by Perry Tannenbaum Cultural Voice of North Carolina | February 9, 2025 Alyson Cambridge as Carmen | Photo: Perry Tannenbaum CHARLOTTE, NC – “Prends garde à toi!” You better watch out when la Carmencita gazes at you lovingly. The queen of Seville’s cigarette girls proclaims this insolent challenge – to the men she slinks past in the town square and a detachment of lascivious soldiers lazing on guard duty – almost as soon as we see her in Bizet’s Carmen. Differences between her and Micaëla, Corporal Don José’s fiancée, are artfully shown to go much deeper than city-girl brunette and country-girl blonde. When the drooling men in uniform offer their hospitality to Micaëla while she awaits Don José’s arrival, the chaste damsel skitters away in distress, promising to return later. Carmen quickly proves to be much different: shameless, seductive, and fearless, a wicked brew of beauty, passion, playfulness, and gypsy flair. And yet we’ve still haven’t seen all the colors and facets of her portrait – or realized the full depths of what we’ve already seen in the eleven French scenes of Act 1. Alyson Cambridge , striking in appearance and lithe as ever in her movement, satisfied almost instantly at Belk Theater on opening night in reprising her Opera Carolina triumph of 2019, igniting and seething sooner as she built to the frenzy of the “Chanson Bohème” (“Les triangles des sistres tintaient”) that torches the opening of Act 2. Cambridge is as much the temptress now as she was in 2016 when she took on a title role in the special 40th Anniversary production of Porgy and Bess at Spoleto Festival USA. If anything, she’s more brazen and confident than she was as Tosca late in 2022, when she also seemed to be saving her strength for the more tempestuous final acts. Certainly, stage director Dennis Robinson, Jr. deserves some of the credit for this higher-voltage Carmen, but so does the contrast so vividly framed by soprano Melinda Whittington as the sweetheart Micaëla, quaintly relaying a kiss to Don José from his dear ailing mother back home. Each of Whittington’s plaintive arias in the first three acts is a gem, wafting an anthemic lyricism from Micaëla’s native countryside over the stage and threatening to steal Carmen’s thunder. Cambridge must respond! Yet the new dimension for me came from the men who capture Carmen’s flitting fancy, tenor Jonny Kaufman as Don José and baritone Daniel Scofield as Escamillo, the dashing bullfighter. Jonny Kaufman as Don Jose and Alyson Cambridge as Carmen | Photo: Perry Tannenbaum No disrespect to tenors Ramón Vargas and the charismatic Roberto Alagna, both extremely capable vocalists that I’ve seen at the Metropolitan Opera as José, but neither was a hulking or intimidating presence. With or without his pearly smile, Kaufman does stand out among his fellow dragoons. Discarding the smiling ease of his welcome to Micaëla for the torments of love and passion that Carmen arouses, Kaufman is already anguished by the end of Act 1, two months before the deeper agonies of Act 2. Between this José and this Carmen we saw a battle between fidelity and wanton caprice. That’s what we expect from Bizet’s masterwork, and it escalated through Act 4 when Carmen’s fatal presentiments were fulfilled... Jonny Kaufman as Don Jose and Alyson Cambridge as Carmen | Photo: Perry Tannenbaum

Brittany Renee as Musetta in HGO's La bohème Superstar Grammy-winning soprano Brittany Renee recently made her house début with Houston Grand Opera as Musetta in Puccini's perennial favorite La bohème , a role she revisits next month with the Metropolitan Opera . The glowing reviews have been pouring in since opening night - read more below! Performances continue this week, with shows on February 6, 9, 12, and 14 . "Marcello’s tempestuous sometime sweetheart, Musetta, came across as more than the mere flirt she sometimes seems, thanks to soprano Brittany Renee. Yes, Renee delivered parts of Musetta’s “Waltz Song” with flashiness and abandon. But the waltz’s opening had an aria of sweetness, as if Musetta were showing that charisma takes more than one form. And in the finale, Renee’s Musetta took on an entirely different aura, gracious and compassionate with the dying Mimì." "Making her HGO debut, Brittany Renee played the free-spirited and mercurial Musetta with brash but mesmerizing theatricality and a honey-rich soprano with brilliant high notes."

Kathryn Lewek in Palm Beach Opera’s Roméo et Juliette (Phoo: Bruce R. Bennett) Last weekend, superstar soprano Kathryn Lewek stepped into the role of Juliette in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at Palm Beach Opera, receiving universal praise for her performance as Shakespeare's tragic heroine. It was a triumphant return to the company after her wildly successful performances last season as all four heroines in their production of Les contes d'Hoffmann . Check out the rave revies below. "Long shared a delightful chemistry with Lewek, whose portrayal of Juliette was equally enthralling. Together, they communicated an adorable air of teenage awkwardness in their characters which served to set up the final tragedy all the more. Lewek dazzled while performing “Ah! Je veux vivre,” with an effortless top register that added to the youthful vitality of the character." " As Juliette, soprano Kathryn Lewek displayed a most beautiful tone, especially when singing pianissimo passages...she grew vocally and dramatically as the opera progressed, delivering a thrilling “Amour, ranime mon courage” (potion aria) and a remarkable love duet “Va, je t’ai pardonné” alongside the Roméo of tenor Long Long." Lewek shines in Palm Beach Opera’s impassioned “Romeo et Juliette” "As Juliette, the soprano Kathryn Lewek gave an affecting performance. Dark-haired and diminutive, she came off as shy and vulnerable even as she belted out world-class coloratura. Lewek is best known for incomparable performances as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s The Magic Flute , a virtuoso role that demands impeccable speed and precision at the top of the vocal range. In the first-act aria known as “Juliette’s Waltz,” her brilliant runs and trills vividly expressed the teenager’s effervescence and enchantment with life. But her success in that aria, wasn’t just about high-speed singing. She brought sensuous phrasing to quieter, more lyric passages, drawing out phrases and foreshadowing the passionate, serious woman she would grow into over the course of the opera. Her lustrous voice and dramatic feel for the role was apparent throughout. Lewek, Stern and the orchestra combined for a powerful evocation of the dark, brooding music that arrives with her terrible realization of her lover’s true identity. In the opening of the balcony scene, clad in a long white gown and evocatively illuminated by moonlight, she gave deep expression to the famous words “Oh Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo,” in which she expresses astonished despair that she had fallen in love with a Montague. Her "Potion Aria," in which she tries to work up the courage to take a drug that will allow her to feign death, was full of brilliant coloratura and high arching lyricism that expressed her mental turmoil, making that aria the showstopper it was meant to be."

January 20, 2025 By Palm Beach Arts Paper Lisa Marie Rogali (Paquette) far left and David Walton (Candide) standing (Photo by Steven Shires) By Robert Croan This month, the South Florida Symphony Orchestra attempted one of its most ambitious projects to date — a semi-staged concert version of Leonard Bernstein’s 1956 operetta Candide — and came through with flying colors. The local performances (seen in Broward Center’s Au-Rene Theater on Jan. 16) were staged with endless creativity by Dan Wallace Miller , using minimal sets (by Michael Miles) and colorful costumes — production elements overseen by former Florida Grand Opera director Susan T. Danis. The complex musical realization, with a first-rate cast led by SFSO music director Sebrina Maria Alfonso, was no less praiseworthy... ...David Walton...sang throughout with a sharp-toned, open tenor that projected his words clearly. He transitioned to the experienced Candide with pathos and sincerity in his serious soliloquies... ... If Cunegonde was modeled on the diva of all divas, the role of The Old Lady, multi-ravished and missing one buttock, is the prototype of the Gilbert and Sullivan contralto, Little Buttercup and Katisha on steroids. The deep tones and seasoned deep comic proficiencies of Alissa Anderson filled the bill to a T, making her solo turn, “I am Easily Assimilated,” a second highlight of the evening... Jason Zacher as Dr. Pangloss/Narrator/Voltaire (Photo by Steven Shires) ...The catalyst of all the action is the multiple part of Narrator, Dr. Pangloss (Candide’s teacher) and Voltaire himself, created for an actor (Max Adrian) who did not have classical vocal training. The present protagonist, Jason Zacher, had real vocal training, a resonant baritone voice, acting skills to burn, and most important, an alluring persona that dominated the stage every moment he was on... ... Lisa Marie Rogali’s sexy good looks and lush mezzo tones made her a center of attention when the glamorous Paquette was on stage , while the large cast was filled out competently by supporting singing-actors Lovell Rose, Ben Ross and Max Jacob Zander... Read more here...

Two different programs on NPR recently featured two UIA artists: librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton and conductor Tim Long. Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton | Courtesy John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts NPR's Morning Edition aired a segment interviewing Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton and spotlighting The Cartography Project, a commissioning initiative from the Kennedy Center in collaboration with Washington National Opera. This year's cohort produced two new 30-minute works, including Future of Dreams for which Mouton wrote the libretto. Composed by Jaylin Vinson, Future of Dreams tells the story of two Black women running for mayor of Houston, Texas in 2064. Future performances are planned in Detroit, Houston, New Orleans and Seattle. Tim Long NPR's 1A recently interviewed conductor and pianist Tim Long as part of its More Than Music series and their discussion on how music helps to define national identity. Tim was there to answer the question: "What track, song or symphony speaks to you at this moment in American history?" Tim chose a song cycle by the Korean-American composer Earl Kim.

The quickly ascending, star mezzo-soprano was recently profiled by her alma mater's bimonthly publication and featured on its cover. Lisa Marie Rogali | Photos by Jiyang Chen A Diva for the Modern Stage Lisa Rogali arrived at Penn State as a first-generation college student with a powerful voice and no prior exposure to opera. Today, talent, dedication, and a deep emotional well from which to draw have made her one of the brightest young stars of the form. By Savita Iyer It is an assumption universally shared by everyone in her entourage, and one easy enough to imagine for anyone who hears her sing, that Lisa Marie Rogali is destined to perform on the world’s greatest stages—New York’s Metropolitan Opera, La Scala in Milan. Since the fall of 2012—during her first semester at Penn State, when she auditioned for a workshop showcase of Mozart’s comic opera Così fan tutte —Rogali ’16 A&A has distinguished herself through the mastery of her craft. Reviewers have praised her expressive, versatile voice and described her powerful performance onstage as breathtaking, compelling. Over the years, Rogali has scooped up awards and accolades galore, aced multiple song competitions, and made her mark on more than one young artist program. Last spring, the mezzo-soprano debuted at Carnegie Hall as the alto soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass . And in November, she stepped on stage at the Virginia Opera in Norfolk, Fairfax, and Richmond to play Carmen , one of the most iconic and coveted female roles in the operatic repertoire. This year, she’ll reprise that role at the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. She’ll play Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia in Florida’s Sarasota Opera, and she will perform the role of Paquette in the South Florida Symphony Orchestra’s concert production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide . These are tremendous accomplishments for a young artiste. But for Rogali, singing in august venues is less important than singing itself, less meaningful than enjoying every role, every piece of music, and every step of a career that—for a shy girl from a modest background growing up in the small northeast Pennsylvania town of Hawley—seemed far-fetched, if not impossible. “I know everyone’s different, but I don’t really care about the prestige of where I sing,” she says. “I have so many friends who say things like, ‘If I don’t make it to the Met by 35, I’m going to quit.’ If for some reason I never make it to the Met, I’m going to be OK.” Rogali’s goal, she says, “is for singing to be my main career, my main source of income. As long as I am able to financially support myself through my singing, I’ll be happy.” It seems a plausible goal, particularly with Carmen under her belt. This is Rogali’s biggest role to date—and a part that seems perfectly suited to her in more ways than one. “She’s got the looks, she’s got that beautiful hair,” says her vocal coach, Nathalie Doucet. Keep reading

Opinion: How do we talk about female leaders in opera? By Kamala Sankaram Kamala Sankaram (photo: Dario Acosta) One thing about sharing an uncommon name with a former presidential candidate — you get drawn into a lot more political conversations with strangers. And during last year’s campaign, these conversations and the discourse at large repeatedly showed me that we still have trouble talking about what “female leadership” really is. To put it bluntly, we don’t talk about female leaders in the same way we talk about male leaders. In defining the qualities of a good leader, we’ve historically looked for “agentic” traits, or traits that arise from individual agency like “decisiveness” and “strength” and “assertiveness.” Probably because our leaders have largely been male, we’ve coded these traits as being inherently “masculine.” On the flip side, there’s plenty of research showing that we tend to view communal leadership styles that emphasize cooperation and empathy as female and less desirable, including the 2018 study “The Power of Language: Gender, Status, and Agency in Performance Evaluations,” published in the journal Sex Roles . I’d argue that, especially in a collaborative art form like opera, the exact opposite is true. A communal leadership style is just as valuable as an agentic one, and it is important for us to separate these traits from their stereotyped associations with gender. This isn’t as easy as it might sound. There simply aren’t as many women as men in comparable leadership positions, and those who are there have often attained these positions using a more agentic, or masculine-coded, style. A recent study, pithily titled “Unequal Opera-tunities: Gender Inequality and Non-Standard Work in U.S. Opera Production,” published in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An International Journal in 2024, found that at Budget 1 opera companies, only 5% of conductors and 15% of stage directors were women, and artistic leadership at these companies was less than 2% female. The percentages are higher at smaller companies but still do not reach parity. “The Power of Language” study I mentioned before tells us that this is likely because female leaders are evaluated negatively for possessing communal leadership traits, while male leaders are not... Keep Reading

Music by: Ricky Ian Gordon Libretto by: Royce Vavrek Duration: 5 Acts-95 minutes Originally Commissioned: Opera Theatre of St. Louis, 2014 Premiered : Opera Theatre of St. Louis, 2014 Project Statement 27 follows the lives of Gertrude Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas as they host legendary salons at 27 rue de Fleurus in Paris, entertaining such illustrious guests as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Man Ray, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The opera attempts to bring Ms. Stein to life through her writing, highlighting her lack of inhibition and unabashed self-expression even in the face of negative critical opinion. In creating physical representations of her and Alice, the piece also explores the ways in which the women relate to one another and the rest of the world, using the World Wars as brackets to track the evolution of their relationship as they grapple with the changes that only war, and the passing of time, can bring. FORCES Singers: Gertrude Stein ; - mezzo- Soprano 4 supporting singers (Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass-Baritone, singing a variety of roles); Optional Chorus Orchestration: 2(2 dbl. Picc.) 2(2nd dbl. E.H.) 2 2(2nd dbl. Cbsn.) A.Sax. – 2 2 2(2nd dbl. B.Tbn.) 0; Timp. 2Perc. Hp. Pno. Str. Reduced Instrumentation : 1(dbl. Picc.) 1 1 1 - 1 1 1 0; Timp. 2Perc. Hp. Pno. Str. Review “27” is a triumph for Gordon and Vavrek and a tour-de-force for all of the performers. – Bruce-Michael Gelbert, Q On Stage . . . .a playful, quick-witted libretto that pushed Mr. Gordon beyond his trademark melodies into a brighter, friskier style. – Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal . . .a taut, witty and affecting new piece of lyric theatre. – James Sohre, Opera Today MEDIA New York City Center 2016 Photos by Erin Baiano

Last weekend, Florida Grand Opera premiered Jeffrey Marc Buchman's "awe-inspiring" new production of Mozart's classic The Magic Flute . Two other UIA talents starred in his new Flute : soprano Laura León soared to new heights with her "fiery" Queen of the Night and on the other end of the vocal spectrum, bass Andrew Potter thrilled with his "thunderous" Sarastro. Check out the OperaWire review below. You have two more chances to catch the show, on December 5 and 7 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. Jeffery Marc Buchman - Director "In this production, director Jeffrey Marc Buchman took full advantage of the creative liberties bestowed upon the leader of a role-playing game... an almost entirely digital set that was truly awe-inspiring. The stage seamlessly transformed into an intricate and labyrinthine world throughout the show. The digital effects and cohesion between the lighting and costumes were only the starting line for the magic created by the entirety of the cast and crew... The fanciful nature of “The Magic Flute” coheres with the nature of the role-playing genre, therefore, this direction was a smart choice..." Laura Lé on - The Queen of the Night " Léon’s fiery coloratura was a perfect fit for the role." Andrew Potter - Sarastro "Andrew Potter was born to sing the role of Sarastro. Potter’s soothing basso beautifully matched his poised demeanor and precise diction. His Act one aria... was thunderous, yet serene. In ensemble scenes, Potter provided a sturdy foundation for the harmony that established a way for individual voices to ring out without overpowering others." Read the full review on OperaWire

Directed by: Jeffrey Buchman Music by: W.A. Mozart Libretto by: Emanuel Schikaneder Original Production November 2024 - Florida Grand Opera DESIGNERS Stephan Moravski - Scenic Designer Camilla Haith - Costume Designer Robert Wierzel - Lighting Designer Greg Emetaz - Video Designer Karl Hesser - English titles Dreambay Enterprises - Spanish titles ORIGINAL CAST Christine Brandes  - Conductor Felix Jarrar  - Assistant Conductor Jared Peroune  - Chorus Master Rosa Mercedes  - Choreographer Ricardo Garcia - Tamino Avery Boettcher - First Lady Mary Burke Barber - Second Lady Monique Galvão - Third Lady  Alex DeSocio - Papageno Laura León - Queen of the Night David Margulis - Monostatos Sara Kennedy - Pamina Kornel Racz - 1st Spirit Christian Burbach - 2nd Spirit Sophia Cavaretta - 3rd Spirit Neil Nelson - Speaker Andrew Potter - Sarastro James Mancuso - 1st Priest/1st Armored Man Alexander Kolyszko - 2nd Priest/2nd Armored Man Sydney Dardis - Papagena Director's Note In this new production, I have blended Mozart’s opera with the world of gaming to tell its story through boundless imagination and adolescent eyes. If childhood represents a time of innocence and clarity where moral structures appear distinct and straightforward, then adulthood unfolds as a journey into the nuanced realm of complexity where we must confront the bittersweet truths that great pain often accompanies great love, and that the lines between right and wrong are often blurred in our pursuit of what we perceive as a noble cause. This transition from simplicity to complexity finds a poignant expression in adolescence, a period marked by questioning the inconsistencies and hypocrisies of the world around us. Through the lens of adolescent perception, navigating the uncharted waters of personal growth and self-discovery, the opera takes on a renewed vibrancy capturing the essence of a transformative journey into maturity. Reviews "The stage seamlessly transformed into an intricate and labyrinthine world throughout the show. The digital effects and cohesion between the lighting and costumes were only the starting line for the magic created by the entirety of the cast and crew." "The fanciful nature of “The Magic Flute” coheres with the nature of the role-playing genre, therefore, this direction was a smart choice...this production could be groundbreaking for a new generation of opera audiences." - Afton Wooten , Operawire "Buchman takes that layered narrative one step further by presenting the opera’s scenario in the manner of role-playing board games. The result is an immersive experience that is eye-filling and greatly entertaining, yet true to the spirit of Mozart’s creation." - Lawrence Budmen , South Florida Classical Review MEDIA

Mezzo-soprano Lisa Marie Rogali made her title role debut in Virginia Opera's Carmen , alongside three UIA artists well-seasoned in their roles. The result? "Operatic bliss." Ms. Rogali had the pleasure of debuting alongside tenor Zach Borichevsky, for whom Don José has become a signature role, and soprano Sarah Tucker, who reprised her "lovely and sympathetic" Micaëla. All three sang under the capable baton of Adam Turner, Artistic Director of Virginia Opera, leading players from the Virginia Symphony. Carmen has two more performances this weekend in Richmond, VA ( Friday, November 22 at 7:30pm and Sunday, November 24 at 2:30pm ) following previous weekends in Norfolk and Fairfax. Lisa Marie Rogali and Zach Borichevsky "They make an exceptionally striking couple, Borichevsky (Don José), tall, dark and intense — still dutiful, despite his incarceration... Carmen is shorter than her paramour Don José, but intensely aware of her body: she’s the essence of sultry, supple sex appeal, especially when she lounges on a table or seductively dances to castanets..." Lisa Marie Rogali "Sultry mezzo-soprano Lisa Marie Rogali [delivers] a not-to-be-missed, bang-up performance..." -Read the full review on The Virginian-Pilot Zach Borichevsky "Mr. Borichevsky has a high-pitched tenor voice that is beautifully expressive in love and anger." -Read the full review on Opera Gene Sarah Tucker "Soprano Sarah Tucker sang the role of Micaëla with a sympathetic gentleness. Her lovely rendition of the aria expressing her fear as she ventured into the mountain hideout to make one last attempt to redeem Don José was a highlight." -Read the full review on Opera Gene Adam Turner "The music was delivered with zest and great beauty by the Virginia Symphony..." -Read the full review on Opera Gene

Earlier this month, mezzo-soprano Alice Chung delighted the gala audience in Boston in her triumphant role debut as Amneris in Boston Lyric Opera's gala concert of Verdi perennial favorite Aida. Sure to become a staple in her repertoire, the lucky one-night-only audience got to experience her " fervent and forthright sonic presence" in the role for the first time. Check out some of Alice's rave reviews below. "Alice Chung’s Amneris commanded the eye and ear each time she was onstage. Dripping righteous indignation, her character’s furious Act 4 duet with Radamès delivered on the vocal and emotional fireworks, at its apex supplying some of the finest moments of pure theater BLO’s given us in recent memory." -Read the full review on Boston Classical Review "...Mezzo-soprano Alice Chung’s captivating Amneris, who transformed from petulant princess to poignant mourner over the course of the intense Judgment Scene in Act IV. It was almost unbelievable that this was her role debut." -Read the full review on the Boston Globe " Throughout the performance she projected a fervent and forthright sonic presence. But, as the opera progressed, her engagement deepened: she palpably conveyed pangs of grief as Amneris pleaded with the high priests to save Radames’s life after he had betrayed military secrets." -Read the full review on The Arts Fuse