Union Avenue Opera's "Das Rheingold"

Bass-Baritone Kevin Misslich (Wotan)
Baritone Jordan Shanahan (Alberich)
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2012, All rights reserved.

Union Avenue Opera has begun its four-year odyssey of presenting Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen in a production adapted and reduced by British composer Jonathan Dove. The first opera of the Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold, opens in less than two weeks.

A saga of monumental proportion replete with giants, gods, goddesses and a dragon, Das Rheingold opens in the waters of the river Rhine, where three Rhinemaidens guard the river’s magical gold. Enraged by their scorn, conniving dwarf Alberich steals enough of this precious metal to forge a ring that gives its bearer unimaginable power. Meanwhile, Wotan and Loge, two powerful gods, conspire to steal the gold as ransom for the goddess Freia who has been kidnapped by the giants. The ensuing struggle for possession of the ring sets in motion a course of events that will alter the order of the universe and set the stage for the subsequent three operas (Die Walküre, 2013; Siegfried, 2014; Götterdämmerung, 2015).

Set Under Construction
Photo © Patrick Huber, 2012, All rights reserved.

Cast and crew arrived in St. Louis last week to begin rehearsals. Expect to see and hear some familiar artists including Soprano Joy Boland as Freia, Bass-Baritone Todd von Felker as the giant Fasolt, Mezzo-soprano Elise Quagliata as Fricka, Bass-Baritone Kevin Misslich as Wotan, Baritone Jordan Shanahan as the dwarf Alberich as well as several artists making their UAO debut. 

Set Under Construction
Photo © Patrick Huber, 2012, All rights reserved.

Making her UAO debut, stage director Karen Coe Miller promises a multi-media production of Das Rheingold utilizing several projections and lighting effects to evoke the opera's fantasy world. Set crews have been hard at work building Patrick Huber's multi-leveled set design.

Stay tuned to Operatic Saint Louis for so much more on UAO's Das Rheingold, including several educational opportunities and a reception to mingle with cast, crew and fellow operagoers. Also, don't forget to connect to Union Avenue Opera on Facebook and Twitter to play trivia for fun and prizes in the "Countdown to Wagner" leading up to Opening Night!

Das Rheingold opens August 17 and runs August 18, 24 and 25 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. All performance begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in German with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.

Union Avenue Opera's "Un ballo in Maschera" Opens Friday Night

Soprano Courtney Mills

Union Avenue Opera continues its 18th Festival Season this Friday evening with the mystery and intrigue of Giuseppe Verdi’s magnificent Un ballo in maschera. Riccardo and Amelia share a forbidden love, but the beguiling Amelia is married to Riccardo’s closest friend and confidante Renato. Amelia enlists the aid of sorceress Ulrica in an effort to extinguish her illicit love for Riccardo, but discovers her secret is already out. The culmination takes place at a lavish masked ball as this love triangle turns deadly.

The cast of Un ballo in maschera will be led by three artists making their UAO stage debuts: Tenor Emanuel-Cristian Caraman as the conflicted Riccardo; Soprano and Springfield, Illinois native Courtney Mills as Amelia, the object of his secret passion; and Baritone Andrew Cummings as her suspicious husband Renato.

In the pants role of the pageboy Oscar, Soprano Rachael Holtzhausen also makes her debut. Last seen in the role of Ruth in 2010's The Pirates of Penzance, Mezzo-soprano Denise Knowlton returns as the sorceress Ulrica. Other familiar voices include Todd von Felker (Ping, Turandot) as Samuel and David Dillard (Polyphemus, Acis and Galatea) as Tom, alongside Jon Garrett as Chief Magistrate, Tom Sitzler as Silvano, and Anthony Heinemann as Amelia's servant. The cast is accompanied by a chorus of sixteen local artists including seven making their UAO stage debuts.

Patrick Huber's Set Design Under Construction

Stage Director Mark James Meier returns to stage Ballo after a second critically-acclaimed production of Turandot last season. Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Scott Schoonover conducts the orchestra. Webster University graduate Steven Hitsman serves as Production Stage Manager. The design team includes Set Designer Patrick Huber and Costume Designer Teresa Doggett (take a sneak peek at her designs by clicking here). Pianist Henry Palkes serves as Production Répetiteur.

Don't miss UAO's Friday Night Lecture Series at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall presented by Glenn Bauer, Ph.D., Associate Chair, Department of Music at Webster University prior to the Friday night performances (June 29, July 6). Lectures are FREE and open to the public.

Emanuel Cristian-Caraman & Courtney Mills

Ballo in the Media:

Sarah Bryan Miller previews the production in the Post-Dispatch; Patricia Rice interviews Courtney Mills in The Beacon; Hear Scott Schoonover, Courtney Mills and Andrew Cummings interviewed on Cityscape; Nancy Kranzberg interviews Scott Schoonover on KDHX Arts Interview

Also, check out UAO on Twitter and Facebook!

Un ballo in Maschera opens this Friday, June 29 and will continue June 30, July 6 & 7. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church at 733 N. Union Blvd. All performances start at 8pm. Production sung in Italian with Projected English Supertitles. Tickets start at $32 and are available online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling the box office Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at 314-361-2881. Student Rush tickets are available for $15 at the door with a valid student ID (cash only).

A Look at UAO "Un ballo in Maschera" Costumes

Teresa Doggett

Costume Designer Teresa Doggett marks her seventh season working with Union Avenue Opera. Her design debut with the company was a production of Bellini's Norma during the 2006 season. Since then, she has costumed several productions at UAO including Die Zauberflöte, Carmen, Die lustige Witwe and Turandot to name just a few. Doggett, also a working actress in the St. Louis community, brings keen character insights into the creative process of building and collecting a suitable wardrobe for any given production.

Operatic Saint Louis' Phil Touchette recently visited Union Avenue Opera's costume shop on the third floor of Union Avenue Christian Church to discuss her costume designs for the upcoming Un ballo in Maschera.

When approached by stage director Mark James Meier about a design concept for Ballo (traditionally set in 1790s colonial Boston), Doggett says that Mark didn't have a particular concept other than declaring "I don't want to do it 'Baroque.'" The task, then, was to find a "look" which could place the characters into a time and space where this dark opera could make sense. During pre-production meetings, Set Designer Patrick Huber suggested blending elements of graphic novels and steam punk (a Victorian-era aesthetic concerning the influence of new industrial machinery on everyday life) into the overall concept. The costumes provide a dark edge that puts the characters in different worlds: the past, the present and the sci-fi future. Below are a few samples of designs for the five principal characters of the opera: Amelia, Riccardo, Renato, Oscar and Ulrica.

Amelia's Act I & Act II Costume

Amelia's costume for Acts I & II consists of an overcoat/bodice piece comprised of faux leather and a dark maribou collar. "It's dark and meant to be very dramatic," says Doggett. "This is not the sort of thing you would typically see in an Amelia costume. Again, we want to go for the drama, the intensity. The collar, actually, is wonderful for framing a singer's face. Courtney Mills, our Amelia, is the only true blonde in the show, so it really sets off her face wonderfully from the first time we see her onstage."

Riccardo's Act I Costumes

Riccardo's Act I costume is a black leather coat, followed by a fisherman's coat later in the act. "The coat's vest underneath is very baroque in style and has a certain cut, so we are making a reference to the original setting of the opera," says Doggett.

His end of Act I coat, when in disguise at a fishing village, has a non-specific time reference. "It's got quite a Victorian look but it still says that it's somewhere, yet not the baroque period."

Doggett notes the great amount of faux leather in her costume plot, and expresses sympathy for the tenor, Emanuel-Cristian Camaran: "Poor Emanuel is going to be wearing this coat, which is almost 25 pounds! Yet, this will create a very tailored look for him."

Renato's Act I & Act II Costumes

Renato, sung by Baritone Andrew Cummings, will also be clad in leather for the production, specifically a jacket in Act I, then wool for Act II.

"There is another leather coat here, but I've given a slightly different cut on him. The coat is rather closed up, especially from the first time we see him onstage." says Doggett.

In her process, Doggett saw Renato wearing dark red colors. "There was just something about his character that said to me 'red.' I don't know quite what it is, but I think it works really well for him. He's the only character in Act I, Scene I who is in a warm color. Everybody else is in grays and blues--darker colors that are much more cool than his coloring."

Doggett was definitely pleased with what she found for his Act II ensemble. "I found a fantastic wool coat for him with all of these studs on it which makes a strong statement about his character. He's very strong, determined and jealous." She remarks that this coat, combined with the baritone's height (over 6'5") will make for a very dramatic image onstage.

Oscar's Act I & Act II Costumes

For the "pants role" of the page boy Oscar, Doggett found two distinct looks for Soprano Rachael Holzhausen.

"For most of the show, I wanted Oscar in black and white, mainly because he is probably the most charming and sincere character--he only wants to do good...I thought that Oscar would see everything in black and white. There is either 'Yes' or 'No' and 'Good' or 'Bad.'"

It is only in the Act II fishing village scene that Oscar is wearing something other than black and white: a brown travel coat. Doggett also mentions a reference in the Antonio Somma libretto in which Oscar is called 'the domino' which will come into prominence for the Act III costume.

Ulrica's Costume

The sorceress Ulrica, sung by Mezzo-soprano Denise Knowlton, will have the most earthen, yet futuristic look of the production. Doggett sees the Ulrica of this production as more of a shaman and linked to the earth than everyone else in the piece, connecting the old with the present.

Some elements of science fiction pervade Ulrica's look. "She's going to have some mini-discs woven into her wig and fastened onto some of the jewelry to reference a futuristic world."

Doggett adds, with a chuckle, "There's also going to be some chicken bones. There's going to be a mixed reference which brings her into the old and modern worlds."

Ulrica's costume embodies the most color as well as texture. Doggett incorporates lots of faux leather, nubby velvet fabrics, tye-dye and distressed fabric. "There's a sense of tactile-ness about her, where everyone else has a tailored look."

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Designs ©Teresa Doggett. Design photos ©Phil Touchette.

Un ballo in Maschera opens this Friday, June 29 and will continue June 30, July 6 & 7. All performances start at 8pm. Production sung in Italian with Projected English Supertitles. Tickets start at $32 and are available online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling the box office Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at 314-361-2881. Student Rush tickets are available for $15 at the door with a valid student ID (cash only).

Set Model for UAO's "Dead Man Walking"

Take a look at some shots of the set model for Union Avenue Opera's Dead Man Walking. You may click on images to view a larger resolution.

Director Tim Ocel and Set Designer Patrick Huber have collaborated on a design which suggests the various locales inside and outside of the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The model takes into account the architecture of the apse and pulpit areas of Union Avenue Christian Church's Sanctuary.

Several chain-link fence units will be used to create confined spaces, long hallways in the prison, etc.

Up center, there will be a 2'-tall stage-within-the-stage serving as various playing areas--most notably the meeting places of Sr. Helen and Joseph De Rocher.

Lining the church's apse, a gallery gives playing space to the various characters commenting on or merely watching the action below.

In order to help bring the action into the house, prison cells have been placed on the balconies at house right and house left.

Dead Man Walking opens next weekend, running August 19, 20, 26 and 27. All performances begin at 8pm. Production sung in English with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

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/