Opera intimidated me until I met 'The Old Maid'
What do you think when you hear opera? If you’re like me, you might be a little intrigued. After all, going to the opera is a fancy thing that fancy people do in the movies.
But you also might be a little intimidated by the thought of going to an opera. I know it intimidated me. From what I knew about the art form, it was people singing stories really dramatically in a foreign language.
However, it’s not like there are a lot of opportunities to go to the opera in Southern Utah, so I never really worried about it. Then I was invited to attend St. George Opera’s production of “The Old Maid and the Thief” and “The Telephone,” two operas by Gian Carlo Menotti at The Electric Theater in St. George. So I decided to check out the dress rehearsal on Friday night and see what this opera thing was all about.
I had heard both operas were comedies, so I figured that was a good way to be introduced to the art form. If I had researched more, I would have realized they were also written in English, so I wouldn’t have the language barrier I feared. Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist and both pieces were written to be accessible. “The Old Maid and the Thief” was a radio opera while “The Telephone” is just a short, 18-minutes piece.
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Just a few minutes into “The Old Maid and the Thief” I was already laughing. It was delightful hearing two “old women” making small talk opera-style. Imagine the phrase “Isn’t the weather awful?” in a powerful operatic soprano. Funny, right?
Then add a baritone to the mix and you get this exchange:
“What’s you’re name?”
“Bob.”
“What a beautiful name.”
Remember, all of this is sung. There are no lines that are not melodic. Even “Bob.”
It’s the story of an old woman named Miss Todd, played by St. George Opera general director Amy Nielsen, and her maid, Laeticia, played by Rachel Eve Holmes. When a handsome beggar named Bob, played by Will Berman, shows up at their door, the antics begin. But the suspicions of nosy Miss Pinkerton, played by Jennifer Smith, threaten to upset the dynamic. Hilarity ensues.
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It was a fun experience to hear the opera-style singing up close and in a live setting. While often funny, their voices remained powerful and enchanting. Holmes’ high notes were even piercing at times.
In some spots it was difficult to hear Berman’s baritone but usually it provided some rich tones and a nice textural dichotomy to the three sopranos. There were a couple of especially captivating spots where Nielsen and Holmes sang in unison.
With the focus on the singing, it’s easy to ignore the music behind it. Christopher Giles played the piano throughout, not only providing an accompaniment for the singers but also adding sound effects like door knocks and ringing telephones.
There’s much more to opera than the music, though that’s the most important part. They also had to bring physical acting to their roles and this came with a whole host of hilarious facial expressions. Neilsen’s expressions were especially comic.
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As far as production values, the set was simple but well-utilized. Yet one of the most entertaining scenes comes as they leave the set and run through the theater with flashlights while wearing ski masks. You’ll have to see the show to understand why they do this.
Following “The Old Maid and the Thief” the opera company presented “The Telephone.” Here Berman and Smith returned to the stage as Ben and Lucy, respectively. The simple storyline focuses on Ben trying to ask Lucy an important question but she’s too obsessed with her cell phone to listen.
Originally written for a regular telephone, St. George Opera has updated the story to include elements of cell phone culture, mostly revealed through the actors’ physical interpretations of the roles, such as taking selfies.
The melodramatic facial expressions were even more crucial to “The Telephone.” Again there were plenty of laughs and I came away from both show smiling and feeling artistically enriched.
St. George Opera is a fairly new organization on the Southern Utah arts scene and hasn’t had much notice before this time. Personally, I’m glad to see them here and I’m looking forward to a continued exploration of opera with their help.
While the Electric Theater performances will be over by the time you read this, there’s still a chance to catch both productions at 6:30 p.m. June 30 in the SunRiver community of St. George or at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. July 1 at the Kayenta Center for the Arts in Ivins City. Call 435-688-1000 for information about the SunRiver show. Visit KayentaArtsFoundation.org or call 435-674-2787 for information about the Kayenta shows.
Email reporter Brian Passey at brian@thespectrum.com or call him at 435-674-6296. Follow him on social media at Facebook.com/PasseyBrian or on Twitter and Instagram, @BrianPassey.
Tempting: A brief glimpse at the other arts events tempting me this week
· Final Friday Art Walk in downtown Cedar City from 5-8 p.m. June 30. Free. Visit CedarCityArtsCouncil.org.
· DOCUTAH screening of “3,000 Cups of Tea” with producer/director Jennifer Jordan Single at 7 p.m. June 30 at the Electric Theater, 68 E. Tabernacle St., St. George. $10. Visit DOCUTAH.com or call 435-652-7574.
· “Chasing Light: Plein Air Festival and Sale” from July 3-8 at the Southern Utah Museum of Art in Cedar City and Cedar Breaks National Monument. Free except the $50 per ticket gala on July 7. Visit suu.edu/pva/suma/.