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

"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.

'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/

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

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/

Union Avenue Opera: 17th Season Overview

Union Avenue Opera prepares to raise the curtain on its 17th Festival Season. After great success with last season’s local premiere of Tchaikovsky’s psychological drama Pikovaya Dama (Queen of Spades), the comedic operetta The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan, and the romance of La fille du régiment (Daughter of the Regiment) by Donizetti, the company brings two well-loved operas and one local premiere to the stage.

Audiences will experience the passion and pageantry of ancient China in Puccini's Turandot, laugh through a whimsical Italianate telling of the Cinderella story in Rossini's La Cenerentola and plumb the depths of human evil and goodness in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking.

IN THE PIT AND BEFORE THE FOOTLIGHTS...

Artistic Director and Conductor Scott Schoonover is set to conduct both Turandot and Dead Man Walking. Conductor Elizabeth Hastings makes her UAO conducting debut with La Cenerentola.

Chicago-based Stage Director Mark James Meier returns to stage the upcoming Turandot. UAO Principal Stage Director Jolly Stewart will return next month to stage La Cenerentola. Stage Director Tim Ocel returns to stage Dead Man Walking.

Set Designer Patrick Huber has designed a festival set for the summer season. Costume Designer Teresa Doggett is at the helm for Turandot and Dead Man Walking, and Michele Siler will make her costume design debut with UAO on La Cenerentola.

THOSE BASKING IN THE FOOTLIGHTS...

Union Avenue Opera welcomes back artists from past seasons:

Cast of Turandot: Alexandra LoBianco (Turandot), Christia Starnes (Liù), Todd von Felker (Ping), Clark Sturdevant (Pang), Andrew Papas (Pong), Jon Garrett (Emperor) and Nathan Ruggles (Mandarino).

Cast of La Cenerentola: Keith Boyer (Prince Ramiro), Kara Cornell (Tisbe), Gina Galati (Clorinda), and Scott Levin (Alidoro).

Cast of Dead Man Walking: Jordan Shanahan (Joseph De Rocher), Debra Hillabrand (Mrs. Patrick De Rocher), Marlissa Hudson (Sister Rose), Robert Reed (Warden George Benton), Cecelia Stearman (Jade Boucher), Jon Garrett (Howard Boucher), David Dillard (Owen Hart), Stephanie Tennill (Kitty Hart), Victoria Carmichael (Sister Lillianne), Joy Boland (Sister Catherine), Clark Sturdevant (Father Grenville), Philip Touchette (Motor Cop), Thomas Sitzler and Nathan Ruggles (Guards).

Several artists will make their UAO debut:

• Tenor Adam Herskowitz (Calàf, Turandot)
• Bass Aaron Stegemöller (Timur, Turandot)
• Mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer (Angelina, La Cenerentola)
• Baritone Kenneth Mattice (Dandini, La Cenerentola)
• Baritone Adam Fry (Don Magnifico, La Cenerentola)
• Mezzo-soprano Elise Quagliata (Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking)

WHEN, WHERE and WHITHER TICKETS?

Turandot runs July 8, 9, 15, 16. La Cenerentola runs July 29, 30, Aug 6, 7(Mat). Dead Man Walking runs August 19, 20, 26, 27. All performances at 8pm, except for the La Cenerentola matinée at 3pm. Turandot and La Cenerentola are performed in Italian. Dead Man Walking is performed in English. All operas will be presented with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis.

To purchase tickets (running $30-52) and find more information about UAO, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

UAO Season One Month Away

In a month, Union Avenue Opera will commence its 17th summer festival season with Puccini's Turandot, followed by Rossini's La Cenerentola ("Cinderella") and concluding with the midwestern premiere of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking. Rehearsal for the season is fully underway, as artistic director and conductor Scott Schoonover has begun preparing the ensembles of all three productions as well as the children's ensembles of Turandot and Dead Man Walking. In two weeks, the cast and crew of Turandot will converge in St. Louis to begin a three-week staging process before the season opening.

Season Subscriptions and Single Tickets are currently on sale. 3-Opera Season Subscriptions run $85-$111. Single Tickets run $30-52. Student Rush Tickets ($15) will be sold 15 minutes before curtain time (cash only). Tickets may be purchased online at the UAO website or by calling the Box Office at 314.361.2881

Visit Operatic Saint Louis throughout the coming months to view further exclusive content and information on UAO's 17th season and special events surrounding each production. http://www.unionavenueopera.org/