Merola Opera Program presents "L'Amico Fritz"; More pix from opening night, Schwabacher debut

SAN FRANCISCO—June 29, 2009—The Merola Opera Program presents Pietro Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz July 24 and July 26 at the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center. Tickets are affordably priced ranging from $60, $40 and with a special student price of $25.

In the leading roles are tenor Nathaniel Peake (in his second year at Merola) as Fritz Kobus, baritone  Aleksey Bogdanov as Rabbi David and soprano Sara Gartland as Suzel.  Cast pictured right.

Conductor Warren Jones will lead members of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in this black box theatre production directed by Nic Muni. This will be Warren Jones’ first time conducting L’Amico Fritz.

L’Amico Fritz is Mascagni’s second opera following the world-wide success of Cavalleria Rusticana. Set in a Jewish community in Alsace, France, Fritz Kobus is a bachelor and wealthy landowner who has bet his friend Rabbi David one of his vineyards that he will never marry.

Convinced that Fritz will find happiness in love, Rabbi David sets out to pair Fritz with Suzel, who is the daughter of Fritz’s tenant. Despite his best efforts to remain eternally a bachelor, Fritz falls in love with Suzel. As a wedding gift to the happy couple, Rabbi David returns the vineyard won from the bet.

The charming romantic score contains many delights including the often excerpted “Cherry Duet”.

Angela Gheorghiu and her husband Roberto Alagna have performed the Cherry Duet. 

Here Pavarotti and Fleming perform the Cherry Duet.

A few of the Merolini starring in L'Amico Fritz debuted this summer in the opening concert at Herbst Theater.  Tennessee soprano Susannah Biller showed range in reinventing herself from opera to opera.  Her well groomed well coiffed perkiness reminded me of Mary Tyler Moore especially when she served tea in L'Italiana in Algeri.  I liked seeing these young singers show such high spirits and frenetic energy so I also enjoyed the boisterous quartet in La Bohème as it seemed appropriate casting. 

Michael Sumuels (second from left next to Evan Boyer, Evan in the coat his Colline would sell to get medicine for the dying Mimi) made me laugh.  Michael pantomimed a sword fight and after his opponent picks up an imaginary weapon, Michael feigns lifting an ever so heavy and larger one by straining to get the thing off the ground.   He indeed has the biceps to lift it.  I also liked the commaraderie the men showed by embracing briskly.  Adding to the high spirits,

Tenor Brian Jagde from New York bounded up the aisle of the theater past me in the course of the horseplay.   No wonder Mimi came home from her rich man to die in Rodolfo's arms.

Sigh.

Lori Guilbeau, pictured above with Brian, can also be hailed as a southern belle like the graceful Susannah but Lori comes from Louisiana.  Lori played a gentle and composed soul and didn't overact or get melodramatic on her deathbed, which must be such a temptation in these pathetic misogynist Puccini tear jerkers I mean classics.  Instead Lori seems like a class act and rises above the libretto.  I still say give her something fun as somebody from Louisiana deserves, something where the pretty poor girl doesn't suffer and die . . . let's have some Mozart or Rossini for her as well as for Susannah. 

Finally, I must give credit to the conductor Mark Morash for his composure.  Just as he lifted his baton and the orchestra was about to hit it's first note on opening night of the summer season for the Merolini . . . a cell phone went off.  Josh Kosman would say, don't make me open up a can of whup-ass on ya'll.

Sung in Italian with English supertitles, the two performances of L’Amico Fritz are scheduled for July 24 (8:00 p.m.) and July 26 (2:00 p.m.) 2009. The Merola Opera Program’s Summer 2009 Season will also include, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così fan tutte at the Cowell Theater (August 7-9) and the Merola Grand Finale at the War Memorial Opera House (August 22).

Casting and production team for L’Amico Fritz is as follows:

Cast:

Rabbi David: Baritone Aleksey Bogdanov

Fritz Korbus: Tenor Nathaniel Peake

Suzel: Soprano Sara Gartland, pictured left

Hanezò:  Bass-baritone Yohan Yi, pictured left singing with baritone Michael Sumuel in L'Italiana in Algeri, in the opening summer concert

 

Caterina:  Soprano Susannah Biller, pictured left singing with countertenor Ryan Belongie in Orfeo ed Euridice at the opening summer concert
 

Susannah Biller sings with soprano Lori Guilbeau in La Boheme at the opening summer concert.
 

 Production Team:

Conductor:  Warren Jones
Director:  Nic Muni
Concept Designer:  Erik Flatmo
Costume Designer:  Ulises Alcala
Lighting Designer:  Mark Gilmore

THE MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM, a 501(c)(3) independent nonprofit organization (Jayne Davis, Chairman and Patrick Wilken, President) which operates in collaboration with San Francisco Opera Center (Sheri Greenawald, Director), and San Francisco Opera (David Gockley, General Director), has nurtured the careers of more than 1,000 up-and-coming singers, accompanists and stage directors since its establishment in 1957. Each year, more than 750 international artists vie for approximately 30 coveted spots in the summer program. Admission is based solely on talent rather than financial ability. There is no charge to the participants.

Merola has served as a proving ground for several acclaimed artists including: Sylvia McNair, Anna Netrebko, Patricia Racette, Ruth Ann Swenson, Carol Vaness, Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Dolora Zajick, Brian Asawa, Gary Lakes, Kurt Streit, Jess Thomas, Rolando Villazón, Thomas Hampson, John Relyea and Patrick Summers.
For more information about the Merola Opera Program visit www.merola.org.

Photos:  Merola Opera Program

Photos from Herbst concert:  Kirsten Loken Anstey