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PAT
LAUNER’S SPOTLIGHT ON THEATER
Column #3
By Pat Launer
Posting Date: 04/02/09
Prepare to be
transported by a quartet, a hunchback and a hit
REVIEWS: “Rigoletto,” “Opus,” “The Hit”
Quickie Reviews:
“Eleemosynary,” Ian McKellen’s “King Lear” on PBS
The Hunchback of
THE SHOW: “Rigoletto,”
the 1851 Giuseppe Verdi masterwork (with libretto by Francesco Maria Piave), at San Diego Opera
In 2002, the San Diego Opera went
way out on a limb, presenting a high-concept “Rigoletto,”
re-setting it from 16th century
Now, the company is back to
basics, mounting a highly traditional production of the Verdi favorite which
has been presented by SDO five times before. Judging by the fact that they’ve
just purchased the sumptuous sets, props and costumes (from the 1988 New York
City Opera production, designed by Carl Toms), that’s how future “Rigolettos” will remain.
It’s a beautiful and satisfying
production, but a tame one. Verdi , basing his work on Victor Hugo’s play, “Le roi s’amuse,” wrote the piece as
social criticism of royal depravity (though he was forced to re-work it several
times to appease the censors), so there should be some sense of danger and
debauchery in the Duke’s decadent court. The opening scene is often a
full-fledged orgy. But under Lotfi Mansouri’s direction, it’s a staid and stately affair, all
gilt and crystal chandeliers, centered by an enormous statue of the Duke (not
the set’s most attractive feature). There’s no bacchanalian edge, and the
masked revelers participate in courtly, dignified dances (choreography by Keturah Stickann).
But the other settings are loaded
with atmosphere, thanks to the excellent lighting design of Michael Whitfield,
who has a color-changing sky for every scene. The Act III storm is especially
compelling, replete with thunder, lightning, darkness and dread.
Hobbling through it all is the
hunchbacked court jester, clad in red and yellow stripes and a fool’s cap.
Georgian baritone Lado Antonelli,
who was the marvelous centerpiece of “Simon Boccanegra”
at San Diego Opera in 2005, is a formidable presence, vocally deep, rich and
robust, and filled with dramatic emotion. His resonant voice has weight, color
and elasticity, and his diction is superb. But he doesn’t quite capture the
concentrated rage, malice and self-loathing of the much-maligned man.
Slovakian soprano L’ubica Vargicová, making her
local debut, has played Gilda, the love-besotted and ill-fated daughter of the
Fool, at Vienna Staatsoper and the Slovak National
Theatre. Her flutey
voice has clear tone and easy fluency (though she struggled with breath control
a couple of times). Her coloratura leaps and trills were often stunning, and
she among the cast was most able to soar above the orchestra. Her “Caro Nome”
aria, a young girl’s rapture in the first flush of love, is a delightful
display of ingénue innocence. She also moves with notable liquidity and grace. Vargicová holds her own in the powerful quartet, and her
intensely emotional duets with Antonelli, a
distraught daughter torn between the two men in her life, after she falls in
love with the faithless, disguised Duke, tear at the heart.
As the rapacious Duke, whose
condescension and derision belie his addiction to women, Albanian tenor
Giuseppe Gipali, also new to SDO, seemed to be
vocally overpowered in the first act on opening night. He came into his own in
time for the classic “La donna è mobile” (“Woman is Fickle”), but his was the
weakest of the voices and characterizations. His Duke is more stiff than
ominous, and that diminishes the story’s stark contrasts between lechery and
innocence, romance and revenge.
The mercenary murderer, Sparafucile, is well inhabited by Armenian bass Arutjun Kotchinian, whose
sinister low notes are blood-curdling. As his bawdy sister/accomplice, Maddelena, American mezzo-soprano Kirstin Chávez is memorably sensual.
Under the baton of Edoardo Müller, the 54-instrument
Symphony Orchestra mines the boldness and nuance of the lush and beautiful score,
though the music at times overwhelms the singers. The all-male, 30-member
chorus (under the direction of Timothy Todd Simmons) is impressive in its tonal
shadings, from conspiratorial whispers to harmonic blasts of scorn aimed at the
jester they mock, despise and exploit.
Despite some unevenness, this is a
lavish, attractive production of a beloved classic.
THE LOCATION: San
Diego Opera at the Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Avenue, at B St., SD 92101;
619-533-7000; www.sdopera.com
THE DETAILS:
Tickets: $35 to $200. Subject to availability, $20 cash-only
rush tickets are offered two hours before curtain-time. Remaining performances: Friday 4/3 at 8 p.m., Sunday 4/5 at 2 p.m. and Wednesday 4/8 at
7 p.m.
THE BOTTOM LINE: BEST BET
Hanging by a String
THE SHOW: “Opus,” a smart,
savvy backstory of a string quartet, at the Old Globe
Some folks just don’t want
to play second fiddle. That’s one theme, among others, that runs through the
intelligent, often-thrilling “Opus,” written in 2006 by former violist Michael
Hollinger.
The fictional,
world-renowned Lazara Quartet has just fired its
brilliant, visionary but mentally unstable violist, who was the secret lover of
the first violinist. Now the violist is missing, and the group has six days
before they appear at the White House, on television, to be seen by 15 million
viewers. So while their newest audition, the gifted Grace, would like a few
days to think it over, there’s just no time. She’s forced to join this
testosterone-driven company on the spot. And she has to master the very
challenging Beethoven quartet, Opus 131 (Quartet No. 14 in C# minor). What she
learns --- as we do – is what it’s like to be “one of four equal voices.” At
its best, a string quartet, we’re told, “is like a marriage, only with more
fidelity,” “like a living organism,
copulating with itself.” At its worst, “it’s like
swallowing Drano.” We see the best and worst, the conflict and consonance, in
this sharp, witty, riveting look at how music is made and how harmony is
maintained. There are matters of friendship, loyalty, sexual attraction,
outstanding instruments, dazzling vs. workmanlike talent, artistic creativity
vs. fidelity to the composer, but above all, there is the music, the striving
for excellence, or perhaps even perfection.
Under the assured
and outstanding direction of Kyle Donnelly, head of the acting program at UC
San Diego, there are fine-tuned nuances of situation and character. The cast is
magnificent, each a virtuoso performance, together a wonderfully tight ensemble.
And in this marvelous invention, every person mirrors the role of the
instrument s/he plays. Elliot (Jim Abele) is the first violinist: dominant,
aggressive, in control, setting the pace. He’s followed by Alan (Jeffrey M.
Bender), the second violinist, committed to harmony. The more mournful,
thoughtful violists are Dorian (Mark H. Dold) and
Grace (Katie Sigismund). The cellist, Carl (Corey Brill) is more mellow (or so
he seems) grounding the others in “terra firma.” But as the
situation heats up, the balance changes dramatically.
Abele is wonderful
as the acerbic control-freak, who tries to call all the shots and thinks he’s a
better musician than he is. Bender is endearing as a nice-guy who takes a
special shine to Grace. Sigismund plays her a bit like a wide-eyed fawn,
buffeted by the stronger winds (strings, actually) around her. And Brill starts
out cool, slightly distant, a little taciturn, but it’s he who winds up playing
the shocking final note. An extra bonus for local audiences is that both Sigismund
and Brill are UCSD alumni who did exceptional work while they were students
here a few years back.
Now they have a
quartet advisor (Sarah Nematallah), and the
magnificent music of Bach, Beethoven and Bartok to sustain them (pre-recorded
by The Vertigo Quartet for the world premiere at the Arden Theatre Company in
This is one
performance that merits an encore and a standing ovation.
THE
LOCATION: The Old Globe’s temporary
arena stage, in the auditorium of the San Diego Museum of Art in
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $29-59. Performances: Sunday,
Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.,
matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., through April 26
THE BOTTOM LINE: BEST BET
A Palpable Hit
THE SHOW: ”The Hit,” a reprise production, by Lamb’s Players
Theatre, of the well received world premiere by local writer/designer/actor
Mike Buckley.
I loved “The Hit” when it
premiered at Lamb’s last summer. It’s a light, fun romance about antiques and
assassination. Now that the Lamb’s Players have acquired the Horton Grand
Theatre, this seems the perfect place and time for the show to settle in for a
long run. And that’s just what it deserves.
It’s the brainchild of
the multi-talented Buckley, who wrote the comic thriller, and designed the
terrifically detailed set and its jumble of props. The antique shop looks even
more cluttered in its new home, since the two coral-painted side walls make the
space seem more cramped and claustrophobic. Buckley has created a splendid,
two-level repository for all manner of knickknacks and bric-a-brac, many pieces
put to clever use as part of the fast-paced dialogue.
Almost all
of the original cast is back, but on the night I was there, the expert
director, Robert Smyth, had to step in as the murderous gun-for-hire, Slavo, who speaks a language of indeterminate origin (which
means the stand-in didn’t have to actually learn any lines). He was fine, but
not as side-splitting as the uproarious David Cochran Heath, who nails nonce
languages like nobody else. Cynthia Gerber is funny and frazzled as the shop
owner who, after receiving negative medical news, decides to hire a hit-man.
Chris Bresky, a skilled USD/Old Globe MFA alumnus
who’s now living in
With amusing costumes
(Jeanne Reith) and sound (Jon Lorenz), the sum total is a fluffy, fun night on
the (down)town. We could all use a little diversion
these days. So don’t miss the hit that’s “The Hit.”
THE LOCATION: Lamb’s Players at
the Horton Grand Theatre,
THE DETAILS:Tickets: $26-48 (there’s also an Under 30 Club).
Performances: Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4 and 8
p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., open-ended
THE BOTTOM LINE: BEST BET
QUICKIES
…”Eleemosynary” means charity and
forgiveness. It’s the title and central theme of Lee Blessing’s heartbreaking
1989 feminist drama about three generations of strong-willed, unconventional
women. Six years ago, at age 18, Rachael Van Wormer made her professional
acting debut in the La Jolla Stage Company production of the thought-provoking
play. She’s gone on to become one of our most prolific and talented young
performers. And she happily revisited the role of the precocious and troubled
spelling champ in Moxie Theatre’s staged reading. Van Wormer brought new depth
to this intuitive, competitive adolescent who, craving attention and affection,
desperately tries to reunite her estranged – and strange – family. The
grandma/matriarch, Dorothea, a New Age spiritualist who learned early on that
eccentricity equals autonomy, was played by Rhona
Gold with twinkle-eyed, mischievous glee. Between the two, though barely
communicating with either, is Artie, the icy mom who
fled the stifling domination of her own self-centered mother. Wendy Waddell
forcefully portrayed her as a brittle, wounded bird, a seething but vulnerable
malcontent. Under the assured direction of Moxie co-founder/artistic director
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, it was a spare, thoroughly engaging production,
presented in the beautiful new Encinitas Library. Now for the good news: the
reading is going to be reprised at the Avo Playhouse
in
…”King Lear,” the 2007
Royal Shakespeare Company production starring Sir Ian McKellen,
recently aired on the PBS network. It was something of a sanitized version of
the original, wherein the esteemed actor did the Full Monty during the mad
scene, both onstage in
But some of the
performances were outstanding. McKellen’s, of course, among them. His portrayal of the aging,
delusional despot was often radiant, if a bit showy at times, but he
demonstrated an impressive array of emotions that culminated in a
heart-stopping display of anguish, remorse, self-awareness and finally, grace.
Strong support was provided by Romola Garai as the gentle, tender Cordelia;
Sylvester McCoy as a delightfully sane, spoon-playing Fool; Frances Barber and
Monica Dolan, chilling as the monstrously evil sisters, reveling in the
bloodthirsty blinding and killing; William Gaunt as the haunted Gloucester;
Jonathan Hyde, clear and unadorned as the faithful Earl of Kent; Philip
Winchester as a slickly nefarious Edmund; and Ben Meyjes
as his bookish, big-hearted brother, Edgar.
The costumes were an odd
array of 19th century Slavic, 18th century regal and 21st
century terrorist. The big storm drowned the poetry in racket. Still, it was a
clear and comprehensible presentation of a heart-stopping tragedy, an
unsettling story of fathers betrayed by thankless children, old men cast out
into the elements, harrowing tale tempered by loyalty, love and tenderness in
the maelstrom of calamity. Since PBS often repeats its offerings, look for it
on air again, to catch one of the great thespians of our time in one of the
greatest of dramas.
NEWS AND VIEWS
…There must be money out
there somewhere. Recent fundraising events for North Coast Repertory Theatre,
the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and Jewish Family Service did extremely well,
and that’s most encouraging.
In a related story,
<b>“The Threepenny Opera,”</b> which closed last weekend, sold at
90+% capacity, and proved to be the most popular regular-run show in the San
Diego Repertory Theatre’s 23 years of producing in the Lyceum Space. Each
night, there was a pre-performance segment, with the cast roaming through the
audience to establish the seedy ambiance. Gale McNeely, who played the corrupt police chief
Tiger Brown, had the idea of panhandling in the house before the show. Inspired
by the lobby exhibit for the San Diego Food Bank, McNeely began asking for
donations for the local Food Bank and the Second Harvest Food Bank. By the end
of the run, he’d collected more than $3400 from theatergoers. Which only goes to show that, despite our difficulties, we ARE a
giving and generous city/nation/audience, after all.
… On the not-so-encouraging side, the
… Do your part: March 31
was National Arts Advocacy Day, a united effort to tell Congress how
important culture is to our communities, how much arts education means to our
children, and how much the arts improve our daily lives. Eighty-three national
co-sponsors included Actors Equity Association, Theatre Communications Group,
Dance/USA, The Authors Guild, Americans for the Arts,
the American Federation of Musicians, the American Association of Museums, and
many more. You can participate too, by sending a message directly to your
Senators and Representative, urging them to support the arts. The
http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=9482296&type=CO”>
… V-Day returns: “The Vagina Monologues,” the rights to which are made available for
February fundraising events in support of organizations that battle violence
against women, is making a spring comeback. On April 17-19 at the Pico
Playhouse in West Los Angeles, the VM performance will benefit Peace Over Violence, a
… North Coast Repertory Theatre is
presenting Off Nights productions featuring improvisational comedy from
… Schroeder’s Cabaret is back, newly
based at Tango Del Rey in
www.tangodelrey.com
… Young
Shakespeareans: Olivia O’Connor and Michael Silberblatt,
two students from the Coronado School of
the Arts, snagged first place and first runner-up titles in the
THE READING ROOM
… As noted above,
the Moxie Theatre staged reading of
“Eleemosynary,” a heartrending story of three generations of women,
will be presented at the Avo Theatre, as part of
Moonlight Stage Productions’ WordsWorks program. Monday, April 27 at 7:30
p.m.,
… The new San Diego
Playwrights’ Collective debuts with four staged readings over two nights at
North Coast Repertory Theatre. Formed by writers Carmen Beaubeaux,
Jason Connors and Tim West, the group is designed to provide workshops and
public readings of plays-in-progress by local writers. Two of the Collective’s
founding writers will also appear as actors.
Monday, April 13
premieres “Who’s Afraid of Me, Myself & Edward Albee?,” a new
work by NCRT resident playwright Matt Thompson, developed through ongoing
communication with Mr. Albee himself. Thompson credits Albee’s “guidance and
creative energy” – and his influential plays – for inspiration. The new piece, about two men tangling philosophically at a bus
stop, touches on familiar Albee themes of identity, adoption and abandonment,
as well as sexual orientation (about which Albee has always been a lot more
circumspect). Thompson borrowed the writing style of Albee’s first play,
“The Zoo Story.” The reading is directed
by Rosina Reynolds and performed by Tim Parker and Joshua Everett Johnson.
On the same night (4/13),
“The Perfect Daisy,” by Carmen Beaubeaux, will
be directed by Kerry Meads, associate artistic director at Lamb’s Players
Theatre. The cast includes SDSU professor Martin Katz, San Diego Repertory
Theatre co-founder D.W. Jacobs, Susan Thompson, star of the new NBC series,
“Kings,” and San Diego favorites Jeffrey Jones, Linda Libby, Jason Connors and
Don Loper, among many others. The fast-paced comedy confronts the end of the
world, Jerusalem Syndrome and the Armageddon Index. Funny
stuff, huh?
The Tuesday, April 14
presentations will kick off with Jason Connors’ “There’s Someone Living in
the House that Jack Built,” a short play directed by Delicia
Turner-Sonnenberg, featuring Chris Buess and Tim
West. A lonely man is
communing with a macabre household of mannequins,
until a proselytizing young preacher offers each an encounter more real than
they ever imagined.
On the same night (4/14),
there’s Tim West’s “
Information about the
series at: 858-481-2155.
… “
HIGH DRAMA FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
… Lamb’s Players Theatre is offering summer
performing arts workshops for elementary school students and teens. The
Introductory Workshop for 3rd-5th graders is June 22-27.
The Advance Musical Theatre Workshop, July 6-18, is a two-week intensive
program tailored to 12-18 year olds, with a focus on professional and college
audition preparation. For further info, registration or to make an audition
appointment, email Lead Instructor Colleen Kollar
Smith at colleen.kollar@lambsplayers.org.
… The Old Globe has announced a new
awards program, Globe Honors, to celebrate excellence in high school musical
theater performance. Among other prizes, winners of the competition may be
eligible to compete in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in
… NTC Promenade in Point Loma, the new
arts and culture district evolving in the restored historic buildings of the
former Naval Training Center, is initiating a Summer Arts Academy this August,
for students grade 3-8. Half- and full-day classes will be offered by San Diego
Ballet, the
… PAT’S
PICKS: BEST BETS
”Rigoletto” – gorgeous to look at, beautifully sung
www.sdopera.com
”The
Hit” – fast-paced, funny mix
of murder, mystery and romance
Lamb’s
Players at the Horton Grand Theatre, open-ended run
www.lambsplayers.org
”Opus” – exhilarating behind-the-scenes glimpse of artists at work
The Old Globe at the
<
www.theoldglobe.org
”Facing
East” – moving drama,
affectingly presented
Diversionary
Theatre, through 4/5
www.diversionary.org
<b>”Killer Joe,”</b> –
dark, dirty, down-and-out and downright excellent
Compass
Theatre, through 4/5
www.compasstheatre.com
”Working”
– charming and timely update of a musical on a
timeless theme
The
Old Globe Theatre,
through 4/12
www.theoldglobe.org
”The Platt Brothers” –entertaining family fare, antics, acrobatics
and all
www.sunsettemple.com
Pat Launer is the SDNN theater
critic.
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