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!
Bring The Family! Tickets Start @ $25.
