Offenbach Gem Added to 2010 Central City Lineup

Central City Opera has announced a change in next season's lineup, replacing the somewhat nebulous "Blast of Broadway" revue with a full production of Orpheé aux Enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld) by Jacques Offenbach. Performed in French with English supertitles, it is a prime example of the "opera bouffe" works that filled Parisian stages during France's golden age of operetta, which effectively came to an end in 1870 with the country's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War.

Orpheus (1858) is the first in a string of seven major Offenbach hits that essentially created the concept of satirical French musical theater. Along with his librettist collaborators (Meilhac and Halévy), the operettas by this trio are often compared to the works of Gilbert & Sullivan, especially given their sting of social commentary delivered in rapid-fire rhyming lyrics. This particular piece deals with the mythological story of Orpheus descending into the Underworld in order to rescue his estranged wife (Euridice) from her new lover, Pluto. Unlike more serious musical versions of this story -- in the opera by Gluck, for example -- many of the lines delivered by the characters have a double meaning, intended to satirize both the government and the society of Offenbach's day. While these references are generally beyond the ken of today's audiences, the story is told in such an entertaining manner that the subtext is inessential to enjoying the performance.

Offenbach's music is highly distinctive, and the tunes he wrote are just as delightful in a standalone version as they are within the context of their operettas. [Operetta is distinguished from "opera" in that the musical pieces are separated by spoken rather than sung text.] One of his most famous tunes occurs in Orpheus, the "Galop Infernal" that will forevermore be associated with the dance, the can-can.

Here the brilliant conductor Marc Minkowski leads an ensemble in the "Galop" to wrap up an Offenbach gala presented in Paris in 2001.

"Rinaldo" Opens Saturday, July 11

The third and final offering in this summer's Central City Opera season is Rinaldo, a baroque masterpiece by G.F. Handel that first appeared onstage in 1711. Because of the period in which it was written, the opera's two primary male roles (Rinaldo and Eustazio) were filled by castrati. Nowadays, of course, these parts are sung either by countertenors or mezzo-sopranos.

In the accompanying preproduction photo by the incomparable Matthew Staver (who also supplied the earlier pix posted here for Lucia and A Little Night Music), we see (L - R) Phyllis Pancella as Rinaldo and Megan Hart as Almirena. Also, Kathleen Kim appears as Armida, with Jason Abrams as Eustazio.

The story uses as its backdrop the First Crusade, although the historical implications of those times act primarily as a vehicle for what is ultimately a love story. The libretto is loosely based on an epic poem by Torquato Tasso (Italy's most famous poet after Dante, and himself the subject of a rarely performed opera by Donizetti), whose title translates to "Jerusalem Delivered."

Central City Opera's production of Rinaldo is directed by Marc Astafan, and the conductor is Matthew Halls. Including this Saturday's debut (with its 8:00 p.m. curtain), the opera will be performed a total of seven times between now and August 1. Tickets still remain and may be purchased online as well as by phone.

Central City Sends In Clowns, Beginning Saturday

Stephen Sondheim's musical masterpiece, A Little Night Music, is the second of three productions to find its way to the Central City Opera House stage this summer. This multi-Tony-winning musical, starring Sylvia McNair as Desiree Armfeldt and Robert Orth as Frederic Egerman (pictured left) , debuts Saturday afternoon (July 4) at 2:30 p.m., the first of eleven performances.

The musical opened on Broadway in 1973 but happens to straddle the operatic line as well, since it has been performed at various times by New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Los Angeles Opera. The story revolves around several couples whose views on such topics as love and sex are explored in a waltz-like setting; the story is an adaptation from the Bergmann film, Smiles of a Summer Night. The big number in this piece is the pop anthem, "Send in the Clowns."

Ken Cazan is the director, enjoying his fourth production with Central City Opera. The choreographer is Kimberly Mackin, and the director is Christopher Zemliauskas.

Because casinos in Colorado's three mountain gambling towns raised their betting limits a couple of days ago to $100, plus new games such as craps and roulette were introduced as well, traffic is expected to be heavier compared to last year. It makes good sense to plan ahead if you're attending any of the opera company's performances this summer. There is a dedicated parking lot immediately adjacent to the building.

Central City Opera Opens With "Lucia"

Four more days before Central City Opera (CCO) begins its 2009 Festival Season! The three productions this summer are Rinaldo by Georg Friedrich Handel, A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim, and Lucia di Lammermoor (pictured left) by Gaetano Donizetti.

The season kicks off Saturday evening (June 27) at 8:00 with Lucia, the best known among Donizetti's 70-odd operatic compositions. It debuted in 1835 to great acclaim and has never been out of the standard repertoire, which is quite an amazing record. The title role is sung by Lyubov Petrova, with Colorado native Vale Rideout as her lover, Edgardo. The production is directed by former Met opera star Catherine Malfitano, her third directorial turn with the company.

The three CCO operas appear in rotation throughout the season, which ends Sunday, August 2. Tickets are available online or by calling the Denver-area box office at (303) 292-6700.

Be sure to check out the July issue of Colorado Music Buzz, which features a Spotlight story on tenor Vale Rideout.