Utah Festival Opera set for 2011 summer season
Two hundred and sixty-one artists straight from Broadway, The Metropolitan Opera and other major stages across the country are headed to Logan to perform in Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre’s dynamic 2011 season.
From July 6 through Aug. 6, UFOMT will bring to life Broadway musicals “South Pacific” and “Oliver!,” and operas “Don Giovanni” by Mozart and “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, as well as seven concerts, backstage tours, an upscale community barbecue with live entertainment and 12 adult education courses through the Utah Festival Academy. Tickets for all events are on sale now.
“I don’t know of any other company like us in the world that does opera and musical theatre with the same respect and intensity,” said Founding General Director Michael Ballam. He travels around the country to audition more than a thousand singers every year to ensure he finds the perfect casts.
Performances are held in the beautifully restored 1923 Ellen Eccles Theatre in Logan. The classic European-style opera house has “a wonderful acoustic balance between the stage and the pit,” Ballam said, “which makes your experience a rich immersion in sound, visuals and excitement in such an intimate setting.” All performances have supertitles in English.
The Festival features performances in repertory so visitors can see all four shows and other special events in a two-day period. One of the most unique aspects is the chance to hear a 40-piece orchestra at each show. Ballam explained, “People won’t have the opportunity to hear that glorious live orchestra in Los Angeles or New York, or anywhere except here in Logan.” Other productions use 13 musicians and synthesizers. “It’s just not the same,” he said.
An “Informance” precedes each performance and company directors describe the show and interesting information about the production. “We’re so user friendly,” Ballam said. “You don’t need to worry about what you wear or whether or not you’ve heard the score. It’s not just entertainment. It’s not just a show. It’s an experience.”
Tickets are available by calling 435-750-0300 ext. 106, online at ufomt.org or by visiting the box office, 59 South 100 West in Logan.
South Pacific
The Short of It: One of the most beloved musicals of all time, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic won nine Tony Awards and is set on a tropical island during World War II. The production is based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize winning book “Tales of the South Pacific,” and tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and their own prejudices.
Why See It Here: The leading role of Emile de Becque is played by Branch Fields, who played the same part on Broadway. “It’s timely,” Ballam said. “We’re in a war of sorts. The whole world is challenged with prejudice, bigotry and hate taught to children. It’s not about the war in the South Pacific, it’s about the war in the heart.”
Memorable Melodies: “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame.”
Oliver!
The Short of It: Lionel Bart’s extraordinary musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic “Oliver Twist” follows the orphaned Oliver through London’s dark alleys. He is embraced by the criminal Fagin (played by Michael Ballam), who teaches boys how to pick pockets. The plot takes many turns but, unlike the book, will leave you smiling in the end. Oliver! was the first imported show from abroad to come to Broadway.
Why See It Here: “Our Oliver (Jace Salcido from Utah County) will win their hearts,” Ballam said. “They’ll all want to adopt him and take him home.” Whimsical and wonderful set. Lots of kids. It’s a family favorite.” Ballam said, “I’ve been working on Oliver! since 1965. It has never left my brain or heart.”
Memorable Melodies: “Consider Yourself,” “Food, Glorious Food,” “As Long as He Needs Me,” “Where Is Love.”
Don Giovanni
The Short of It: This is opera’s version of the legendary lover Don Juan, an arrogant jerk with no morals who uses and abuses anyone in his way until he finally succumbs to a force he can’t reckon with. The work contains some of the most transcendent melodies ever written and it’s passionate. “If people view Mozart with his powdered wig as reserved, they’ve got another think coming,” Ballam said. Mozart called this his spiritual opera because it illustrates the consequences of bad choices.
Why See It Here: Incredible special effects including singing statues and Don Giovanni being dragged down into the flames of hell. It’s a Mozart Celebration in Logan this summer with “Don Giovanni” as well as two performances of his “Requiem” featuring the 250-member American Festival Chorus directed by Craig Jessop with full orchestra and leads from UFOMT. Around the corner, the Old Lyric Repertory Company will be presenting the play Amadeus.
Memorable Melodies: Beethoven loved the work so much that he integrated one of the melodies into his famous “Moonlight Sonata” as a tribute to Mozart.
Boris Godunov
The Short of It: Boris is a bad guy. This is the true story of the ascent of the czars during the late 1500s and early 1600s. It tells one of the harshest stories in human history as murder and intrigue plague the government in Russia’s era known as the Time of Trouble.
Why See It Here: Craig Hart from New York’s Metropolitan Opera plays the title roll. It may also be your only chance. The show has only been done by five companies in America and they only produce it about every 20 years because it’s so huge. Sung in Russian with as many chorus members as the stage will hold without collapsing. The director is Russian, the diction coach is a native Russian speaker from the Met and they’re importing Russian bells because of their unique sound. Another bonus: it’s the original version, which means the run-time is under three hours instead of four-and-a-half.
Memorable Melodies: “The coronation scene is going to lift you right out of your seat,” Ballam said. Some of Mussorgsky’s other music was made famous in Disney’s “Fantasia.”
Concerts: Eight Hands, Two Pianos; A Tribute to George Gershwin starring Michael Ballam; a staged concert of The Merry Widow, Vienna’s most beloved operetta; Mozart’s “Requiem,” with Craig Jessop’s American Festival Chorus; International Operatic Competition; Carnevale Operafesta featuring highlights from the world’s greatest operas and Musica Magnifica starring Roberta Shore. She’ll perform popular favorites and reminisce about her days in Hollywood, recording and working with Lawrence Welk.