Journey North Opera Company & Minnsky Theatre - OperaTease: A Night of Song and Cabaret Improv 9/14/2019

Journey North Opera Co. & Minnsky Theatre

– Presents –

OPERA TEASE
Journey North Opera Co. Team

Producer and Executive Director .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colleen Meier

Artistic Director   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Amy Wolf

Rehearsal/Performance Pianist   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jared Miller

Minnsky Theatre Team

Founder & Chief Executive Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jac Fatale

Chief Operating Officer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red Rider

Artistic Director  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Tiffany Parks Roberts

Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Veronica Victory

Lighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supreme Court

Stage Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Amazon Alexa

The Cast

Soprano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Erica Hoops

Silks  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bunnie Rose Tailor

Soprano  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anna Maher

Burlesque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Aria Arcana

Soprano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Margaret Matejcek

Trapeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Kit Vicious

Soprano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Wendy Matsutani

Pole Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red Rider

Soprano  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colleen Meier

Tenor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Adam Lowe

Burlesque  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..  TifDynamite

Mezzo-soprano  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Ashley Sievers

Belly Dance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Sitri Sophia

Burlesque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ostara Reign

Tenor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Wesley Frye

Burlesque  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Jasper Jade

Soprano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Schultz

Tap Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ChasTitty Barre

Mezzo-soprano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melissa Krueger

Burlesque.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Alexandro Rox

I opened my last review of this style show with: A visionary, an opera singer, and a burley performer walk into a theater… and what emerges? OperaTease: A Night of Song and Cabaret Improv brought to you by the collaborative efforts of Journey North Opera Co. [JN] and Minnsky Theatre. A most fitting introduction and apt description (if I say so myself) for what unfolded the evening of September 14.

Soprano Erica Hoops (l) performs with Silks Artist Bunnie Rose Taylor (r).
Photo by Sara Erdman. © Sara Erdman, 2019. Used with permission.

The evening opened with soprano Erica Hoops—whom I absolutely adored in her past OperaTease performance of Spiel ich die Unschuld von Lande (When I play the innocent country lass) from Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (The Bat)—singing a most appropriate opener for the evening, Frère! voyez! Voyez le beau bouquet! (Brother! See! The beautiful bouquet) from Jules Messenet’s (1842-1912) Werther. In it, the character Sophie (Hoops) sings how “Today, everyone is happy” (Aujourd'hui, tout le monde est joyeux!). How “happiness is in the air!” (le bonheur est dans l'air!), thus setting a most fitting tone for the night. For it was indeed a happy evening, one filled with laughter and fantastic operatic and athletic/artistic performances.

Burlesque Performer Aria Arcana.
Photo by Sara Erdman. © Sara Erdman, 2019. Used with permission.

Speaking of one very fine and artistically seductive performance, Aria Arcana, burley extraordinaire, danced superlatively to soprano Anna Maher’s performance of Quel guardo, il cavaliere (She but glanced at the proud knight) from Gaetano Donizetti’s (1797-1848) Don Pasquale. In the aria, Norina (Maher) flaunts her beguiling charm, declaring, “Conosco i mille modi dell'amorose frodi (I know a thousand tricks in the game of love),“I vezzi e l'arti facili per adescare un cor” (and all the snares to trap a man’s heart), and Arcana was right there with her in her own exquisite exposition of such enticing enchantment. Her lines, beautiful; her moves, provocative and enthralling… yet also seeming to channel the movements we commonly associate with that of geisha (Japanese women who entertained men through the ancient traditions of art, singing, and dance). I began to wonder if accompanist Jared Miller, a superlative talent in his own right, would soon segue into Un belle dì vedremo (One fine day we’ll see) from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. But, alas, it didn’t happen. <sad> Cio-Cio San was not to perform that night (but perhaps in the future? … I mean, we did get a very lovely performance of the famous O mio babbino caro (Oh my dear papa) by the same composer—different opera—by the positively charming soprano Wendy Matsutani. … Will “One fine day” dawn at the next OperaTease performance? … Only time will tell.

Soprano Colleen Meier (l), Burlesque Performer TifDynamite (c), and Tenor Adam Lowe (r).
Photo by Sara Erdman. © Sara Erdman, 2019. Used with permission.

But, speaking of repertory powerhouses, get two directors together, and what do you get for an incredible and wild ending to the first act? Wagner! That’s right, a part of the mighty Ring Cycle of Richard Wagner (1813-1883) made it to the Minnsky with JN’s Executive Director Colleen Meier and the Minnksy’s Artistic Director TifDynamite performing alongside tenor Adam Lowe in Winterstürme/Du bist der Lenz (Winter storms/You are the spring) from Die Walküre (The Valkyrie). Though Gretchen was missed (Meier had so beautifully sang Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade at the last OperaTease performance), trading those ever so somber sentiments of Goethe for the fanciful, romantic, and dramatic sentiments of Wagner was awesome! And Tif. So. Much. Fun! How Lowe kept from losing it as showers of tutus fell upon and then hung from his head is beyond me. Intrigued by what I am talking about? Well, be sure and make the next OperaTease performance and you’ll know a little bit more of what I mean. Fun. That’s all I can say. Fun.

Burlesque Performer Jasper Jade (l) with Tenor Wesley Frye (r).
Photo by Sara Erdman. © Sara Erdman, 2019. Used with permission.

And now, the curtain rises on the second act. Sitri Sophia supplied a stupendous, spellbinding show as supreme belly dancer. I mean, how she managed to balance that razor-thin sabre on her head throughout the entire second half of Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers)—performed ever so vibrantly and energetically by mezzo-soprano Ashley Sievers—is beyond me. And then there’s tenor Wesley Frye, performing alongside the very person who got me into reviewing opera in the first place, my friend, Jasper Jade. Jade, the first male burley performer of the night, surprised us all with what is called a “reverse striptease,” during which the performer begins lightly clad and then finishes fully dressed. And Frye, what strong and energetic melismas as he sang Se il tuo duol (If your sorrow) from one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s earlier operas, Idomeneo—written when Mozart was only 24 years’ old. And, if that performance wasn’t enough of a showstopper, soprano Carole Schultz and tap dancer ChasTitty Barre followed it up with an en pointe bang with Charles Gounod’s (1818-1893) famous Je veux vivre (I want to live) from Roméo et Juliette. And, yes, I mean the “en pointe” descriptor to be taken literally, for not only did Barre remind us of times past when tap dancers such as Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, and others ruled the cinematic stage, but Schultz! Schultz herself donned dancing shoes—ballet slippers to be exact—and several times went en pointe—even while singing the penultimate high C! Schultz was magnificently en pointe (this time meant symbolically) throughout with a riveting technique, playful manner, and joyous tone.

Tap Dancer ChasTitty Barre (l) with Soprano Carole Schultz (r).
Photo by Sara Erdman. © Sara Erdman, 2019. Used with permission.

Which now brings us to our final act with mezzo-soprano Melissa Krueger and burley performer Alexandro Rox performing Una voce poco fa (A voice has just…) from Gioachino Rossini’s (1792-1868) Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville). Krueger was a positive delight—a pleasure to both watch and hear—while Rox dazzled us all with their able athleticism and refined and well-paced art.

All in all, once again, a superb evening! JN and Minnsky, well done! What a creative and highly imaginative and entertaining production. If you missed it, don’t worry! Their next production, "Cinderella's Ball" happens to be this Sunday, the 29th, at 1:30 p.m. and it will be one you do not want to miss! They’re doing Disney! That's right. Disney! And, yes, this performance is very much kid friendly, so bring the whole family!!! I can’t wait to see and review this upcoming production. It promises to be most enjoyable and fun.

Want to know more? One can find more information for Journey North Opera Company at https://www.journeynorthopera.com/ as well as for Minnsky Theatre at https://www.minnsky.com/home.html . This is Mark Rodriguez, your reviewer of all things opera. Enjoy the show!

Photo by Sara Erdman. © Sara Erdman, 2019. Used with permission.