Classical and Neo-Classical Forms Merge in Studio Connections

Saligia dancers from Studio Connections. Photo – Wade Bell.

2013 Studio Connections

Reviewed by Kathi E.B. Ellis.

Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Kathi E.B. Ellis. All rights reserved.

As the program’s title suggests, the Louisville Ballet’s Studio Connections presentations are an essay in discerning patterns. And Artistic Director Bruce Simpson always brings his audience an intriguing mix of works. This year’s program explores ways in which the idea of classical and neo-classical dance merge and diverge, influence and are influenced by what comes after and what came before. As always, Mr. Simpson is interested in placing specific and discrete dance pieces within a universal context.

To begin at the end: Brandon Ragland’s newest ballet, Allegro Energico, received its premiere on Wednesday evening. Mr. Ragland’s choreography continues to grow in sophistication and confidence. This seems to be his most formal piece of choreography to date. Maybe this perception stems from his music choices or, possibly, the putatively neo-classic costuming. The arrangement of full ensemble and smaller group variations also feels like a more traditional composition than his earlier works. As with last season’s main stage Stalemate, he is again working with a large ensemble who fully embodied both aspects of tonight’s title throughout. Set to music of Mozart and Bruch, the dancers exploded onto the stage with verve from the opening exuberant notes. The solo danced by Christy Corbitt Miller, in particular, became a dialogue between movement and note, a playful almost competitive give-and-take as note engendered move, and move teased forth note. The male ensemble (Forehand, Krieger, Ruiz, Stokes, Wetzel, Wojtera) were in keen form, displaying excellent elevation in their leaps and lifting their partners (Albrechta, Ashikhmina, Miller, O’Dell, Sellers, Thursby) with such apparent ease that they appeared to reach the ceiling time and again. Allegro Energico was a fine culmination to this evening’s program; and like Mr. Ragland’s previous piece, it would be good to see this piece make the transition to the Whitney stage in a future season.

The evening began with Arthur Saint-Leon’s La Vivandière Pas de Six, re-staged by the artistic staff of the Louisville Ballet. During his introductory remarks, Mr. Simpson talked about re-staging this Saint-Leon work: Saint-Leon developed an early notation system for his choreography, making it possible for future generations to re-create this original vision. In an art form in which traditions and choreography are passed on from generation to generation and from mentor to apprentice, the opportunity for such a precise re-creation of a relatively early ballet is unique. In contrast is the varied history of the Esmeralda Pas de Deux, also included in this program, to which Mr. Simpson also referred, one in which there are so many reinterpreted versions a definitive version is nigh impossible to identify.

I was struck by the parallel between this year and last year when Mr. Simpson programmed another Romantic choreographer as the curtain riser for Studio Connections – August Bournonville. Vivandière was indeed charming, as he intimated in his remarks before the performance. The combination of precise foot choreography with long gauzy skirts and the flowing arm movements with specific head attitudes create an alluring blend that seduces the audience into a recognizable but not entirely realistic world. The casting of Justin Michael Hogan as the lead in this piece and as James in last year’s La Sylphide (to be seen in its entirety as part of the main stage next spring) may have contributed to my sense of déjà vu. Mr. Hogan seems suited to the nuances of this style of choreography and he and Ashley Thursby were a delightful couple in this piece. They both have a long, elegant line and a joie de vivre that brought a warmth to the audience on a chilly evening. Ms.Thursby’s dancing throughout Wednesday’s program was delicate and expansive, filling the music to its fullest. Hopefully Louisville audiences will get to see this pairing again in the future so they can more fully deepen the connection they demonstrated in Vivandière. The ensemble of four ladies (Bovard, Cambron, Hoffman and Langston) were equally charming and, as always, it is a delight to see trainees dancing alongside full company members with such assurance. Ms. Bovard’s brief solo was especially compelling.

Ashley Thursby’s work was also on view as a choreographer. Her Andante was seen previously in last year’s Choreographers Showcase, where it was surrounded by twelve other pieces. This time it was set among five other pieces, which allowed the audience to appreciate more fully its neo-classic antecedents. Mark Krieger (who danced in the original) and Leigh Anne Albrechta brought a lightness and lissomness to this piece, which served it well – and the final lift is still a breathtaking sculptural moment. Also seen in a previous Choreographers Showcase was Sanjay Saverimuttu’s Saligia. Placed in the penultimate position on the program, this piece for seven dancers was an interesting link to Mr. Ragland’s larger ensemble program closer. While there were several choreographic moments that echoed across the one hundred seventy years of ballet on display throughout the evening, this is the piece that for me fit least comfortably in the evening. With some new dancers in Mr. Saverimuttu’s piece, the collective energy was more intense than in its previous incarnation and I found myself drawn in more than when I first saw it.

The two classical pas de deux of the evening were Gsovsky’s early twentieth century homage to the classical tradition and the aforementioned Esmeralda pas de deux, music by Pugny. Erica De La O and Eduard Forehand danced the latter piece. There was a rough moment early in the piece with a fumbled lift, but moments later an intricate fish dive was executed with precision. The addition of the tambourine provides some moments of flamboyance for Ms. De La O. Grand Pas Classique by Gsovsky, music by Daniel Auber, has the feeling of what a competition piece might be. It includes, and also comments on, many of the elements of classical ballet, cramming a great deal into a few minutes. Natalia Ashikhmina and Kristopher Wojtera embraced the technique and grandeur of this piece with aplomb. A perfect counterpoint to follow the opening Vivandière.

The one disappointment about Wednesday evening’s opening performance is that the Louisville Ballet Studio’s bleachers were not entirely full – surprising for these intimate performances. While it brought the dancers and choreographers support from their Louisville Ballet colleagues, who were able to sit out front, I hope that it is Louisville Ballet fans who will fill the bleachers at subsequent Studio Connections performances.

Studio Connections

October 22-27, 2013

Louisville Ballet Studios
315 East Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 583-2623
http://www.louisvilleballet.org/

Think You Know Your Poe? Frazier History Museum May Surprise You!

Tony Dingman and Kelly Moore in An Evening of Poe.
Photo – Frazier History Museum.

An Evening with Poe

By Edgar Allan Poe

Staged and performed by Kelly Moore, Eric Frantz & Tony Dingman

Reviewed by Keith Waits

Entire contents copyright © 2013 by Keith Waits. All rights reserved.

An Evening of Poe? Sounds like fun. You imagine stiff recitations and a gloomy mood. Perfect for the Halloween season. Sounds easy and unchallenging, right? Except the creative team behind this production want to ask a little bit more of you as an audience.

For three years now, members of the Interpretations staff at The Frazier History Museum have delivered this intelligent exploration of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The great Romantic poet, creator of the detective story, and one of the most influential writers of the modern age is here given his due by a tidy team of three actors. It could be said that most everyone knows Poe. But how well? From being quoted in late 1970s pop songs? From classic horror films starring Vincent Price? From that one high school reading assignment? If you are looking for some deeper understanding from time spent seeing some of his lesser known works come to life in front of you, this is the show for you.

Combining a sense of humor and a preoccupation with the morbid, his macabre wit is fertile ground for inventive theatre. Eric Frantz delivers a straightforward but nicely textured recitation of Anabel Lee; Tony Dingman’s rendering of The Tell Tale Heart is a great, frightening story told with enough force to raise some goosebumps; and Kelly Moore's eccentric delivery of her lines during The Raven assuredly indicate themes of mental aberration that are characteristic of so much of Poe's work. Later, a curious note of sly humor and even whimsy was allowed in the chant-like rhythms of The Bells.

But it is in the presentation of two longer pieces – one familiar, one less so – that this production finds its power. M.S. Found in a Bottle is a ghost story from the high seas that allows Mr. Dingman ample opportunity to showcase his talents. Backed by atmospheric sound and musical effects by Moore, Frantz and Mick Sullivan from The Tamerlane Trio, it is a potent performance.

The evening climaxes in a lengthy realization of The Fall of the House of Usher, the most elaborately staged and boldly conceived piece. All three actors rise to the occasion, and the dark and compelling story is given a rich and unorthodox life that honors the tradition of Poe while expanding its impact with dance and expressionistc lighting.

The material is interspersed with music from The Tamerlane Trio (Mick Sullivan, Amber Estes-Thieneman and Rob Collier), whose dour and restrained performance of several classic American folk songs and some original compositions were perfectly in step with the tone of the evening and provided additional value to an already worthwhile program.

An Evening with Poe

October 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31; November 1 & 2, 2013

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on all performance days except October 23 and 30. The October 23 and 30 performances will have an 8 p.m. start time due to late business hours for “The Eye of Napoleon.” Performances are approximately two hours.

Tickets are just $15 and include admission to the museum’s permanent galleries. Cash bar. To purchase tickets, call (502) 753-5663 or visit www.fraizermuseum.com.

Frazier History Museum

829 West Main Street

Louisville, KY 40202

Classic Thriller Is Given a Strong Production at Hayswood

 

Carrie Cooke Ketterman and Jeff Ketterman in Wait Until Dark.
Photo – Hayswood Theatre.

Wait Until Dark

By Frederick Knott

Directed by Bob Trinkle

Reviewed by Keith Waits.

Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Keith Waits. All rights reserved. 

Wait Until Dark is a venerable old chestnut of the thriller genre – a classically structured build to a tense showdown that is decidedly old-fashioned in light of the hyper-kinetic and overblown violence that passes for suspense in contemporary films. As for the stage, it is difficult to locate any new plays of this type being written. Ira Levin’s Deathtrap is perhaps the last great entry to date, and it is in fact an ironic parody of the form.

Frederick Knott was famous for these kinds of gimmicky suspense plots. Dial M for Murder is perhaps his best known creation. But Wait Until Dark is arguably a more plausible scenario that sneaks in some welcome subtext.

A three-man crew attempts to con a young blind woman into helping them locate a child’s doll filled with heroin. It is a simple idea executed with fair economy and diabolical strategy that originates from a simpler time. One can easily imagine the story would be a blood-drenched horror show if written today. Criminals going to this much trouble to be clever and ingenious seems as foreign to modern audiences as the details of a blind person using sugar cubes to keep track of numbers.

Bob Trinkle’s production stays firmly tied to the original period of the early 1960s, with rotary phones and a refrigerator light that can illuminate an entire apartment – only two of the details one can highlight from a set design that is a marvel of mid-century urban mood. This is truly some of the best work for sets and props I have seen from a small community theatre like Hayswood. Kudos to Scott Smith and his team and to props master Emily Trinkle for the detail in everything from the vintage LIFE magazines on the coffee table to the vinyl record albums stacked next to the record player (Bobby Vinton was on top). One of the common pet peeves of community theatres is the inability to accurately represent a period. Wait Until Dark succeeds beautifully on this score.

As Suzy, the woman who is targeted by these men in her own apartment, Carrie Cook Ketterman comes off at first as a little too naive and disingenuous. But as the story develops, it only underscores how easily she is underestimated by the bad guys when she begins to outwit them before her struggle for survival grows more desperate. As the lead villain, Jeff Ketterman also begins the play underplaying the potential menace of his character, so that the degree of ruthlessness he is capable of might still catch us off guard in the final scenes.

Allen Platt does well by Mike Talman, the most sympathetic of the three miscreants; and Jake Minton also gives good support rounding out the trio as Carlino. Kira Hanger was suitably annoying as Gloria, the bratty neighbor’s kid who eventually comes through in a pinch. Scott Smith is adequate as Suzy’s husband Sam, who is shuttled offstage fairly quickly once introduced.

The truth is there isn’t much for him to do, because playwright Knott is resolute in keeping the action focused on Suzy’s ability to fend for herself without the help of a man. Not to claim too much feminist subtext for a commercial entertainment that originates from before the women’s movement really got going, but it is a satisfying avoidance of cliché. Sam seems a good guy, but his only meaningful interaction in the play is a steadfast refusal to make Suzy’s life easier by waiting on her. His insistence on forcing her to do things for herself and not be dependent on him could be read as something more than just a plot device to establish her bona fides before the final physical confrontations.

The intent of Wait Until Dark may be to keep you in suspense, but it is the strength of the heroine that makes the play worthwhile fifty years after its premiere.

Wait Until Dark

October 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 & 19 at 8 p.m.

October 6, 13 & 20 at 2 p.m.

Haywood Theater

115 S. Capitol Ave.

Corydon, IN 47112

812-738-2138

http://www.hayswoodtheatre.com/

Early Christopher Durang Play Remains Relevant at Bellarmine

Katherine Thesing & Jacob Arnold in Baby with the Bathwater. Photo – Carlos Chavarria.

Baby with the Bathwater

By Christopher Durang

Directed by Carlos-Manuel Chavarria

Reviewed by Keith Waits

Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Keith Waits. All rights reserved.

Christopher Durang’s Baby with the Bathwater originates from early in his career when he was establishing himself as one of the preeminent satirists in American theatre. Yet its targets and observations have not been dulled by time as much as one might expect. Family dynamics and the profound legacy of severe dysfunctionality continue to occupy our social discourse, as we may never exhaust our capacity to turn the mirror on ourselves.

The first act is a brief and scathing take on parents, Helen and John, who have brought their new-born baby home and are so profoundly ill-equipped for the task that they are uncertain if it is a boy or a girl. The arrival of a demented Nanny, who leaves a rattle made of lead, asbestos and Red Dye #2, only exacerbates matters.

Act Two runs longer and introduces complexity into the broadly drawn situation, with the child, now named Daisy, growing into a neurotic young man who struggles through years of college and therapy to discover his own identity while his parents become hopelessly irresponsible, neglectful alcoholics lost in their own bitter disillusionment.

As with much of Durang’s early work, autobiography and a caustic, pessimistic attitude towards western society are dominant themes. His structure somewhat reverses the typical two-act dynamic and places most of the development of character and plot after the intermission, so that Act One seems more like a prelude to the heart of the story, which is Daisy’s coming of age, and attempts to escape the effects of such horrid parents.

Director Carlos-Manuel Chavarria sets Daisy’s birth in 1969 and follows the action over a 33-year period, yet keeps his production design firmly rooted in an early-1970s sensibility. The play premiered in 1983, but the shift in period fits well enough, providing the clueless parents with the context of baby boomers coming of age at a time of fundamental changes in the social paradigm that helps make sense of their ineptitude. His creative team, especially in composer Zac Stefanski’s original music score, captures the zippy, trendy and shallow nature of the times with originality. An opening pantomime seems designed specifically to show off this work and establishes an introductory tone pitched somewhere between The Newlywed Game and Love, American Style.

The work of the ensemble is decidedly uneven, with an overall result that gets the job done with occasional flashes of more inspired work. Katherine Thesing delivered the strongest, most consistent performance of the evening, bringing subtle notes of pathos and despair to Daisy’s mother, Helen, that were nicely balanced against the more outrageous verbal and physical slapstick, which she carried off with aplomb. One repeated device in the play is that Helen often surrenders to difficult moments by collapsing to the floor for stretches of time. The skill with which Ms. Thesing accomplished this task is an example of how small details matter. Amanda Egan’s turn as a utility player managed some good comedic moments, particularly as The Nanny; while Allison Anderson does yeoman work playing several minor characters. Jacob Arnold is serviceable as the father, John, but unfortunately fails to push beyond the most superficial character observations. As Daisy, Dustin Schroeder struggles against some of the same limitations, but he managed to find the gender-confused character’s dignity and integrity and displays measurable growth onstage since I last saw him in last season’s Bellarmine University production of Frida.

Durang’s soured perspective can sometimes be hard to take and is leavened by a comedic sensibility that plays like Neil Simon on acid. But this production speaks well enough to a contemporary society even more obsessed with issues of equality and the disruption of family structures than that which birthed the original. It is surprisingly still relevant and resonates with an audience as much as it ever did.

Baby with the Bathwater

October 18, 19, 20, 24, 25 & 26 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

General Admission $15; Students with ID and seniors $10

Bellarmine University Theatre Program

Black Box Theatre
Wyatt Center for the Performing Arts

www.bellarmine.edu/theatre

502-272-8188

17 Questions for Beth Tantanella, Actor

By Brian Walker

Entire contents are copyright © 2013, Brian Walker. All rights reserved.

Beth Tantanella is a recent graduate of University of Louisville and has quickly made herself known in the theatre community as a likeable, dedicated and talented actor to have in your production. She’s played one memorable character after another in productions with UofL, Theatre [502] and The Bard’s Town. She makes bold choices, and she can easily shift from supporting character to lead role effortlessly and succeed at both. She’s flirted with directing recently and is in love with yoga. Beth is currently rehearsing for The Bard's Town Theatre’s production of Kate Fodor’s RX opening in mid-October.

Brian Walker:  Hey, you!  I wanna do a 17 Questions with you!
Beth Tantanella:  Wow, really?

BW:  Yes, really. You’re totally a local rock star!
BT:  You just made my day!  Yes!

BW:  You are awesome, and I only cover awesomeness in 17 Questions. So thank you for agreeing to do it!  Okay, Number 1. You're starring in The Bard's upcoming productionof  RX. What's the play about for folks not familiar with it?  
BT:  This is a play dedicated to those who wake up every morning with Dreading Work Disease. It's for those who planned to do something big and meaningful with their lives but feel like their plan never came through. RX is about a woman who desperately hated her job and turned to a new developing drug to cure her disease, and in the process life finally happens for her, with all the pain, love, frustration, joy, pleasure and heartache life can bring. 

BW:  Number 2.  How would you describe your character?
BT:  I feel like Meena is the quintessential Everyman. She went to school for an M.F.A. in poetry, excited for all that would bring. And when it didn't bring much, she took a job as Managing Editor of American Cattle and Swine magazine -- which is a good job – but she is left unfulfilled. This is for anyone who has been on the great search for contentment. 

BW:  Number 3.  What was it about the role that made you want to do it? 
BT:  I think everyone can relate to Meena's story in some way. She just wants to feel happy with what she is doing. I also love that Meena is not aware of the passion she has and the passion of which she is capable. I sometimes feel this way about all people – that we are so unaware of the depths we can love – and when we get there it can be overwhelming. 

BW:  Yes, I totally agree with that.  She sounds like a great role!  Number 4.  Do you have any rituals you do when preparing a character, especially one as complex as that? 
BT:  When I was younger, I used to be a little bizarre in my routines for opening night, developing traditions that went from morning until right before the show. But now I just read the play before the show and focus on breathing. Don't forget to breathe. 

BW:  Number 5.  What advice would you give to someone looking to break into the local theatre scene? 
BT:  Go see theatre! We have such an amazing scene. I try to see as much as I can, and I still can't even come close to seeing it all. There are always opportunities to volunteer and work for companies and meet the artists. We have (I believe) a really supportive artist community. If you just reach out and say "I'm interested," I truly believe that our theatre community will open its arms to you. 

BW:  Number 6.  What is the latest you’ve left The Bard’s Town, and why was it so late?
BT:  I believe it was 5:30 or 6 in the morning – the holiday party. We work hard; we play hard. 

BW:  Number 7.  Do you have a dream play that you’re dying to get to be in? 
BT:  Honestly, I'm the worst singer in the world (you know if you've had the unfortunate opportunity to hear me in karaoke), so any musical would make me so happy to be in. 

BW:  Number 8.  If you could star in the remake of any movie, what would it be and what character would you play? 
BT:  This is absolutely silly, and I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I'd love to play Jane Fonda's role in Cat Ballou.  I must have watched that movie a million times growing up. It's an old Western about a school teacher turned train robber. I'm always attracted to those silly melodrama style shows – they are just fun, light-hearted entertainment. 

BW:  Ha!  I love that movie! That’s officially my favorite answer to that question!  Number 9.  What do you do to calm your nerves before a performance? 
BT:  Usually I work the dinner shift and then run upstairs to do the show. It seems stressful, but actually it's been a blessing because I don't have time to focus on being nervous. And I can get insanely, uncomfortably nervous. Usually I question my decisions to be an actor right before I go on, like why I would torture myself this way; it is not worth the stress! But then you get out there and remember the magic. 

Beth Tantanella in Misses Strata. Photo – The Bard'sTown.

BW:  Number 10.  When you’re not at The Bard’s Town, what can you most often be found doing?
BT:  Yoga, yoga, yoga! I teach, I take, and I study – all of the above. I've also recently discovered barre classes and aerial silks classes, and I've just recently started teaching aerial yoga. And yes, you can do it! Anyone can, and it's so much fun – a whole new work out/meditation experience!

BW:  Number 11.  Any plans to leave Louisville? Or do we get to keep you all to ourselves?
BT:  When you make plans, the universe laughs. I am open to leaving if the opportunity comes up and the timing is right. But right now I'm sort of crazy in love with Louisville. 

BW:  (Yay!) Number 12.  What’s something you wish Doug would put on the menu?
BT:  Oh my goodness, when Schutte (as we lovingly call him) gets experimental with food,  life is good. He makes fabulous desserts and recently did a s'mores pizza. To. Die. For. 

BW:  Number 13.  What are you going to be for Halloween? 
BT:  I'm thinking a 1950s' style Stepford Wife. But I always change my mind last minute. 

BW:  Number 14.  What is it that makes you do theatre? 
BT:  Practicing theatre is a never-ending journey. I am a forever student learning something new every time I watch a show or act in one. 

BW:  Number 15.  What’s something you want to make sure you do in the next two years?
BT:  Get certified in Thai massage. And when I do, I will offer massages for actors and directors before shows. So keep me in mind!

BW:  You’re cast!  Number 16.  What is the most commonly ordered item when you're waiting tables?
BT:  The Bard Burger. It's so good, y'all. The Rigate Diablo, too, but try it with sausage instead of chicken. And of course, there is nothing more sinful than our Mac and Cheese. Nothing. Have you tried the Gooey Butter Cake? Oh, goodness, I could go on and on. Food is love, and we will love you so much at The Bard's Town. 

BW:  Number 17.  Who is someone who inspires you and why?
BT:  All of the people I have worked for, at the restaurant, yoga studios, theatres, etc., have been such an inspiration to me. The dedication to their careers, their passions, and showing me that it is possible to do what you love and love what you do. I've been so lucky to be surrounded by such incredible people. I want to pass that on. Louisville has heart – there's no doubt about that. 

The Bard’s Town presents RX by Kate Fodor

October 24-27, 31, and November 1, 2 (all at 7:30 p.m.)
Tickets $12-15, and available at http://www.thebardstown.com/

The Bard's Town Theatre

1801 Bardstown Road

Louisville, KY 40205

(502) 749-5275

Thebardstown.com

Kentucky Opera and UofL Combine to Present Double Bill of Fresh One Acts

Cesar Mendez-Silvagnoli, Danielle Messina & Marco Cammarota
in The King's Man. Photo – Jan Abbot Photography.

The King’s Man / Danse Russe

Composed by Paul Moravec

Written by Terry Teachout

Directed by David Roth

Conducted by Kimcherie Lloyd

Reviewed by Annette Skaggs

Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Annette Skaggs. All rights reserved.

First of all, I want to applaud the Kentucky Opera in that they are allowing composers and librettists a place to showcase their works in an effort to introduce the opera-listening audience to contemporary pieces of music. It is a fabulous idea for performance workshops and the development of new works and allows the audience to have a glimpse into what it is like for the creative process to begin to unfold.

This past weekend the Kentucky Opera introduced the Louisville audience to two one-act pieces: The King’s Man and Danse Russe, both by Paul Moravec, with libretti by Terry Teachout. The King’s Man is practically right out-of-the-box brand new, while Danse Russe was premiered two years ago at Center City Opera. I will be the first to admit that my musical tastes for opera lean more towards the classics, but I remain open and appreciate newer music as well. As you hear on WUOL often, even the classics were once new.

As I stated, The King’s Man is new; and, knowing this, I went into the performance with a different mindset. The stage is rather bare, save for a table and some chairs, two monitors on the side of the stage for supertitles, and a projection screen that served as an always-changing backdrop of important documents and portraits and photographs. The story is of the tenuous relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate son William. William left America and served under the very same King George III that America was fighting, thus making William “The King’s Man” and causing such a rift between father and son that B. Franklin had his son arrested for treason. After William’s release, the father and son saw each other only once in an attempt at reconciliation. Unfortunately, that did not occur and the opera explores what that last meeting could have been like, based on historical truth.

It was apparent from the beginning aria from Mary (Danielle Messina), William’s fiancée, that this was going to be a dramatic opera as she sang of William’s anger and melancholy and her wish to help him feel better. As William (Marco Cammarota) enters, he paces the floor while glancing at the marble bust of his famous father staring at him, and he is even more distressed because of the imminent arrival of his father. Benjamin (Cesar Mendez-Silvagnoli), with a cane in his right hand, enters, and after some pleasantries the argument starts almost immediately. And most of this back and forth was recitative. Although there were some lovely solos and duets, I felt that the recitatives were highlighted more. As confident as the singing was from Mendez-Silvagnoli and Cammarota, they were at times rather stiff in their acting. But again, this is a work in progress. The star duet of The King’s Man came from a boy soldier (Aidan Arnold) and William singing about saying prayers after learning of the passing of William’s first wife. Absolutely a beautiful if not haunting tone was coming from this young man’s voice, and I hope to hear more from him in the future. I look forward to what I could hear to be a diamond in the rough to be shined up even more and presented again and again.

The second piece, Danse Russe, was a delight. As I stated earlier, this comic opera was debuted two years ago, but through Kentucky Opera’s program, as with many new-ish, newer pieces, there is always room for tweaking. In my opinion, not much else needs to be done to this little piece of fun. As the curtain rises, we see another sparse stage, the same projection screen as before, a ballet barre, a piano and a conductor’s podium. This story is about the creation of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” and the persons involved in its first performance and what happened that evening. We are introduced to Igor (Brad Raymond), who at this time is working for Sergei Diaghilev (Christaan Smith-Kotlarek), the producer of Paris’ Danse Russe and the company’s premier ballet artist and Sergei’s lover Vaslav Nijinsky (Sergio Gonzalez) and conductor Pierre Monteux (John Arnold). Stravinsky’s inspiration for “Rite” was on the heels of a visit to Mother Russia. Upon the first examination of the draft, his colleagues were not impressed; but through some convincing it was performed and was a flop the first night, insomuch that police were called in because of the mob-like mentality of the attendees.

Of course we now know “The Rite of Spring” as one of the most recoded and played pieces of music written, and it is unmistakable whenever heard.

As with “Rite” I can honestly say I could listen to Danse over and over again. The harmonies shared among Brad, Christiaan and Sergio were at times ethereal; and when those trios became quartets with the addition of John, well let’s just say that I was entranced.

I was very glad to hear many of the same Kentucky Opera Young Artists performing under the esteemed baton of Kimcherie Lloyd, who led a small University of Louisville orchestra. Some of the highlights of Danse were in the portrayal of the story in a vaudevillian like manner, complete with an easel set up downstage left that allowed for a lovely card girl to place cards announcing the changing of the acts, complete with whistling sounds and sliding notes accompanying her. Also, cheers to Director Michael Ramach for showing off those nostalgic ways in his staging and even allowing the principals to do a little dancing reminiscent of soft shoe.

Overall, the operas were night and day, one heavy, one light, and planned to be like that, similar to Cav/Pag. I truly look forward to the growth potential that is King’s and to see what little things may be done to Danse, but absolutely an educational and fun afternoon of Opera. 

  

The King’s Man / Danse Russe  

October 11 & 12, 2013

Kentucky Opera and University of Louisville School of Music

Margaret Comstock Hall

University of Louisville

www.kyopera.org