Aida - Review

Aida

Music by Elton John

Lyrics by Tim Rice

Hale Center Theater Orem

Josephine Scere - Aida

Darick J. Pead - Radames

Jared Young - Mereb (Radames slave/servant)

Dave Burton/Cody Hale - Zoser (Radames father)

Nikki Bohne/Korianne Orton-Johnson - Amneris (Radames betrothed)

(The show was double cast. I have included only cast members my friend and I saw play the particular role.)

Overall, Hale's production of Aida was really good. So good in fact, I saw it twice. A friend invited me. She has a friend who works for Hale Theater who got her free tickets. Sweet! It's nice having friends who have friends.

Elton John's Aida is different than the Verdi opera. Go figure! In the Verdi opera, Radames has already met Aida before the curtain rises. And he sings, Celeste Aida (Heavenly Aida). In the John musical however, Radames (the Captain) and his crew capture several Nubian women and enslave them. Aida and Radames fight, he becomes in fatuated with her, although he won't admit it. She and the other women/slaves are taken to Egypt. Aida is given to Amneris, Radames' betrothed, as a gift. (Hmm, a Nubian slave...? Sounds like something out of Samuel Barber's A Hand of Bridge.) Mereb, Radames' slave, recognizes Aida as the Nubian King's daughter. She tells him to forget it, "I'm just a slave like you. Our lives are not our own."

Radames and Aida fall in love. Much to the dismay of Amneris who is in love with Radames. Mereb and the other Nubians plot to escape. And than the Nubian King is captured! Aida, who has not revealed her true identity to Radames her love, or ot Amneris her mistress, is heartbroken. Radames doesn't understand her anger. "Our countries are at war!"

Love triangles...gotta love 'em. Okay not really. They're great on stage. But not so much in real life. But that's what we've got here. Aida tells Radames to marry the princess. He tells her there will be a boat waiting for her to take her back to Nubia. Mereb and Aida get the king out of prison. He escapes on the boat, Mereb dies, and Radames and Aida are caught. They are accused as traitors and therefore must die by being buried alive.

Did I mention that Zoser, Radames father, has been secretly poisening Pharoah so that Amneris and Radames will wed and Radames will be king?

Well, Zoser's plot comes out. He is hunted down and we assume killed on the spot as we don't see him again until the curtain call.

Amneris convinces Pharoah to let Radames and Aida be buried together. They are entombed and than sing themselves to death.

Of course, this IS a musical, so it must have a happy ending. Fastforward about 4,000 years to the modern day. One man and one woman (reincarnated Radames and Aida) meet at a museum and fall in love. Oh how sweet.

You know the difference between an opera and a musical? In an opera, everyone dies at the end. In a musical everyone dies at the end, but they meet again Heaven.

My friend and I went to a Saturday matinee first. She loved it. I liked it. (I prefered the tomb scene from the Verdi opera over the John musical, but than again...I'm partial to opera anyway.) We saw Josephine Scere as Aida and Darick J. Pead as Radames. She was very good. (In fact, I thought she was better than Heather Headley who played the role in the original Broadway cast.) Mr. Pead, on the other hand...was okay. He's no Adam Pascal (from the original Broadway cast). But perhaps, my bigggest problem with him was, I really don't like rock/pop singers. They look funny when they sing. What is with them closing their eyes, tightening their face and neck muscles, and standing on their toes to "reach" the high note? Perhaps, I'll never understand that.

Jared Young as Mereb was superb! So much better than the original cast Mereb. He convinced me in his role as the slave/servant of Radames, who was still very much devoted to his king and country.

Nikki Bohne and Korianne Orton-Johnson both did well in the role of Amneris, Aida's "owner" and Radames betrothed.

And Dave Burton and Cody Hale as Zoser? Well, let's just say, I'm not surprise how Mr. Hale got the role. And Mr. Burton...well my friend and I agreed, I could've done better. But than again...I don't sing rock music. I refuse to. So maybe I couldn't.

Overall, this show was awesome. If it was still playing I'd like to see it again. Maybe someday I will. But hopefully someone else will be playing Zoser.

Madame Butterfly

Utah Opera

Capitol Theatre - Salt Lake City, Utah

October 18-26, 2008

Barbara Shirvis, Cio-Cio San (Butterfly)

Scott Piper, Pinkerton

(I have opted not to include a synopsis of this opera. Please follow this link.)

I found out at the later end of of the 2007/2008 season that Scott Piper would be singing the role of Pinkerton, the lead tenor from Puccini's Madame Butterfly. I was very disappointed. You see, he also sang the role of Cavaradossi in Utah Opera's production of Tosca (January 2008). I went there ready to cry during E lucevan la stella. Cavaradossi's aria while he awaits execution. Everytime I hear it, if it is sung well, I end up in tears. It is so emotional. He sings of his love, Floria Tosca, and the sweet times they shared together. So the time of the famous aria (one of my favorites!) comes and Mr. Piper ruined it for me. I didn't sense any emotion in his voice. It was kind of "dry," boring. (The rest of the opera was great, especially the murder in the second act [I love it when baritones are killed] and Tosca's suicide was phenomenal.)

So I went into Madame Butterfly, expecting the worst from Mr. Piper, but you know what? Of course you don't, but I'll tell you...I realized, I didn't know any of the tenor arias from this opera (Butterfly). So how could he ruin it for me, I had nothing to compare his performance too. So needless to say Mr. Piper didn't ruin it for me. I still don't like his voice, but, well anyway. I'm very critical of tenors, probably because I am one myself. :)

Barbara Shirvis as Cio-Cio San was amazing. One could hear the hope in her voice as she sang Un bel di (One fine day). She expresses her hope that Pinkerton will return to her "when the flowers bloom." Despite the fact that they have already "bloomed" three times.

I was deeply touched by the devotion she showed to her husband. She gave up everything to be with him. Even to the point of be cut off from her family. She left her religion for the "American religion" (Christianity).

Another of the most famous pieces of music from this opera is the Humming Chorus. During this chorus, Cio-Cio San, Suzuki (her maid), and Dolore (Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton's son) gather flowers and spread them all around the house in preparation for Pinkerton's return. His ship has arrived, after three years! While they gather flowers, the chorus is heard (offstage) humming. It sounded exactly like the duet from the end of act one of La Boheme and Bring Him Home from Les Miserable by Claude-Michel Schonberg (composers always steal...er...I mean "borrow" from other composers. I do it to.) This song was very powerful.

The final act, Pinkerton arrives with his new "American wife." Which he had promised to have at the beginning of the first act before he and Butterfly (Cio-Cio San) were even married. (The jerk! He's one of the most hated tenors in all of opera. Maybe that's why I wasn't bothered by the role being sung by Scott Piper. [Don't get me wrong, he does a lot better than I could do. I just want to make that clear] The other most hated tenor, in my opinion, is Judge Danforth from Robert Ward's The Crucible.) Anyway, Cio-Cio San and the new Mrs. B.F. Pinkerton meet. Mrs. P. promises to take care of Dolore. (Which by the way, means sorrow. Cio-Cio San named him that to remind herself of the sorrow she felt during Pinkerton's absence. She planned to rename him when Pinkerton returned.) Pinkerton is not present during all of this he decided he couldn't handle being in that house. (The idiot realized how dumb he had been three years before.)

Did I fail to mention Cio-Cio San was only 15 years old when they were married?

So Cio-Cio San agrees to let Mr. and Mrs. Pinkerton take her son on the condition that Pinkerton, the jerk of a tenor, comes to get him. (Remember the coward left because he couldn't handle being in that house . C'mon, man up, ya punk!) Cio-Cio San sends Suzuki outside to play with Dolore after she says goodbye to him. She grabs the knife (the same knife her father used to kill himself. The knife was a gift from the Mikado. [Unrelated to the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta]. Her father obliged by killing himself.) and prepares to kill herself.

Now here is where I actually kind of found Scott Piper's voice somewhat nonrepugent. He runs up to the house (it's on a hill, probaby to discourage family members from visiting :)...) singing "Butterly, Butterfly, Butterfly." He enters just as she stabs herself. Dolore enters, followed closely by Suzuki as Cio-Cio San dies in Pinkerton's arms.

The curtain came down as the cast got ready for curtain call. (That means the show is over and it's almost time to go home.) As the curtain rose Barbara Shirvis was alone on stage. She recieved a standing ovation. Her performance was magnificent! After a moment she exited and the rest of the cast came out and took there bows. Than the priniciples and Scott Piper. Than Barbara Shirvis came out again, this time with the boy who played Dolore. Who also received "loud applause." The show was a smash hit.

I saw it again the following Friday. I loved it so much I had to see it again. This time, I was in the back of the orchestra level. I had a large woman who smelt of BO on my left and a couple on my right. I was leaning a little to my right trying to breath. I think I annoyed the couple, as I was sitting rather close to the woman trying to get as far away as possible from the big woman. The show was sold out. I didn't see any empty seats, otherwise I might've talked to someone about changing my seat. The performance was still amazing however despite the company around me.

I did however get a compliment from one of the ushers as I walked into the theatre. He commented on me wearing a tuxedo. Not many people do that anymore. It's sad.

Next time, my review of Hale Theatre - Orem's production of Aida the musical Elton John and Tim Rice.

2008 Recital - Nampa

Here is my review of the Nampa concert. I ended up having to work Monday morning (the11th) so I didn't leave Salt Lake (Lehi/Lindon actually) until noonish. Our dress rehearsal was scheduled for eight. So I had plently of time. I stopped every chance I could for gas. Not that I needed it. I just wanted to get out of the car. I got to the church about 7:30 and waited for Sean and Jennie, who had gone out to dinner. We rehearsed. Okay, okay, so there's more to it than that. Michal, Jerusha, and Dani were also there. We started rehearsal with the end of the program. "You have nothing to fear..." And than went backwards. Skipping my solos.

Than we got to A Hand of Bridge. Michal, Jerusha, and Dani decided to veto my decision of standing on the stage and deciced that we would sit around a table as of we were playing bridge. (That is what I wanted to do in the first place, but it cost money to do a "staged"version of the opera. And I wasn't feeling confident with the music, so I wanted to cheat and have my music with me, hence the "concert" or unstaged version.) We ran it back to front, front to back and various sections of the ten-minute opera several times. Everytime it got worse! Than Sean suggested to call it, "I think the more we try to perfect it right now, it's just gonna get worse. We're all tired..."

So the three of them left. Sean, Jennie, and I were the only ones left. Jeannie and I worked out the bugs from our set. And than I discovered I was counting Erlkonig wrong. Damn you Schubert! (Don't get the wrong impression, I love that song. It's just rather difficult.)

About eleven I got to my parents house. It had been a long day. I had a lot to the next day, so I went to sleep after going over Erlkong and A Hand of Bridge again and again.

Tuesday morning. I got all my errands done. Picking up refreshments, program inserts, the hat for the Carousel set. Studying music. Cards for A Hand of Bridge...

The entire day, I was not feeling good about the concert. I really did not want to get up there and do it. Than I started thinking about my hero, Canio. And I thought, if he can perform while he's "out of [his] mind" than so can I.

So I did. Overall it was a great performance. We went out for A Hand of Bridge. I forgot one of my lines, (despite that fact that we had copied and pasted our music onto the playing cards :)...) A Hand of Bridge was not received well. Sean said he looked out at the audience a couple of times and saw quite a few shocked faces. My parents and grandma didn't like it. I was telling a friend of mine, Mark Walters, about that and he said , "well you can't please everyone." (Okay, so that's not exactly what he said, but that's the main idea.)

The Schubert set went fairly well. Erlkong was still fun. And I think I got my timing issues fixed. Anyway, it felt better to me.

Michal sang. His song was really good. The spirituals went better than Saturday. At least I thought they did. Well I was in the choir room (backstage), I was going over the words to Goin' Home. I couldn't remember them I tried all during Michal's song and Jennie and Sean's piece. But the words weren't coming. So I knelt down and said a quick prayer. I felt better and instantly the words came to me. Prayer is such an amazing thing.

Jerusha sang Girl in 14G. I love this song.

The time for Carousel came. I had "changed." I lost, my jacket and tie, unbuttoned my vest and put on a hat. And Dani and I sang, If I Loved You. This song was my mom's favorite.

I had the music out for Soliloquy thinking I would need it. But I didn't. I opened it up to a section that I kept messing up on and got through that spot and forgot to continue turning the pages to get to the next spot I needed. So when I got to the next trouble spot, I kept thinking, "I hope I get the words right. I hope I get the words right." I did. And I stepped away from the music stand and finished the song. Than I left and changed again and Michal, Jerusha, and Dani started You'll never walk alone. I came out for the repeat and the four of finished it. Than of course, Sean and I finished with "You have nothing to fear from the journey..." Kind of a fitting "benediction," as I was I "fearful" of performing that evening.

2008 Recital

So I figure it's been long enough since I posted anything...So here is a review of the concert/recital last August. On August 9, 2008 shortly after one a.m. That's right one in the morning! I get a text from a woman I had never met. Her name is Jennie Ficks. She was traveling with my accompanist, Sean Rogers, for my recital the next afternoon. (Okay, really, later that day.) The text message said. "Sean and I can't find a hotel. Don't know when we'll see you tomorrow." The concert was scheduled for three p.m . We needed to rehearse rehearse before than. (Jennie and I, as I mentioned earlier, had never met and she was going to be playing the French Horn at my recital. Sean and I had worked on the songs Jennie and I would be doing together. And so did Sean and Jennie.) Well, Sean and I also needed to work out a couple of things. Since I moved to Utah two years ago, I always make my out of town recital guests (performers and family) breakfast the morning of the concert. I "texted" Jennie back saying I had room. She called. They were turning around and on the way. Their hotel room was given away as they were late. They had car problems shortly after leaving Boise and finally got back on the road five hours later. There were no hotels available because of some convention in Salt Lake that weekend. They were on the way to Las Vegas.They got lost, so I had to go out and get them. We finally got back to my place just before three. (Twelve hourse to go.)

They slept until about 10:30 or 11. Jennie was still working out her part. There were changes that needed to be made and since horns are "tuned" differently, it had to be transposed. (There's only so much you can do in a moving vehicle at midnight.) Sean and I practiced a little bit. Jennie and Sean practiced a little bit, we ate, I showered and than we had to leave. Jennie and I never got to go through the songs together until it was time to do them during the concert.

But despite all that I thought the program went fairly well. Kennessa Powell Malan the soprano scheduled to join me in Orem fell ill so she was unable to sing.

Ave Maria is a standard piece. I figured it was a song that most people would have heard at least once in their life...(which is pretty much the only reason it was included in the program.)

Stanchen, Stanchen, Stanchen...reminds me of the balconey scene from Romeo and Juilet.

Erlkonig. This song was a lot of fun. I got to be four different people. And do it in German! (Okay so the German wasn't as fun, but you get the idea.) Towards the end, while the Erlking is making his final attempt to "ensnare" the boy, I shouted louder than I expected I would and scared myself. (The line begins, Ich liebe dich...)

The spirituals set was probably the most nerve racking for me as Jennie and I hadn't had time to practice together. Swing Low (the 4th one) sounded different that what I remember doing with Sean at our rehearsals. So there were some interludes where there weren't supposed to be interludes. But oh well. Sean is amazing and filled in the emtpy space. More on that later.

Since Kennessa wasn't able to join us, Sean and I worked out a "medley" of If I Loved You and You'll Never Walk Alone. I thought we had discussed starting at the "aria" section. ("If I loved you, time and again I would try to say...") Well he started at the very beginning with the recitative, ("Kinda scrawny and pale, pickin' at my food...") So that took some quick readjustments. And than I thought we had decided to only do You'll Never Walk Alone ONCE, not doing the customary repeat that most performers do, or even the repeat that I do (basically cutting the repeat in half. The words escape me at the moment. Forgive me.) But Sean did the repeat. I was, not shocked, not confused...I guess perplexed is a good word. I was perplexed at what had just happened. And than I was so disoriented I couldn't think of the words. I was expecting that. And finally Sean realizing that I wasn't coming in did a big, grand ending. Oops.

And finally Soliloquy. this song was a lot of fun. I offended a couple of my friends because I say "hell," "damn," and "bastard." But I mean really. I say worse than that on Facebook. I told my mom that I thought it was kinda funny a couple of my friends were offended and than I got chewed out by my mom. "You coulda changed those words. It's a concert version, not a stage version of the song." Well I didnt' change them in Nampa the following week either.

And finally, the program ended with our traditional "benediction," You Have Nothing to Fear from the journey. Though your way may be burdened with thorns..." My review of the Nampa performance will be coming later. That should be interesting.

Soliloquy

8th Annual Vocal Recital (Two nights)

Joey Calkins, Tenor

Sean Rogers, Piano

with special guests Dani Coles, Soprano * Jerusha Cox, Soprano * Jennie Ficks, Horn * Michal Jarolimek, Baritone * Kennessa Powell Malan, Soprano

Saturday August 9, 2008 3:00 p.m.

The Piano Gallery Recital Hall

650 South State Street

Orem Utah

Program:

Ave Maria - Franz Schubert

Stanchen - Franz Schubert

Erlkonig - Franz Schubert

Soirees de Vienne: Valse-Caprice No. 6, Franz Liszt (Mr. Rogers)

Je Dis - Bizet (Ms. Malan)

Four Spirituals for Voice and Horn - Traditional (Mr. Calkins and Ms. Ficks)

Goin Home * Deep River * Wayfarin' Stranger * Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Don't Ask Me Why - Frank Wildhorn (Ms. Malan)

Sonata for Horn and Piano, Op. 137 - Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger (Ms. Ficks and Mr. Rogers)

If I Loved You - Richard Rodgers (Mr. Calkins and Ms. Malan)

Soliloquy - Richard Rodgers

You'll Never Walk Alone - Richard Rodgers (Mr. Calkins and Ms. Malan)

Tuesday August 12, 2008 7:00 p.m.

First Presbyterian Church

400 Lake Lowell Ave

Nampa, Idaho

A Hand of Bridge - Samuel Barber (Produced by UNIPAC)

Soirees de Vienne: Valse-Caprice No. 6, Franz Liszt (Mr. Rogers)

Ave Maria - Franz Schubert

Stanchen - Franz Schubert

Erlkonig - Franz Schubert

Chanson epique - Maurice Ravel (Mr. Jarolimek)

Four Spirituals for Voice and Horn - Traditional (Mr. Calkins and Ms. Ficks)

Goin Home * Deep River * Wayfarin' Stranger * Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

The Girl in 14G - Jeanine Tesori (Ms. Cox)

Sonata for Horn and Piano, Op. 137 - Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger (Ms. Ficks and Mr. Rogers)

If I Loved You - Richard Rodger (Mr. Calkins and Ms. Cox)

Soliloquy - Richard Rodgers

You'll Never Walk Alone - Richard Rodgers (Mr. Calkins, Ms. Coles, Ms. Cox, and Mr. Jarolimek)