Author: Alexandria Strother

The problem with high expectations is that no matter the quality of the show you will leave disappointed if it does not live up to your exact expectations. This unfortunately was the case with Broadway in Detroit’s Once which possessed all of the key pieces to create an incredible show but fell short.

Broadway in Detroit has a history of bring exceptional shows to the area. Combined with the elegance of the Fisher Theatre and professionalism of the ushers the experience leads one to believe they paid a lot more for a ticket than they did. Unlike a normal production where you are immediately led to your seats, we had the opportunity to wander on stage where a bar had been set up and cast members were playing their instruments. Standing on the stage of the Fisher Theatre, listening to talented musicians playing their hearts out and looking out at hundreds of seats packed with excited patrons caused my expectation to yet again rise.

Nominated in 2012 for 13 Tony awards and winning 10 including Best Musical, Lighting, Scenic Design and Orchestration, the musical itself was powerful. A beautiful set, perfectly timed lighting and great orchestration made me consciously realize that I should love this show but I didn’t. The first act, which has limited plot points, heavily relies on the acting of the Guy (Stuart Ward) and Girl (Dani de Waal) yet, much of the dialog came off as too rehearsed. The Girl, who must go from rejecting the Guy at the beginning of the show to falling in love with him in the second act, showed no emotional changes throughout the show until the moment before she admits that she loves him. Yes, her character is always serious because “I [she] am Czech” but her dialog felt thoughtless, that each line was said because it was her turn – not because she was in the moment as her character. The acting much improved in the second act when the plot began to move at a quicker pace.

Vocally, the cast was superior to many productions which I have seen. Additionally, the cast served as their own orchestra and the musicality of the numbers was beyond reproach. The first act finale Gold was exceptionally powerful as the performers performed choreography as they sang and played their instruments (including the cellist!). In the second act an a cappella version of Gold was performed with minimal movement starkly contrasting the movement of the first act finale. By staging the two performances of Gold in complete contrast the musical differences were highlighted as well as the emotional changes which had taken place between the two pieces.

This production had all of the pieces to create an incredible show. Whether is was because it was the last show of a run, the second show of the day or something completely unrelated to how tired the performers must have been, the acting felt contrived in the first act preventing me from connecting with the characters and from caring about them. I would highly recommend attending this show, from a technical standpoint alone it is worth attendance and the voices were perfectly cast for each and every role. However, I would advise against attending the second show of the day toward the end of the run – better to get the actors when they are fresh so the characters are real than rehearsed.

The $1.5 million which Gianandrea Noseda personally raised to take an orchestra of 88, chorus of 80 and 11 soloists on an international tour was well spent if Tuesday’s performance was any indication. The opera William Tell, performed as a concert with music stands placed at the front of the stage for the soloists and the choir remaining on risers throughout the performance, places intense demands on each member of the company but especially the tenor who portrays Arnoldo. John Osborn was clearly up to the task, stealing the show during his act two duet with Mathilde, sung by the equally impressive Angela Meade.

A high musical standard was maintained throughout the entire performance which lasted over 4 hours (even with cuts to the score and robust tempos) and consisted of two intermissions after the first and second acts of the opera. The four-section overture that begins the opera was especially impressive, particularly the subdued cello solo that grew to include the rest of the section setting the mood of resignation which the opening of act one requires.

 Conductor Gianandrea Noseda on the podium at the Chicago performance of William Tell. (Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune)

Yet, the night truly belonged to Conductor Gianandrea Noseda. In August, Mr. Noseda publically threatened to resign after disagreements with Walter Vergnano, General Manager of Teatro Regio Torino. It was only just before this tour that Mr. Noseda announced that he would be staying, although further details must be worked out before his contract is renewed. This 4 city North American tour (Chicago, Toronto, New York and Ann Arbor) was designed to show the company’s growth and newfound international stature, and last night Mr. Noseda’s production did just that. On the podium, Mr. Noseda was a dramatic force of nature with his arms energetically carving through the air making the average conductor look lethargic at best. Although grandiose at times, Mr. Noseda’s ictus remained clear and extracted such a magnificent sound from his musicians at all times that little was left to be desired from this rare performance of Rossini’s William Tell.

Friday afternoon Gayletha Nichols, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, presented a masterclass focusing on what judges and panelists are thinking as a singer presents a 10 minute audition. To simulate an audition, each singer performing in the masterclass brought four prepared arias, and began their time by introducing themselves and their pianist, then beginning with the aria of their choosing. Following discussion of their selected piece, Ms. Nichols selected their second piece from the remaining three prepared arias. During the two hour masterclass six graduate student singers sang: Tory Wood, Lonnie Reed, Rehanna Thelwell, Elaina Robbins, Paul Grosvenor, and Kaswanna Kanyinda.

Tory Wood began the program by singing The Presentation of the Rose from Der Rosenkavalier providing the audience with a “precious” and “tender” interpretation of the duet. Ms. Nichols pointed out that this piece is a less than ideal as audition aria because it is actually a duet in the opera. Due to this, Ms. Wood’s interpretation of the piece could concern a panelist since the volume required to be heard over an orchestra as well as the mezzo-soprano would be much greater than the volume required to be heard over just a piano as in the audition setting. Ms. Wood cast volume concerns aside after her presentation of Tornami a vagheggiar from Handel’s Alcina, however, Ms. Nichols desired a more varied character from the first aria to the second – a recurring theme throughout the night.

Lonnie Reed began with a big sing, Asile héréditaire from Guillaume Tell. While Mr. Reed stated that he felt very comfortable with the piece, Ms. Nichols suggested that the piece was not quite ready to be performed as his opening aria and that he could be far more successful using another piece from his list to open an audition. Here she stressed that the 1^st two pages of your first aria must show off only your strengths, and should be some of the strongest material in your repertoire. By showing that you are technically sound in the first two pages, you allow the panelist to connect and “stay with you and your character” emotionally for the entire audition.

Following Paul Grosvenor’s performance of Warm as the autumn light from Ballade of Baby Doe Ms. Nichols addressed the strong, specific character choices which a singing actor must make. Here she reiterated that if the performer believes it, the audience will as well.

The masterclass ended with a brief Q&A session which focused on resumes, type casting and repertoire choice. However, before leaving Ms. Nichols emphasized how important it is to have something to say in every piece which you sing, reminding her audience that music must be about so much more than the notes on the page.

What: Jessye Norman Master Class Series presents Gayletha Nichols, executive director, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions

Where: Stamps Auditorium, Walgreen Drama Center

When: Friday, November 21, 2014 at 5 pm

Tickets: Free – no tickets required

As the executive director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Ms. Nichols auditions hundreds of singers from across North America as they compete for cash prizes, the chance to sing on the Met stage and opportunity to launch a major operatic career. During her travels Ms. Nichols addresses many conservatories, festivals and universities on her experience developing and discovering the next generation of great opera singers.

 

Who: Michigan Opera Theatre

What: Puccini’s Madame Butterfly

Where: Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St, Detroit, MI 48226

When: 11/15 at 7:30, 11/19 at 7:30, 11/21 at 7:30, 11/22 at 7:30 and 11/23 at 2:30

Madame Butterfly is an opera in three acts written by Puccini between 1903 and 1904. Set in Japan during the early 20th century, Madame Butterfly follows the marriage of Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton of the U.S. Navy and a geisha wife named Cio-Cio-San. A young girl of 15, Cio-Cio-San became a geisha after her family lost their prominent position and has agreed to convert to Pinkerton’s religion of Christianity. Denounced by her family and later abandoned by Pinkerton, Cio-Cio-San faces a life a shame with her and Pinkerton’s child.

The Michigan Opera Theatre will be presenting Madame Butterfly at the Detroit Opera House from the 15th – 23rd of November.

In the Michigan premier of Sharr White’s Annapurna, the Purple Rose Theatre brought their usual finesse to the production. An intense 80 minute drama performed with no intermission, Annapurna follows the first reunion of Emma (MichelleMountain) and her ex-husband Ulysses (Richard McWilliams) after 20 years of separation.

Performed on a thrust stage, the set was visible to the audience from the moment the doors opened. Bratley Bauer’s set was aptly designed and was able to survive the additional scrutiny which such a set up invites. Complete with a shower and sink (both of which used running water) Ulysses’ trailer was depicted in a state of squalor including stained carpets and a dingy couch which, upon Emma’s arrival, was covered with a towel to allow for her to sit on a cleanly surface.

A two person play, Annapurna requires two strong actors in order to maintain the interest of the audience throughout the entire performance. Veterans of the theater Mr. McWilliams and Ms. Mountain were well up to the task. The relationship between Ulysses and Emma is extremely complicated, resulting in seemingly calm conversations exploding into yelling matches almost instantaneously. These immediate switches were, in general, very natural and motivated – an impressive accomplishment on the part of both of the actors.

As lines were tossed back and forth in quick succession Mr. McWilliams shined. His pacing was spot on, delivering his lines with a naturalistic bent and allowing the audience just enough time to comprehend the contextual meaning before moving on to the next thought. His performance suffered only one misstep in the delivery of his monologue while Emma was in the shower. During this monologue Mr. McWilliams lost control of the pacing, resulting in unrelated thoughts to be strung together and added a rushed quality to the scene. Ms. Mountain strength lied in her delivery of her monologues but occasionally suffered from bad diction when her character became agitated resulting in one or two dropped lines.

Often, the quality of theater can be determined by the effect which a performance has on its audience. By this measure, Guy Sanville’s production of Annapurna was a superbly directed show which truly earned the applause of the audience. While I did not personally connect with the story of Annapurna, there were many in the audience who did and I was one of the few patrons that left the theater without reaching for a tissue. Annapurna will run until December and I highly recommend that you make time to see this remarkable production.