RSS 2.0 FeedDecember 9, 2009, Featured Articles, Classical
KC Civic Opera revives a holiday favorite
The liturgical opera "The Wise Women" is billed as a mystery fable by Conrad Susa. In his own words, the composer describes it as “high church redesigned by the littlest angel.” There is a definite Anglican sensibility in the opera’s use of children, shepherds, angels and the holy family, but there is a twist. These wise women have voices, and they use them.
Bells intoned and three brilliantly dressed women holding flaming glass orbs, walked down the main aisle of St. Paul's Episcopal Church this past weekend and to the altar. Their bright soprano voices rang against each other as they ascended to their position. When they raised their arms, a blinding golden gleam made it perfectly clear that they were the one, tripartite star.
The KC Civic Opera's production of the liturgical opera The Wise Women by Conrad Susa is rife with three's. Three wise men, three wise women, three women making up the star, the holy family, the trinity...it is all part of the symbolism of the holy season. Director Linda Ade Brand, Conductor Robert Pherigo and Producer David Adams are a winning trio, themselves, choosing to revisit this opera at a time when other Kansas City holiday traditions were going by the wayside.
In this version of the Christmas story, it is the women, not the men, who interpret the scripture accurately. The men are looking for an adult King and the women know he is a baby. It is refreshing to hear a female perspective. There is something very holy about babies, having been so recently near God.
Susa's take is beautifully human as he represents not only both genders but men and women in different times of their lives. There is the Maiden, sung innocently by Kristen Sullivan, Rachael Priest as the good wife who gave the role a robust vigor, and the Crone played by Sarah Young who not only sang the role amazingly well but inhabited her character completely.
The wise men, Youth (Kevin Westring) Husband (Michael Lanman) and Old Man (Phil Eatherton) sang well individually but really shone as a trio. Their voices were so similar that their ensemble parts completely melded.
The 'Glorious Star' was gloriously sung by Jan Duncan, Katie Woolf and Diane Robertson. Mary, Queen of Heaven was played by Sylvia Stoner looking a bit like Glinda the Good Witch of the North, but sounding completely like her own splendid self. The large chorus of Shepherds and children, some dressed adorably as sheep, sang and "baahed" with unabashed enthusiasm.
The audience participated in the performance by singing the hymns that lead processions, and children are invited to come up to the stage and see the Baby Jesus, played to peaceful perfection by real baby, Issac Andrews. Like an 'environmental' play, some action occurred behind the audience as well as on the stage, and the audience was encouraged to "rubberneck" so as not to miss anything. Unfortunately, sight reading the hymns took all of my attention away from the colorful action coming down the aisle, so I do feel as though I missed some of the spectacle.
A perfect ending to The Wise Women was when the final hymn of praise quietly died away as the singers filed out of the sanctuary, leaving the audience in the quiet space, with candles lit and the ornate stained glass windows glowing. Three bell tones released the spell.
The Wise Women was a perfect multi-generational experience of the Christmas story. The costumes were stunning and the accompaniment of organ, harp, hand bells, guitar, flute, percussion and piano was well performed. With this excellent script, score and singers the Kansas City Civic Opera welcomes in the Christmas season with arms wide. Too bad there were only three performances.
REVIEW:
Kansas City Civic Opera
The Wise Women
by Conrad Susa
Directed by Linda Ade Brand
Saturday, December 5th at 2:00 p.m.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
11 East 40th Street, Kansas City, MO
for more information www.kccivicopera.org
Top photo: The 'Glorious Star' portrayed and sung by Jan Duncan, Katie Woolf and Lena Andrews
Classical, Vocal and Theatre Contributor
Megan Browne Helm grew up singing, dancing and acting. Inspired by Emma Kirkby as a high school student in St. Louis she went on to study voice and sing with the Collegium Musicum at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where she also had a radio show of contemporary classical music on WOBC. At the University of Kansas she had the pleasure of working with former Kings’ Singer, Simon Carrington in his Collegium Musicum and Oread consort. Years later, she was a choral fellow at the Yale School of Music’s Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. She is currently singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Bruffy.
As a freelance music and culture writer her work can be found on KCMetropolis.org, presentmagazine.com, the Lawrence Journal World, Shawnee Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and KC Parent. She was one of 26 journalists in the country chosen as a NEA Institute Fellow for Classical Music and Opera at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Her current interest is how classical music remains relevant through active collaborations with artists in different fields, including science. She also sees a connection between classical music, travel and food as a way to engage all of the senses in a 360 degree cultural experience. She blogs at raworganum.wordpress.com.
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