{"id":238717,"date":"2016-10-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-10-07T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/more-than-whats-on-stage-3\/"},"modified":"2016-10-07T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-10-07T07:00:00","slug":"more-than-whats-on-stage-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/more-than-whats-on-stage-3\/","title":{"rendered":"&#039;M\u00e1s de lo que hay en el escenario&#039;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>A visit with San Diego Opera\u2019s general director<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Por Charlene Baldridge<\/p>\n<p>October ushers in the first full production in San Diego Opera\u2019s 2016-17 season. For an opera company that nearly closed in 2014, creative endeavors are booming, with an expansion of what makes a season plus several new programs and activities that are more than enough to discombobulate the usual general director.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Although he claimed to be crazed, exclaiming \u201cIt\u2019s like back to school week here!\u201d when interviewed at the Downtown office of San Diego Opera (SDO) on Sept. 9, General Director David Bennett (who came aboard in June 2015) was loquacious, enthusiastic and positive when assessing where the company is, what and how it\u2019s doing, and where it\u2019s going.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10852\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10852\" style=\"width: 601px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/OQ-Cinderella-Gen006.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10852 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/OQ-Cinderella-Gen006-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"oq-cinderella-gen006\" width=\"601\" height=\"401\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 601px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 601\/401;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10852\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rossini&#8217;s &#8220;La Cenerentola&#8221; (Cinderella) opens Oct. 22 for four performances. (Photo from Opera Queensland)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Gleefully, Bennett described the scene when the Opera on Track ensemble presented an outdoor touring version Rossini\u2019s \u201cCinderella\u201d at the Santee trolley station days before. Nearly 200 people turned up, among them preschoolers. Each child received either a tiara or a handlebar mustache and the adults received vouchers for discounted tickets to \u201cCinderella\u201d (kids get in at half-price) and trolley rides to the Civic Theatre.<\/p>\n<p>These activities are emblematic of Bennett\u2019s intention to make SDO a meaningful part of the San Diego community; nonetheless, the season is the thing, and here it is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10854\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10854\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/OQ-Cinderella-Gen084.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10854 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/OQ-Cinderella-Gen084-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"oq-cinderella-gen084\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10854\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A scene from Rossini&#8217;s &#8220;La Cenerentola&#8221; (Cinderella), which opens Oct. 22 at San Diego Opera. (Photo from Opera Queensland)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Gioacchino Rossini\u2019s \u201cLa Cenerentola (Cinderella),\u201d Oct. 22-30 at San Diego Civic Theatre.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The title role is played by Lauren McNeese, a graduate of the Ryan Opera Center at Chicago Lyric Opera; while Alidoro is played by SDO veteran Ashraf Sewailam, a native of Egypt who recently became director of opera at San Diego State.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>West Coast premiere of David T. Little\u2019s \u201cSoldier Songs\u201d conducted by UC San Diego professor Steven Schick, Nov. 11-13 at Balboa Theatre.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>KPBS will do a live telecast of the \u201cSoldier Songs\u201d performance Nov. 12, providing everyone an opportunity to see this important opera by composer David T. Little based on interviews with and letters written by veterans of five wars.<\/p>\n<p>In these interviews, the most common statement was, \u201cI don\u2019t talk about this with anybody,\u201d and indeed that is how Little starts his opera, scored for Everyman Soldier (baritone David Adam Moore, who recently sang Silvio in SDO\u2019s \u201cPagliacci\u201d), two actors, and an instrumental group of 10 conducted by Schick, who called the work \u201ca mirror rather than a message.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong> Verdi\u2019s \u201cFalstaff\u201d Feb. 18-26 at Civic Theatre.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cFalstaff,\u201d based on Shakespeare\u2019s colorful character, is a Chicago Lyric production, which Bennett describes as looking like a wooden architectural model of the Globe Theatre.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has riots of color in terms of costumes and projections, modern touches in a very traditional work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Verdi fans love the opera for its humor, melodic vocalism and magnificent orchestrations. The title role is sung by a SDO debutant, acclaimed Italian baritone Roberto de Candia. Daniele Callegari (\u201cAida,\u201d \u201cDon Giovanni\u201d) returns to conduct.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong> Peter Brook\u2019s \u201cLa trag\u00e8die de Carmen (The Tragedy of Carmen),\u201d a distillation of Georges Bizet\u2019s opera, March 10-12 at Balboa Theatre.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Part of the Shiley D?tour series, \u201cLa trag\u00e8die de Carmen\u201d (sung in French with projected English translations) features the excellent Southern California mezzo-soprano Peabody Southwell, seen frequently at LA Opera and Long Beach Opera.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong> Verdi\u2019s \u201cLa traviata,\u201d April 22-30 at Civic Theatre. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Directed by Marta Domingo (Placido\u2019s wife) Verdi\u2019s well known and popular \u201cLa traviata\u201d tells the story of an aging Courtesan named Violetta (Corinne Winters) who is beloved of a much younger aristocrat named Alfredo Germont (American tenor Joshua Guerrero). Bennett said that though it\u2019s an LA Opera production, it was built in SDO\u2019s scenic studios. The action is updated to the flapper era. Southwell reprises her LA Opera role as Flora, Violetta\u2019s friend.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10853\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10853\" style=\"width: 599px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Traviata.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10853 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Traviata-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"LA Opera - LA Traviata Piano Dress #2 Photo by Craig T. Mathew\/Mathew Imaging\" width=\"599\" height=\"400\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 599px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 599\/400;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10853\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Verdi&#8217;s &#8220;La Traviata&#8221; opens April 22, 2017, for four performances. (Photo by Craig T. Mathew\/Mathew Imaging)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bennett waxed ecstatic about numerous young American singers cast in all the above. Clearly, he could not be more enthusiastic or supportive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt should be a great year of good, young American singers at the cusp of their careers, which is very exciting to see,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re putting on stage this season is going to be traditional, but look fresh. Each production has yet to be seen in San Diego.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVoice is the centerpiece of what we do,\u201d Bennett continued. \u201cVoice is at the heart of opera. That\u2019s the over-riding nature of our thinking, plus trying to find work that really speaks to our community\u2019s several experiences and to their issues, and gives voice to those experiences in ways that you don\u2019t expect opera to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That having been said, the 2017-18 season opens with \u201cHansel and Gretel.\u201d Just so you know, there will be accompanying discussions of childhood homelessness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt makes me feel like we are doing more than just what\u2019s on stage,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cAnd that I love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For more information and tickets, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/sdopera.org\">sdopera.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2014Charlene Baldridge ha estado escribiendo sobre las artes desde 1979. Siga su blog en charlenecriticism.blogspot.com o comun\u00edquese con ella en <\/em><a href=\"mailto:charb81@gmail.com\"><em>charb81@gmail.com<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A visit with San Diego Opera\u2019s general director By Charlene Baldridge October ushers in the first full production in San Diego Opera\u2019s 2016-17 season. For an opera company that nearly closed in 2014, creative endeavors are booming, with an expansion of what makes a season plus several new programs and activities that are more than [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":229043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"\u2018More than what\u2019s on stage\u2019","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11549,11547,11600],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-238717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-features","category-sdnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}