THE KNOCK

   CENTRAL CITY OPERA: JULY 5 – AUGUST 2

L-R: Armando Contreras, Mary Hollis-Hindley and Cierra  Byrd (photo credit: Amanda Tipton)

With music by Aleksandra Vrebalov and libretto by Deborah Brevoort, “The Knock” was commissioned by the Glimmerglass festival and Cincinatti Opera. It seems fitting that Central City Opera has chosen to produce its regional premier since the opera is set in Colorado.

     This one-act opera lets us as audience see and feel what it’s like to be loved ones left behind when their spouses are deployed to military service. 

     A female-driven production, “The Knock” is quite the opposite of many classic operas which, like The Barber of Seville, have one female role and multiple males. In this work several women who are spouses of men deployed to Fallujah, Iraq , gather since there has been a blackout and no communication.

 

     Vrebelov’s complex and ingenious composition, with its nerve-jangling strings and pulse-pounding percussion, put our own hearts and nervous system as audience in synch with the women involved, and what’s transpiring on stage.

     Mary Hollis-Hindley’s nuanced performance as Jo Jenner, a mother of two small children, who awaits the possibility of tragic news, makes us feel the anxiety with her search for anything-even a stick of gum!- to distract her and alleviate the fear.

    As Aisha McNair, Cierra Byrd provides a comforting presence as this community of military wives assembles.

     Armando Contreras is superb as Lt. Roberto Gonzales in his first journey to deliver the devastating knock. Wishing to have been on the front lines rather than carry this emotional burden, he studies protocols and gets lost in local landmarks, trying to make his way through this labyrinth of pain.

     During this emotionally charged production, if your chest is not heaving and tear ducts over-flowing you may not be breathing. Heart-wrenching and soul-shredding, this is a contemporary American work that demands to be seen and heard.     

     Alison Moritz’ deft stage direction is handled with a sensitive, light touch.

     David Bloom’s conducting of this unique composition succeeds brilliantly.

     Eliciting great sensitivity with the choral work, as well as the recitative moments, Arthur Bosarge, The Master of Choruses, does superb work harmonizing the ensemble.

     Lawrence E. Moten III’s scenic design uses simple unadorned geometric lines to suggest a house. A long line of tiny model homes forms a miniscule neighborhood on the apron of the stage.

     This new work is unmissable for lovers of serious dramatic opera!

   Special thanks to Central City Opera for bringing us the contemporary works of the American Opera.    

For tickets go online to centralcityopera.org or call the box office at 303-292-6700.

 THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

CENTRAL CITY OPERA: THROUGH AUGUST 3

Music by GIOACHINO ROSSINI

LIBRETTO BY CESARE STERBINI

 

L-R: Lisa Marie Rogali and Andrew Morstein (Photo Credit: Amanda Tipton)

  Central City Opera’s production of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE is a triumph in every sense of the word.

Since this production of Rossini’s famous comic opera is set in the 1930’s Lynly Saunders costume’ design and Andrew Boyce’s scenic design conspire to stylistically evoke an homage to the paintings of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali! The chroma-key for these aspects of the show is vibrant and bright, with colors that appear to have been poured right out of the can.

     The story is well known. Two young lovers, Count Almaviva and Rosina, long to wed. The obstacle is her guardian, Dr. Bartolo, who is constantly monitoring the young woman, and hoping to marry her himself. Figaro, the jack -of-all-trades in Bartolo’s house, aids  Almaviva by telling him to disguise himself to get into Rosina’s presence. Luke Sutliff’s famous well-known aria, “Figaro, Figaro,” (known as Largo Factotum) starts the musical fireworks superbly. Dr. Bartolo is aided by his friend, Don Basilio, who is Rosina’s music teacher.   Lisa Marie Rogali is the fetching Rosina. This artist’s mezzo-soprano and divine coloratura enchant.  Andrew Morstein’s tenor as Count Almaviva is superb.  Ashraf Sewailam lends a magnificent bass-baritone to his portrayal of Bartolo.  Stefan Egerstrom delivers an excellent bass as Don Basilio. 

     Stage director Eric Sean Fogel has cast the show with an eye to great comedic actors and an ear to world class operatic voices.  These singers have backgrounds ranging from the Met and Santa Fe Opera to LA Opera, Houston Grand Opera and the Salzburg Festival. Director Fogel has paced the show with the breathtaking speed of a racing locomotive, making the evening fly by. 

     Louis Lohraseb brings out all the joyous exuberance of Rossini’s score with his conducting of the delicious Central City Opera Orchestra, while brilliantly keeping the musicians in the pit in sinch with the singers onstage. 

(Central City Opera has added another performance due to popular demand!)  

 

This opera is sung in Italian with English supertitles. 

 

NOT TO BE MISSED!!!

 

For tickets go online to centralcityopera.org or call the box office at: 303-292-6700

 

 

 ONCE UPON A MATTRESS 

Central City Opera:  July 12 through August 2

(Playing in repertoire with THE BARBER OF SEVILLE and THE KNOCK)

Marisa Rosen and the cast of Once Upon a Mattress (Photo Credit: Amanda Tipton)

CENTRAL CITY OPERA’S PRODUCTION OF “ONCE UPON A MATTRESS” IS UNMISSABLE!”

Incoming artistic director Alison Moritz has given us reason to cheer with her delightfully whimsical stage direction of Mary Rodgers’ “Once Upon a Mattress.” Pacing the show with the speedy bliss of a carnival ride, Moritz has cast the show superbly. Perhaps her greatest success comes from casting Marissa Rosen in the role of Princess Winnifred the woebegone.  Ms. Rosen has that innate gift of comedic timing and aura of humor coupled with infectious laughter that brought Carol Burnett to the public’s attention in the early 60s. Rosen’s singing of “The Swamps of Home,” “Shy” and “Happily Ever After” are by turns hysterically funny and touchingly poignant.

 Director Moritz’s second coup comes from her casting of the dashing Schyler Vargas in the role of Sir Harry.  Vargas’ glorious baritone delivers “In a Little While” and “Yesterday I Loved You,” to harmonious perfection in his duets with the fetching Veronique Filloux as Lady Larken.  (One wishes he had been able to see and hear Vargas as Guido in “Nine” and Riff in “West Side Story” for Opera Indianapolis.) 

Michael Kuhn gives the most studied portrayal of Prince Dauntless the drab that this critic has had the pleasure of seeing and hearing in his many viewings of this Tony Award - nominated musical. Kuhn rises above the somewhat flat writing of this character to deliver a truly studied and delightfully enjoyable performance.

As Queen Aggravain, Margaret Gawrsiak is pompously condescending and aggressively domineering. Her delivery of “Sensitivity” is a knock-out!

As King Sextimus, Aggravain’s timid and silent husband, Andrew Small is especially watchable in his non-verbal instruction of his son, Dauntless, concerning the birds and the bees in “Man to Man Talk.” 

Alex Mansoori is at the top of his form as the jester in “Very Soft Shoes.”

John Heginbotham’s fiery choreography for “The Spanish Panic” is danced to exuberant perfection by the ensemble.

Andrew Boyce provides a scenic design suggesting a story book castle torn from the pages of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Princess and the Pea.” In like manner, Elivia Bovenzi-Blitz’s eye-popping costume design transports us to the wondrous land of make believe.

Under the baton of conductor Kelly Kuo, the scrumptious Central City Opera Festival Orchestra delivers a joyously ear-pleasing confection.

The magnificent choral work is thanks to Arthur Bosarge, Master of Choruses.

One must add that director Moritz has hilarious surprises in store for you. No spoilers here! You will simply have to go and experience for yourself.

This is a treat the whole family will enjoy!

Not to be missed!

 

For tickets go online at centralcityopera.org or call the box office at 303-292-6700