Comedy at the Philharmonic – Popcorn at the Opera

By Burt Saidel

The Dayton Philharmonic New Year’s Eve concert is always fun.  
Maestro Neal Gittleman injects his wry sense of humor into everything.  The New Year’s Eve bash is a fertile field for his wild imagination.

A full house at the Schuster was prepared to ring out the old and ring in the new. They expected music, and there was plenty.  There was also a marvelous “stand up at the podium” comedy routine which made the evening sparkle.

The program was entirely of short pieces. Yet, there were some serious works. Each was introduced by Maestro Neal with more zest than some of the tired emcees at the various TV awards ceremonies can muster.

Neal kept his birthday fixation unblemished by hanging on to the celebrants - Mozart and Shostakovich - tenaciously.  One piece, Shostakovich’s Romance from The Gadfly gave a remarkable solo to Concertmaster Aurelian Oprea.

A Mozart work from which the super-composer omitted violas, led to a vociferous series of raspberries from the neglected musicians and a huffy walk-out.  They returned sporting funny hats and waving champagne glasses.

A piece of innovative programming commemorated yet another birthday.  Paul Lawrence Dunbar would be 100 this year.  To begin his special year, Maestro Neal invited the poet laureate of Dayton, Herbert Martin, to narrate William Grant Still’s Afro-American Symphony.   Professor Martin is a passionate exponent of Dunbar’s poetry.  His readings are total experiences.  He delivered, to perfection, a dialect poem which brought Dunbar’s humor and pathos into living color.

After intermission, Ohio State fever took over.  Donning an OSU cap, Neal led the orchestra in the rousing “Fight Song” to paeans of cheers from the assembled faithful.
Then the hall was filled to overflowing with schlag, the ever-present Viennese whipped cream.  The Strauss brothers entered and wouldn’t leave.

Maestro Neal did modernize one of their unfamiliar works, The Telephone Polka.  He invited, no insisted, that all who had cell phones, turn them on and receive or make calls freely during the music.  Even several members of the orchestra
took advantage of the opportunity to call home!

There was more.  A contest to name the mystery guest for next year’s 75th Anniversary Gala revealed it was master flautist James Galway.  But that is a secret so don’t tell anyone.  What was no secret was that a great time was had by all and 2007 was given a joyous push into this troubled world.

Popcorn and the Metropolitan Opera?  I never thought that after six decades of opera, I would wait in line to buy popcorn before a performance.  The experiences at the first live national telecast from the stage of the Met made that distant dream a reality.

5 Met Operas at Fairfield Commons

The Met, under the leadership of Peter Gelb, is reaching out to the audiences of the future.  In a series of historic telecasts from their stage, audiences in selected cities can experience something very close to a live performance, warts and all.

Dayton was chosen for the available electronic linkage to have the only venue in Ohio. Therefore, Cincinnati and Columbus, even Cleveland opera fans were well represented.

The initial opera was a special version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.  This new production is half as long, in English and full of the most fanciful sets and costumes.  It was designed by Julie Taymor, noted puppeteer known for her equally fanciful Broadway hit, The Lion King.

To review this historic experience, I must divide my views between a devoted and experienced opera lover and someone looking to enter into the world of opera.  From the opera lover’s perspective, cutting a gem such as “Flute” in half does cause a great deal of blood loss.  Scenes were removed and nearly all the familiar
arias were cut to bare minimums.

Those of us who have experienced the remarkable stagecraft at the Met had to remind ourselves that what we were seeing was actually happening on stage and not photographic special effects. The characters were clad in the most colorful costumes and “Flute’s” menagerie of beasts was the most amazing collection of puppets morphing themselves into all manner of whimsical shapes.

The principals sang well and the sound was good, not great. A near tragedy occurred when the entire sound disappeared for what seemed an interminable period of time. When it returned, the quality was better.

I felt that the principals were more accustomed to the stage-audience distance than the extreme scrutiny of the camera.  Often, their eyes were on the conductor and not the camera.

Also, the Pamina and Papagana were not as physically pleasing as the medium demanded.  The star of the show, the effervescent Papageno was played and sung to perfection by baritone star Nathan Gunn.

Now, the opera neophyte’s view.  Opera will embrace many, perhaps most of those newcomers to the greatest of dramatic/musical arts.  The experience was exciting and full of flavors that exceed even Baskin-Robbins multitude of taste delights.
Hats off to the Met for reaching out in such an elegant fashion.

I know where I will be for the next four Saturdays, at Fairfield Commons’ Regal Cinema.  I’ll be lucky enough to hear and see I Puritani, the premier of The First Emperor, Eugene Onegin, The Barber of Seville and Il Trittico.  How about you?  For tickets, go online to WDPR/WDPG at www.dpr.org.  The directions are crystal clear.

Muse Machine’s Thoroughly Modern Millie opens

The Muse Machine invites the public to join them as they present Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jan. 11-14, 2007, at the Victoria Theatre.  Winner of six 2002 Tony Awards, Thoroughly Modern Millie is the laugh-out-loud story of a small town girl determined to find success and love in 1920’s New York City.  With an outrageous cast of characters, song and dance numbers that became instant classics and the heart to drive it all forward, Thoroughly Modern Millie is perfectly suited for The Muse Machine!

According to producer Douglas Merk, close to 100 singers, dancers, actors, musicians and crew members will comprise this production. Working toward the goal of building a community of talented young people from across the Miami Valley, the musical provides an opportunity for students from rural, urban and suburban communities, and from both public and private schools, to work cooperatively.

This will be the fifteenth consecutive year that Nat Horne and David Düsing return to Dayton to work with the student production.  Both bring a wealth of professional expe
rience to the musical process, making the show an invaluable learning experience.  

Through the rigors of the rehearsals and performances, Nat and David teach teamwork and discipline.  Students’ interest in the arts in nurtured as they receive a realistic view of the hard work that goes into an off-Broadway-caliber production.  David comments, “Our young people are extremely talented and they work very hard to put on the best show.  It’s a privilege to work with them.”  

Thoroughly Modern Millie will be the 23rd student musical to be produced by The Muse Machine.  Tickets are on sale exclusively through Ticket Center Stage: 937-228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com.  General seating tickets go on sale beginning December 4, 2006.  Patron tickets are $52 (which includes a tax-deductible donation to the organization), adult tickets are $29 and $25, senior tickets are $27 and $25 ($2 off adult ticket prices), non-Muse student tickets are $15, and Muse student tickets are $12.

The Muse Machine is a nationally recognized arts education organization, providing creative experiences and resources for young people of the Miami Valley. Since 1982, they’ve produced 22 annual musicals and 10 concerts for the community and engaged thousands of students through academic-relevant lessons, workshops and in-school projects.  For more information, visit www.musemachinedayton.com.

Gryphon Trio performs Jan. 14 in Yellow Springs

The award-winning Gryphon Trio of Toronto, violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, pianist Jamie Parker and cellist Roman Borys, will perform on the Chamber Music Yellow Springs series Sunday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the First Presbyterian Church of Yellow Springs, 314 Xenia Avenue.  Their program will be an adventurous mix of old favorites - the sprightly Haydn C Major and soaring Schubert B-flat major trios - and bold new pieces commissioned by the Gryphon Trio from contemporary composers Christos Hatzis and Jonathan Berger.

WSU Professor Charles Larkowski will give a free pre-concert lecture at 6:45 in the church.  A simple supper will be offered in the church at 6:00 and a gourmet dinner at the post-concert reception.  Tickets at the door are $18 adults, $5 students.  To reserve tickets or seats at the dinner, phone 374-8800.

Dancing with the Stars gala Jan. 13 at DAI

Come and enjoy the wonderful world of dance!  An evening of The Opera Guild’s Dancing with the Stars (Not to be confused with the popular TV show) includes exhilarating and stunning dance exhibitions by some of the nation’s finest professional and amateur dancers and you. The evening also features fabulous food stations with heavy hors d’oeuvres, tempting dessert and coffee bar, a cash bar and chances to win exciting raffle and door prizes. This exciting event will take place at the Dayton Art Institute, on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Ballroom dancing is taking the world by storm with its wings of beauty and enchantment.  This promises to be a breathtakingly beautiful evening of dancing under the stunning drapery and illumination of lights in the Gothic Cloister of the Dayton Art Institute. The Guild hopes you will help us capture the essence of
this dancing magic.

Chairs for the evening are Liz Apesos and Don Augenstein. Apesos, who owns the Always Ballroom dance studio, will bring the “stars” who will show how the pros do it. Don Augenstein, an interior designer, will transform the Gothic Cloister of the Dayton Art Institute into a glittering ballroom filled with dancers in stunning gowns and exciting dance performances.

Reservations are $135 Platinum Star ($85 tax deductible) and $95 Gold Star ($45 tax deductible).  Two drink tickets per person are included in the ticket price. The event is not black tie, but do wear your dance apparel in order to twirl in style. Each guest is welcome to participate on the dance floor or simply experience the fun as an audience member. Either way, enjoy the wonderful atmosphere created by the professional and amateur dancers.

The Opera Guild of Dayton is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit volunteer organization that encourages and promotes opera in the greater Dayton area.  Proceeds from fundraising events such as The Opera Guild’s Dancing with the Stars support the Guild’s many education programs, including the annual High School and College Vocal Competitions, the Ear for Opera adult lecture series, and the award-winning Children’s Traveling Opera and Opera Marionettes programs.  In addition, the Guild is a major contributor to Dayton Opera productions and education outreach.

The deadline for reservations is January 8, 2007.  Reserve early as seating is limited. For reservations or more information, please call Liz Hoffman at 937/426-2682 or Don Augenstein, 937/232-0904.

Don’t miss The Opera Guild’s Dancing with the Stars at the Dayton Art Institute on Saturday, January 13, 2007, from 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.

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January 9, 2007
Volume 16, No. 2

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