Diversity: A Business Imperative JULY 24 – 30, 2014 PAGE 47 S t . L o u i S A m e r i c A n Opera Theatre brings diversity to St. Louis stage ‘Twenty-Seven’ follows ‘Champion’ in series of commissions to American composers on American themes
By Chris King Elizabeth Futral Of The St. Louis American as Alice B. Toklas, Theo Lebow as Only someone reviewing Pablo Picasso, an opera about Gertrude Stein Stephanie Blythe (1874-1946) for the black press as Gertrude would think to compare her to Stein, Tobias Maya Angelou, but once you Greenhalgh as go there, they actually have Leo Stein, and much in common. Daniel Brevik as They both wrote a classic Henri Matisse in 20th century autobiography Opera Theatre of – Stein’s was “The Saint Louis’ Autobiography of Alice B. 2014 production Toklas,” in which she saw of “27.” herself through her longtime partner’s eyes. They both wrote poetry, prose and texts intended for musical performance, though Angelou wrote much more poetry and Stein much more experimental fiction. Angelou was widely popular and Stein deeply innovative and influential; both are women writers who made a place for themselves in history. Both women were also famous – indeed, even notorious – as party-starters and creators of festive artistic spaces where many of the greatest artists of their time met one another and discovered new things about themselves. Stein’s role as the host of an influential, long-standing Paris salon is the dramatic Photo by Ken Howard center of “Twenty-Seven,” the new opera about Stein Stein were among the very address of Stein and Toklas’ After the first world war, like Ernest Hemingway and scenes – and the two world and Toklas commissioned by first collectors of Picasso, home in Paris where many painters were replaced as F. Scott Fitzgerald. Royce wars that ended them – with an Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Matisse and others. The Modern masterpieces were first visitors to 27 rue de Fleurus Vavrek’s libretto pulls together Gertrude and her brother Leo opera’s title is taken from the displayed on the walls. by the Lost Generation writers, these two historic social See OPERA page 42