Much Ado about Adieu

The Druid City Opera Workshop had a wonderful fourth year. The avid young artists were very prepared so staging was a rewarding and creative process. I enjoyed the variety of scenes I had the chance to direct. The Papageno/Papagena duet was fluttery and fun while "La ci darem la mano" explored some tantalizing boundaries. The West Side Story scene evoked memories of my own turn as Maria (back when I was 16!) while the Hansel and Gretel excerpt reminded me of when I first directed the show (4 years ago). Speaking of linguistic shifts, the Carmen quintet was done in English which just felt so counter-intuitive--so syllabic and un-French, but still fun. My favorite might have been "Adieu notre petite table" from Manon. Heather Keith delved deeply into this complex and vexing character, making me want to study the role again myself!