The Critics on "A Streetcar Named Desire"

Union Avenue Opera's production of A Streetcar Named Desire concludes its run this weekend. Here's a sample of what Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Gerry Kowarsky of Two on the Aisle, Steve Callahan of BroadwayWorld, Gary Scott of KDHX and Mark Bretz of Ladue News have to say about the production. [NOTE: More reviews to come. Stay connected to this blog for later updates.]

Sarah Bryan Miller:

"...a musically and dramatically worthy production of André Previn's 'A Streetcar Named Desire'... 

Lacy Sauter captured the character of Blanche...[her] voice is lovely and well-produced...She made the most of her aria “I want magic,” a beautiful moment in a largely generic score... Katherine Giaquinto is clearly a performer with a future; she is vocally and dramatically secure, attractive and thoroughly musical... Bernardo Bermudez was an appropriately hunky Stanley, with a big, burnished baritone and excellent diction... Anthony Wright Webb’s Mitch was beautifully drawn and sung...He offered both a lovely lyric tenor and believable heartbreak... Conductor Kostis Protopapas had a sure grasp of the score, and led his forces with clarity and energy, in a notable performance... UAO’s small stage was perfect for this intimate production. Set designer Kyra Bishop used it well... Teresa Doggett’s authentic costumes suited the characters admirably... Stage director Christopher Limber used the cast and the set to good advantage."

Gerry Kowarsky:

"The Union Avenue production is so strong... Kostis Protopapas draws fine playing from the orchestra while keeping the sound and balance with the voices at a pace which fits the action... Lacy Sauter's Blanche DuBois is beautifully sung and highly sensitive to her emotional states... Bernardo Bermudez has the swagger of Stanley Kowalski... Katherine Giaquinto's Stella Kowalski is believable both as Stanley's and Blanche's sister... Anthony Webb admirably projects the sweetness and naiveté that sparks Blanche's interest and makes Mitch vulnerable to her artfulness... Kyra Bishop's set...cleverly uses all the space available on the Union Avenue stage... The opera is a worthy evocation of the story's emotions...

If you have any interest at all in the opera, now is the time to see it. Who knows when our next chance will be?"

Steve Callahan:

"'Streetcar' ranks at the very top of the many Union Avenue productions I've enjoyed... 

Scenery by Kyra Bishop and lighting by Sean Savoie beautifully fulfill everything one might wish for this classic Williams drama... Costumer Teresa Doggett...continues her long tradition of perfection... [S]tage director Christopher Limber creates what to me is the best staging of any production I've seen at Union Avenue... Lacy Sauter, as Blanche, and Katherine Giaquinto, as Stella, both have gorgeous clear lyric soprano voices... Miss Sauter shows a wonderfully mature control and subtlety...[Giaquinto's] serenely blissful vocalise after that reconciliatory night with Stanley is one of the high-points of the evening... Baritone Bernardo Bermudez is very much at home in the role of Stanley...a splendid job... [Anthony Webb's] pure and smooth voice perfectly convey's Mitch's shy gentleness... Johanna Nordhorn, as the neighbor Eunice, merits a special nod of praise... Kostis Protopapas deftly leads his singers and orchestra into a performance of great beauty..."

Gary Scott:

As always, Union Avenue provides a first-rate production... Lacy Sauter and Katherine Giaquinto...are both gifted with powerful and unfailing voices, unwavering in accuracy... Bernardo Bermudez and Anthony Wright Webb [both] resonated with warmth and vigor, exuding a rugged yet vulnerable rawness that just might have pleased Tennessee Williams... Kostis Protopapas...held together onstage and below an eclectic score that fused together classical harmony with occasional forays into jazz, Impressionism and atonality...

This is an opera worth seeing, and worth pondering... The tormented and searching characters brought to life by Tennessee Williams, whose creative spirit was in part forged in St. Louis, bring us face to face with the underside of human life that resides uncomfortably among us and, sometimes, within us.

Mark Bretz:

"...a strong and sobering production under the incisive direction of Christopher Limber in his Union Avenue Opera debut... Limber and conductor Kostis Protopapas quickly immerse the audience into the drama with Previn’s sometimes brash, sometimes mournful composition... Kyra Bishop’s scenic design and props beautifully set the table for Williams’ nuanced dialogue...[her] eye for detail supplements the sorrowful tale... Bernardo Bermudez and Katherine Giaquinto share sparks of chemistry that show how Stanley’s primordial impulses brings out Stella’s lusty, earthy nature... Lacy Sauter also is highly effective as she fills Blanche with delusions of grandeur and affectations of elegance that hide her sordid past... Anthony Wright Webb is particularly noteworthy...His singing is tender and heartfelt, making Mitch in some ways the most affected character of all...

Union Avenue Opera’s presentation of A Streetcar Named Desire demonstrates the versatility of Williams’ classic tale of misbegotten love and emotional instability in compelling fashion... Rating: 5 on a scale of 1-to-5."

A Streetcar Named Desire concludes its run this weekend: August 8 and 9 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. Performances begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in English with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.

The St. Louis Premiere of "A Streetcar Named Desire" Opens Tomorrow

Lacy Sauter
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2014 | All Rights Reserved

Union Avenue Opera continues its 20th Anniversary Season this Friday with the St. Louis Premiere of André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire running August 1, 2, 8 and 9. This production marks UAO's second foray into contemporary American opera after its critically-acclaimed 2011 production of Dead Man Walking.

Desire is taking on a new rhythm as Tennessee Williams' play sizzles onto the stage. Set against the backdrop of steamy New Orleans, this scintillating Streetcar adds a new level of drama and excitement to Williams' enduring portrait of sex, class and secrets. Southern belle Blanche DuBois moves to her sister's cramped apartment, creating all the wrong kinds of sparks with her brutish brother-in-law Stanley. When dark truths about her past begin to emerge, Blanche's world comes apart at the seams in a spiral of violence and madness.

Bernardo Bermudez
Katherine Giaquinto

Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2014
All Rights Reserved

THE CAST

Several artists make their UAO debut: Soprano Lacy Sauter as Blanche DuBois, Soprano Katherine Giaquinto as Stella Kowalski, Baritone Bernardo Bermudez as Stanley Kowalski, Tenor Anthony Webb as Harold "Mitch" Mitchell, Mezzo-Soprano Johanna Nordhorn as Eunice Hubbell, Tenor Robert Norman as Steve Hubbell and Mezzo-Soprano Natanja Tomich as the Flower Woman.

Also appearing in the production are UAO's Crescendo participant Tenor Jimmy Stevens (singing his first role at UAO) as the Young Collector, Tenor Anthony Heinemann (last seen as Gastone in La Traviata) as the Doctor, Soprano Megan Higgins (last seen in the Traviata ensemble) as the Nurse and actor Josh Saboorizadeh as Pablo Gonzales.

Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2014
All Rights Reserved

THE CREW

Guest Conductor Kostis Protopapas, who last conducted UAO's 2010 production of La Fille du Régiment, leads the orchestra. Stage Director Christopher Limber makes his UAO debut. MK Jacobi serves as Stage Manager with Claire Stark as Assistant Stage Manager. The design team includes Set Designer Kyra Bishop (UAO debut), Lighting Designer Sean Savoie (UAO debut), Costume Designer Teresa Doggett and Production Manager Sean Savoie. Pianist Nancy Mayo serves as repetiteur.

FRIDAY NIGHT LECTURE SERIES

Glen Bauer, Ph.D., Associate Chair of the Webster University Music Department, will give a lecture one hour before each Friday performance (August 1st and 8th at 7:00pm) in the Fellowship Gallery of Union Avenue Christian Church. Lectures are free and open to the general public; no ticket to the performance required. 

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION

Want a chance to eat, drink and schmooze with cast and crew of A Streetcar Named Desire on Opening Night? UAO hosts an Opening Night Reception on Friday, August 1st after the performance at Tavern of Fine Arts. Click here for more information.

Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2014
All Rights Reserved

"STREETCAR" IN THE MEDIA

Steve Potter chats with Lacy Sauter, Katherine Giaquinto and Christopher Limber on a recent episode of Cityscape on St. Louis Public Radio.

Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers the production, while Judith Newmark of the Post-Dispatch has written a feature on UAO Costume Designer and Actress Teresa Doggett.

Operatic Saint Louis interviews cast members Lacy Sauter, Katherine Giaquinto, Bernardo Bermudez and Anthony Webb as well as stage director Christopher Limber.

Deborah Sharn and Scott Miller of Break a Leg on KDHX interview Scott Schoonover about the 20th Season.

____________________

A Streetcar Named Desire opens tomorrow, August 1st, and runs August 2, 8 and 9 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. Performances begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in English with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.

Interview with Soprano Katherine Giaquinto

Katherine Giaquinto

Soprano Katherine Giaquinto makes her Union Avenue Opera debut in the St. Louis Premiere of André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire singing the role of Stella Kowalski. Originally from Canada and now residing in Los Angeles, Katherine's background was in television and film acting before discovering and pursuing opera, in which she has sung the roles of Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and Musetta in La Bohème, among many others. Phil Touchette of Operatic Saint Louis recently interviewed Ms. Giaquinto on preparing the role of Stella and her experience in this production.

________________

In a production with limited rehearsal time, singers meet their scene partners often for the first time and must develop a backstory and onstage chemistry--an element crucial to the passionate, volatile relationship between Stanley and Stella. How has this process worked between you and Bernardo Bermudez?

This was something I was very aware of coming into the production, knowing that the relationship between Stanley and Stella is so central to the story. I knew that Bernardo and I were going to be "getting up in each other's business," so to speak. Usually what happens in a production is that on Day One of staging you have a little conversation with each other and just check in, asking permission to get close, to touch, hug or kiss as the scene requires. I also like to express that I'm okay going with whatever instinct my scene partner would want to follow. I'd much rather discover something amazing in these characters' relationship than play it safe during staging because it might feel a little awkward at first. For Bernardo and I, we had a publicity photo shoot right before we began staging in which we recreated the embrace right after the infamous "STELLLLLAAA!!!" scene, and that helped to break the ice a little. Then we continued to get more comfortable with each other as staging went on. Bernardo is such a kind person that it's very easy to trust him in any scene that's either romantic or even violent between these two characters. 

The sisters Blanche and Stella grew up in southern aristocratic society in which chivalry and manners are paramount. Why, then, do you think Stella married a man given to less than gentlemanly behavior which repulses her sister Blanche?

Though Stella comes from a genteel background, I think she is really quite a bit more grounded and earthy than Blanche. When we meet her in the time frame of the story her behavior shows her to be a lusty woman who is quite happy in this rough and tumble world of New Orleans. I think in Stanley she found the first man who made it okay for her to embrace her sensuality, rather than be ashamed of it as Blanche is. I think she's thrilled by Stanley's strength and exaggerated maleness. She also brings out a tenderness in Stanley that no one else does - something probably only she gets to witness behind the closed curtains of their bedroom - and this gives her a certain feeling of power. We actually see very little of their love story as it was, before everything is soured by Blanche's arrival. But I think Stella and Stanley are really madly in love with each other.

Stella has been portrayed in a variety of ways. Kim Hunter in the Elia Kazan film seems feisty while Elizabeth Futral in the opera's premiere tends towards the submissive--though both were warm towards their respective Blanches. How has it been to balance the devoted wife and protective sister in Stella?

Stella's main struggle is having to choose between the man she loves beyond reason, and her sister. In the end she chooses Stanley, and it's part of Blanche's downfall. I think that's Stella's tragedy. Often I hear people describe Stella as passive, and I recognize it's hard to compare her to the towering literary figures of Stanley and Blanche. But I don't see her as passive at all. I think she's massively conflicted and presented with an impossible task - she can't keep both of these people happy. Also, one way to view the story is that Blanche and Stanley are basically fighting for Stella's soul - her love and loyalty. In that case, she's the pivotal point of this relationship triangle.

As you sing through the score, what musical passages fascinate or intrigue you about your character?

Stella actually has the first aria of the show. It's short and sweet, and the text is taken from the passage in which she describes how hard it is for her when Stanley travels away for business. She says, "I can hardly stand it when he's away for a night. And when he's away for a week I nearly go wild." The music is lyrical and sensuous, and for me it was a big clue into her character. I think we often have a hard time imagining a woman from the 40s as a sexual being, but it's right there in the Williams' text, and Previn has brought it to life in Stella's music. After all, the title is A Streetcar Named Desire, and I think that applies very much to Stella as well.

How does Stella compare musically or dramatically to the roles you have previously sung, if at all?

Stella is new territory for me in some ways because I often play strong, smart, self-possessed women like Fiordiligi, Musetta, or Susanna in Figaro. Stella is much more feminine, in the deepest sense of the word. She is often more receptive than active, and I've had to work to find out how this character would express things like anger or upset in less overt ways than are my natural instincts. Musically, we've all had to work to find the natural inflections of speech within the prescribed rhythms of Previn's music. The opera is basically sung conversation, with a few lyrical moments inserted here and there. The maestro has been so generous with us musically, always encouraging us to find a natural way of expressing the text, rather than be worried about being robotically accurate.

Katherine & Lacy Sauter in the
Central West End

'Streetcar' marks your debut with Union Avenue Opera. How has the UAO experience been so far? Have you been able to explore St. Louis in your time away from rehearsal?

Honestly, I've been having such a fabulous time here. Everyone at UAO has been welcoming, generous, and totally on top of their game. My host family is wonderful and has made me feel right at home. I've been so impressed with the abundance of history, art and culture in St. Louis. I'm staying right by Forest Park and I can't wait for our week off so I can go explore the art museum, the zoo and the science center. It's also a fabulous coincidence to be performing Streetcar in St. Louis, which is so rich with Tennessee Williams history. On our first day here Lacy (Blanche) and I stumbled across a bronze bust of Williams just a few blocks from where we're staying. We took pictures with it!

________________

You can learn more about Katherine by visiting her website KatherineGiaquinto.com, following her on Twitter @OperaKat and checking out her Facebook page.

A Streetcar Named Desire opens Friday, August 1st and continues its run Aug 2, 8 & 9 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. Performances begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in English with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.

STL Public Radio's "Cityscape" to Feature "A Streetcar Named Desire" Artists This Friday

Lacy Sauter & Katherine Giaquinto

Friday at Noon, Union Avenue Opera will be featured on St. Louis Public Radio's Cityscape. Host Steve Potter welcomes Sopranos Lacy Sauter and Katherine Giaquinto (singing Blanche DuBois and Stella Kowalski, respectively) and Stage Director Christopher Limber to discuss UAO's upcoming production of Andre Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire, which will be seen in its St. Louis Premiere.

Cityscape airs on KWMU 90.7 at Noon-1pm on Friday, July 25th and will be repeated at 10pm that night. You may also listen to archived audio of the program on http://www.stlpublicradio.org/

Tickets for upcoming UAO productions start at $32 and are available online at http://www.unionavenueopera.org/ or by calling the box office (open M-F, 10am-3pm) at 314-361-2881.