Although the old saying—“…the show must go on…”— has lost a bit of its imperative bite as a result of the pandemic shutdown, it was certainly the driving force behind the University of Tennessee Opera Theatre’s energized weekend production of Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.
Plans for UTOT’s four performances in the World’s Fair Park amphitheater were done in by the forecast of chilly, wet, and windy weather for the production week, forcing the UT School of Music to find an alternative location. Luckily, the School had an option that could handle the 25+ singers, orchestra, and audience—the UTSOM Band Room in the Natalie Haslam Music Center. While this may sound like a distinctly unromantic and un-theatrical solution, it was probably the best option that could have been hoped for under the circumstances. While the rehearsal space was certainly no substitute for a properly equipped theatre, it did offer a notable plus—an unusual performer/audience intimacy. With singers just a few feet away from the audience, diction or the ability to project were not issues, but the close proximity did provide its own lesson in dramatic presentation and communication. As it turned out, the UTOT singer/actors, guided by director James Marvel and music director/conductor Kevin Class, pulled off a significant feat, adapting miraculously to the delightfully weird lighting and stage space as if it had been intended all along. And, the audience, obviously understanding of the staging situation, seemed perfectly willing to use their imagination where required.
Of course, “delightfully weird” is an appropriate descriptor for Die Fledermaus itself. The operetta has become in modern times an infamous vehicle for all manner of galas and celebratory occasions by opera companies. Numerous English translations of the work have embraced this tradition by taking substantial license with the original, unabashedly twisting the libretto, allowing comical anachronisms, local references and in-jokes, and inserting celebrity guests into the Act II party scene.
By comparison, though, this UTOT production played the lightheartedness fairly straight, appropriately allowing the vocal, choral, and comic performances to be the focus. The Act II party insertions were limited to the UT Opera Orchestra playing the Ukrainian national anthem as a topical tribute, along with two interpolated arias from company members: “Quando me’n vo’” (“Musetta’s Waltz”) from La Bohème sung by Kylie Humber and “The Doll Song” from The Tales of Hoffmann sung by Hannah Alfaro.
As was usual in UTOT productions, two casts were employed to handle the four performances. In typical operetta fashion, Act I serves the function of introducing characters and setting up the comic plot with exposition. Under the overture, we found ourselves in the Vienna home of Eisenstein and his wife Rosalinda, a couple with a decidedly comical duplicitous relationship. Rosalinda is being serenaded by an admirer, Alfred, while their frustrated maid, Adele, seeks the night off, ostensibly to visit a sick aunt, but actually to attend a party at Prince Orlofsky’s home. The situation is complicated by the fact that Eisenstein must surrender to a short 5-day prison sentence. Eisenstein’s friend, Dr. Falke, stops by to induce him to delay prison and attend Orlofsky’s party with the promise of enjoying the company of ballet dancers. Falke’s intention, though, is payback for a practical joke played on him by Eisenstein in which he was discovered drunk and pants-less in a bat costume (hence the title, Die Fledermaus) in a town square. Meanwhile, Alfred is mistaken for Eisenstein by prison director Frank and is carted off to jail, leaving Eisenstein free to attend the party.
Singing the soprano role of Adele was Madison Mackey and Karen Wemhoener. Each brought charmingly different comic details to the role, and each backed that up with a gorgeous, flexible voice that one would hope to hear in serious coloratura roles in the future. Rosalinda was taken by sopranos Sabreena Cherrington and Christine Alfano. Cherrington’s Rosalinda was a bit more accepting of her husband’s infidelity, while Alfano was amusingly fed up with Eisenstein’s nonsense. Both brought an enticing strength and marvelous vocal character to the role.
Cherrington was coupled to the Eisenstein of Jacob Lay, while Alfano was matched up with baritone Joel Brown. Both Lay and Brown made a feast of the comic rascal in the role. Lay’s smooth baritone had substantial depth, while Brown’s high, clean baritone was beautifully at home with both higher and lower heroics.
Act II takes place at the home of Prince Orlofsky (a trouser role, taken here by Gianna Grigalonis and Abigail Schlictmann). The party is all about champagne, sumptuous gowns, masked disguises, and mistaken identities. Adele arrives, masquerading as an actress. Eisenstein meets his disguised wife and in the ensuing flirtation, loses his pocket watch to her, which she intends to use as evidence of his infidelity. Of course, behind all the shenanigans is Falke (James Hooper Stevens) and his practical joke. Taking Falke in all of the performances, Stevens proved he is not only a brilliant comic actor, but also a baritone possessing a smooth-as-silk delivery.
Act III takes us to the jail, where Alfred is languishing under the mistaken identity of Eisenstein by prison director Frank (Jacob Altrock). Singing Alfred were tenors Shaquille St. John and Adriel Baralt Jimenez, both given a decent amount of athletic movement by Marvel on the way to their mock abuse at the hands of the authorities. Jimenez’ lyric tenor was simply beautiful.
The non-singing, comic role of Frosch, the drunken jailer, was taken by UTOT alum Peter Johnson, who, incidentally, is quite the singer in real life. The role of Frosch is usually wildly adapted to include timely puns, sight gags, and local witticisms—Johnson made a comedy feast of it.
The wigged lawyer, Dr. Blind, was sung and artfully acted by Jackson Guthrie; Adele’s sister Sally was sung by Vallie Comstock and Winnie Jones.
Conductor Class and the UT Opera Orchestra, not in a pit but in a corner of the bandroom, were solid throughout, complete with charming instrumental moments and perfectly balanced volume with the singers.
While there was, no doubt, disappointment at the last minute change of venue, the bright side of this Die Fledermaus was the obvious and undeniable energy from singers and orchestra that formed the driving force for a host of beautiful performances. And, yes, success of a sort —the audience left the “theatre” humming the tunes. Now, if I could only stop.
