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Berkeley Opera celebrates 30th anniversary with Ruth Ann Swenson and some jewels (Part 2 of 3)
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Ruth Ann Swenson, Duana Demus-Leslie, Pedro Rodelas. Photo: Carter Krizman
Kip Kranna of SFO emceed the 30th anniversary of the Berkeley Opera last Sunday night. Celebrating at the beautiful brick First Congregational Church on Channing Way on an equally beautiful spring evening, headliner Ruth Ann Swenson received a standing ovation after performing two arias. Each of the women wore stunning jewel toned gowns in solid colors like emerald green, saphire blue and ruby red. They also showed off some décolletage and a little bling, including a newlywed Duana's wedding ring. And her new hubby. Ruth Ann in contrast, while petite and animated, emerged in a sophisticated and elegant black form fitting sheath. It had billowy cream colored sleeves and she wore her strawberry blond hair up.
Kip, of Kip Cam fame at that other opera across the Bay, says
Herb Caen helped immortalize the phrase 'Berkeleyer Than Thou'.
Specifically, the Berkeley Opera demonstrates certain quirks. Lesser known operas of major composers; Unusual versions; A secular oratorio; Mozart with dialogue instead of recitatives; Grand opera tailored for personal intimacy. David Scott Marley’s adaptations into approachability and English, where an Italian Girl in Algiers becomes Riot Grrrl on Mars . . . with the entire production videotaped by former singer Jeremy Knight and on Youtube under Berkeley Opera . . . with a harpsicord.
And then Die Fledermaus becomes Bat out of Hell . . . as Cinderella becomes The Golden Slipper. Scott says he’s working on a Cinderella make over, La Cenerentola. And so the evening began. Mezzo Catherine Cook started off with a song about an old goat who seeks a wife. The lucky winner wore a riveting midnight blue gown with a bolero and an unhappy face indeed. Vecchiotto, Berta's aria from The Barber of Seville by Rossini.
Similarly Marcelle Dronkers and Berkeley Opera founder Richard Goodman followed as Kip warned, the duet from Don Pasquale contains brief violence. Marcella emerges in her tiara and princess gown and cuckholds the poor gentleman with a series of high notes. Goodman, a former engineering professor at my alma mater UC Berkeley, cringes and holds his hands to his ears and she sings like a Valkyrie in his face.
Kip introduced Michele’s aria from Il Tabarro, “the cloak”. He says Berkeley likes lesser known operas. In this one a jealous barge owner kills his wife’s lover and hides the body in a cloak. “Que non piu . . . . “why do you no longer love me” sings John Minagro sardonically. John has also been in Phantom of the Opera.
Kip continued as a lesser known Puccini followed, with the best known aria. Love is more important than riches, she sings, after she finds rapture in a kiss. The distinctive piano introduction sounds like a music box, dreamy, like a ballet. Rapturous.
So Duana Demus-Leslie sang Doretta’s Song from La Rondine. Emerging in a stunning red gown and her new wedding ring, the San Francisco native is a newlywed in real life. The tall and sharp looking young man with smooth, long brown hair says he didn’t think he had a chance with her . . . and look what happened. Her husband Joshua, a teacher of politics, wrote her a story as a gift about the French resistance against the Nazis. He wonders aloud whether to write a continuation each year. Duana’s interest is in screen writing.
Carter Krizman, sitting next to me in the balcony, liked the flower duet from Madama Butterfly with Marie Plette in her emerald gown and Catherine Cook as Suzuki. She and Cio Cio San see Pinkerton’s ship arriving in the harbor. Their joy seemed so poignant as the two held hands and peered into the distance. Taking pictures later at the reception Carter would recreate the pose using me (as either Suzuki or Butterfly, I assume). Either sweet and artistic or not a good sign for me?
The evening continued with Torlef Borsting singing Belcore’s aria from The Elixer of Love; Marie Plette again with her aria to the moon from Rusalka, about a water sprite in love with a prince. The sprite pleads to the moon to translate and convey her love to the prince beseeching him to remember her. It was nice that she looked up and into the balcony as she sang; Annalisa Winberg and husband Roy Stevens followed with O namenlose Freud from Leonore (Fidelio). It’s an ecstatic final duet when the heroine is no longer in disguise as a boy to rescue her hubby.
I asked Annalisa and Duana the effect on a performance of having one’s hubby there as their husbands stood off camera, reading or taking off his tie during the reception. They agreed it makes a difference but disagreed on the relationship with the audience. Annalisa said in a large theater she prefers not to see the audience members; Duana likes the intimacy of smaller rooms and likes eye contact.
Ruth Ann Swenson sang out the first half of the evening with Mozart’s Deh vieni, non tardar from The Marriage of Figaro.
The Berkeley Opera gala is on Sunday May 31 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes.
Part 3 of 3 to follow with more photos and video by Carter Krizman.
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Photos: Carter Krizman
Video links of anniversary: Ching Chang
For more info: www.BerkeleyOpera.org
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