Merola's Schwabacher Summer Concert
Do you guys remember when Steve Nash played hoops for the Santa Clara Broncos? How he single handedly kicked UCLA's butt? Could you tell he was going to become a mega-star, sure shot into the NBA Hall of Fame? If so, we have another exercise for you to identify diamonds in the rough: the Merola Opera program. It's where the kids who sing go learn their trade, improve their voice, diction, acting and all, and show off their stuff through a series of summer events: a free concert in Yerba Buena gardens, already gone, two operas (Albert Herring on July 18th and 20th and Don Giovanni on August 1st and 3rd) and a grand finale (August 16th) to wrap up the summer and send the kids home singing Ce n'est qu'un au revoir. Some will then become Adler fellows and perform on the SF Opera stage, and some will become bona fide stars. To know which one, you'll have to listen for that fellow who can hit that three point aria at the buzzer to steal the duet.
Pictures courtesy of SF Opera/Kristen Locken; above Rene Barbera, Leah Crocetto, Ben Wager, David Pershall, Nathaniel Peake; below YoungJoo An
There are 23 singers in the program (and a handful of apprentice coaches and stage directors), and only half a dozen performed on Tuesday night. The rest will split duties over the two fully staged operas and the Finale. The program wasn't the usual sequence of arias we're accustomed to, but full scenes, heck, full acts of operas. No set, no decor, though, only the singers at the edge of the stage, with the orchestra in full view behind them. No costume either, only tuxes for the guys, and a big cherry prom dress for the girl. We were baffled to note in the program that "Scenery, costumes and wigs were constructed in the SF Opera workshops," since, you know, there was no scenery, costume nor wigs. There was no piano either, but it was provided by Yamaha.
Performances are fresh, and they make up with enthusiasm what they lack in experience. We were impressed by a few of them: we enjoyed the bright baritone of YoungJoo An, and also Ben Wager's cool demeanor, neat diction in French and Italian, and smooth voice. He's such a natural actor that in the excerpt of Don Pasquale, we were convinced he was flubbing his part, that he forgot his line, before we realized that it's his character who gets all confused and stuttering in his rage. Tenor Nathaniel Peake asserted himself nicely eventually, after a slightly off-key shaky start; he has the consummate pro move, discreetly pulling out a handkerchief out of his pants to wipe out the lipstick swiftly between the final kiss of the excerpt of Massenet's Manon's, and his bow to the audience. Just like nothing happened! The giver of said kiss is Leah Crocetto, who displayed a definite affinity for the bel canto repertoire, dispensing Donizetti's ornamentations with lightness and agility.
While there were hiccups here and there (and you got to give credit to these singers for attempting to sing some excited ensemble piece with the conductor behind them), the youthful exuberance won us over and we're looking forward to Albert Herring, a rarely heard Britten opera this Friday and Sunday!