Sunday, September 28, 2008

New Theatre premiere lends operatic heft to autumnal love story

By Paul Horsley

Joe DiPietro’s new play The Last Romance is about things that anyone with a few years under the belt can relate to: love and loss, conflicting demands of spouse versus siblings, fear of old age, illness, death. Much of it reads like somebody’s life.

Moreover DiPietro wrote it specifically for the lead actors who introduced the play at the New Theatre beginning September 4, veterans Marion Ross and Paul Michael, a fact that gives the play an emotional core. To add to the sense of art-imitating-life, Ross and Michael are themselves a late-blooming love-couple in real life, and are the exact ages of their characters, 79 and 82 respectively.

This world-premiere production, which runs through November 9, is sleekly packaged and designed, with bright, unfussy scenery by Beowulf Boritt, and capably directed by Richard Carrothers. It features canny performances by Ross and Michael, who hope to take the play to New York eventually. If its pacing is a tad sluggish, and if DiPietro’s humor tends toward the sitcom-ish, the play has a nice dramatic structure and some not-entirely-predictable surprises. (I attended Sunday afternoon, September 28.)

Ralph Bellini (Michael) is an aptly named former singer who lives with his clinging sister, Rose (Marie Lillo) in Hoboken. One day he strays from his walk routine and comes upon a dog park, where he grows enamored of an aging beauty (Ross, best known as a star of TV’s “Happy Days”) he spies walking her Chihuahua.

Thus begins a romance that strains credulity at the outset but grows more poignant as the actors kick their timing into gear. DiPietro’s language is plain and conversational: At times you wish for more poetry. Some of the humor is aimed unabashedly at seniors (not that there’s anything wrong with that): “My brother’s quite a catch,” Rose says to Carol. “He can still drive at night.”

But the performances carry the drama for the most part. Ross is lively and convincing in the way she moves from faux-indignation at Michael’s flirting to vulnerability. Lillo lays on the loud-and-brassy-Joisey-girl a bit thick, but when she reads the 20-year-old letter from her estranged husband, her misery seems real.

Opera itself is a sort of “character” in the play, partly through the presence of a figure called The Young Man who represents Ralph as an aspiring 20something singer. Sweet-voiced baritone Joshua Jeremiah makes brief entrances to sing snatches of operatic arias, including the piece Ralph sang at his Metropolitan Opera audition 60 years before,
E allor perchè” from I Pagliacci.

Opera plays a deeper role in the drama, too, representing an idealized world free of life’s ugliness in which only love matters. Opera’s larger-than-life quality is what Ralph and Carol yearn for. Opera is “big emotion, big people,” Ralph says. “That music makes them bigger than they are.” The problem with opera is that “all the lovers want to do is be in love,” he says later. “But it ain’t that simple. Something always gets in the way.” Indeed, the mystery surrounding Ralph’s failed opera career propels the drama forward in interesting enough ways that I found myself wishing DiPietro had made more of it, perhaps even (if you’ll pardon my musical bias) allowing the singer more stage time to sing more opera.

On the other hand I applaud the author for avoiding the too-obvious choice of making Ralph a tenor, which in my mind would have seemed out-of-kilter with his character’s grounded world-view. The tenor in opera tends to be the brash, hot-headed lover willing to sacrifice all for romance. The baritone is the trusted friend, the dad, the family man, the ordinary guy trying to make a living. That’s who Ralph is.

The Last Romance runs through November 9 at the New Theatre, 9229 Foster in Overland Park. For tickets call 913-649-7469 or go to http://www.newtheatre.com/.

To reach Paul Horsley, send email to phorsley@sbcglobal.net.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

4th Annual Benefit - Comedy UMKC


The 4th Annual Comedy UMKC, to benefit student scholarships in the theatre department, is taking place on October 4th in the Helen F. Spencer Theatre. With a must-see performance of Tartuffe, by Moliere (directed by Theodore Swetz), a reception prior to the show, and a dessert served at intermission, it is sure to be a sardonic evening of hysterical hypocrisy! Not knowing our theater lore as we should, we researched and found out that Tartuffe is written in 1,926 12-syllable lines (alexandrines) of rhyming couplets. See, you simply must go to check out your own knowledge of alexandrines! Tickets are available at the central ticket office, 816-235-6222.

DiDonato scores new milestone in Kansas City Symphony opening concert

By Paul Horsley

Ernest Chausson’s Poem of Love and the Sea for mezzo-soprano is a dense, elusive mini-drama told through vivid images of youth, lilacs, birds, sunlight and crashing waves. It is set to a diaphanous orchestral score that is so gorgeous that I have sometimes wondered why it’s not performed more often. The Poem was the centerpiece of the Kansas City Symphony’s season-opening concert Friday at an overly warm Lyric Theatre, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the performance by Prairie Village native Joyce DiDonato was another significant milestone in a career that has seen a whole string of milestones.

One of the belles of the opera world, mezzo-soprano DiDonato has also made a strong stamp on the recital and concert stage, in music ranging from Bach to Berlioz, contemporary American composers to French and Spanish repertoire. This was her Kansas City Symphony debut, and it was also her first outing with Chausson’s daunting mezzo testing-ground.

While others might approach this piece as watery and impressionistic, DiDonato made it into something harrowingly tragic. I believe she is destined to become one of its most distinguished interpreters — joining a long line of great mezzos who have taken it into their rep. (In time she will memorize it, so that she doesn’t have to hold the score in front of her as she did Friday: This piece is so operatic in its conceit that you need both hands!) Her French is exquisite, though house lights in the theater would have helped those who wished to follow the printed translation. The Symphony under Michael Stern’s direction produced a delicious, butter-rich orchestral backdrop throughout, balanced and transparent enough that it rarely covered DiDonato’s beautifully projected tone.

On full display Friday was the mezzo’s plush, diamond-radiant voice, which could assume an Isolde-like dramatic quality but then turn bright, even childlike for phrases like “a beautiful child was on the shore.” Her lower register turned smoky for “How sad and savage the sound that announces the hour of farewell!” and blanched-out and vibrato-less for the word “oblivion.” In the crushingly sad final verses her whole countenance was suffused with heartbreak.

What, no encore? After the Chausson, it seemed something more upbeat would have been in order. We had to wait until after the intermission for the surprise: Having changed from the dark "sea-foam"-colored gown (get it?) she wore for the Poem of Love and the Sea into a flouncy crimson number with matching shoes and hair-bow, DiDonato started the second half with Rosina’s “Una voce poco fa” from The Barber of Seville. This is not just a signature role for her: She sang it in the Metropolitan Opera’s first season of live movie-theater broadcasts, and many in the opera world consider her pretty much the Rosina today. The aria was the perfect foil for the Chausson, showing off her sparkling technique and engaging comedic abilities.

The rest of the program tried to stick with the concert’s themes of love, death, the sea, dancing, the romance of Spain, the heartache of France — well to be honest, the themes were all over the map. David Diamond’s music for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was deadly dull, thanks partly to the composer’s tendency toward prolix themes that feel like the musical equivalent of run-on sentences. At its best, his music contains the sweetness of Copland’s Americana vein but adds a mildly acerbic twist.

The Symphony sounded quite good, enriched with nine new players including principal viola, principal clarinet, associate principal clarinet, principal bass and bass trombone. There was flash in Ravel’s “Alborada del gracioso” and fine solos in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol. Plodding tempos bogged down the latter’s zest, but new principal clarinetist Raymond Santos tore through its splashy solos like a man with a purpose.

The concert is repeated at 8 p.m. Saturday, September 27 at the Lyric, 11th and Central, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, September 28 at the Carlsen Center, 12345 College Blvd. For tickets call 816-471-0400 or go to kcsymphony.org.

To reach Paul Horsley, send email to phorsley@sbcglobal.net.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

History Will Be Made

Let’s review some basic history: George Washington was elected our first President in 1789. Eighty-one years later, in 1870, the 15th Amendment was ratified giving African American MEN the right to vote. Fifty years later, in 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, giving ALL WOMEN the right to vote. Need I mention the wars, battles and suffering that occurred so we can live in this free country?

Come January 2009, some 220 years later, an African American or a woman will stand on the capitol steps and swear to uphold one of the two highest offices in the land. Never before has there been any President or Vice President combination but 2 white males. EVER.

Regardless of color or gender, the US will make history on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. If you complain about our country and don’t vote, you are a disgrace to your ancestors who fought the battles that allow you to live in freedom.

VOTE.

By Annie Presley
Political Blogster
The McKellar Group

The opinions of all Independent Insider blogsters do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers, staff and advertisers of The Independent or the Independent Insider. They are solely the views of the individual contributors.


9-18-08

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Lyric Opera's Boheme boasts two strong leads and a set design that won't quit

By Paul Horsley
Photos: Doug Hamer / Lyric Opera

The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s production of La Boheme, which opened September 13, has just enough goodies in it that I’d be loath not to recommend it. Hapless lovers Mimi (Alyson Cambridge) and Rodolfo (Michael Fabiano) sang stylishly and with conviction, music director Ward Holmquist conducted with a sense of where he wanted to go, and non-interventionist stage director Ellen Douglas Schlaefer kept movement to a judicious simmer.

Yet the thing that dwelled in my mind as I drove home from the Lyric Theatre was the look of the show, especially the scenic design that felt almost like a principal "character" of the show. The production, which opened the Lyric's 2008-2009 season, runs through September 21.

Veteran designer R. Keith Brumley has created a handsome new set for the show, and its warmth, style and psycho-visual impact sometimes kept the eyes and the mind busier than the ears. The Parisian hovel of Acts 1 and 4, for example, featured outer walls that angled toward us, giving a claustrophobic feel accentuated by the outward thrust of the window. It enhanced the acoustic resonance for the singers, and at the same time it made us feel a bit of the characters’ desperation. Even the "gay" street of Act 2 seemed intentionally garish, to suggest that beneath all the glitz — and the willfully too-lavish costumes by Martin Pakledinaz — lay poverty and suffering.

This basic scenic structure was ingeniously transformed, with the addition of a gate-house and a protrusion for the tavern, into the wintry outdoor scene of Act 3. Here lighting designer Barry Steele, in his Lyric debut, created a glowing, dull-grey sky that made you feel chilly just looking at it.

If this sounds like the rambling of a jaded opera critic who’s seen so many Bohemes that he’s looking for something new, then I stand accused. Let’s face it: The story of La Boheme is so familiar that even theatergoers who’ve never seen the opera have probably seen the cheesy populist spinoff, Rent. So yes, we are desperate for fresh ideas and new spins. And yes, even I am uneasy about the fact that I often found the stage design more arresting than the music here.

Fortunately the Lyric scored well with the two young leads: There was enough romantic tension between them that by Act 3 we really did care about their fate. Cambridge and Fabiano brought off this Act 3 tear-jerker beautifully, and largely with vocal finesse: Cambridge has a nicely rounded soprano that can turn a heart-rending phrase on a dime, and expands into lovely bloom at the top. She is also a woman of striking good looks. Fabiano’s medium-sized tenor is sunny, secure and easy on the ear, despite an oddly labored top. As for the Act 4 finale, this young cast must have been doing something right: People all around me were bawling.

The first two acts were more problematical, as they usually are. I’ve sometimes thought that an ideal setting for the first half of Boheme would be a middle school, for only there do people fall in love in 15 minutes and grow jealous and possessive by the end of math class. Still, I’m not sure the decision to emphasize Mimi’s manipulative, conniving nature helped matters much: It made the hasty "I love you’s" seem vaguely fabricated. I’m no expert on women, but it seems to me that a girl without guile can more easily fall for a pretty tenor than one who has been around the block.

The rest of the cast was workable, though some of the larger vocal ensembles seemed unsettled, especially when the chorus was involved. (As it was opening night, some of the singer-versus-orchestra ensemble was in the tidying-up phase.) I admired Daniel Belcher’s solid, almost sinister onstage presence, which brought out that the hotheaded Marcello might in fact not be a very nice person. Vocally he had a hard time projecting over the orchestra, and his poofy blondish hair and ungainly, loose-fitting outfits made him a dead-ringer for Philip Seymour Hoffman. Katrina Thurman was a surprisingly serious Musetta who didn’t go over the top with flirtiness at the CafĂ© Momus. Jonathan Stinson brought dignity if not vocal brilliance to Schaunard, and Matthew Trevino’s dark, growly bass made Colline seem almost cuddly.

The production continues September 15, 17, 19 and 21 at the Lyric Theatre, 11th and Central. Tickets are $20-$85, with discounts for students and seniors. Call 816-471-7344 or go to http://www.kcopera.org/.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Guilty Pleasure Read of the Month

Beverly Bio

In Get Happy, The Life of Judy Garland by Gerald Clarke, he explores her genius and the tragedy of her roller coaster existence. I have always just adored Judy (remember watching The Wizard of Oz once a year when it would be re-shown on TV?), and her amazing life was like a train wreck--you couldn't look away. Clarke has done his homework, and it is a fascinating read.

Fluffy Fiction

Up your annual quota of current British slang with The Friendship Test by Elizabeth Noble--this is one of those "I-bought-it-at-Costco-because-it-had-a-cute-cover books", but it was more entertaining than I expected. Female Friendship with capital "F" is main theme (ditto in her first effort, The Reading Group) and Ms.Noble explores it well.

Change the World

Malcolm Gladwell has written two books, and both have been NY Times #1 bestsellers. His newer book,
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, illustrates his theory about " the magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire." He compares the spread of fashion trends (Hush Puppies, anyone?) to flu epidemics and supports this theory convincingly. The sections on children's television are frighteningly interesting. The ability to influence change in societal norms could be huge (think crime, politics, teenage behavior) and anyone who wants to affect change needs to read this book! While The Tipping Point is sure to become required in all marketing & advertising departments, it is actually a good read and filled with tons of cocktail party talking points.

By Joanna Glaze
community volunteer, mom, book aficionado

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Is This Chick For Real?

Is this Chick for Real?

Wondering about Sarah Palin? When was the last time a gazillion people were inspired by one person’s speech? JFK? Martin Luther King? A great sermon? Think about it. How many boring speeches have you suffered…far too many! Regardless of whether or not you agreed with the content of her speech, she’s a natural. The delivery. The timing. The gestures. The smiles.



The bigger question is whether or not she can keep up the pace. Presidential politics is a test of fortitude, and the next 65 days will be grueling. Already she has replicated her success for crowds in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio and Virginia. She has engaged an otherwise sleepy electorate in needed debate. Sarah Palin is much more than a smart woman, she is a refreshing new voice in national politics.



Annie Presley
Political Blogster
The McKeller Group



The opinions of all Independent Insider blogsters do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers, staff and advertisers of The Independent or the Independent Insider. They are solely the views of the individual contributors.