Treemonisha at Opera Memphis

If you’re wondering who or what Treemonisha might be, you probably aren’t alone. Treemonisha is, in fact, a relatively obscure opera, composed around the turn of the 20th century by a man most famous for his ragtime tunes: Scott Joplin. Part of the reason for the opera’s obscurity may be due to the fact that the entire score was not found until 1970! Because of this, this opera is relatively “new” and has not had much time to establish a reputation. Joplin’s opera incorporates aspects of standard or “classic” operas from previous centuries such as an overture, chorus numbers, recitatives and arias, but it also differs in a couple of important ways. For one, Joplin’s opera takes place in Texarkana, Arkansas post-American Civil War. As such, it’s also performed in English. Another difference is that Joplin is the music. I could hear some elements of the classical style, but by and large it sounded more modern, especially during the final act in which the whole company did the “Slow Drag”. While Treemonisha is not a ragtime opera, it was interesting that the last number was in the style of ragtime music…in fact it was ragtime music! The final scene was the best part of the opera because it included dancing and singing to Joplin’s peppy, light-hearted music.
On the whole, I felt the plot of this opera left something to be desired, but there were certainly moments of musical genius and something of a plot twist, otherwise, I got a little bored with how slow the plot progressed. I think the best parts of this production were the times when Joplin’s ragtime style came through, the costumes and set and the energy of the cast.
- Brigid Hannon

Photo: Anita Johnson, soprano, as "Treemonisha"

MSO Does Mozart, Strauss and Dvorak

On Saturday January 17th, 2009 I attended the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) performance of selections by Mozart, Strauss and Dvorak. The program began with the familiar melodies from the overture to Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni, proceeding then to my favorite piece of the evening, Don Juan, Opus 20, by Richard Strauss. It required a full orchestra and then some! I liked the rich sound and the passion and yearning it inspired. I think the violins really made the performance what it was because they created tension by means of various motives played quickly, even urgently, in a minor key. Strauss’ Burleske in D minor was next on the menu for our aural palate and it was quite impressive in a rather different way from Don Juan. While Don Juan employed a large orchestra, focusing on the strings for most of the dramatic effect, the Burleske had something else to offer: a prodigious Irishman (Barry Douglas) at the grand Steinway piano. His skills were top notch. I particularly enjoyed the instance when he rapidly played a sequence of chromatic scales…all the way down the piano!! It was definitely a treat to see him perform! The Dvorak was lovely but not quite as impressive as the other pieces on the program. I particularly enjoyed the dance-like third movement…in fact, I liked it even more than the fourth movement (even though the fourth movement is generally supposed to be the most impressive and dazzling of the four).
As always, I encourage more Rhodes students to take advantage of the student rates and the coda tickets offered by Rhodes, and see go to the Symphony!! Tickets start as low as $5 through coda, and $10 at the MSO box office (located in the Cannon Center). The next performance is Saturday February 7th at 8 pm at the Cannon Center, located down town. It features Scott Moore on the trumpet. I hope to see you there!-Brigid Hannon

History Boys Gets Top Marks

Be mindful not to compare The History Boys, winner of the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play, with other sentimental, treacly schoolboy fare like the 1967 film To Sir, With Love or the 1989 film Dead Poet’s Society. The History Boys seeks not to romanticize education, but humanize it, asking questions not only about the nature of education, but also the workings of the human heart, and the goals we choose to pursue.

Playwright Alan Bennett uses an English grammar school (the equivalent of an American high school) as the backdrop for his tale about differing views regarding education. While preparing for university entrance exams that will ideally gain them admission to prestigious Oxford or Cambridge University, eight foul-mouthed and sharp-tongued boys find themselves at the center of an ongoing educational debate. Their current teacher, Hector (Dave Landis), perceives education as something intended for the heart, his curriculum consisting of memorizing the poetry of W.H. Auden and Stevie Smith, the performing of classic film scenes, singing, and promoting fluency in French, which in one hilarious scene, he has them utilize by acting out a scene in a brothel. The headmaster (Stephen Huff) does not agree with this approach; instead he wants something quantifiable. He brings in Irwin (Eric Duhon) who, denouncing “sheer competence,” encourages the boys to differentiate themselves from other potential applicants by presenting alternative, controversial interpretations of historical events. “Truth,” he argues, “is no more an issue in an examination than thirst at a wine tasting or fashion at a strip tease”.

Hector complains that Irwin’s flashy approach to exam preparation is not history; it’s journalism. Hector and Irwin cannot see eye to eye regarding the purpose of education. Is education valued for its own sake or is it valued as an avenue to achieving success? Irwin says, “Education isn’t something for when they’re old and grey and sitting by the fire. It’s for now. The exam is next month.” Hector retorts, “What happens after the exam? Life goes on.” The play, however, wisely avoids casting either as the good guy/bad guy. Both teachers have their convictions, and more importantly, both have their imperfections.

The play also addresses homosexual relationships among students and between students and teachers. However, this is not a morality play, and the subject is treated less controversially than it might have been were this an American play.

The cast is anchored by strong performances by Landis and Duhon. Of the boys, standouts include DJ Hill, as Scripps, the moral compass of the group, Joe McDaniel as charismatic Dakin, the object of so many characters’ affections, and Ed Porter as the passionate Posner, whose emerging homosexuality and youth make him feel isolated from his peers and whose rendition of Lorenz Hart’s “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” and scene with Hector is heartbreakingly poignant.

Walking away from Boys, you may not have any answers, but it’s worth the price of admission to be asked the questions.

The History Boys, directed by Rhodes professor Cookie Ewing with assistance by junior Mallory Primm, features performances by sophomores Omair Khattak and Ed Porter and alumnus Michael Towle (2008). The show concludes its run at Circuit Playhouse February 15.

This article also appears on the Rhodes Codetta blog (rhodescodetta.blogspot.com). In addition to theatre coverage, Codetta features coverage on music and art both at Rhodes and in the Memphis community.
- Cristina Iskander

Orpheum’s Drowsy Chaperone “Shows Off”

The Drowsy Chaperone, winner of five Tony Awards in 2006, is both homage to and parody of the light, bubbly musical comedies characteristic of the Jazz Age, full of archetypal characters and frivolous, predictable plotlines. However, to fully accept and embrace this idea, you have to ignore some anachronisms. First, cast recordings did not even exist until sometime in the thirties, and secondly the musical score is not entirely in the style of the twenties. However, these are relatively easy things to disregard and do not interfere too much with enjoyment of the show.

The narrator for the evening, simply called Man In Chair (Tennessee native John West) shares his favorite indulgence with the audience—a cherished, old record of the (fictional) 1928 Broadway smash, The Drowsy Chaperone. He explains, as he puts it on, that when he listens to it, it transports him, and makes him feel as though he is seeing it live. The Man, who simply wants “a story and a few songs to take [him] away” from the reality that is his lonely, cluttered apartment, is delighted as his imagination takes over, the walls of his home give way and the characters of Chaperone stream in, miraculously entering from his refrigerator and dancing out of his closet.

The characters of 1928’s Drowsy—gangsters (Dennis Setteducati and Marc de la Concha), a producer Feldzieg and his ditzy, blonde girlfriend, Kitty (Britt Hancock and Lindsey Devino), Latin lothario Adolpho (Roberto Carrasco), and the drowsy (read: drunk) chaperone (Patti McClure) have gathered at dowager Mrs. Tottendale’s (Kristin Netzband) home for the marriage of retiring Broadway starlet Janet Van De Graaf (Elizabeth Pawlowski) to oil magnate heir Robert (Leigh Wakeford). As he watches the drama unfold, Man in Chair provides commentary—criticizing or praising certain lyrics and jokes in the show, drawing attention to some of the smaller, less flashy moments, and giving backstage information on the actors performing in the show within a show, gossiping about their careers, rivalries, and scandals.

All of the actors sing and dance ably and their devotion to the giddy, self-aware spirit of the show is admirable, but because of the nature of the piece, there are few opportunities to expand beyond a two-dimensional character portrayal. Pawlowski, McClure, and Carrasco have brief moments of triumph, where they are able to step out of the ensemble (Pawlowski in “Show Off,” McClure in “As We Stumble Along,” and and Carrasco in “I Am Aldopho), but it is only John West, as Man in Chair, who manages to escape this fate entirely, and his droll delivery is an ideal companion to the absurdities that characterize the show within a show.

The set design is inventive, the costume design is impressive, and some of the comedic gags like the repetition of the same lyric as the record “skips” are tremendously clever. However, at times, the script veers from self-conscious to self-congratulatory.

Despite its imperfections, The Drowsy Chaperone is something that people who love musical theatre will immediately understand. However, that said, it is not necessarily a show that anybody will enjoy because to truly appreciate Chaperone, you need to have experienced or felt what Man in Chair feels for this show, whether you have obsessed over a seemingly insignificant moment in a show, felt comforted and swept away by a cast recording, or acknowledged a show’s imperfections but adored it nonetheless.

Memphis was the second stop for the non-equity touring production of The Drowsy Chaperone. The show was performed at the Orpheum January 13-18.

This article also appears on the Rhodes Codetta blog (rhodescodetta.blogspot.com). In addition to theatre coverage, Codetta features coverage on music and art both at Rhodes and in the Memphis community.

- Cristina Iskander