A-LISTS theatre by lisa lipsey


A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: LEARNING (San Diego) OPERA!


Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I have carried an obstinate opinion that Opera is for the upper-crust. And I know I am not alone in thinking this: Opera is traditionally a “high-society” affair. Despite how much I love and crave theatre, especially musical theatre, I have a picture painted in my mind of Old Hollywood film depictions or the opening scene to My Fair Lady. Opera equals wealthy ladies and gents with box seats, grand fur coats and diamond encrusted opera glasses. At the very least, it is for people who have done far more globe-trot- ting than I. But with the help of the wonderful Dr. Nic Reveles, the Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for San Diego Opera, the picture in my mind is evolving. I am becoming an opera admirer.


Before I get into Dr. Nic’s efforts and the San Diego Opera’s upcoming Turandot; I must thank a couple of folks for helping me to feel more at home with opera music in general: the opera singing Chef Elizabeth Podsiadlo and my dear friend Patrick Anderson. Just a few short months ago they did a collaborative performance with additional music acquaintances and students from Mira Costa College. The show contained snippets of songs from three or four of the most commonly known operas. I recognized one of the numbers from Mozart’s ever famous The Marriage of Firgaro and enjoyed a fun masquer- ade scene from Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus. This was the perfect introduction, light-hearted, small scale set, a taste of the music and some stifled giggles at myself and my wife for our lack of culture. Now I am ready for the big time! American soprano Lise Lindstrom starring in Giacomo


Puccini’s Turandot at the renowned San Diego Opera. But I have some internal reserva- tions, like I don’t speak Italian and I know nothing of the plot… Here’s where Dr. Nic came to my rescue! In a fun and informative way Dr. Nic shares


that Turandot is the name of a Princess from ancient Chinese folklore—a princess whose ancestor, Princess Lou-Ling, was brutally slain by a conquering prince. In revenge, Princess Turandot has turned against all men, determining that none shall ever possess her. To win her, the suitors must answer three riddles correctly. If they get any one of the answers wrong they are beheaded. Yikes! Ice Princess! Will she ever learn to love? From Dr. Nic, I also learned the background story on Puccini at the time the opera


was written. Puccini, the famed composer of La Bohème and Madama Butterfly, was in poor health when he wrote Turandot and died before the final act was completed. I also learned some social history: When the play debuted in the United States (1927), with its elaborate and beautiful sets and costuming, it was a smashing success and sparked the American people’s interest in all things “oriental” from vases to rugs. Edward Wilensky Director of Media Relations shared a link to a 28 minute historical


look at Turandot: youtube.com/watch?v=SsXUPASA6kA Or, if you have a short attention span, there’s Dr. Nic’s 11-minute version for high school students (playful and informa- tive - I learned plenty from it): youtube.com/watch?v=usqIvfp0_VI&feature=player_ embedded. Now on to the singers. Wilensky notes, “Turnadot will open our 2011 season and we


will welcome a new singer to our Company; one we’ve been hearing so much about in recent months. It is our great pleasure to introduce San Diego audiences to American


soprano Lise Lindstrom. Lindstrom will be making her Company debut as Turandot; a role that has become her calling card in recent seasons and the role she sang at the Met for her debut (two weeks early with just a few hours notice) as well as just about everywhere else.” Wilensky explained one of the great joys and challenges of the San Diego Opera is getting interviews set-up, “We are San Diego’s international art form - which means our singers are not local, but from all over the world. They fly in, rehearse for three weeks, perform and then head off to their next engagement, wherever that might be. This is all much to our great joy and dismay. Our General and Artistic Director Ian Campbell who is responsible for choosing the repertoire and casting the singers works years in advance. He’s working on the 2015 season right now.” Back in July, Wilensky was able to get in a few questions with Lindstrom for San Diego


Opera’s blog Aria Serious. When asked about her favorite scene in Turnadot, Lindstrom says, “What is my favorite moment in Turandot? How can I choose? I just love singing this role. I love all the twists and turns in her character and in her music. I especially love the challenge of making her human and relatable. Princess Turandot arrives on the scene mid-way through the opera and sings some of the most vocally tricky and dynamic music in the entire operatic repertoire immediately without any chance to warm up to the audience or to warm up the voice. But, within that dynamic appearance there is the nearly impossible challenge to present her softness and femininity amidst all that sound and exclamation. I love that challenge.” In addition to featuring renowned talent, this production has an equally elaborate set


and costuming as when the opera first debuted. Borrowed from the San Francisco Op- era, the sets were designed by famed visual artist David Hockney; while the costumes were designed by Ian Falconer.


As noted above, the opera is based on a Chinese folktale and is sung in Puccini’s native


tongue, Italian. But according to Dr. Nic, the storytelling origins are linked to Persia so it is fitting that Persian stage director Lotfi Mansouri is hard at work on this production with Italian conductor Edoardo Müller. Lucky for me (and perhaps you) it has English translations above the stage. Puccini’s Turandot runs January 29 – February 6 at the San Diego Opera. For tickets and more information contact 619.533.7000.


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RAGE monthly | JANUARY 2011


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