Volume 11, No 1, Fall 2011

BRAVO! Lexington Opera Society Newsletter Vol. 11 No. 1 Fall 2011 FindingThe Romeo and Juliet theing it notcolors just music but of something tragedy the audi- story dates to before ence will relate to.” Studying Shakespeare’s play Shakespeare, and has been reworked in many helped her “understand why the characters are forms. What is it about the young star-crossed saying and doing what they are.” Turay says the lovers that keeps playwrights, composers, film- libretto lacks “much of Juliette’s character devel- makers and audiences coming back? I posed opment,” so the singer must convey that vocally. that question to the singers who will portray the The same is true for Roméo. “You start out tragic pair in UK Opera Theatre’s production of with your own interpretation,” says Castillo, “and Charles Gounod’s opera—Greg Turay and Manuel you add what the stage director gives you and Castillo, the Roméos, and Rachel Sterrenberg what the conductor gives you, and these layers and Julie LaDouceur, our Juliettes. create the final interpretation.” Their answers: “It talks to the human The characters develop emotion- heart,” and it’s “so beautifully tragic.” ally in the course of the tragic lovers’ Staging Roméo et Juliette is four duets. Juliette’s first aria and the “a tremendous undertaking for first act duet are light and showy, a university,” says Turay, and de- and each succeeding duet deepens mands a great deal vocally and her character. LaDouceur describes emotionally from the singers. “But Juliette as “young and spunky and we have wonderful students who sweet and a little shy, but deep are perfect for these roles,” says down she’s one tough cookie.” UKOT director Everett McCorvey. The singers say Gounod’s music is Preparing to sing the title roles “incredibly beautiful” and “makes it requires a lot of work. There’s easy to find the emotion.” LaDouceur the music, of course. Turay finds Clockwise from upper says, “Juliette displays a huge range left: Turay, LaDouceur, Roméo “probably the most de- Sterrenberg and Castillo of emotions, and Gounod really manding role I’ve taken on.” It paints the images. You know what lies very high, and he’s on stage the composer wants just through the almost the entire time. Castillo agrees. “The music that precedes what you’re going to sing.” tenor part can be straining for the voice. If One feature that makes this opera a special you get too much into the drama you won’t challenge to stage is the Act III sword fight. Bryan get to the end. It’s like running a marathon.” Robertson, a fight choreographer from Cincin- LaDouceur says learning the French text nati, taught form, parrying, and footwork. “Those takes a lot of time—“not just my text but ev- blades aren’t super sharp,” explains Turay, “but eryone else’s, or you can’t really give all you they are sharp, so you have to know every move.” have from your heart. Then you have to trans- The opera will be sung in French with English fer the meaning of the words into the voice. supertitles. Says McCorvey, “Everyone has studied The voice can have so many colors, and one Shakespeare’s play in school, so this is an oppor- of the big things is finding those colors.” tunity to see the operatic version. That’s a rarity!” Sterrenberg says the emotion is critical, “mak- — By Georgiana Strickland Page 2 Lights, action, voice: Opera in grade schools UKOT’s Schmidt Opera Outreach Program Unusual Day features Caleb Ashby, Chris (SOOP) is building a new generation of opera Baker and Susan Rahmsdorff as well as singers and lovers, all while saving Little Red Carson Schneider on keyboard. Riding Hood and sparing the Big Bad Wolf. At times, the singers break character to speak Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, with li- directly to the audience. There are also short bretto by John Davies and music by Rossini talks by the actors before the show and ques- and Offenbach, tells the familiar tale with a tion and answer sessions after when they few twists, such as a suggested romance be- reinforce the lessons of Little Red: “Beware tween Red’s mother and Ranger Dudley. of strangers,” and “Listen to your parents.” “In our show, the wolf doesn’t eat anybody,” The 35-minute show includes general music explained soprano information as well Taylor Coriell, who as insight into dis- portrays Little Red. tinguishing voice “And we don’t kill types and preparing the wolf at the end. a performance. Cori- Some of the kids in ell relishes the fact our audience are that children get to fairly young, and see a place for them- we don’t want to selves in this art form, scare anybody.” The whether as an enthu- target audience siastic audience mem- is kindergarten ber or a performer. through fifth grade. She said many of the In her first year schools they visit have Courtney Turay as SOOP staff “LIttle Red’s Most Unusual Day” is a hit with grade school students. little or no music cur- member, Courtney riculum, so for some Turay has booked children this may be Little Red into 58 schools in 24 counties. It’s their first, or only, exposure to this kind of art. receiving an enthusiastic response, Coriell Turay agreed. “We are exposing many children said. “The kids cheer for Little Red and try to to an art form that they’ve never had any experi- warn her when the wolf is sneaking up.” ence with. It would be wonderful if every student The program began in 2003 as a joint venture in Kentucky not only was exposed to this, but also of UK Opera Theatre and The Lexington Op- felt it was accessible to them. And, that it inspired era Society and is assisted by a generous grant them to enjoy this art form for an entire lifetime.” from the William E. Schmidt Foundation. SOOP Turay said almost every school administrator has performed in schools all over Kentucky and she approaches wants the program but some introduced thousands of children to opera. cannot afford it. The cost to schools is $600 for “Because it’s a story they already know,” Cori- one performance or $950 for two, which cov- ell said, “they don’t have to concentrate too ers the cast and crew and travel expenses. hard on the story line. This allows them to focus People interested in sponsoring a performance on the music. Any preconceived notions they can contact Turay or Marc Schlackman at UK- have about opera being boring are dispelled [email protected]. Performances are scheduled because this is understandable and fun.” through Nov. 22 and dates are still available. In addition to Coriell, Little Red’s Most — By Anne Taul BRAVO! Page 3 UniversityOh, of Kentucky the opera things students and recentthey graduates did..... didn’t take the summer off. From Salzburg to Berlin to Holland America Cruise Line and the Kentucky Speedway, they entertained appreciative audiences and gained valuable performance experience. Here are just a few of the things they did last summer. A more complete list is at www.lexingtonopera.com. Mary-Hollis Hundley sang Donna El- in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Zerlina in Don vira in Don Giovanni at the Lyric Op- Giovanni, and Adrianna in The Boys of Syracuse. era Studio Weimar, Germany. Philip Eschweiler performed Nick Bottom in A Arianna Afshari performed Donna Anna in Midsummer Night’s Dream and Léon in Signor Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Lyric Opera Studio Deluso with the Public Theatre of Minnesota. Weimar, and sang in a benefit recital for the Stu- Nick Johnson performed a solo for 1,300 dio. She received a full scholarship to the Franco- youth at Montreat Conference Center American Mozart Academy in Salzburg, Austria, in North Carolina, and played live music to perform Madame Goldentrill in The Impresario, weekly at restaurants in Frankfort. and the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute. Rachel Sterrenberg played Ciesca in Gianni Antonio Castillo-Ibarra, Jacquelyn Chance, Schicchi, and Mary Warren in The Crucible at and Juelan Brown all studied at the Freie the Chautauqua Music Festival in New York. Universität in Berlin through Fulbright Awards. Ellen Graham sang in the chorus for The program gives students a glimpse A Flowering Tree, Eugene Onegin, and of Germany’s higher education system The Magic Flute at Cincinnati Opera. through an intensive academic curriculum Lisa Clark participated in the Black in German language, history, and culture. Family Reunion with the Cincinnati Matt Turner performed Sparafucile in Opera, and was a vocalist at St. Peter’s Rigoletto at La Musica Lirica, a five-week Episcopal Church in Paris, Kentucky. vocal program in Novafeltria, Italy. Joanna Schnurman performed scenes in Natalie Tyson-Multhaup played Iza in La the American Singers Opera Project in North Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein at the Franco- Carolina, Agatha in Der Freischutz, Mercedes American Vocal Academy in Périgueux, France. in Carmen and Kate in Pirates of Penzance. Adam Von Almen was a classical lead singer for Rebecca Blackwell attended the six-week one of Holland America Cruise Line’s European week Vocal Arts and Operetta program at tours. He traveled to Norway, Denmark, Interlochen Center where she performed Sweden, the Netherlands and England. Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore. Mitchell Hutchings was an Apprentice Artist Evan Johnson participated in the Masterworks with Opera Saratoga Springs. He had the role of Festival in Winona Lake, Indiana. Frank in Die Fledermaus, and Ben in The Tele- Taylor Coriell sang Jeanie in The Stephen Fos- phone.

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