Chicago Opera Theater made its name by offering opera in English, by presenting singers who can believably impersonate young lovers and by producing shows on an intimate scale. The company is best known for its productions of Mozart and 20th Century–particularly American–works. But for its 23rd season, which opens Friday night at the Merle Reskin Theatre, COT is tinkering with the formula and taking some chances. The operas are still in English, the singers still believable, but the lineup holds surprises.
After a near-death experience in 1993 that led to some short seasons, COT seems to be back on an even financial keel and is again offering its traditional three productions this year. The opener is Richard Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.” It’s COT’s first outing with Strauss, not the first composer that springs to mind when chamber opera is mentioned.
“Ariadne” is playing in repertory with “The Jewel Box,” a “new” Mozart opera assembled in 1991 by music critic Paul Griffiths from assorted concert arias and other bits and pieces written by Mozart for other people’s operas. The pastiche has been critically acclaimed for its charm and for the quality of its tunes.
“Ariadne” and “The Jewel Box” have many elements in common: commedia dell’arte characters at war with the representatives of High Art, a travesti character called the Composer and glorious music that demands glorious singing. They also will share some stage-design elements. Arranged differently for each show, Todd Rosenthal’s sets, with lighting by John Culbert, will save money for COT without cutting corners.
Both works are a good fit with the European-style Reskin (formerly the Blackstone), according to the COT’s artistic director, Carl Ratner. “We wanted to make the best possible match of the pieces and the theater,” says Ratner, who is stage director for “Ariadne.”
“Ariadne” poses special casting challenges, calling for a high soprano who can handle some wicked coloratura, a dramatic soprano, a heldentenor and a pants-role mezzo with a good high range. Ratner promises that they’ve met those challenges with, respectively, Lorraine Ernest as Zerbinetta, Judith Raddue as Ariadne, Carl Tanner as Bacchus and Janine Hawley as the Composer. Conductor Bruce Hangen is known primarily for his orchestral work, but, says Ratner, “he has a gift for both the kind of broad lines that some of the more transcendental sections have and for the playful (scenes).” The costume designer is Shifra Werch.
With “The Jewel Box,” COT returns to one of its early mandates: providing lead-role opportunities for Chicago-area singers. Almost all the cast members–Sunny Joy Langton, Theresa Ludden, Kimberly Jones, William Watson and Kurt Link–have had noteworthy national and international careers but are locally based. The director is Charles Newell, artistic director at Court Theatre; Jeff Bauer, who has worked for COT, Court Theatre and Ballet Chicago, is the costume designer. The only “outsider” is conductor William Henry Curry, resident conductor of the New Orleans Symphony.
The season’s third show, an updated version of Rossini’s “The Italian Girl in Algiers,” is a “special concept” production, Ratner says. “We feel that we need to bring certain pieces–that have been done at Lyric Opera and that have been done at COT before–to life in a special way to justify their revival. If it’s something that audiences haven’t experienced before, we will do it in the purest possible way. For a more familiar opera (such as) `Italian Girl,’ we want to bring back the feeling of a premiere.”
“We’re trying to provide a good contrast” to Lyric Opera, adds music director Lawrence Rapchak. “We’re trying to find more of an edge, given that Lyric has diversified over the last decade. We want to preserve a well-balanced diet, but in a more zingy direction.”
Ratner points out that in Rossini’s time, Barbary pirates along the coast of North Africa were a serious problem–just as certain dictatorships in the Mideast are for us today; it’s safe to infer that any resemblance between Mustafa and Saddam Hussein is intentional. “Let’s just say this production is going to draw the parallels of Rossini’s time and what’s been happening recently in the Middle East,” he says. But, he adds, “I’m not a person that tampers lightly with the composer’s intention. We’re going to go with the virtues of the piece.”
The eponymous role of Isabella will be sung by mezzo-soprano Susan Hofflander, a former Chicagoan with a humorous flair; her Lindoro is Mark Calkins, a Lyric Opera Center for American Artists alumnus familiar to COT audiences. Character baritone Philip Kraus, the artistic director of Light Opera Works, will take the comic sidekick role of Taddeo; Richard Johnson is Mustafa, and Mimi Manners will portray his long-suffering wife, Elvira. Rapchak will conduct, Ratner will direct. Sets, costumes and lighting are by Bill Bartelt, Claudia Boddy and Chris Phillips, respectively.
The company has taken some heat for not scheduling an American opera this year, says Ratner, “but we’re still as committed to American works as ever. We’ve done one each of the last two seasons; we’re planning to do one each of the next two seasons.” They’re also hoping to do a premiere sometime in the next few seasons.
Another concern voiced by some operagoers is that Ratner and Rapchak, who headed a small company called Chamber Opera Chicago for 11 seasons before taking over at COT three years ago, are applying a COC sensibility to COT’s higher budget and profile. It’s a view supported by a few personnel choices some observers considered unfortunate–using COC veterans when better people were available–but it’s denied by Ratner. “When we came to COT, we refused to call it a merger (of the two companies),” he says. “We hire the best people we can find; we don’t just work with the people we’ve used before. We’re totally open-minded about casting.”
Chicago Opera Theater is now between homes, no longer in the North Side’s Athenaeum Theatre but not yet in Cityfront Center’s Music and Dance Theater (six months behind in its groundbreaking), where it is expected to be a principal tenant. The Reskin is an imperfect compromise, particularly because the priority given to DePaul University activities has forced COT into a tightly scheduled early-summer season. There’s still hope that the new theater will open in time for the 1998 shows; once they’re in, says Ratner, the season may be expanded to four operas.
Financially, although Ratner calls the return to a three-opera season “a stretch,” the company is in good shape. “We’ve stayed in the black and avoided accumulated debt,” he notes. “Our extremely dedicated and generous board has done a fantastic job.”
Ultimately, says Rapchak, he’d like to see Chicago Opera Theater compared to the Steppenwolf Theater instead of to the operatic behemoth across the Loop. “Audiences don’t go to Steppenwolf for the works they’re going to see; they go for the dramatic experience. I’d like our audiences to come to us for the same thing. That means taking some risks in repertory and casting.
“Sure, we’re taking some chances this season. But how safe can you play it? There are no sure things. Ultimately, you just have to go with your gut.”
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THE FACTS
Chicago Opera Theater
When: “Ariadne auf Naxos,” Friday through June 15;
“The Jewel Box,” June 14-22; “The Italian girl in Algiers,” July 5 through 13
Where: Merle Reskin Theatre, 60 E. Balbo Drive
Tickets: $12-$60
Call 312-292-7578
