Jun 8, 2008
by Steve-O
The penultimate performance of Fort Worth Opera’s 2008 Festival — Saturday’s performance of Lucia di Lammermoor at Bass Hall — really captured everything I have come to appreciate about this company. Start with perfect staging, add in established stars, then bring in lots of young talent.
Donizetti’s retelling of Sir Walter Scott’s novel about the worst wedding night ever is plenty dark and moody, thanks to director David Gately. Most of the scenes come up with a spotlight on a main character who appears to be this white presence floating in a sea of darkness. Things don’t get much brighter than that for most of the characters.
The audience is much more fortunate. Elizabeth Futral — an international star and one leading sopranos in opera today, really demonstrated what a talent of her magnitude can accomplish.
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Jun 2, 2008
by Steve-O
Dreams are the fuel of the American psyche. We are a people who have built an entire culture around the quest to fulfill our ideas of what tomorrow could be. The American Dream is the blank canvas that we are free to paint with the vision of what we want our lives to be.
But not every dream is fulfilled, and dreams denied are a fundamental part of the American story as well. And Saturday night as Anthony Dean Griffey and Phillip Addis took the stage as Lennie and George on the lam in the Fort Worth Opera’s interpretation of the John Steinbeck by-way-of Carlisle Floyd masterpiece Of Mice and Men, we saw one of the most tragic ways a dreams shatter — when they are just within reach.
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May 27, 2008
by Steve-O
You know your business trip has gone really wrong when you end up living in an homeless shelter. The what happened to the Guanhua Acrobats from Shanghai, who came to Texas expecting a national tour and instead found themselves cooling their heels in the Union Gospel Mission when their tour promoter bailed out on them.
“They said the accommodations weren’t that great, but at least they fed them,” said Kurt Howard, Director of Production at the Fort Worth Opera.
Howard and the Fort Worth Opera got involved when they contracted the troupe to perform in Turandot as palace performers. They’re also co-sponsoring a benefit performance featuring the troupe tonight at 7 at the Scott Theatre. Tickets are $25 each and available by calling 817.731.0726 or online at www.fwopera.org.
The Fort Worth Opera is providing the Scott Theatre for free in conjunction with the Fort Worth Arts Council. The Opera is also handling ticket sales, and the proceeds go to the acrobats.
“They’re not trying to raise money and get back home,” Howard said. “They’re more interested in continuing to work here in the U.S.”
These acrobats were spectacular on Saturday night during Turandot. See for yourself tonight and do a good turn for this troupe.
May 25, 2008
by Steve-O
When it was time for the curtain call at the end of the Fort Worth Opera Festival premiere of Puccini’s Turandot on Saturday night, a very un-Fort Worth-like thing occurred. When young soprano Sandra Lopez, who had dazzled the sold-out audience as Liu took her bow, the enthusiastic ovation she received was punctuated by two bouquets of flowers tossed from a box several tiers above the stage.
It’s not an uncommon thing to see on the European stage, but a rarer site in Fort Worth. Presumably, the flowers were by design and not an afterthought. But considering how her arias inspired ovation after ovation, maybe her fans were just caught up the moment. Maybe it was just something in the air, but the audience came prepared to have a good time, and they responded in a way that I haven’t seen at an opera in Fort Worth.
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May 19, 2008
by Steve-O
Does controversial, challenging art have a place in Fort Worth? Based on Friday’s night’s debut of Angels in America at the Fort Worth Opera Festival, it would seem so.
Some people like it, some people aren’t so sure. But people are talking. And that’s just within opera circles.
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May 12, 2008
by Steve-O
I had a chance to sit down with General Director Darren Woods of the Fort Worth Opera last week for a preview of this year’s festival, which kicks off Friday night at the Scott Theatre with Angels in America. Tickets are still available for all four operas. Hope to see you there.
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Apr 27, 2008
by Steve-O
My friend Darren Woods at the Fort Worth Opera is putting out an all-points bulletin for supernumeraries for the Fort Worth Opera’s upcoming production of Angels in America. Specifically, they need six guys to be angels. These are non-speaking, non-singing roles. If you are interested in playing a part in a unique opera event, here’s your chance. For more information, call Fort Worth Opera at (817) 731-0833.
