New Visions Exhibit: Scott Arend's Sock Puppet Costumes

Scott Arend's puppet for Juan in Don Quichotte (costume design by Missy West); Rozarii Lynch photo

"New Visions," an art gallery of work by employees of Seattle Opera hosted in the lobbies of McCaw Hall, is curated by Seattle Opera Trustee Judy Whetzel, Bellevue Arts Museum Artistic Director Stefano Catalani, and Speight Jenkins.

Alex Mansoori as Juan in Don Quichotte; Rozarii Lynch photo

As one of Seattle Opera's principal dressers, Scott Arend stays backstage during performances, assisting a principal singer with costume changes, making sure the singer  has his props—handkerchief, ring, letter in a hidden pocket—and anticipating other needs. If the singer has to perform a difficult aria or a physically taxing scene, for instance, Arend will have a towel on hand so the singer can wipe his brow. The more superstitious among the singers even ask him to hold their paycheck for them until the performances are over. And then there are the visitors, which Arend invites backstage or keeps at bay, depending on the singer’s wishes. It is his job to take care of all of these needs so that the singers can focus on singing and singing alone.

But while his singers are onstage, particularly during longer operas, Arend has some down time. During the Ring, Seattle Opera principal dresser Scott Arend found that he had long stretches of time between Greer Grimsley’s costume changes.  So he decided to start a new project “for the fun of it,” he says. The project turned into a sock puppet (aka "sock monkey") wearing an eye patch and a replica of Wotan’s God cape, replete with quilting, hand painting, and hand stitching. Arend gave the puppet to Grimsley as a gift after the production. “He went crazy for it,” Arend says.

William Burden as Dodge in Amelia; Rozarii Lynch photo

Scott Arend's puppet for Dodge in Amelia (costume design by Ann Hould-Ward); Rozarii Lynch photo

A tradition of sorts was born. Arend, who has been with Seattle Opera for nine years and is this month’s New Visions artist, has also made puppets for Luretta Bybee as Amanda in Amelia and William Burden as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, among others that will be in his McCaw Hall exhibit. Now he has singers making requests.

Luretta Bybee as Amanda in Amelia; Rozarii Lynch photo

Scott Arend's costume for Amanda in Amelia (costume design by Ann Hould-Ward); Rozarii Lynch photo

The small scale costumes do present challenges. If the weave of the original material is too big or it frays too easily, he looks for an imitation. And then there is the problem of the sock puppet’s figure, or lack thereof. “It’s a challenge because they’re floppy. They have no waist or shoulders, so they have fitting problems,” he said.

Aleksandra Kurzak as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor; Rozarii Lynch photo

Scott Arend's puppet for Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor (costume design by Deborah Trout); Rozarii Lynch photo

These miniature costumes are also an opportunity for Arend to create a costume in its entirety. (Typically, a single costume in the shop is created by a number of different individuals, from pattern-makers and cutters to craftspersons and stitchers.) He has also used the dolls as an opportunity to delve into the fashion of famous historical figures, such as Coco Chanel, Marie Antoinette, and Frida Kahlo.

William Burden as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor; Rozarii Lynch photo

Scott Arend's puppet for Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor (costume design by Deborah Trout); Rozarii Lynch photo

Arend’s interest in dolls and their cultural significance goes beyond his whimsical sock puppets. He is the author of Skipper: Barbie’s Little Sister and he has traveled as a consultant for Mattel, evaluating and appraising collections. And he has been interested in costume design for a long time, working for ACT, Intiman, 5^th Avenue Theatre, and Paramount, in addition to doing some fashion magazine photography.

It was as a design major at the University of Washington that he brought his interest into focus. He took a class in ballet and after the final performances, for which Arend had created his troupe’s masks and headdresses, the director of the dance department approached him and said something prescient (if perhaps a bit humbling), “I don’t think you have a future in dance, but your costumes were great.”

Interview by Jessica Murphy

John Lowrie and the Banjo That Knew George Gershwin

When Porgy and Bess opens tonight at McCaw Hall, there will be an unusual instrument in the orchestra pit--a twangy tenor banjo, which accompanies Porgy (Gordon Hawkins) in the song "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin." John Lowrie (left), noted Seattle actor, singer, composer, novelist, instrumentalist, banjo-player, and guitar repairman, tells us a little about performing the banjo part--and about the instrument he's playing, which was originally owned by a member of the band that commissioned Gershwin to write "Rhapsody in Blue."

Can you tell me about your musical and artistic background?
I started playing trombone when I was in 4th grade, picked up the guitar when I was in 7th grade, and then picked up the flute when I was in 10th grade. I went to Indiana University as a composer, and my principal instrument there was the trombone, because they didn’t have a guitar department. But by that time, I was already a professional guitarist and had played in a world fusion band that was made up of two acoustic guitars. Our duo had put out an album, and opened for people like Buddy Rich, back in the ‘80s.

Then in the late ‘80s, I fell into acting. In 1989, my wife and I moved to Seattle and began making our living primarily as actors. (My wife is Ellen McLain, who has sung many comprimario roles with Seattle Opera in the past 20 years.) But I’ve had occasional music gigs since then, such as playing in the national tour of the Broadway show Mame, which has a big guitar and banjo part in it. I’ve also done some composing, and I’ve just written a novel that will be released on September 1.

So, you’re a multi-instrumentalist who composes, acts, and writes? What is your upcoming novel about?
It's called Dancing with Eternity and I'd describe it an absurdist fable, set 2000 years in the future. They’ve figured out how to keep everyone from dying, and the novel explores what that society, without death, is like. So, for example, if I murdered you, you’d have to go to the hospital, I’d pay for it, and you’d end up being fine.

What’s your history with Seattle Opera?
My involvement with the company began in the ‘90s, when Speight Jenkins decided to commission a satire of Wagner’s Ring cycle--Das Barbecü--and I was in the original cast. I played Wotan and Gunther and Hagen and a bunch of other characters, because there were only five people in the cast. At the time, my wife was also starting to develop a relationship with Seattle Opera; she performed Silver Dollar in The Ballad of Baby Doe (1991/92), Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (1994/95), Flora in La traviata (1996/97), and a few others. And then I decided to work on my voice and take lessons and audition for the Seattle Opera Chorus (my wife and I have always been involved in musical theater). So I was in the chorus for The Flying Dutchman and Aida.

How did you begin playing the banjo?
Well, while I was getting my Master’s at Indiana University, I had a reputation as a guitarist. So when they decided to do Show Boat in the opera department, they asked if I could play the guitar and banjo parts for it. I’d never played the banjo, but I learned how; once you know how to play guitar, it’s a pretty easy transition. It’s like learning Italian when you already know Spanish. The 5-string banjo has its own oddities because of its short string, but the 4-string tenor banjo is just like the top four strings of a guitar. It was originally tuned like a mandolin, which was tuned like a violin.

An interesting connection I just discovered today: My first professional gig playing banjo was a European tour of Show Boat, and the conductor of that tour was Bill Barkhymer, from whom Seattle Opera has rented the current Porgy and Bess set.

You’ll be playing the tenor banjo in Porgy and Bess. What are some of the differences between this and the 5-string banjo?
There are theories that the name “tenor banjo” is a mutation of “tango banjo,” because the 4-string banjo was developed in the 1890s when tango was taking the country by storm. These tango bands had brass in them, and mandolin players weren’t loud enough to play alongside them, so the 4-string was developed. Then when Dixieland and jazz came about in the 20th century, you had brass bands and guitars weren’t loud enough to keep up with that, but banjos were. So they tuned these tango banjos similar to guitars, and perhaps that where the name morphed into “tenor banjo.” But despite its current name, the tenor banjo is no higher in pitch than the 5-string. It just has one fewer string.

Can you tell us about this particular banjo you’ll be using for Porgy and Bess? We hear it has an interesting back-story.
I didn’t have a tenor banjo before this summer. What I’ve always done is remove the short string of my 5-string to play the tenor banjo, because they’re basically the same instrument. But for Porgy and Bess, I wanted to do it up right, so I was on the lookout for a proper tenor banjo. I play Sherlock Holmes on a radio series on KIXI 880 AM, and I was going in to record an episode when I happened to tell Jim French, a producer and writer for the show, that I would be playing banjo for Seattle Opera's Porgy and Bess. He told me that his wife’s father played banjo with Paul Whiteman’s band in the 1920s--Whiteman was actually the one who commissioned Gershwin to write "Rhapsody in Blue" in 1924--and although her father had passed away in 1981, they still had his banjo. I said, “Oh, great, would you mind showing it to me?” I had a feeling it would be a tenor banjo, and it was. It had been a memento for his wife of her father, so it had been on display in the living room and had been subjected to the kind of things that instruments are subjected to when they’re not stored in a case—like changes in humidity, for example. The binding had come off one side, and it was filled with dust because banjos have a billion cracks and crevices dust can get into. So I said, “Listen, if you can loan me this for the summer, I’ll fix it up for you.” Jim asked his wife and she began crying because she thought it was wonderful the banjo was going to come back to life, be given a job with Seattle Opera, and be given a voice again.

I took it home, took it completely apart, cleaned every piece, glued the binding back on, scrubbed the frets, and cleaned it inside and out. I knew it was special when I saw it, but I did some research and found that it was a 1926 Vega No. 9 banjo, one of the finest banjos ever made. Also, because it was played on the vaudeville circuit with Paul Whiteman, it was all about pizzazz and show, so Pat’s father had put in two lightbulbs inside the banjo so the drum head would light up when he’d play!

Now, it looks wonderful. The gold plating is a little worn, but it sounds great and looks great, and it’s a privilege to be able to play this old banjo. The fun thing for me is that this banjo was playing with Paul Whiteman at the same time Gershwin was working on Porgy and Bess.

Are there any challenges in playing the banjo in Porgy and Bess?
The one thing you need to work on a bit is tremolo, because the style of banjo you want for Porgy and Bess is a kind of rinky-dink sound, and you have to find that hand. Other than that, it’s not a particularly difficult part, and I’m just featured in one number (“I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin”). But it’s wonderful, and I think the banjo is the perfect instrument for this moment. I’ve always thought of the banjo being the essence of optimism. Here’s an instrument that African slaves in this country put together to keep themselves optimistic and alive through this hideous ordeal of slavery. For Porgy to be accompanied by the banjo, when he’s singing that he’s as poor as dirt but doesn’t care because he’s still happy, I think that’s amazing.

Interview by Tamara Vallejos

Meet Our Singers: Donovan Singletary, Jake

Now's our chance to check in with Donovan Singletary, who plays Jake (fisherman and Captain of The Seagull) in Porgy and Bess, and who will stay with us through the fall to sing Zuniga in our upcoming production of Carmen. Donovan tells us about the prizes and threats that pushed him into opera in the first place, about working on Seattle Opera's production of Iphigénie en Tauride at the Met, and about singing Jake as a bass-baritone.

Welcome to Seattle! Can you tell us a little about your background—like where you’re from and how you got started in opera?
Thank you for the welcome! I’m very excited to be here in the Emerald City. I am from Crestview, Florida, and growing up, I was in choirs and doing talent shows while playing tennis, football, track and field, and weight lifting. I was also a part of a hip-hop dance team for a while, and I was a competitive public speaker, even once making it to the nationals of an oratory competition.

I’ve been singing opera for a little over 5 years now. I originally started out as a pop singer, and was involved in pop music groups before I went to college at Stetson University in Deland, Florida. I was a vocal performance major and went to college to get better training as a pop singer. Of course, I arrived at school and the world opened up and I realized how naïve I was about certain aspects of the music business. So, I tried to change my degree but I was stopped by the choral director, who had a talk with me about pursuing opera. I stayed in music a little longer, and then tried to change my degree again--but this time my voice teacher talked me out of it. So my voice teacher, Dr. Craig Maddox, and my choral director, Dr. Duncan Couch, really believed in and supported me.

I still wasn’t sold on this opera thing, and my voice teacher was aware of this. My teacher was the governor of the National Association of Teachers of Singing southeast region and he told me if I didn’t enter the NATS’ Regional Auditions, I wouldn’t get an ‘A’ for his voice course. So I entered and I won. That sparked my interest in opera, and I started entering more vocal competitions and continued winning. I decided to try the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition. At this time, I had no idea what I was getting myself into; I really had just learned about the Met. So I entered the competition at 21 years old and I ended up being one of the national Grand Prize Winners. That year, Joseph Volpe, then the general director of the Met, was about to give his post to Peter Gelb, and after I sang he came up to me and said, this year I’m giving an award in my name to one singer and I’d like you to have it. So that’s how it all started! I went back to Stetson to finish my degree, and then the Met moved me to New York two weeks after I graduated. I became a member of the Metropolitan Opera Young Artist Program and just graduated from the program last July.

Angel Blue (Clara) and Donovan Singletary (Jake) in Seattle Opera's production of Porgy and Bess.
Photo by Elise Bakketun

Have you had any previous experience with Porgy and Bess?
When I was in university, we did a semi-staged concert version of the popular arias from Porgy and Bess and I sang Porgy’s arias. So that’s the extent of my experience with this great show! I’m really excited and grateful for the chance to have the entire Porgy and Bess experience now in Seattle.

Tell us about your experience at the Met this past year. Did you get to work with Seattle Opera’s good friend Stephen Wadsworth?
Last year was my first year out of the Met program, and it was great! I was involved in five operas last year at the Met, and that’s awesome for someone who has just finished a Young Artist program. I was a part of Don Carlo, Pelléas and Mélisande, The Bartered Bride, Iphigénie en Tauride, and Capriccio.

And yes, I had the opportunity to work with Stephen Wadsworth! I love Stephen! I did Iphigénie en Tauride and The Bartered Bride with him! But I worked with Stephen before that because he was my acting teacher during my time in the Met Young Artists Program. Stephen has a great technique when it comes to acting. The things I learned from him have been some of the most valuable tools I’ve received during my time at the Met. His natural approach to directing, acting, and singing is amazing. And his process for developing and growing your character has been beneficial to my progress as an artist. I look forward to the next time we get to work together!

You’re a bass-baritone with a wide-ranging repertory. What kind of music do you prefer singing—bass or baritone? Old-fashioned or contemporary? Opera or concert?
It’s true, we bass-baritones have a broad range of repertoire! A bass-baritone should have the resonant low notes of a bass and the vocal brilliance and ability to sustain the high tessitura of certain baritone roles. I prefer singing repertoire that sits in the middle of my voice but has moments that take me to vocal extremes: Mozart roles like Don Giovanni, Figaro, and Guglielmo. Currently, Giuseppe Verdi is my favorite opera composer, but I love the music of Rossini and Handel because it gives me the chance to perform coloratura and move my voice. I haven’t had much performing experience with modern and contemporary music; I’ve sung music from Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah and hope to sing the role of Olin Blitch one day. Opera is normally big and exciting while concerts and recitals can be small and intimate. I enjoy them both.

John-Christopher Adams (Nelson) and Donovan Singletary (Jake) in Seattle Opera's production of Porgy and Bess.
Photo by Elise Bakketun

Tell us about the vocal challenges of your role here in Porgy.
Well, Jake is a baritone role and for me, generally, the higher the role is, the more dramatic the singing. I’m not thinking, ‘Oh, I have to think like a baritone’; I sing with the voice I have and let my voice adapt to the role’s demands. I’ve been learning to scale back the volume: I’m used to singing full out more often than not. So as Jake I’m trying to find moments where I can do special things with my voice and with the words to make Jake a multi-dimensional person. Also, singing the James Island Gullah dialect was initially a challenge; I approached it like I would any other language. Jake also has small vocal lines that seem to come out of nowhere, so you have to be very aware of the other musicians and the conductor.

It seems that nearly everyone is familiar with the music of Porgy and Bess, thanks to countless renditions over the years. Do you have a favorite performance of a song from Porgy and Bess by a non-opera performer?
The music of Porgy and Bess is amazing! There are so many singable and memorable songs, it’s no surprise the music is so popular, or that so many great artists have performed and recorded their own renditions.

The first performance that comes to my mind of a non-operatic singer’s cover of a Porgy and Bess song is: American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino’s performance of "Summertime." Fantasia’s performance was absolutely stunning and magical. It changed the course of the American Idol competition for her.

I’m grateful that Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, and DuBose Heyward created and produced this great work of American musical literature. I’m fortunate to be a part of it currently, and give my thanks to Seattle Opera for the opportunity!

Porgy and Bess: Preview Trailer

Gershwin’s portrait of life and love on Catfish Row boasts some of the most beloved songs ever written, including “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin,’” “I Loves You, Porgy,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.”



Learn more about Porgy and Bess on the Seattle Opera website.

Phillip Lienau Designs New Kittiwah Island Set

As Seattle Opera's Associate Resident Scenic Designer, Phillip Lienau (left) makes an artistic contribution to our production of Porgy and Bess that goes well beyond designing the benches Props Master Pete Olds mentioned yesterday. Jessica Murphy chats with Phillip about new locations and elements he's designed for this Porgy and Bess production, working with Seattle Opera's great tech team, and his upcoming Seattle Opera debut designing our new production of Orphée et Eurydice for next spring.

We are renting this Porgy and Bess production, but you are also designing one new location. Which element of the set have you designed?
I designed a new version of the Kittiwah Island scene, the last scene before intermission. The organizing idea was to create shaped surfaces that would accept projections. There are shaped projection surfaces that look like trees. The important thing is to support the emotional aspects of the action rather than to depict a particular place or particular flowers. It should create a feeling, an atmosphere.

Can you describe how those shapes will work?
The shapes will have two aspects. There are tree trunks and tree limbs loosely based in scale on the old oak trees you’d find in the South. But the other part of the shapes are an abstract field, a solid surface with holes. Shining the light through these holes creates a shadow on the upstage, a layering of light and shadow.

It seems as if shadows would be important in that particular scene.
One of the challenges we had is that we had to serve two different moods in that scene. The first half is positive and bright and fun at the picnic. People are excited, people are happy. But it becomes a dark, frightening, and intense scene, and we needed to convey both of these feelings. So we tried to paint it in colors that can pick up a bright light and a dark light.

I also designed another item on stage left, a new wall with a door and a window in Serena’s room. Chris Alexander realized he wanted the door and window, so I was called in to look at the existing set to do what he needed. We studied the existing wall, so we could match the pins and hinges exactly, as if it came with the set.

How have you been working with the lighting designer, Duane Schuler?
Once Chris Reay, the projections designer, and I worked out the shapes and the pieces of foliage, that was half the process. We knew what we picked would be affected by Duane’s lighting once he came in. We needed to make modifications to pick the light for these scenes, change the projections, and change the painting. It took having all three of these elements onstage to realize we needed a last-minute change to the set. It also took Chris Alexander on the set to find out where he wanted the people to be in that scene. From there we could see how the light was going to work.

When you see the set, you’ll notice that some of these fixed projections surfaces are one kind of green--mid-range green--and we realized that we wanted the bottom part from the ground up to 5-6 feet to be darker because the lights on the singers were making the sets too light, which would distract from the singers. We called in the painters from the Scenic Studios and they added tall dark grass shapes. It was a fast paint because we had a limited time. What we do is background to make sure the singers look great. We don’t want to upstage the singers.

Rick Araluce, from Seattle Opera Scenic Studios, adds painted foliage to the Kittiwah Island scene, as designed by Phillip Lienau

Do you also design props?
The set designer generally will also design the props. Because it’s a rental set, I was brought in to design additional props: furniture, a sign outside someone’s door, a banner in a Kittiwah Island parade, flags, crates, all the benches in the show. Some of the props already existed, and we’ve repainted them to work with Chris’s interpretation.

How long have you been with the company?
Three years.

Your job title here at Seattle Opera is Associate Resident Scenic Designer. What does this involve?
I am the technical draftsman at the Scenic Studios in Renton. I’m the go-to person to assist with scenic design for the company. I was the assistant set designer for Tristan and The Magic Flute. I’ll also be the set designer for Orphée. And then I work with Robert Schaub, Technical and Facilities Director, to make modifications to rental sets.

Will you be involving projections in your Orphée designs?
I can say right now that there are very few projections as far as we know. The design is still in development. There can be a manmade quality to projections because they are a product of the 20th century, that way of using light and image. But what the director and costume designer are working on is more timeless, with a very tactile, gritty quality to it.

What do you like about Porgy and Bess?
It’s my first time seeing it, so the newness of it is fun, and I happen to love Gershwin and the story. As a designer I can engage with the wide range of characters and emotions. When you look at the props, there isn’t one mood you want to create. Some are old and poor but some are bright and fun and some are fiery and passionate. Chris Alexander’s interpretation has inspired me to create the scene with many different moods and layers. It’s not about one person but a community. Everyone in the opera has a desire to love and be loved and to make a better life for themselves. I hope you can see that in the world around them.

Interview by Jessica Murphy

Meet Pete Olds, Seattle Opera's Prop Guy

Petrude Olds, Seattle Opera’s Properties Manager (or self-described “Prop Guy”) has worked for the company for 27 years. You may have seen him during a dress rehearsal—he traditionally comes out and takes a final bow with the performers—but otherwise he’s content to stay behind the scenes, using his broad range of technical and Boy Scout skills to create the props the performers use onstage. (Left, Pete with a prop used by Porgy and Bess's Strawberry Woman; Alan Alabastro, photo.) Recently, Pete was recognized for his dedicated volunteer service to the United Methodists Northwest Conference. Seattle Opera's Jessica Murphy caught up with him the other day and asked him about his work, his secret tricks-of-the-trade, and his favorite opera.

What kind of props are you working on now for Porgy and Bess?
For Porgy one new thing that we are just right now getting to is a 10-foot banner for what a revival service that happens in the show. We started with a large piece of muslin that will be held between two 10 foot poles. We’ve also made some new benches. The show has lots of stools and chairs from that period, the 1930s, and since it’s in a poor neighborhood, nothing is in good repair.

So the bench has to be sturdy but look like it’s not sturdy.
It looks old. Philip Lienau, associate resident scenic designer with our Tech Department, designed the new benches. He’s designing and we’re building anything new in the show that did not come from Spain with the rest of the props. Just today we provided them a wheelbarrow. One issue: Porgy uses a crutch in this show, and our Porgy is quite tall. A standard wooden crutch was too short. So we found a long metal crutch, and by the time we’re done with it, you won’t know it’s a metal crutch. We also had to make watermelon slices.

What will they be made out of?
They were made out of Styrofoam, with a cheesecloth over them that is painted to look like watermelon.

Is it common for directors to be figuring out what they need as they go?
Yes. Before the directors get here, they’ve looked at the libretto and started figuring out how people are moving [on the stage]. Sometimes the libretto indicates what kind of props are in the show, and directors will usually add to the list. If we have a prop, we provide it; if not, we create it.

So is it part of your job to say, “Yes, we can do that,” or “I’m not sure if that’s really possible.”
My answer usually is “Yes...uh, do we have the money?” We can create just about anything. For the last show, The Magic Flute, we made the spears that the Three Ladies carried around that lit up. We had to create those from scratch, just from the director’s and designers’ idea. It was quite a challenge. We ended up starting with Star Wars light sabers, and cast new spear tips and powered up the whole thing so pushing a couple buttons made the lights come on.

Lindsey Anderson, as The Magic Flute's Third Lady, grasps a spear created by Pete Olds and team (Rozarii Lynch, photo)

I heard that one of the props in Porgy is a breakable bottle.
That one is easy. There are companies that specialize in making things that break. We buy the kind of breakaway bottles the director wants. (They’re not cheap.)

You want something that will break but not shatter?
We have to live with what it does. In this case, we don’t want it to disintegrate totally, because the character has to use it as a weapon. Breakaway bottles tend to disintegrate when they break, [but then] the person doesn’t have anything to hold on to to use it as a weapon, so we’re working on that. But I don’t want to give away the secret.

Pete Olds shows a prop dagger to students on a backstage tour (Rozarii Lynch, photo)

I’m sure you have a million secrets up your sleeve. But how does the bottle disintegrate?
It’s not real glass. It’s usually resin. And the resin breaks up into dust and little pieces. If you were to step on them, they shatter into dust.

So you have to buy eight of those, enough for each performance?
However many we need. One for each rehearsal, and extras...sometimes they break just taking them out of the box.

How do all of these things get communicated to you?
The stage managers are at every rehearsal and take notes from the directors and singers. They give me notes about what changes or what needs to show up in props.

Have you worked a Porgy here before?
Yes, this is my second Porgy. The previous one (1995) used a set that Seattle Opera built, although the show was rehearsed in Houston. In that one, there was a goat pulling a cart to move Porgy around.

So was the goat considered a performer or a prop?
Any animal onstage is the responsibility of the props department.

So you handled the horse and donkey in Don Quichotte?
Yes, Desperado and Millie. And I spent a lot of time cleaning up after that donkey. Onstage and offstage.

I have a new appreciation for what it means to have a live animal in performance! How long have you be working for Seattle Opera?
Twenty-seven years. I started April 1, 1984.

What was your training before you started here? It seems like you have to know how to do everything.
When I was young, my parents let me do lots of things, got me to do lots of things. I learned to do leather work when I was in elementary school; my dad worked in movie theaters, so I learned a lot about A/V (and how to clean, because he’d make me clean the theater after the movies). I was a Boy Scout and learned knots, how to use weapons, all those things. Being a prop guy, I use all those skills.

Have you always been interested in theater and the arts?
No, I went to college because of music. I played trombone, and a college said, “Come here and learn music.” But I got a job onstage, so I got exposure to lots of things.

Onstage or backstage?
Oh, I hated to act. I was backstage. I was a tech guy all the time.

Except when you bow at every Seattle Opera dress rehearsal. How did that start?
What happened was, a stage manager was once looking for the conductor to come out and practice the bow. The leading lady usually comes out and gets the conductor to bring him onstage for his bow, but at this rehearsal the conductor wasn’t there. I was standing there, and the stage manager asked if I would you go out instead. “Sure.” So the soprano came over, and they put my hand in hers, and I went out and did the bow. They kept asking me to do that, and that was years ago.

Pete Olds leads the curtain call as prop-conductor after the Porgy and Bess dress rehearsal, with Mary Elizabeth Williams as Serena, Lisa Daltirus as Bess, Gordon Hawkins as Porgy, and Jermaine Smith as Sportin' Life; Maestro DeMain was still in the pit, where (after the bows) he continued working with the orchestra until the end of the rehearsal (Elise Bakketun, photo)

So you are really the conductor there.
I’m really the stand-in conductor for bows at rehearsal. Lots of people say, “Who is that conductor? We see him at every dress rehearsal.”

Do you have a favorite production?
I have found a couple operas I really like after doing them more than once. My favorite opera now is Die Fledermaus. For some reason I have a history with it that is quite unusual. I grew up in the army, and while we were in Germany, my parents went to see Die Fledermaus. That night, I had a major part in a Boy Scouts banquet, and afterward I was waiting for my parents. They thought I was too busy, so they left me at this banquet and went to the opera without me, which would have been my first opera. Then, when I finally got to do the opera at Seattle Opera years later, the music kind of got into me. I know that opera really well, I don’t know why. Maybe because it's a comedy, and I love to laugh.

Pete Olds at work on Porgy and Bess (Alan Alabastro, photo)

Tell us a little bit about the Bishop’s Award that you won this summer.
I’m a United Methodist, and once a year the United Methodists in the Pacific Northwest meet--all of the churches in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, some from Oregon and Idaho. There’s an average of 600 plus people that attend the conference. I was the representative from my church one year, and being a techie, sitting there watching things go wrong was bothering me, so I went and volunteered to help them, move a chair or whatever they needed. The next thing I know they’ve got me driving their truck, moving their equipment, helping get all the equipment to do the conference...and I’ve been doing that for about seven years, every year for a week. Every year the bishop who is in charge of the Pacific Northwest picks two people for an award for the service they provide to the annual conference.

I was minding my own business this year when the person who works with me dragged me out and said, “There’s something wrong with this TV monitor.” I’m looking at it and thinking, “There’s nothing wrong with this TV monitor.” The bishop began reading about the person who was about to receive the next award, and I couldn’t hear him because I was too busy looking at the monitor, and then I hear him say that this person “takes a week off from Seattle Opera to come here and help us do this.” That’s when I knew I was in trouble. I got an award for providing services to them for the last seven years, and hopefully into the future.

Pete Olds shares details of prop-making with young opera fans

I love how you say that “Watching things go wrong was bothering you.” As a techie, do you find yourself getting roped into strange things outside of work?
I had two kids going through elementary school, and I built haunted houses at school. I’ve been an auctioneer at school functions, I’ve been chaperone on many trips, and I‘ve helped with plays and musicals at schools. You don’t necessarily get roped into it, but how do you say no?

Because you have the experience to help them...
And the equipment. And I think it’s really special to help the schools and help kids see that there’s more than being a basketball player or football player. There’s a whole area that some kids just miss.

Interview by Jessica Murphy

Meet Our Singers: Gwendolyn Brown, Maria

Contralto Gwendolyn Brown is one of the many talented singers making their Seattle Opera debuts in Porgy and Bess (opening this Saturday!). As Maria, Gwendolyn gets to hold the Catfish Row community together, haggle with the Crab Man, burn a secret flame for Porgy, and threaten Sportin' Life with a meat cleaver. Today we chat with Brown and ask her about her unique voice type, what it's like to play this fabulous character, and her past experience with this great American opera.

You’re new to Seattle Opera…welcome! Can you tell us a little about your background? We’d love to know where you’re from, how you became involved in opera, and some of your favorite roles.
I’m originally from Memphis, TN, and grew up with a strong Gospel music heritage. My world was Gospel music until I went to Carver High School where my teacher Yvonne Hull exposed me to classical music. I had more of a classical voice than a Gospel one, which I realized while at Fisk University as a Fisk Jubilee Singer™. But it was in grad school at University of Memphis where my appreciation of opera grew.

While still in grad school, I was dared to audition for the young artist program at Lyric Opera of Chicago (then called “The Lyric Opera of Chicago Center of Young American Artists”). The dare was to motivate me to take a step of faith. I went to the preliminary auditions having little experience, and didn’t think I was going to make it. Well, I made the cut for the finals, and I was accepted as an apprentice in the young artist program. When the apprentice portion of the program ended I remained in the chorus. I used that time to allow my voice to mature, learned by observing some of the great opera singers of our time as they perform on Lyric’s stage, and kept my focus on my goals. I also sang developing roles, recitals during the off-seasons, and even was part of the young artist program at Des Moines Opera. Roles I love include Ulrica, Azucena, Erda, Gaea (in Strauss' Daphne, Quickly, Fricka, Cornelia, Madam Flora (The Medium by Menotti) and Baba the Turk (The Rake’s Progress by Stravinsky). I’m really exploring the full range of my fach at present, and enjoy these types of roles while exploring roles in American operas.

Tell us about Maria. I get the sense that she’s a little sweet on Porgy—do you think that’s the case?
Maria is matriarch of the community, a true example of one who understands the concept "it takes a village." She knows everyone, has helped in many births, nursed the sick, and seen many deaths. She is often sought for council. She's an entrepreneur. She has a stable business (as a shopkeeper, and “the best cook in town”) that’s stable enough to help support other businesses. But, she is quite wise with her money. While very spiritual, she is also quite grounded (after all, she does sell liquor in her shop and nearly curses out Sportin’ Life, the only person she truly hates). But, her love is genuine. She’s made of some sturdy stuff. There have been many interpretations of Maria as solely the “comic relief,” but she’s more than that—much more. I explore all her emotions and keep her an integral part of the story. Yes, Maria will have the audience laughing, but I also want the audience to feel her heart. In short, I work hard to make sure she is not a caricature.
And yes, Maria’s sweet on Porgy, all right. She understands him and truly wants the best for him. She protects Porgy, but she knows when to let things happen in his life. I like to think she understands him the most. That’s why she, more than anyone, is able to let Porgy go when he decides to go after Bess.

Stage Director Chris Alexander shares a smile with Gwendolyn Brown in rehearsal.
Photo by Alan Alabastro

One of the great highlights of Porgy and Bess is Maria’s “Friends with you, low-life? Hell, no!” Do you consider that piece an aria, a song, or a rap? Is it tricky to negotiate the speak-singing there? Do you use your full voice?
[Laughs] No, this is not an aria. Historically, this is a "patter song," a moderately fast song that is spoken rather than sung, with full regard to the rhythm dictated in the score. Patter songs were commonly used in the musical comedies of the ’30s and ‘40s. I would not put it in the category of rap, but I would say that it is one of the historical musical forms that could be considered a predecessor of rap. Rap, to me, is lyrical poetry set to music. A patter song’s spoken lyrics conform to the rhythm set by the composer. Rap’s “lyrics” conform to the rhythm of the poetry while the music serves as its backdrop and rhythmic driving force.

I play around with the opera and spiritual/gospel singers in me when I perform this. Because it is scored, negotiating the speak-singing is not really that tricky. I just keep the spoken part right in my middle voice where I sing. I also have experimented with certain inflections on words and exploring vocal colors, paying attention to the accents given in the score. Yes, I use my full voice, breath support and all. Just before the patter song, there is a part that is sung. I’ll just say that the voice I am using for that part— it ain’t fully operatic!

What’s it like being a contralto? How did you figure out you’re a contralto and not a mezzo-soprano?
It is awesome being a contralto. Over the years as my voice and I have matured, I’ve realized that having a rare voice type is such a unique gift, and I have become a good steward of it. In fact, I am humbled that I have this gift and am thankful. I’ve been blessed to have the help of some of the best voice teachers during my development. I wasn’t pushed too fast, which allowed the natural ability of my voice to fully mature. I had to learn patience during the time of development which included the ever-meticulous negotiating of the natural contralto lower passagio.

My undergraduate teacher at Fisk University was Valija Bumbulis. At my first lesson (when I was 17) she told me “you are a true contralto.” At that time, I sang second soprano in Gospel choirs. But, she was right. She heard the richness and dark qualities of my voice even then. After hearing other mezzos, I was assured that I was a contralto, never doubting this for a second and letting my voice speak for itself. My range goes down to a low C below middle C (keeping the head/middle to chest mix even that low), and goes up to a high B-flat (high C twice a week and every other Saturday [laughs]).

Gwendolyn Brown as Maria.
Photo by Alan Alabastro

Much of this cast has a great deal of experience performing Porgy and Bess. What about you, what’s your background with this opera?
I have a great deal of experience performing Porgy and Bess, as well. My first performance of Maria in Porgy and Bess was with Tulsa Opera, and I was Marietta Simpson’s understudy for Maria at Lyric Opera of Chicago while singing in the Porgy chorus. And I’ve recently done performances as Maria at Washington National Opera, Grand Rapids Opera, New Orleans Opera, overseas in Germany and Amsterdam on tour, and did a portion of the 75th Anniversary Tour in the US last year. I've also done a concert version at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic, and will do another concert version with Boston Symphony at Tanglewood just as soon as I walk off the stage here at Seattle Opera. A couple years ago, Porgy and Bess celebrated its 75th Anniversary, and I am quite honored to have played Maria during this time.

Do you have a favorite performance of a song from Porgy and Bess by a non-opera performer?
I know this is not a specific song, but I LOVE this medley performance by Sammy Davis, Jr. back in the ‘70s.

I love the genius of Sammy Davis, Jr. In the video, he’s both Porgy and Sportin’ Life. His interpretation just leaves me in awe. Talk about your triple threat! I would have loved to see him do Sportin’ Life!

Meet Our Singers: Angel Blue, Clara

Seattle Opera opens its 2011/2012 season next week with Porgy and Bess, so it's time to get to know another of our wonderful singers for this production. This time we chat with soprano Angel Blue, who plays Clara and sings the haunting lullaby "Summertime." Blue makes her Seattle Opera debut in this role, which she has previously performed in San Francisco. Read on, as we ask this Southern California native what it's like to sing such legendary music, and discover more about her background.


You’re new to Seattle Opera. Welcome! Can you tell us a little about your background, like how you became involved in opera?
I’m from Apple Valley, CA, which is about two hours outside of Los Angeles and two hours south of Las Vegas. I started singing when I was about 5, and my father was an opera singer, so I grew up listening to all the great singers, like Leontyne Price and Plácido Domingo. My father would walk around the house singing all the great arias, so I just fell in love with it that way. When I was 9, I started doing something called PAW (Performing Arts Workshop). It was more a summer thing, but it took the entire summer and you prepared for it the whole year. It was mainly musicals, so we did shows such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Les Misérables. And then when I was 14, my parents enrolled me in LACSA (the Los Angeles County School for the Arts) and I studied piano, opera, musical theater, and acting. For college, I went to the University of Redlands and got my Bachelors of Music there, and then a Masters of Music from UCLA.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?
One thing I am very proud of is that my mentor, Plácido Domingo, sent me to Operalia in 2009. I was competing in the Zarzuela category—Zarzuela is Spanish operetta—and I knew how much Zarzuela meant to him because of his heritage. So it was a goal of mine to win that category, and I did. So that meant a lot to me.

Do you have a favorite composer for the voice?
I don’t have a favorite composer, but I have a favorite singer. Leontyne Price is my favorite singer, and she sings a lot of Verdi and Puccini. Because of that, those would be some of my favorite composers, but it’s because of her!

Lisa Daltirus (Bess) and Angel Blue (Clara) rehearse for Seattle Opera's production of Porgy and Bess.
Photo by Alan Alabastro

Much of this cast has a great deal of experience performing Porgy and Bess. What about you? What’s your background with this opera?
I had only seen it once before I performed it, and that was when I was about 16. I totally didn’t get it; I thought it was a musical! Like so many people, I recognized a lot of the music but I didn’t get the depth of it. Then, two years ago at San Francisco Opera, I made my debut as Clara. Since then, I’ve been singing “Summertime” a lot in concerts and such.

What have you found to be the biggest challenge of this role?
I started studying the role in 2008 and the hardest thing for me to grasp is how people lived their lives back then. So I’ve really been trying to bring myself into the character and understand all the themes that make Porgy and Bess what it is, because we’re so far removed from that now. So when I began studying the role back in 2008, I was thinking to myself, “No one talks like this anymore!” But I’ve been to Charleston—my dad’s side of my family is from the south—and that has helped me a lot with the dialect, because the dialect is very different. So basically, I’ve been trying to get myself, in 2011, to think what I would have been like in 1935.

”Summertime” is a song that nearly everyone knows, even if they don’t know it comes from Porgy and Bess. How do you make such an iconic piece of music your own?
I think for me, the words really mean a lot. Sometimes you have a really good, iconic song and it stays in your head and you can always remember the melody. But with “Summertime,” what sticks with me are the words. For example, my grandmother grew up picking cotton and when I first sang the role two years ago, I asked her about these lyrics, and she explained to me, “Oh, when cotton is high, picking it is so much easier.” And there’s the greater understanding of Clara, and knowing that in Catfish Row, Jake is probably one of the richest men there, and they have stability with their young baby, knowing that the cotton is high and people can work, and her husband is working, and she herself is beautiful. I think those words mean a lot to me because I connect it to my family history. So that’s how I make it my own, instead of being intimidated by all the great singers who have sung the part.

Director Chris Alexander works with Angel Blue (Clara) during rehearsal for Seattle Opera's production of Porgy and Bess. Watch Alexander discuss this cast in his recent Director's Talk video.
Photo by Alan Alabastro

”Summertime” especially has been performed by so many artists over the years. Do you have a favorite non-operatic rendition of it?
I have two that I can think of. One is Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington, and it’s just a beautiful rendition. It’s really low but, of course, it’s Ella and she can do that. She doesn’t scat on it or anything; it’s written exactly the way Gershwin wrote it.

The other rendition I like is by a band called Sublime (I like rock music a lot). It’s not the whole song, just parts of “Summertime,” but I love it so much. They were a wonderful band.

What other rock music do you like listening to?
Well, on my way in this morning, I was listening to “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden, because it’s definitely appropriate. I love Pearl Jam, and I’m a big fan of Nirvana. I’m in Seattle so I have to mention these bands! I listen to everything, but I love rock and roll, and I’m definitely a grunge person. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, as an opera singer, but I used to be into metal. And then I got into screamo kind of stuff.

That would definitely mess up your voice!
Definitely. So I think I’m sticking with my grunge phase.

New Online Learning Classes

This past May, Seattle Opera offered our first ever stage makeup class, and now we are happy to offer an online version of the class, an introductory course perfect for anyone wanting to learn a new hobby or anyone working in theater anywhere.

Seattle Opera Hair and Makeup Manager Liesl Gatcheco-Munemitsu leads the lesson along with Prinical Hair and Makeup Artist Tricia Partida. Our model is straight from our own women's chorus, Lucy Weber. Here, our artists show how to achieve a French Revolution look.

Part 1 covers foundation, contour, and highlighting.



Part 2 covers eyes, cheeks, and lips, plus the final transformation with wig and costume.



We would love your feedback as we consider whether to create more videos like this in the future. For example: Did you find these videos valuable? Did they make you want to learn more? How likely are you to use these skills? Please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts! Thanks, and enjoy!

Behind the Scenes: Porgy Orchestra

Some of opera’s most memorable music is in Porgy and Bess, and the orchestra is responsible for making it come alive to us. Go backstage to an orchestra rehearsal and hear the songs you know and love, plus Maestro John DeMain walks us through some of the challenges of this work, why Gershwin is so difficult to perform, and why our orchestra is up to the task.




Learn more about Porgy and Bess on the Seattle Opera website.

Porgy and Bess: Director's Talk

The artists are hard at work in rehearsal, and Stage Director Chris Alexander brags on the amazing talent found in the cast and conductor. Watch Alexander's take on this production, peek behind-the-scenes at the rehearsal process, and hear commentary from the star singers themselves.




Learn more about Porgy and Bess on the Seattle Opera website.

Meet Our Singers: Mary Elizabeth Williams, Serena

Today, we get to know soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams--and her character, Serena--a little better. Williams was a Seattle Opera Young Artist in 2000 (Elvira in Don Giovanni), and made her mainstage debut as Leonora in Il trovatore back in 2010. Now she's back for Porgy and Bess, and in our Q&A, she tells us what's likeable about Serena, what it's like to portray grief on stage, and shares some of her favorite Porgy and Bess renditions.

(By the way, for more with Williams, tune into KITZ today between 6 and 7 p.m., when host Mike Siegel will re-broadcast an interview he had with her last week.)

How did you get started singing Serena?
My first experience singing Serena was thanks to Dennis Hanthorn at the Atlanta Opera. He knew me back when I was a young singer in Milwaukee (at the time, he was the General Director of the Florentine Opera there), and had hired me for a small role in Der Rosenkavalier while I was in school. He called me out of the blue in 2004 while I was living in France, finishing up the young artist program at the Opera National de Paris, and offered me the role for the following season. It was my first good-sized role at a professional level in the USA, and I will forever be grateful that Mr. Hanthorn remembered me—and hired me!

Tell us about Serena—her pride, her intolerance, her faith.
Perhaps it is a weakness of mine that I cannot sing a character well unless I like her—and in my early experiences, observing Serena from the audience, I can't say that I had much affection for her. She always seemed so haughty and mean-spirited. And inflexible! She was a piece of work. Because I didn't like Serena much, it was difficult for me to empathize with her.

So, when it came time for me to try my hand at bringing Serena to life, I remembered my own experiences as an audience member and promised myself I would try my best to blaze a newer, sweeter trail as Serena. I have worked hard to humanize her, mostly for my own sake! I try to show that Serena is a woman who believes deeply in the comfort and grace of God, and who looks to religion to give meaning and a framework to her life. She has lived through some very bad times and is distrustful of anyone she doesn't know well. She likes to keep her world small because she is an exacting woman, and chaos and change make her anxious. She is fiercely protective of her family, and holds them to a very high standard of behavior—but under her tough exterior is someone who loves just as fiercely. I try to find moments, being Serena, to show the audience her softer side...I want the audience to see her hold her children close, smile fondly at her husband, and help her neighbors. Otherwise, Serena is often remembered only for her wailing and spiteful words—and to me, she's so much more than that.

Mary Elizabeth Williams (Serena) and Angel Blue (Clara) rehearse for Seattle Opera's production of Porgy and Bess.
Photo by Alan Alabastro

In the prayer “Oh Doctor Jesus,” you’re able to improvise your own cadenza(s). Do you usually do the same thing, or do you try to mix it up each time?

In general, I am the type of singer that always mixes things up, even when I'm singing Aida or Trovatore! I find that when I let the spirit of the moment and the music move me, interesting things usually happen. In general, though, the "mixing" I do is pretty tame—I might play around with word stress, dynamics, or perhaps where I choose to breathe in a phrase. I guess I have learned over time that these are the things I can change from performance to performance without driving the conductor crazy. I am not the type of singer to interpolate cadenzi; truthfully, that's never been my strong suit, and I prefer to leave the melody-making to Gershwin, who was much more talented than I!

The grief you channel in “My Man’s Gone Now” is hugely powerful. Is it difficult to get yourself to that emotional place, or does it come naturally? Do you have to be careful so that your own emotions don’t get in the way of your singing?

It is very nice to know that the audience feels something powerful when I sing this aria. I have always felt, in every work I sing, that communicating emotion is my primary job as a performer. I will be completely honest that, most of the time, I actually cry real tears when I sing "My Man's Gone Now," because the music carries me to place of legitimate grief. I have always been able to sing and cry at the same time, thank heaven; with all the sad roles I sing, I end up crying onstage quite a bit!

I have never lost a spouse, but I have many emotional memories from my life that I draw on to sing the role of Serena: for example, the waves of physical pain that would come over me in the months following my father's death. I remember the extreme juxtaposition of emotion; I could laugh at a happy memory of him and 30 seconds later be dissolved in tears. I remember being angry he was gone. I remember feeling a rush of gratefulness that he had lived such a good life. I try to use these experiences as an emotional blueprint, because I think grief is a universal and animal experience to which we all can relate.

Arnold Rawls (Manrico) and Mary Elizabeth Williams (Leonora) in Seattle Opera's 2010 production of Il trovatore.
Photo by Rozarii Lynch

Nearly everyone is familiar with the music of Porgy and Bess, thanks to countless renditions over the years. Do you have a favorite performance of a song from Porgy and Bess by a non-opera performer?

Oh my, this is a tough one! I love Nina Simone's "Summertime," and everything Ella Fitzgerald ever sang from Porgy and Bess, because I love everything she does, period.

I have a sassy little rendition of "It Ain't Necessarily So" featuring Beverly Kenney singing with only a solo drum accompanying her. I love that version.

Louis Armstrong’s rendition of "A Woman is a Sometime Thing" is a masterpiece, too. Gershwin wrote an opera that can't help but be re-imagined, repurposed, and quoted—and I think Gershwin would be very happy that we're still finding new ways to bring this music to life.

Meet Our Singers: Gordon Hawkins, Porgy

Time is flying by, and we are only a couple weeks away from the opening of our 2011/2012 season with Porgy and Bess. As usual, we'll be bringing you Q&As with members of the cast, and today we kick off with our wonderful Porgy, baritone Gordon Hawkins. He was last seen at Seattle Opera in 2010, as Count di Luna in Il trovatore, and also as Donner/Gunther in our 2009 Ring. Speaking of the Ring, Hawkins came to Seattle this month immediately after finishing San Francisco's production, and we ask him what it's like to go from Wagner to Gershwin, his character, and some of his favorite Porgy recordings.

You’re coming to this Porgy and Bess right from the San Francisco Opera Ring, and you must really know both Porgy and Alberich by now. But what’s it like to flip between these two polar opposites?
Going from Wagner's Ring to Gershwin's Porgy is kind of like parachuting from a plane at 20,000 feet, and landing on a speeding train. Wagner's emotional and dramatic ebb and flow are incomparable. For three months, I lived and breathed one of the greatest villains in the entire operatic lexicon. Now, I have an opportunity to indulge a more lyrical side. I can play more with spinning melodic lines, perhaps indulging the tone a bit more in certain places. There is a purity, a simplicity, in Gershwin that can only be reached by surrendering yourself to his rhythms. You literally have no choice but to ride his melodic tracks and let your body go with it. In the end, how lucky can one singer be? I have an opportunity to sing two characters that travel diametrically opposing dramatic arcs. Alberich forsakes love to gain the world; Porgy gives up all he owns to reclaim his love.

Gordon Hawkins as Siegfried-disguised-as-Gunther in Wagner's Götterdämmerung in 2009.
Photo by Rozarii Lynch

How many nights of your life have you spent singing Porgy? How has your understanding of the character changed since the first time you performed the role?
I have sung the role of Porgy nearly 130 times. Actually, I have sung Rigoletto the most—and my Alberich tally is rising as we speak! As in most cases, the more I grow as a human being, the more colors I have to paint with. I simply see more opportunities. There are more risks taken, and hopefully these risks help me to illuminate the human condition of the roles I play. I try not to make any judgments about Porgy, making sure he remains a strong, dynamic man. Over the years, perhaps I have learned a bit more about both physical and emotional challenges. Not all of these restrictions are visible to the human eye.

Gordon Hawkins (Porgy) and Lisa Daltirus (Bess) in staging rehearsal for Seattle Opera's Porgy and Bess.
Photo by Alan Alabastro

Sometimes Porgy is sung by a bass-baritone; how does it fit in your baritone range? In terms of the vocal challenges, is there any other role you can compare it to?
Audiences should keep in mind that Porgy was written with two singers in mind. Paul Robeson was more of a bass, and the first part of Porgy vocal range sits low to middle. The second half was written for Todd Duncan, who was a high lyric baritone. I believe my voice has the timbre to do the first part justice, but I am definitely more comfortable with the higher tessitura. As a result, while singing Porgy, I cannot invest so much volume and power in the lower range that I have nothing left for the end. Stamina is crucial. Being smart while you sing this epic piece is also a good thing to keep in mind. Oh, and did I mention that I am not at liberty to use my entire body! Hobbling around on a crutch is not the best position a body can be in to sing over that thick orchestration. As far as comparisons, let’s just say the morning after singing Rigoletto and Porgy, I am very tired.

Gordon Hawkins as Macbeth in 2006.
Photo by Rozarii Lynch

How would Porgy be different if he weren’t disabled?
That’s a nice question. I think the audience would obviously focus more on what he was saying, as opposed to how he was saying it. I would not necessarily call him a poet, but he expresses a kind of philosophy that is poetic. As is often the case with people who are diminished in certain ways, the other senses become keener. How else can you explain the fact that he sees something completely different in Bess than any other character--including the other two men in her life--are able to see?

It seems that nearly everyone is familiar with the music of Porgy and Bess, thanks to countless renditions over the years. Do you have a favorite performance of a song from Porgy and Bess by a non-opera performer?
I'll give you a few: Nina Simone singing “I loves you Porgy.” I shake my head in amazement at how hauntingly beautiful her voice is.

The recording with Ray Charles and Cleo Lane. I've never heard orchestration that swings as hot as this. EVER!

Ella and Satchmo of course. It makes me smile every time!

2011/2012 Spotlight Guides Now Available

A new season means a new series of Seattle Opera’s much-loved Spotlight Guides, which offer a crash course on each opera—the characters and story, the historical background, and a little about its composer and musical world.

Kicking off the 2011/2012 season is Porgy and Bess, and our Spotlight Guide for this American classic is now available online as a PDF, or as a download for Amazon’s Kindle e-reader. (Hard copies of the entire 2011/12 Spotlight Guide Series are included in our new Souvenir Book, which was mailed to subscribers this week.) Spotlight Guides for Carmen, Attila, Orpheus and Eurydice, and Madama Butterfly are also online, as well as the guide for Don Pasquale, which our Young Artists Program will perform in the spring.

Want more opera content on-the-go? We've also made our blog available as a Kindle subscription, so you can read our artist interviews, see behind-the-scenes photos, and keep up with Seattle Opera news wherever you are!

Checking in with Chris Alexander

I stopped by the rehearsal studio yesterday and grabbed Porgy and Bess stage director Chris Alexander to get his impressions of the first week of rehearsal.

Chris, how’s it going so far?
It’s fantastic. We have a young, engaged, and very involved ensemble; they’re raring to go, and I’m so gratified that they’re eager to do the staging that I want. With Cynthia Savage, who’s working on our costumes, we’ve gone for the idea of giving everyone who lives in Catfish Row a profession and an identity, and they were eager to go for it, for example, “Oh, I’m a fisherman, I’m a blind man, I’m a fool." And as for our principals--well, it’s thrilling to hear their voices.

Any surprises this week?
I was amazed by how well the people in our ensemble move. We did a work-out with our choreographer, Kabby Mitchell III, and got everybody dancing, and it was terrific. Porgy and Bess is an opera, not a musical, but still it needs that element, and in this ensemble so many people have the skills. Kabby did a lovely job with it.

Anything in particular that we should be watching for?
It’s very funny. The story is intensely dramatic, but what I’m going for is the old Shakespearean mingle-mangle thing where you mix comedy and tragedy: these moments of brutality that then go right the next moment into something hilarious. There’s a thrilling scene, it’s extremely funny, between Maria and Sportin’ Life, where she chases him around with this huge knife and gives him hell. That’s a highlight of the evening, and then right after that comes Porgy’s “Buzzard Song”--a comic scene followed immediately by a dramatic scene, where we see the superstition of the community.

Photo by Alan Alabastro