LEXINGTON OPERA SOCIETY NEWSLETTER VOL. 12 NO. 2 WINTER 2013

BRAVO! BRAVO!

HIGH DRAMA MEETS SITCOM

The Marriage of Figaro is one of the most fre-quently performed and best loved of all the classic operas. The beautiful music of Mozart combined with the familiar tale of servants and masters, young love and a romantic comedy of errors combine into a show that is at once poignantly moving and laugh-out-loud funny.

Written around the time of our country’s founding, much of this piece draws on changes that were occurring in that world, such as the

decline of the aristocracy, educated servants, the unfolding of democracy and the failure of arranged marriages to supersede love unions. Director Richard Kagey says, “It has all the emotional depth and drama of high theater but, at the same time, the

feel and lightness of a sitcom. It’s fun and funny. Audiences will definitely laugh.”

Although this is Kagey’s fourth production of Fi-garo, he still loves the show and finds it exciting. He says this will be a fresh approach because, “We’re working with the cast to understand what they are really doing.” Many of the famous arias are often performed as stand-alone pieces, but Kagey says, “I want the cast to learn how these arias fit into the context of the entire show.”

Kagey has nothing but praise for that cast. “They are all wonderful. It’s remarkable to have a university that is able to double cast such a challenging show. It really highlights the

depth of talent we have here at UK.”

This will be a tra-ditional production of Figaro set in the 18th century. The first and second acts will be per-

formed together, as will the third and fourth, with an intermission between. This trims the running time to a manageable three hours.

Kagey has some hints for the audience: "Be especially aware of the relationships between the characters and watch the countess care-

See Page 4

Figaro March 1-3,

Opera House. Tickets at

http://www.lexingtonopera.com

Mozart's opera of changing times, morés never grows old

Richard Kagey director

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BRAVO!

The sun has not yet begun to rise when the cast members of the Schmidt Opera Outreach Program roll out of their beds to travel the state’s highways to bring opera to Kentucky school children. At their destination, after they unload the set, vocal-ize, don their costumes, and check the piano, the magic of opera and live performance begins.

Through a generous gift in 2007 from the William E. Schmidt Foundation, the opera outreach pro-gram created in 2003 by the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and the Lexington Opera Society became SOOP. That gift, coupled with the creative team's talent and dedication, made it possible to reach more children with tour-ing performances of operas such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Freedom Trail, and Get Stuffed.

When Courtney Turay joined as coordinator, the schedule exploded. Her first year, 2011, Little Red’s Most Unusual Day reached more than 25,000 chil-dren in 72 performances. In 2012, 47,000 school children in 32 counties saw Pinocchio.

The short operas combine fairy tales, children's stories and American history with music of op-era’s great composers. Morals or character traits propel the stories. Little Red learns not to talk to strangers. Pinocchio learns to always tell the truth. Performances are accompanied by a study guide coordinated to meet Kentucky’s Com-mon Core Standards for Arts and Humanities.

SOOP’s creative team -- Artistic Director Dr. Ever-ett McCorvey, Director Marc Schlackman, Stage Di-rector Richard Kagey, Music Director/ Vocal Coach Stephen Penn, and Costumer Susan Wigglesworth--

-designs a mobile set, props and costumes. The cast rehearses for two weeks before beginning the tour.

Voices are not amplified, so singing voices are presented in a normal, true-to-life operatic set-

ting. After performances, singers take questions. This year, Pinoc-chio demonstrated how he grew his nose and, when the mask came off, students learned about opera pants parts since Pinoc-chio was played by a woman.

Taylor Coriell, who sang the role of Little Red, remains ex-cited about SOOP. Teachers, "said they were so happy to have us, that this was the first live performance some of these children had ever seen, and might be the only one they ever

saw, unless we could come back the next year.”Caleb Ashby has toured twice with SOOP, creat-

ing Forest Ranger Dudley in Little Red and Wolf/Dr. Dulcamara in Pinocchio. “Marc and Court-ney have put an enormous amount of time, ef-fort and work into developing the program. The measure of success and growth of the program is a direct reflection of their efforts,” he said.

For more information about SOOP, to book or sponsor a performance, contact Courtney Turay at (859)402-6946 or UKSOOP@gmail.com.

--Madeleine Baugh

L to R: Caleb Ashby, Manuel Castillo, Ashley Jackson, Dannica Burson, Martha Green.

OPERA ON THE ROAD AGAINOutreach program reaches

47,000 children, 32 counties

KMEA honors SOOP The Kentucky Music Educators Association chose the Schmidt

Opera Outreach Program to receive its 2012-2013

Friend of Music Award. The award, presented February 8th at KMEA’s Professional

Development Conference in Louisville, is "a great honor. It serves as a validation of the

success of SOOP," said SOOP Director Marc Schlackman.

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Winter 2013

The Phantom of the Opera, with its spectral central character, floating scenery and haunt-ing music, is a show that has become bigger than life. An international hit, it is still running on Broadway after more than two decades.

Offering it in Lexington was a daunting, expen-sive and technically ambitious project for the Uni-versity of Kentucky Opera Theater to undertake.

But UKOT has long experience exceeding ex-pectations and Phantom was no exception.

The Lexington Herald-Leader’s Rich Co-pley acknowledged that staging this huge spectacle is a challenge in itself, but said that in the end the performances of the cast, largely undergraduate, made it work.

“The chandelier could defy gravity, the boat could not float and there could be nary a spark on the stage, and this still would be a great produc-tion because of the student singers and actors who grace the stage. Lexington has waited nearly 25 years for this show, and it is getting a good one.”

And Lexington responded in kind, said UKOT Di-rector Dr. Everett McCorvey. “I was very proud of UK and also proud of the city for helping us make

this giant step forward in producing Phantom.” The excitement spilled beyond the walls of the

historic opera house, he said. “It was so wonderful experiencing the hustle and bustle of vibrant down-town Lexington as people from near and far came to have dinner, shop and attend the show. Many restaurant owners also commented on the fact that business was great during the run of the show.”

And, it made money. Typically, arts productions, and particularly opera and musical theater, with their elaborate sets, costumes and big casts, de-pend upon donor support. But UKOT’s Phantom ended in the black to the lovely tune of $116,000.

No wonder McCorvey is encouraged for the fu-ture. "We want to continue the tradition of pro-ducing shows of this nature during the fall slot. I’m looking forward to the next project!”

Jacob Waid as the Phantom and Rebecca Farley as Christine in Phantom of the Opera.

PHANTOM A HIT!Art, audience, bottom line

Audience: 10,000-plusBox Office: $500,000Income after all expenses: $116,000

Total company: 263Performances: 11Casts: 3Orchestras: 2

Phantom by the numbers

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BRAVO!

fully.” His fascination with this character arises from her emotional journey, a cornerstone of the story. “She travels emotionally more than anyone else. She grows up right before us and becomes the driving force of the last moments.”

Soprano Brittany Benningfield, one of the singers portraying the countess, echoes this. “We see her grow from a victim of his (the count’s) wandering eye to a woman who decides to take charge of her life and win him back.”

“Preparing the emotional role of the countess has been the biggest learn-ing challenge of my singing career to

date,“ she said. But her current training is help-ing her work through the challenge. “Through working with the incredible teachers and coaches at UK, I believe I am making strides to bring the countess to life. It is my goal with this opera to show the audience what this character is go-ing through, both through singing and acting.”

Kagey feels this show is a logical transition for audiences who enjoyed the recent production of Phantom of the Opera. It is a recitative opera, so all the dialog that would be spoken in a musical the-ater show is sung in the speech-like recitative form and accompanied by a harpsichord, which gives it an authentic 18th century feel. Like the previous show, the arias and ensembles are filled with glori-ous music. The music often reflects the changes in the countess’s demeanor, so supports the emo-tionality and action on stage in unique ways.

“For all their ups and downs, Figaro and Susanna are so well matched as a couple,” comments Kagey. “This is, ultimately, the story of how their love triumphs as well.”

Kagey says this Figaro is “beautiful to look at. It’s a giant valentine: pretty, col-orful, light, frothy and wonderful.”

And this production is also providing a won-derful learning experience for our young sing-ers. Benningfield commented, “I have grown so much as both a singer and an actress in just the few short weeks we’ve been rehearsing. I love this cast and I can’t wait to see how far we’ve all come when it’s time for opening night.”

Come support this journey for the cast members and see a professional quality pro-duction of a much-loved classic opera.

Another thing to watch for: The swing featured on the show poster shown here will appear on stage and be used.

See you at The Opera House!--Anne Taul

From Page 1

FIGARO

Brittany Benningfield

Figaro is “beautiful to look at. It’s a giant valentine: pretty, colorful, light, frothy and wonderful.”

Director Richard Kagey

Page 5

Winter 2013

In the news, briefly ....

Our artist in residence in St. LouisDr. Everett McCorvey crossed the Mississippi last

fall to work as artist in residence for Opera The-atre of Saint Louis’ Artists-in-Training program.

Each year, promising high school students from the St. Louis area audition to participate in the program, now in its 23rd year. Selected students receive weekly voice lessons, the opportunity to attend many arts events and the chance to work with artists in residence. In 2001 the program, funded since it was founded by the Monsanto Corporation, was recognized by the President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities as one of 10 model US programs for at-risk youth.

“Dr. McCorvey’s 10-day residency with the Mon-santo Artists-in-Training program transformed and transported both students and voice faculty to new heights,” wrote Allison Felter, director of the program. “His mastery of and passion for teaching are in a class all their own, and one can only walk away with the motivation and newfound abilities to be a better musician, teacher and person.”

Pictured here, Dr. McCorvey is working with McLaine Beeman, a sophomore from Triad High School in Troy, Ilinois and one of the 23 lucky stu-dents participating in this year’s program.

Undergraduates present two one-actsThe UK Undergraduate Opera Studio will present

two one-act operas, Curlew River by Benjamin Britten and Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini, this spring.

The combination -- a modern work in English and a classic in Italian -- will be performed in the sanctu-ary of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Lex-ington. Performances both days are at 7:30 p.m.

Curlew River is a parable in which an abbot acts as narrator, telling the story of a mother driven mad searching for her child who, with another traveler, implores the ferryman to carry her across the river.

Suor Angelica, with its famous aria, Senza mamma, is the oft-sung story of a woman’s struggles to come to terms with the past that led her to the convent.

The Undergraduate Opera Studio was estab-lished in 2010 to give undergraduate vocalists more chances to perform. Previously, it has presented The Magic Flute and The Pirates of Penzance.

Don’t miss this chance to hear these young singers!

Changes in LOS, Bravo boardsLongtime Lexington Opera Society volunteer Dr.

Clifton Smith has been named a Director Emeritus of LOS. Dr. Smith, who has served as co-director

of the Metropolitan District Audi-tions since they came to Lexing-ton, will continue in that role.

The Bravo Guild welcomes its new vice-president, Mike Nichols. Nichols is in his 40th year of teaching, currently

teaching psychology at his alma mater, Transylvania University. Previously he was Director of Counsel-ing at the University of Kentucky, where he received his Ph.D. He credits his love of opera to his Aunt Helen, who sang in the Kentucky Opera Associa-tion and the Louisville Arts Club for many years. Nichols also served on the board of the Woodford County Library where, during his tenure, a new li-brary was constructed. Bravo Guild looks forward to Nichols’ contributions to the Guild and LOS.

McLaine Beerman worked with Dr. Everett McCorvey in Artists-in-Training Program.

Mike Nichols

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BRAVO!

The Metropolitan Opera National Council Audi-tions are a nationwide vocal competition. In this 60th season of auditions there are 40 district audi-tion sites and 13 regional audition sites in the con-tinental United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. More than 1,500 singers between the ages of 20 and 30 participate in the district audition of their choice. Winners at the district level advance to compete in regional finals.

For more than a decade The Lex-ington Opera Society has hosted the Kentucky District Metropolitan Opera National Council on the University of Kentucky campus. Last fall's audi-tion was on Saturday, November 17, at Memorial Hall. The distinguished judges were Douglas Ahlstedt, profes-sor of voice at Carnegie Mellon Univer-sity; Joan Dorneman, assistant conductor of the Metropolitan Opera; and Gayletha Nichols, execu-tive director of the National Council Auditions. Twenty-three singers competed, with Associate Professor John Greer as the official accompanist. The winners, who advanced to the Mid-South Regional Auditions in Memphis, were Rebecca Farley, soprano from UK Opera Theatre; Thomas Gunther, baritone from UKOT; and Edward Nel-son, baritone from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Each received a $2,500 cash prize. En-couragement awards of $500 were given to Evan Johnson, tenor, and Jacob Waid, baritone, both from UKOT. The following day Joan Dornemann conducted a master class. Both the auditions and the class were free and open to the public.

The Mid-South Regional Auditions in Mem-phis were on January 26, 2013, with 13 singers competing. The winner, Edward Nelson, bari-tone from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, will advance to the National Semi-Final round in New York on March 3. UKOT’s Rebecca Far-ley, soprano, placed second. Mabs Seay, mezzo soprano, from Northport, AL, placed third.

— Louise Shouse

MARCH nThe Marriage of FigaroLexington Opera HouseMarch 1,2,3, 7:30 p.m.March 2, 2 p.m. Ticketed event.For tickets call:Opera House: 859.233.3535

nAlltech Vocal Scholarship CompetitionSingletary Center for the Arts, University of Kentucky CampusMarch 3, 2 p.m.Free

APRILnCurlew River and Suor AngelicaUK Opera StudioFirst Presbyterian ChurchApril 12, 13, 7:30 p.m.Ticketed event.Tickets available at the door.

nBravo Guild meeting, Portofino restaurant.April 16, 6 p.m. Details pending.

JUNEnPrelude to It’s a Grand Night for SingingUK Medical Center AtriumJune 1. Time TBA.Ticketed event. For ticket information, check the LOS web-site at www.Lexingtonopera.com.

nIt’s a Grand Night for SingingSingletary Center, UK CampusJune 7,8,13,14,15, 7:30 p.m.June 9, 2 p.m.Ticketed event.For tickets call: 859.257.4929

Calendar

UKOT's Rebecca

Farley placed second.

UKOT ADVANCES IN MET AUDITIONS

Page 7

Winter 2013

Hundreds of recordings have been made of Mo-zart’s brilliant comic opera Le Nozze di Figaro, one of the most popular works of all time, and most of them that I’ve heard are quite excellent. This is partially because the opera itself is so tune-ful and so masterfully composed that it is hard to ruin, even with subpar talent. But naturally, a few particular recordings stand out as being especially

superb in my estimation, for the bal-ance in casting of this essentially ensemble piece and for individual contributions of note in certain roles.

My favorite, and that of many crit-ics, is the 1981 traversal by Sir Georg Solti and the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Decca 001621302). Nine

times out of 10, when I want to hear Figaro, this is the one I choose. The Countess of Kiri Te Kanawa is absolutely sublime; she is the best, and that’s all there is to it. Her Cherubino is also the very best, Frederica Von Stade. For both singers, these are signature roles, captured in their prime with radiant, plush beauty of tone and charming, legendary characterizations. The Susanna and Fi-garo, Lucia Popp and Samuel Ramey, are also scin-tillating in their parts, and Popp’s singing in particu-lar is warm and colorful. Thomas Allen as the Count is suitably gorgeous-voiced and slimy-acting. And the London Philharmonic responds to Solti’s sure, fleet hand with buoyant, inspired playing.

Another great recording of Le Nozze di Figaro comes from the baton of Herbert von Karajan, with the Vienna Philharmonic (Deca 001652402). This one dates from 1978, and also boasts Von Stade’s masterful Cherubino. The Count and Countess are two other great Mozarteans, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, with a large, rich voice, and Tom Krause, whose singing in this repertoire is the epitome of elegance. The Susanna and Figaro are also memorable proponents of their roles, Ileana-

Cotrubas and José van Dam, with high spinning overtones and low meaty vocal tone, respectively.

Of older recordings, from the so-called Golden Age, one in particular stands out to me, a 1955 Fi-garo led by Erich Kleiber and also with the Vienna Philharmonic, surely the greatest Mozart orchestra of the 20th century. This cast includes such lumi-naries of the age as Hilde Gueden, Suzanne Danco, Lisa della Casa, Cesare Siepi, and Fernando Corena, who make a light-hearted yet passionate account of the opera. This recording is available on CD from the label Musical Concepts, Catalog # 2501.

But again, almost any recording of this be-loved opera will satisfy because, again, it is fairly indestructible. It’s not that singers and orchestras can’t be bad in it, it’s just that even so, the work speaks and charms for itself. When coupled with performances of exquisite cali-ber, such as those discussed above, it is a taste of comic opera paradise here on Earth.

Tedrin’s Recording Corner

Dr. Lindsay's Lecture Series

Saturday, March 2: Mozart and The Marriage of FigaroSaturday, March 9: Appreciating the Opera OrchestraSaturday, April 20: My Favorite SopranosSaturday, April 27: My Favorite MezzosSaturday, May 4: My Favorite TenorsSaturday, May 11: My Favorite Baritones and Basses

Please note: Due to the construction and renovation at the Schmidt Vocal Arts Center, all Lexington Opera Society Lecture Series classes this spring will be held in the Niles Gallery of the Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library, from 10 a.m. until noon on the Saturdays listed above.

Cost: $20 per class session (Students $5)

Sublime Countesses, Scintillating Susannas

Dr. Lindsay

By Tedrin Blair Lindsay, PhD

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BRAVO!

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