 2008's Otello, Soprano Christia Starnes sings the role of Timur's devoted slave girl Liù.



(L to R: Todd von Felker, Clark Sturdevant & Andrew Papas as Ping, Pang & Pong \ Photo: Ron Lindsey)



Baritone Todd von Felker, seen last summer as The Pirate King (Pirates of Penzance) and Count Tomsky (Pikovaya Dama), will appear as Ping. After his company debut as Major-General Stanley in Pirates last season, Baritone Andrew Papas sings the role of Pong. UAO veteran Tenor Clark Sturdevant, who sang the role of The Emperor in the 2004 production, returns to sing the role of Pang. Click here to see Ping, Pang and Pong in action. Tenor Jon Garrett, who most recently sang the role of Major-Domo in Pikovaya Dama, will appear as The Emperor. Baritone Nathan Ruggles sings the role of Mandarino.

Operatic Saint Louis interviewed Mark James Meier on his directorial vision of the production. Last week, UAO Artistic Director/Conductor Scott Schoonover, Alexandra LoBianco and Adam Herskowitz sat down with Steve Potter of Cityscape on 90.7 KWMU to discuss Turandot as well as the upcoming season. Click here to listen (interview located on July 1st archive, Segment A). Ms. LoBianco spoke with Sarah Bryan Miller for a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article on the characters of Turandot and Liù. Patricia Rice also interviews both leads in a recent St. Louis Beacon article.

Dr. Glen Bauer of Webster University will be giving an Opening Night Lecture on the opera. The lecture begins at 7pm Friday, July 8th, one hour before curtain, in the Fellowship Hall of Union Avenue Christian Church. This lecture is free to the public.

Turandot opens Friday, July 8 and will run for three more performances on July 9, 15 & 16. All performances begin at 8pm and take place at Union Avenue Christian Church located at 733 N. Union Blvd in St. Louis. Sung in Italian with projected English supertitles.

Tickets range $30-52. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Interview with 'Turandot' Director Mark James Meier

Operatic Saint Louis recently interviewed Stage Director Mark James Meier about Union Avenue Opera's Turandot. Mark made his UAO directing debut with a wildly popular 2004 production of Turandot and has returned to stage it once again. He most recently directed Bach's Coffee Cantata and Douglas Moore's Gallantry for Main Street Opera in Chicago. This Fall, he will stage Rossini's La Cenerentola for Fargo-Moorhead Opera.


Operatic Saint Louis: What qualities of Turandot resonate with you as an artist, and why do you believe it has achieved such high status in the operatic repertoire?

Mark James Meier: Being Puccini's last piece, it is the final work of a master. Puccini had an inner theatrical bug and could write the most incredible music you had ever heard--there are several lush tunes. He was also very dramatic, as well, so there are many layers to his work. In the piece, you get what most opera-lovers want: a love story, some gore, live action--all of which are wrapped up in this piece. In addition, there are at least four standard arias in this piece that most listeners recognize--namely "Nessun dorma."

OSL: You have a definite career history with Turandot both as a singer and stage director. As you direct this piece for the second time with UAO, have your ideas and perceptions about the opera changed or evolved since the last production, and if so, how did they influence this current production?

MJM: I have had a lot of time on the inside of the piece as a singer long before directing it in 2004 and, later, assistant directing. Each time, I find myself reviewing the piece more in order to find further depth, which is fantastic with Turandot. What did I hear before? What did I miss before? Specifically, certain characters and relationships have deepened for me. The strange dynamic between the slave girl Liù and Princess Turandot especially fascinates me this time around.

OSL: Puccini based this opera on an earlier commedia dell'arte play of the same name by Carlo Gozzi. How does Puccini's and his librettists' (Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni) vision of Turandot compare to that of the original play? Did you find any directorial inspiration in the Gozzi text?

MJM: The original play is very different work. The basic dramatic structure is the same: Turandot pulls a promise out of her father that she would not marry until a Prince could answer the three riddles; Calàf proposes that she may kill him if she can guess his name. However, the play lasts five acts as opposed to the opera's whittled-down three. There are also several more characters involved. Furthermore, Liù was a new creation by librettists Adami and Simoni which morphed several tutors of Calàf into a love-stricken slave girl. The play was also written at the height of commedia dell'arte's popularity. Ping, Pang and Pong in the opera are based upon commedia archetypes from that era, though they do not function in the way that Gozzi's characters did. They provide comic elements, but do not rely on improvisation--which cannot be done in a medium where the drama is written out.

The librettists did a wonderful job of reshaping the original piece into grand opera. One part of the play which fascinates me is the lead-up to the riddle sequence of Act Two, Scene Two. Traditionally, Turandot appears and sings "In questa reggia"--a tale of her ancestress--and then off we go. In the play, Turandot writes multiple riddles in the presence of the wise men before the riddles take place. In front of the assembled court, she would select three from a tray. In the opera, it is assumed that the wise men have three riddles decided some time ago. I use that idea in this production for Turandot before she launches into her first aria.

OSL: Which sequences of the opera do you enjoy staging the most?

MJM: I love the opening scene of the opera. I've spoken to the chorus about it because the scene establishes the chorus as its own character. When I directed Otello, I told the chorus the same thing. Both operas have choruses that drive the beginning of the drama with fantastic music. There is so much going on in the first ten minutes of Turandot with constant mood shifts and a crazy, bloodthirsty crowd. As a performer, I sang Pang several times, so the Ping, Pang and Pong sequence is delightful to revisit and play with. That sequence is possibly the longest of its kind solely devoted to comprimario character singing and acting.

OSL: The 3rd-act tenor aria "Nessun dorma" is quite possibly the most known, quoted and excerpted theme from Puccini's score. In addition to this aria, what arias, ensembles and orchestral music ought the audiences listen for?

MJM: The first aria proper is Liù's "Signore ascolta" in Act One. Audiences will recognize it if they have ever listened to a Puccini soprano. It progresses into another great sequence--"Non piangere Liù"--which adds Calàf and Timur, then eventually a finale with chorus. The role of Liù is almost completely made up of three arias: "Signore ascolta" and two back-to-back pieces in the final act which are not to be missed. One of my favorite arias is "In questa reggia" in Act Two, where Turandot tells Calàf of her ancestress' cruel fate and why it has turned her away from love. The best sequence for me is the following riddle scene. It is one of the most thrilling in all opera.

OSL: The score of Turandot calls for mighty vocal forces onstage, especially for the leading roles (Princess Turandot and Prince Calaf) which are not easily cast. What can you tell us about the casting of Alexandra LoBianco and Adam Herskowitz?

MJM: Alexandra sang for us two years ago in Il Trovatore. When we heard her sing, I thought that this is a voice that will be going up the dramatic scale. It was her first soprano role. It was a true, full Verdian dramatic voice now blossoming further into Puccini dramatic territory. In the future, she will be singing Strauss and Wagner quite easily. That casting choice was far easier because we had our eye on her out front. From there, we were not hearing what we wanted to hear in auditions for Calàfs. Incidentally, Alexandra had just won the Liederkranz Competition in New York with a young tenor, Adam Herskowitz, whom she recommended we hear. Upon her strong recommendation, we hired him.

OSL: What can you tell us about the vision of this production in regards to your collaboration with set designer Patrick Huber and costume designer Teresa Doggett?

MJM: One of my favorite periods is art deco and I wanted to have a set inspired by it which would work really well with the piece. Patrick and I discussed it and he has designed a 1930s-inspired art deco set which makes my heart go pitty-pat. I love it! With the costuming, we are going for a 1930s Peking Opera influence.

Operatic Saint Louis: What would you say to convince the undecided or unfamiliar to run out and get Turandot tickets?

Mark James Meier: This opera is worth coming to for its epic scale. The stage action at the beginning will sweep you away and the arias will absolutely melt you. The ensembles are trademark big Puccini. I have the stage packed with principal singers, chorus, dancers, supers, children...what grand opera is all about. If you want to be sent on an emotional ride, this is the piece for you.

Turandot opens this Friday, July 8 and will run for three more performances on July 9, 15 & 16. Performances begin at 8pm. Sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church located at 733 Union Blvd in St. Louis. To purchase tickets or learn more about this production, visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/ or call 314.361.2881

Friday, July 1, 2011

Sneak Peek at UAO "Turandot" in Rehearsal

Click on the YouTube video below to see a sneak peek at staging rehearsal of Turandot. The video features Baritone Todd von Felker, Baritone Andrew Papas and Tenor Clark Sturdevant as Imperial Ministers Ping, Pong and Pang, respectively.



Turandot opens one week from tonight! Get your tickets now by calling 314.361.2881 or visiting http://www.unionavenueopera.org/