New Contemporary Territory

David et Jonathas closed a few weeks ago at BAM. It was a wonderful production, and I am thankful for the opportunity to have worked with such great singers, a great production team, and an amazing orchestra. I am asking all of my friends and patrons to consider a donation to American Opera Theater. In a recession (yes, friends, this is a recession), arts organizations are the first to loose their foot-hold. I wouldn't ask anyone to do something of this nature that I wouldn't be willing to do myself.

I have never before performed in a contemporary opera production. I have stage directed a few scenes and one opera. I have seen a ton of productions, considering that my mother and godfather have collaborated all throughout my life writing operas together (most significantly Frida). As a matter of fact, the first opera I was ever taken to when I was 6 years old, was an opera written that year. I've also experienced more contemporary music recitals/concerts than I can count. I especially remember the avant garde bass clarinet/squeeky toy/pots-n-pans recital I was witness to when I was about 6 or 7 years old. My husband, a multi-percussionist, thrives on contemporary music so it's all around our daily life. Even my best friend is a great composer. My godfather just sent me a complete set of ee cummings poems for voice and marimba written last month. Hell, my voice teacher at Peabody is THE contemporary music interpreter of choice, Phyllis Bryn-Julson! I've also performed a number of contemporary pieces on recitals -- everything from Stravinksy's 12-tone exercise, "The Owl and the Pussycat" to Gitta Steiner's totally a-tonal songs for vibes and voice. (And how the audience of my colleagues of singers grinned, giggled and squirmed at the point in the Stravinsky piece when I sang, "Oh pussy, pussy, my love! What a beautiful pussy you are!")

But, I have spent the vast majority of my performing career (as small as it may be) doing pretty much exclusively early music. And I've never actually been in an opera written post 1945. I guess I just didn't really have any outlet for contemporary music beyond recital. And I don't particularly like doing recital, only because I prefer the freedom and combined artistic elements of the operatic stage. The work I've been involved with previously was rather stylized, which is great fun, in and of itself, and works well for retooling early opera.

But next year, around inauguration time, I'll be back in DC with American Opera Theater in Phillip Glass' Hydrogen Jukebox. As of yet, I haven't had the opportunity to work in the dramatic context of stark realism, although I've always wanted to portray a dark, complicated, real person... the anti-ingenue? My only fear is that my lack of experience in that vein would leave me as "good" as the "actors" you see on soap operas. (Don't get me started on the incredible deficit voice majors face in their educational careers when it comes to acting...) I'm not sure how Tim Nelson will stage the Glass, but I've heard rumors that AOT is bringing in a choreographer, which would absolutely THRILL me since I've been dying to combine real dance elements into my operatic performances. It was one thing to use acrobatics for Acis & Galatea, but the notion of postmodern opera coupled with postmodern staging and dance really gets my adrenaline going. I can't help but let my mind wander to Meredith Monk's 'impermanence' or my valuable exposure to Fred Curchak as a youth, and hope for the chance to push my body, focus my mind, and free the voice.