An Action-Packed Second Week of Rehearsal

Now, in the second week of rehearsal, the action is really picking up as brother and sister encounter the Witch, gleefully portrayed by Elizabeth Byrne. Director Amy Hutchison has packed so much action and interaction into the performances that even the most hardened computer game player will be entertained.

Now, in the second week of rehearsal, the action is really picking up as brother and sister encounter the Witch, gleefully portrayed by Elizabeth Byrne. Director Amy Hutchison has packed so much action and interaction into the performances that even the most hardened computer game player will be entertained.

As the Witch, Elizabeth Byrne (right) casts an evil spell on Gretel (Marnie Breckenridge, left) and Hansel (Kirsten Gunlogson).

 (Toward that end, Indianapolis Opera is offering a Special Family Promotion for Hansel and Gretel, in which select seats are only $20 each. Click Here)

Our chorus for this opera is being performed by the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. While this is a seasoned group of singers, it is always interesting to see young performers in their first opera. Most of their performances are in concert and don’t involve broad movement. So watching their fierce concentration on Amy’s stage direction is a lot of fun.

 

The children’s performance evokes quite a contrast. Parents often caution their children to “use your inside voice” when they become too rambunctious. With this group we are encouraging them to “use your playground voice, not your choir voice!” We are so lucky to be able to rehearse in the soon-to-be Basile Opera Center, where we have ample space and safe surroundings for the 50+ children in the cast.

Chloe, Marnie Beckenridge’s intrepid travel companion, snugs up with rehearsal accompanist Sandra Baetzhold.

 Finally, I couldn’t report on rehearsals without mentioning the hands-down favorite member of our rehearsal crew—Chloe, soprano Marnie Breckenridge’s (Gretel) cute little dog. She too is a seasoned opera pro, sitting through rehearsals without a peep. (Although Marnie did confide that Chloe had a little whimper once while she was rehearsing a mad scene, but mad scene’s don’t count.)

This production is shaping up to be great fun. We look forward to seeing you!

 Jim

Jim Caraher reports on the first week of rehearsal

The first week of rehearsal for Verdi’s Il Trovatore has moved along at lightning speed. Thanks to the exceptional organizational skills of director Joseph Bascetta and an experienced cast of artists, the blocking of principals for the entire opera was completed by Thursday—far ahead of the customary schedule.

 

Mr. Bascetta also brings a fresh take on the staging of the opera, minus the typical gloom of setting and stage lighting. In his words, “the drama must come from the characters, not the environment.” As a result, during each run through he asks his artists to dig deeper into their feelings and to show them in every gesture and expression. “The audience must see your thoughts.”

 

Take, for example, his direction to Laura Brioli, who portrays the tragic Azucena. “We need to see the insanity burning a hole in your head—almost as though you are a wounded animal.” Her first rehearsal of the aria in which she recounts the brutal killing of her mother was absolutely gripping. Audiences are accustomed to seeing in Azucena only ugly bitterness. Ms. Brioli’s portrayal is the exact opposite. Using her rich mezzo voice and her nuance of movement, she makes us see Azucena’s grief and fragility as well as her insanity.

 

While the all of the cast is new to Indianapolis Opera, most have worked together before elsewhere, and it shows. Their professionalism and collegial attitudes toward one another make it easier for them to reveal the emotional depths they are asked to find.

 

Leonora, portrayed by soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams, begs the evil Count di Luna—baritone Todd Thomas—not to harm her beloved.

When we hear the evil Count di Luna declare his love for the heroine Leonora, we usually see and hear only lust. But portrayed by baritone Todd Thomas in our production, the sincerity and almost gentleness of his declaration actually make him sympathetic (momentarily, at least).

 

Soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams as Leonora and tenor Arnold Rawls as Manrico make a stunning couple, both vocally and dramatically. Both must draw on their individual and joint strengths as artists to perform the difficult scene in which he accuses her of infidelity and moments later she dies in his arms—having sacrificed herself to save him.

 

Mr. Bascetta’s emphasis on emotion and internal conflict in our upcoming production means that the singers must also sing in a manner that befits the feelings being presented. People portraying anger sing with a markedly different cadence than if they were singing the same notes just to sing prettily. That makes conducting more challenging and more interesting at the same time—knowing when to increase intensity and when to step back.

 

Another interesting idea Mr. Bascetta brings to this production of Il Trovatore is that the chorus will play a much more active role in the unfolding of the story than in many operas. We begin integrating the members of the chorus into the production this weekend—I think they will be surprised! Tune in here next week to see how that is going!

 

Jim

 

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Maestro Caraher on the second week of rehearsal

Well, the chorus and principals are conducting joint rehearsals this week, and things are really heating up! The presence of chorus members has heightened the sense of urgency and danger for the principals, and their performances are sharper and very convincing.

 

As usual, the chorus arrived very well prepared, thanks to Chorus Master John Schmid (who this year is celebrating his 25^th season in his post—congratulations and thank you John!). And it is a good thing, since they got vigorous direction from Joseph Bascetta.

 

Vocally the chorus plays an important role in Il Trovatore, not just producing the famous Anvil Chorus, also throughout. In our current production, they also make their presence known dramatically, especially during the dramatic confrontation between the Count and Manrico.

 

They are very physically involved in the drama, as threatening armies, as guards snatching the grieving Manrico from the dead Leonora, and restraining the unfortunate Azucena as though she were a wild animal. Quite a workout!

 

And throughout our principals are singing wonderfully together—very balanced vocally. In both principals and chorus, we have the best of both musical and dramatic worlds. This production is shaping up to be one of our most memorable! Hope to see you there!

 

Jim

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Chorus members portraying soldiers of the evil Count di Luna rehearse their threats.

The Many Facets of Hansel and Gretel

The first week of rehearsal for Hansel and Gretel is going gangbusters! We have a terrific group of our favorite guest artists back in Indianapolis, with a talented director who is an expert on this opera. And if you didn’t see the premier in 1999, you won’t believe the fabulous sets by renown children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak.

 

First the cast. Soprano Marnie Breckenridge is Gretel. You will remember her in the roles of Lucia and Pamina in prior IO productions. Her pure sound and physical grace make her a charming Gretel. Indiana University graduate Kirsten Gunlogson, portrays Hansel with great enthusiasm and a rich mezzo vocal quality. An Indianapolis favorite, her most recent performance was as Nicklause in last season’s Tales of Hoffmann. While both have performed here, they have not performed together until now, but you wouldn’t know that from watching them work together.

 

We are so pleased to welcome soprano Elizabeth Byrne to Indianapolis Opera, singing both the Witch and the Mother. While this is her Indianapolis debut, she has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago’s Lyric Opera and numerous European houses, and we are fortunate to have her. Baritone Victor Benedetti portrays the Father. His previous IO performances include last season’s Tosca and The Pearl Fishers.

 

Add to this mix stage director Amy Hutchison, who worked with Sendak in 2000 on the original premier. She is intimate with this opera and is conveying great nuance to her singers. “These children do not have a carefree childhood. They have lots of responsibility,” she told them. “They are careworn children thrust deep into danger.”

 

All of our guest artists have sung Hansel and Gretel before, but in English, which is common in the U.S. So our production holds an additional challenge in that they are singing in German. While German fits well with the music, picture, Marnie concentrating on her German lyrics while also practicing her hopscotch and imagine Kirsten enunciating German while chewing strawberries!

 

Speaking of the music, this opera is a very interesting study in contrasts. On the one hand it is based on the well-known folk tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, with a number of the musical themes based on folk motifs. On the other, the orchestration demonstrates the influence of Richard Wagner on composer Englebert Humperdinck, who worked briefly as an associate of Wagner’s. Certainly there are lighter moments when we focus on the children. But in the more moody scenes, such as in the forest, the homage to Wagner is discernable.

 

To begin with, the orchestra is the same size as that Wagner used, and projects the same musical color. Like Wagner, Humperdinck through-composed, meaning there are no breaks after arias or between scenes. The music is also very dense—all instruments play all the time. Wagner operas are known for their powerful singers, who can out-sing orchestras with muscle. But for Hansel and Gretel, larger and older singers are not believable in the title roles, so we look for singers who are believable and who can still be heard over the orchestra (while dancing and playing!). All of these factors add to the difficulty our artists must overcome with this score.

 

Return here next week for a fun report on how the Indianapolis Children’s Choir is performing as the chorus for Hansel and Gretel!

 

Jim

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Marnie Breckenridge (Gretel), stage director Amy Hutchison and Kirsten Gunlogson (Hansel) stage the forest scene.

From Mao to the Met

Usually I don’t presume to make book recommendations, but in this instance, I feel the need to make an exception. While the book I’m about to recommend tells the story of a magnificent singer, opera is secondary. This is an incredibly compelling human tale that kept me riveted from beginning to end. More about that in a moment. . .

Backstory

Hao Jiang Tian

This spring I was very fortunate to conduct a production of Faust for the Fresno Grand Opera. The principals included three renowned Metropolitan Opera singers: soprano Maureen O’Flynn, tenor Fernando de la Mora, bass Hao Jiang Tian, and La Scala veteran, Luis Ledesma. I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive in the days leading up to the first rehearsal. These were all singers who had sung all over the word, in all of the biggest opera houses, and l was coming into this as low man on the totem pole.

I very quickly found that I had no reason to be nervous. While all were quintessential professionals, they were also warm and collegial professionals who offered me the same deference they would offer to the most famous of conductors. We quickly became a lively group of friends, who looked forward to socializing and having dinner together after rehearsals. We even spent our first day off together taking a guided tour of Yosemite Park with one of our fabulous Fresno hosts.

We also were a virtual United Nations of origins. Fernando and Luis are from Mexico; Fernando’s wife is from France; Maureen and I share Irish ancestry; Maureen’s husband, Claude Corbeil, (a wonderful bass) is French Canadian; and Tian and his wife, Martha, are from China.

One of my favorite memories from those three weeks came while waiting in front of our hotel for the beginning of the Yosemite tour. We learned that it was Claude’s birthday that day, and immediately Fernando and Luis burst into a traditional Mexican birthday song, in two part harmony, that went on for a good four our five minutes.  As you might expect, a sidewalk serenade by two world class opera singers began to draw attention, and people stopped what they were doing and stared in amazement. “Who are you people?” one of them asked when the “concert” had come to a dramatic conclusion.

Along the Roaring River

Hao Jiang Tian as Mephistopheles at The Met.

Back to the book. During our three weeks together, Hao Jiang Tian (he is addressed as Tian) held a book signing for his new book, which I attended not really knowing anything about his early background. What I knew of him was that he was a wonderful artist, and one of the most polite and friendly people that I had ever met.  I couldn’t help wondering how—with this underlying warmth—he could transform himself into the wrathful evil that is Mephistopheles. (Oh, but he did!) You would think he was shy, but that would only make his mischievous rehearsal interjections even funnier.

What I heard at his book signing was an absolutely incredible story. Tian was the son of a symphony conductor in Beijing when the Cultural Revolution erupted. He recalled having to destroy his father’s entire record collection of western music by smashing each disc into little pieces, and his no longer having to take the “dreaded” piano lessons.  At the time, both were welcome developments, much to his embarrassment now.  His parents were influential in the Communist Party, and it was important for them all to be politically correct, even in their musical tastes.

He next told us of how he soon developed an interest in American popular music after being given a guitar by his older brother, and he performed several of his favorites, in very entertaining English, accompanying himself on the guitar and piano.  These had been learned by hiding under the blankets at night and listening to one of the western Radio Free stations that he could get on a transistor radio.  It he had been caught, he could have been arrested!

Once out of school, Tian worked in a boiler factory. One day he cycled across Beijing to see a friend and, at the friend’s high rise apartment, stood on the sidewalk and yelled his friend’s name, louder and louder. Finally a window opened and a man leaned out, commenting on the carrying power of Tian’s voice and told him to come upstairs. The man told him that he should become a singer.

Against unbelievable odds, the path of this undeniable talent changed; the world of opera would be changed as well. After time at a Chinese conservatory, Tian took the plunge and traveled to the United States. He landed in the U.S. with nowhere to go, speaking no English, and with $30 in his pocket, of which he spent $18 to buy a standing room ticket at the Metropolitan Opera. At intermission, departing patrons gave him a ticket for fifth row, center, and there he was, just yards away from James Levine in the pit, and Luciano Pavarotti on stage.

It was just ten years later, almost to the day, that Tian performed at the Met for the first of many times, with both Levine and Pavarotti.

Toward the end of our time together, Tian came to me and said, “We have been talking about you. You may be one of the quietest maestros we know, but you have it here.” And he thumped his heart. That is the kind of person he is.

These are just a few examples of how Tian came to be the amazing star and wonderful human being that he is today. I wish that you all could meet him in person. As Placido Domingo said about him, “Tian has had a life worthy of an opera!”

I encourage you to read the rest in his book. The full title is Along the Roaring River: My Wild Ride from Mao to the Met. You can hear Tian’s magnificent voice and learn more about him at his website: tianhaojiang.com

 Happy reading!

Jim

Week 5: Blow-out Cast!

In previous letters I have mentioned the international reputations of Maestro Venzago, who will conduct, and stage director Joachim Schamberger, who has created an exciting virtual set. Our cast in the three largest roles are equally well known as Wagnerian singers.

What do I mean by a Wagnerian singer? To begin with, the size of Wagner’s orchestra is much larger than that of many other operatic styles. Add to that the density of his orchestration and you need voices that not only are loud enough to project, but also vocally focused. And I should add that Wagner requires stamina.

Let’s take a look at the qualifications of our cast:

Greer Grimsley

Greer Grimsley (bass-baritone: Wotan) – Making is IO debut. Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Royal Danish Opera, Saint Louis Symphony, Portland Opera, New Orleans Opera, San Diego Opera, Montreal Opera, the Deutsch Op Berlin and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

Elizabeth Byrne

Elizabeth Byrne (soprano: Fricka) has both performed and covered at the Metropolitan Opera. Other US performances have included the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dallas Opera, Portland Opera, Arizona Opera and Austin Lyric Opera. She also has performed with the Glimmerglass Opera, Staatstheater Stuttgart and the Scottish Opera, the latter earning her a Royal Philharmonic Society Award Nomination.

Richard Paul Fink

Richard Paul Fink  (baritone: Alberich) is making is IO debut and recently peformed Kurwenal, Tristan und Isolde, Metropolitan Opera; Alberich, Lohengrin, San Francisco Opera; Amonasro, Aida, Seattle Opera; Water Sprite, Rusalka, Canadian Opera Company; Alberich, Der Ring des Grand Opera; Alberich, Lohengrin, Casals Festival; Rigoletto, Rigoletto, Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

Greer Grimsley is hugely popular for Wagner productions, and Indianapolis is very lucky that he had time in his schedule to perform here. As an added bonus, Greer has agreed to participate in a symposium for ticketholders that will take place Saturday, May 16, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Other participants include conductor Mario Venzago and designer/director Joachim Schamberger in a lively discussion moderated by Michael Sells of Butler University.  They will explore Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” and “The Ring Cycle” with the creative team behind it.  Hear how to interpret Wagner without sets and costumes from the perspective of the conductor, the singer, and the designer. This symposium is free and reservations are not required. It will take place at the Hilbert Circle Theatre Wood Room, 45 Monument Circle, Indianapolis.

We were fortunate to have Elizabeth Byrne earlier this season portraying the Mother and the Witch in “Hansel and Gretel.” When she heard we were mounting “Das Rheingold” she expressed keen interest in being cast, since it was the only opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle missing from her repertoire. Similarly, Richard Paul Fink is well-known as a Wagnerian and is excited to be Indianapolis for this one-of-a-kind production of the famed opera.

Dynamic staging, first rate cast and dynamic artistic collaboration will make for a memorable Indianapolis debut of “Das Rheingold”! See you there!

Jim

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Rheingold goes Multimedia

As we have discussed earlier, the upcoming production of “Das Rheingold” will feature the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on the stage and the singers staged on a rising and lowering pit. This staging precludes a standard opera set. So our talented young director set about designing how forms and images could be used to create a “virtual set.”

One of Joachim's images that will be used as part of the "virtual set" of Das Rheingold.

German stage director Joachim Schamberger has put together some very creative ideas! First a “megalithic” set piece will be present in the pit, symbolic of mountains, castles, underwater formations, and other images that are already deep in your imagination. The epic visual aspects of the production also will include “virtual” set pieces that will frame the stage and feature frequently changing digital images representative of the story and the power of the Rhine.  In a standard staging, you have giants who are not that much larger than other characters. Think what virtual images can do for giants!

You probably have noticed the otherworldly Rheingold illustration here on our web page. This is one of Joachim’s images and it is among the digital imagery that will be projected on the Rheingold stage. That one individual can be such an excellent director of “standard” operatic staging and also so talented at creating virtual sets is most impressive. I think Wagner himself would be impressed.

And, I believe, this kind of talent illustrates the future direction of opera and theater.

Next time a preview of some of the internationally recognized Wagnerian singers that our collaborative production has attracted to Indianapolis!

 Jim

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Week 3: Artistic Collaboration

While I am gazing at murky images of Rhinemaidens and giant gods, I also am taking advantage of the weather in sunny California. I write from Fresno, where we are preparing a production of “Faust.” So please pardon if I have a bit of whiplash! 

Mario Venzago

I wanted to take this opportunity to say how fortunate we are to have Mario Venzago conducting our collaborative production of “Das Rheingold.” Because of his leadership of the Indianapolis Symphony, you may think of him as only a symphonic conductor. You may not know that in addition to leading a number of prominent symphony orchestras, he also has served as music director of the Graz (Austria), Heidelberg and Lucerne opera companies. Born in Zurich, he is a natural German-speaker and has an affinity for Wagner. So you are in for a treat as you witness his Indiana opera conducting premiere. 

Mario introduced himself to me following an opera just after he arrived in Indianapolis. He expressed his pleasure that his new home had such a quality opera company, and suggested that sometime we collaborate on a production. Now, several years later, that idea is coming to fruition. “Das Rheingold” was actually his recommendation for our joint project. He was familiar with the opera and also wanted a relatively short program. (Rheingold is Wagner’s shortest opera.) This turned out to be most fortunate for Indianapolis Opera. Not long afterward we found that we were going use a quasi-virtual set for “Tosca.” We brought Joachim in to direct, and he introduced us to the possibilities of this technology. His stage direction was admired by both singers and audience.

Joachim Schamberger

Knowing that the orchestra would be onstage for this production, thereby precluding a normal set, but also desiring to offer more than a traditional “concert” version of the opera, we thought of a talented young German director with impressive experience at creating “virtual” sets. His name is Joachim Schamberger. Joachim has relatives living in Indianapolis, and during one of his visits he called to introduce himself and his portfolio. 

So now flash forward to the introduction of Maestro Venzago and Director Schamberger, both German speakers and steeped in Germanic music and lore. They hit it off instantly, both personally and artistically. Having artistic leadership intimate with both the language and the cultural aspects of the opera suggests ringing performances. Having listened as they discussed artistic issues, I can’t tell you how very much I am looking forward to them!

Next week, more about Joachim’s wonderful set design.

Wish you were here!

Jim

 

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Staging “Das Rheingold”

Richard Wagner

 

For the collaborative production of “Das Rheingold,” Indianapolis Opera and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra are doing a form of “role reversal.” We are placing the orchestra on stage and the singers in the pit. Lest you fret that you won’t be able to see the singers, the pit will be raised and lowered at appropriate moments. Picture Woton rising dramatically in front of the orchestra!

 

When we combine the elements of raising and lowering pit, a “megalithic” set piece, “virtual” set pieces (more on that later) and a full orchestra, we have an updated version of Wagner’s vision of “complete work of art.” These are not unlike the technical and theatrical advancements that rock groups have incorporated into their concerts.

 

Wagner through-composed “Das Rheingold” with no intermission. We felt that an uninterrupted two hours+ without a break would diminish rather than intensify the audience experience. Maestro Venzago has cleverly employed a technique from television that will allow for a 20-minute intermission without losing the momentum of the performance. Television programs sometimes start a new installment with the words “previously on Boston Legal,” while showing brief flashbacks of the previous episode. In our production, the beginning of the second act will briefly review the musical themes heard during the first act to get the audience back up to speed.

 

Next time we will gain some insight into the collaboration between Maestro Venzago and stage director Joachim Schamberger, and their common Germanic heritage.

 

Jim

Jim on Richard Wagner and George Lucas

George Lucas

I may be dating myself here, but I have a very clear memory of the impact of the opening sequence of the first “Star Wars” movie. George Lucas paired startling visual images with John William’s compelling music to set the stage for a new kind of movie experience, one in which the heroic narrative, visual style and power of symphonic sound demonstrated again that the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.

Richard Wagner

That gives you some idea of what Richard Wagner did more than 100 years ago. He sought for the audience not a performance but an experience. He wanted more than an orchestra in the pit and singers on the stage. He wanted the audience to be carried away on a wave of simultaneous and multiple sensations. The term for this is “Gesamtkunstwerke,” which translates as “”complete work of art.”

And indeed, even in our own time, the noted mythologist Joseph Campbell (who served as the inspiration for George Lucas’ use of heroic mythology and culture) characterized Wagner’s music as a “perfumed sea of sound.”

How did Wagner attempt to do this without the technology we have today? To start with, he “through-composed,” which means there is no stopping at the end of an aria or scene. He wanted constant motion, constant advancement of the story. He wanted the audience propelled forward.

Secondly, he effectively doubled the size of the orchestra typically used in the mid-19^th century, his equivalent of “surround sound.” And more surprisingly, he placed the orchestra under the stage so it could not be seen by the audience, forcing the focus of full attention to the visual and audio drama. The conductor stood at the edge of the stage, in view of the singers but not the audience. The pit was raked downward so musicians could see the conductor, and he had holes cut in the stage so the music could drift upward to the singers. Such drastic changes in theater design required him to build his own.

His story selection also supported the concept of “complete work of art.” He chose known Germanic myths of epic proportions. So the audience, which was familiar with the content, was free to focus on the experience as it unfolded musically and dramatically before them. In today’s terms, this would be like Tolkein fans experiencing the movie version of Lord of the Rings.

When he wrote “Das Rheingold” in 1869 he included no intermission. The collaborative production that Indianapolis Opera is staging with the Indianapolis Symphony on May 15^th and 17^th will have a 20-minute intermission, however. Next week we will take a look at the clever way Maestro Mario Venzago will insert the intermission. We also will get a preview of what we are doing to incorporate Wagner’s vision of Gesamtkunstwerke.

Bis bald!

Jim

Gilbert and Sullivan: Timing is Everything

Guest conductor Bill Boggs, Artistic Director of Opera Columbus, is an old hand at Gilbert and Sullivan.

In this secomd week of rehearsal for The Pirates of Penzance we saw a lot of elements come together, as well as a lot of work refining rhythm and timing.

Pirates is most known for the rapid-fire “Modern Major General,” which is a good example of the complexity Gilbert and Sullivan built into their productions. Baritone Bob Orth does a masterful rendition of this song—you are in for a real treat!

But the subtlety of rhythm in both music and spoken lines is equally important for other principals and the chorus. Gilbert and Sullivan, more than other types of opera, require more equal attention to wordplay and rhythm of dialogue as to music. Maestro Bill Boggs is attuned to theses subtleties, and it is a genuine pleasure to do G&S with him again.

 

The style of this production serves both to preserve the traditional D’Oyly Carte style but also reflect elements that keep the production fresh and lively to contemporary audiences. In theater terms, it has a bit of the music hall style of British theater, and a bit of the vaudeville style that helped shape the American Musical. 

Sean Anderson (left) is an apprehensive Pirate King as Major General Bob Orth (right) assesses the situation of his giddy daughters. Indianapolis Opera resident artist Joanne Um (below) portrays one of the daughters, zooming in to speak to the General.

 

Since comedic timing (a la George Burns, Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett) is seldom taught anymore, it takes concentration for both principals and chorus members to get just the right rhythm and hit their jokes at the time. One beat different can make a huge difference in terms of effective comedy.

 

What has been most fun to see this week was the development of individual personalities among chorus members. They were under strict instructions to select individual names and develop individual personalities, along with stage business that reveals those personalities. These individuals add depth and credibility to chorus groups and help actors react believably to each other.

  

Be sure to look for a pirate accountant and a near-sighted butterfly-chasing daughter, who has named herself Hortencia (the perfect name for a Victorian version of a nerd). What a talented cast! See for yourself this Friday and Sunday!

 

Enjoy!

Bill Fabris

 

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Stage director Bill Fabris on Pirates

Hello Indianapolis!

Stage Director Bill Fabris rehearsing for the upcoming Indianapolis Opera production, The Pirates of Penzance.

My name is Bill Fabris, and I am currently in town to direct Indianapolis Opera’s production of The Pirates of Penzance. And, my blog is standing in for that of your Maestro, Jim Caraher, who is preparing for a production on the West Coast. Jim and I met several years ago in Charlottesville, VA while working for a summer festival. Thank you for remembering my work when you were looking for a director for Pirates!

We just completed our first week of rehearsal and it has been a blast! This cast is very energetic, which is entirely appropriate, not only for the tempos of Gilbert and Sullivan, but also for the level of dance and movement that I think should be in this production.

Perhaps, first, a bit of background. I started out (and still direct) musical theater. In musical theater, audiences expect drama from dance and motion as well as music and words. For some reason, those expectations have not been common for most opera productions. More often we see singers stationary on stage, which does little to support dramatic expression. (We affectionately refer to it as “park and bark.”)

Opera offers many, many opportunities to enhance the story using the same approach we use for musical theater. The result is that opera becomes more engaging and relevant to audiences of today. I love doing opera, because we have all the same opportunities we have with musical theater, except we have no amplification, great voices and a full orchestra; all the right tools to create a stupendous artistic experience. I believe this is becoming the new standard for opera.

OK, now back to Pirates. I cut my teeth on Gilbert and Sullivan way back in 1987 when I had the privilege of working with Sir John Reed, the famed Major General of England’s D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. That company’s staging was considered the standard production style for all of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works.

I admit that I was nervous about this, but I approached Sir John and asked if he would be comfortable incorporating newer stage techniques into our productions. Even though he was in his seventies, he said, “By all means! Please make it fun for the audience.”

He loved it! In our production of H.M.S. Pinafore, I had him swinging across stage on a rope for the “Bell Trio.” It was fresh for him, even after his 65 years in the business, and he supported my new approach. This is the opportunity we have today with Pirates in Indianapolis.

So, back to how fortunate you are going to be to see these energetic singers who are showing no fear when asked to dance and move in ways they may not have done so before. (Don’t tell … my secret is to never let them know how difficult it really is!) The more they move, and the more they move together, the greater their confidence. And there you have it.

Heather Buck (Mabel) and Matthew Chellis (Frederic) get to know one another better.

And our principals also deserve credit for having done a lot of work developing their characters before arriving in Indianapolis. It is a very strong cast, but if you’ve seen Pirates before, you will be surprised at the strength of the talented Heather Buck (Mabel) and Matthew Chellis (Frederic), both of whom I have worked with in the past and deeply admire. Usually these characters come across as simpletons (bubbleheads). But these two have created characters that are bright, cleaver and quick. Pirate King, Sean Anderson, not only has a great voice, but swashes and buckles with the best of them.

As I said, this is a blast and a fun time will be had by all!

 

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Pirates can be a good thing!

Indianapolis Opera 1990 production of The Pirates of Penzance.

When we announced that The Pirates of Penzance was part of our season lineup, I could hear the audience enthusiasm even from backstage. The usual follow up response from patrons is that Pirates is just plain fun. And it has been for well over a hundred years.

Pirates is probably the most popular of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works in the US, largely due to the version mounted in 1980 by Joseph Papp as part of his Shakespeare series in New York’s Central Park, which later moved to Broadway. Because the cast included pop singer Linda Rondstadt, and because the production won several Tony Awards, it made it to television and video tape. This is the point of reference for most audiences.

However, the Broadway version of Pirates was much different from those mounted by opera companies. The biggest difference is that the singers were amplified so they could be heard over the orchestra, which—to the ears of opera fans—makes for distorted sound. I can remember one song by the chorus for which they turned off the amplification, and what a relief that was!

The other attribute of Pirates that makes it such a favorite is that the songs are familiar to most opera- and theater-goers. When Indianapolis Opera audiences hear these great melodies performed by this level of cast, they will have an even greater appreciation for the music.

While I am looking forward to hearing the whole cast (the chorus gets to have lots of fun here too!), certainly one performance to anticipate is Bob Orth’s rendition of the “Modern Major General.” Bob has long been a favorite of our audiences, not only because he has a fine voice, but also because his personality comes across on stage. Hand him the opportunity to do the music world’s quintessential patter song, and I think we will have a real treat!

This production will be a first for me, since I will be in town but not conducting. Usually when we have a guest conductor it is because I am conducting elsewhere. The calendar cooperated this time, with rehearsals falling in between a guest gig of Don Giovanni in Florida and the upcoming Faust that I will conduct in Fresno. While I don’t want to appear to be looking over anyone’s shoulders, I also know that I will feel compelled to show up at some rehearsals, simply because I can’t stand to miss out on the fun!

Guest conductor William Boggs is artistic director of Opera Columbus in Ohio, and a good friend. He and stage director Bill Fabris have done Pirates before to outstanding reviews. Bill Fabris is director and choreographer for the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, so we are going to see a tight, refined performance.

Are you looking forward to Pirates as much as I am?

Jim

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