regional theater

La, la, la… The actor is me, Alora Dagnino

C. Jefferson Thom — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 20:00:26 +0000

La, la, la… The actor is me, Alora Dagnino C. Jefferson Thom September 25, 2023 - 16:00

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I am a 44-year old playwright. I spent eight years in NYC working in the theatre and I have very little use for most things Disney (except Coco. I really love Coco). So why would I go see The Little Mermaid? Great question. Simple answer… I have a little girl in my life and if that's what it takes to expose her to the magic of the stage, then I'd even sit through a production of Cats. So while I certainly have my thoughts on this musical and this production, I feel it would far more appropriate and interesting to look at it through the eyes of Alora.

Alora is an eight-year-old girl with a vivid imagination and when I asked her about her experience seeing The Little Mermaid, these were some of her responses…

"Good. Good. I liked the amount of talking and singing. It was a good amount of talking and not all singing. My favorite songs were "Part of Your World" and "Under the Sea". My favorite character was The Little Mermaid [a.k.a. Ariel] and my favorite part about the character was the actor. I liked The Little Mermaid’s flying. Is that real flying? Can she really fly? I thought the story was good, it was great… I give it 100 points. I also liked Sebastian and how he sang the song "Under the Sea." Seeing The Little Mermaid in Seattle is sooooo cool. It felt more good than the other show [while Sondheim is more to my liking, it turns out he doesn't play as well with 8 year olds]. Ursula was so scary but I liked how it ended. It was so cool."

Alora was very interested in my typing and at one point decided she wanted to type the name of the actress who played Ariel:

dianhuey -- alora

…she missed an a, but I'm hoping Diana will understand. She also felt it necessary to type her name after as a sort of sign off.

When asked if she liked the romance in the show she spat out an initial "Yuck!," but after some twisting of the arm, but she confessed that she liked when The Little Mermaid fluttered her eyes and puckered her lips, trying to get the Prince to kiss her (this was accompanied by an spot-on demonstration). When I asked if she wanted the Prince to kiss Ariel she reluctantly admitted, "Yeeeaah." I didn't need her to tell me this, I was watching her reactions during the romantic moments and it seemed like she was getting a little swept away. While I am conflicted on the way Disney sells romance, seeing her excitement during "Kiss the Girl" was pretty endearing. We'll just put a pin in that and save some conversations about reality for a later date.

At this point, apparently not completely comprehending the purpose of this review, Alora broke out into song and wanted me to write down how she was singing… I shall indulge. She is joyful. She is happy. She makes bold and sweeping gestures. The songs touch on feelings she can relate to and she emotes with great passion.

"La la la, What is this stuff. Isn't it neat. What is that? It is my friend fish. My friend fish talks. What is this stuff. La, la, la… The actor is me. The actor is me, Alora Dagnino!" I should note, English is Alora's second language and she only started learning it this January. I wish my Spanish had come so quickly.

The affect that this production had on our little girl was self-evident. She's never seen the movie but she retained so much of the music and sings the songs back, adding a lot of her own words as you may have noticed, but getting the melody basically right. This is after seeing it once, so it clearly left an impression. She walks around acting out the scenes and assigning roles to the dogs in our house. The dogs have had a mixed appreciation for her determined direction.

We probably could have gone on like that for a while, but it was a school night and she needed to take a bath. So, did I have thoughts… sure. I almost always have thoughts where theatre is concerned but they would likely bore you here. Though I will note that Coleman Cummings was exceptionally good as Prince Eric… not the first role you would think of as standing out, but he was on point and I'd like to see him in another role someday. That being said, if you’re one who enjoys the wonderful world of Disney, I would recommend seeing this production, particularly if you have young children. I would also recommend having a little girl, if you’re so inclined to have children in your life. As it turns out, they're pretty awesome. - Alora Dagnino & CJT

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Seattle Opera's Yardbird Saved by Solid Talent

Lori Thom — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 02:58:06 +0000

Seattle Opera's Yardbird Saved by Solid Talent Lori Thom February 25, 2020 - 21:58

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regional theater

Charlie Parker's Yardbird

Seattle Opera

On February 22, 2020, the Seattle Opera debuted Charlie Parker's Yardbird. While I have been an avid theater fan since a pre-teen, I am surprised to realize that this was the first full opera I have ever seen. I feel I must disclose this because it so heavily informs my opinion. But if this art form is to survive, it needs to continue finding new audiences. From that angle, I am the target audience of this original piece created in 2015 for the Opera Philadelphia by Swiss composer Daniel Schnyder and American Librettist Bridgette A. Wimberly.

The storyline plays with time, jumping between moments in the life of Charlie Parker, King of the Saxophone. The stories of those moments are told through the eyes of the prominent women in his life. The feminine lens these stories are told through highlights Parker's failures and sickness rather than celebrates his music. Characters are flat and one-dimensional, given little chance for development in this structure of vignettes.

I didn't know what to expect from an opera -- much less one based on an American jazz legend. But one glaringly obvious omission was what this opera celebrates -- Parker’s contributions to jazz and bebop. Perhaps a better-trained ear than my own would be able to wade through the cacophony of the score and appreciate the marriage of classical and jazz, but the result for me was tense, manic music for too much of the show, leaving me mildly anxious and uncomfortable during moments which should have been tender or touching.

That's not to say this piece does not have triumphs. The orchestra performed deftly under conductor Kelly Kuo. I just didn't happen to want to like what was written on the page in front of them. The singers were masterful in creating melodic line with vocal character and beauty. It just didn't necessarily always fit with what the orchestra played. More often than not I felt a wild disconnect between vocals and orchestra, somewhat reminiscent of jazz musicians like John Coltrane, whose later pieces were often purposefully chaotic and disjointed, lacking in melody and structure. Perhaps this marriage of jazz and classical is simply one I do not have the musical maturity it takes to enjoy. Perhaps it means the marriage is contrived, and the two were never meant to be.

Photo by Philip Newton

Due credit must be given to Joshua Stewart's performance of Charlie Parker. I’m sure it was zero percent accurate, considering the mannerisms and vernacular of jazz musicians of the time, but suspending disbelief I enjoyed his performance. Stewart remained on stage for 92.5 minutes of this 93-minute intermission-less show. He made it look easy, and his vocals sustained throughout the entire show. If Stewart was ever fatigued, his voice did not betray so. A solid performer, Stewart is the anchor of this show.

Jorell Williams plays trumpet legend Dizzy Gillespie so masterfully it seems the part that was written for him. The energy Williams brings on stage is electric. The chemistry between Stewart and Williams is magnetic and elevates Stewart's already apt performance. Their duet "Bebop's Gonna Change the World" came closest to audibly honoring Charlie Parker's contribution to the genre. Jorell brought the cool, and the music followed him. This debut performance at the Seattle Opera is no doubt the first of many.

Established Soprano Angela Brown plays the role of Charlie's mother, Addie Parker. Her professional performance and perfected technique did not mask the richness of soul and depth of passion that resides at the core of her talent. Miss Brown’s performance makes it clear that the stage was always her destiny. With a plethora of vocal styles to pursue, opera owes Miss Brown a debt of gratitude as she inspires the new generation opera fans and performers to keep the genre alive.

The piece de resistance in this performance of Yardbird belongs to Donald Byrd and Mikhail Calliste, choreographer and principle dancer, respectively. Byrd constructs a modern dance, capturing the violence and sickness of a heroin withdrawal with staccato movements, and takes us on a journey of healing as Parker sobers up in a mental hospital. Byrd's vision is captured and performed masterfully by Calliste, whose passion and skill captivates, mesmerizes, and then releases. Byrd can be nothing less than elated at the prodigy’s performance, which alone is worth enduring the whole show. The piece's accompanying vocals by Jennifer Cross only served to lift the emotion, finally providing that feeling of losing myself to the muse. Miss Cross' exceptional vocal performance was the cause of titters from surrounding theater-goers, and a topic of conversation post-performance amongst my viewing guests.

Upon curtain call applause was verdant for all performances, but the audience erupted upon the appearance of Mr. Mikhail Calliste, the obvious breakout star. He received the first wave of well-deserved standing ovations, which continued sporadically for the remaining cast, who performed first-rate despite the little they were given to work with.

While Yardbird may fail to make the charts of history, it is a noble effort, only quelled by the constraints of expectations. If opera is to live, it must evolve. And in the evolution, risks must be taken. Not every risk will pay off, but lessons will be learned. While I hoped for a fusion of both jazz and opera out of this performance, I understand that it can't be easy to preserve the tradition of opera while reaching to incorporate the inevitable progress of society.

In a way, the struggle to find balance is the story of jazz. And jazz is the story of America. It's the marriage of different cultures, different generations, different ideas, which come together to create something altogether original, yet familiar enough to feel safe. But much like the traditional idea of what it means to be American must yield to the progress of the new generations, I suspect this search for a new balance in opera is the birth of what will become a new art form, a sort of neo-opera, different enough to be something new, but familiar enough to still be called opera.

While I didn't love Charlie Parker's Yardbird, it did not discourage me from continuing my own evolution as a theater fan. I look forward to the Seattle Opera's upcoming performance of La Boheme, coming this spring.

Performers to watch: Mikhail Calliste & Jorell Williams