By Kathryn Olsen
The space of Salt Lake City‘s Utah Opera Production Studios, with folding chairs and a set of risers and a single backdrop, are not the usual setting for the high level of artistry associated with the Utah Opera Chorus, but this did not stop their We Are Women concert from inspiring the same emotions that audiences can expect from a night at the opera. Presented exclusively by the ensemble’s sopranos and altos, the one-night engagement was a delight for novices and opera buffs as well as any fans of popular music.
Under the baton of Chorus Master Michaella Calzaretta, the women opened their concert with a rousing rendition of the witches’ chorus from Giuseppe Verdi‘s Macbeth. It was a thrilling invocation of the magical arts in rapid-fire Italian. Immediately afterwards was a spunky, romantic trio from Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart‘s The Boys from Syracuse. This juxtaposition set the tone for the rest of the program, in which the range of abilities and personalities in the ensemble was marvelously showcased and the audience was constantly aware of the challenging music that the women perform on a regular basis as part of Utah Opera productions.
There were modern operatic classics such as “Let Me Look at You” from Mark Adamo‘s Little Women as well as familiar music from Georges Bizet‘s Carmen. For anyone seeking lighter fare, Sir Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert‘s “Three Little Maids” from their satirical operetta The Mikado was unapologetically fun-loving. Best of all were the moments when the women shed the formality of opera altogether and shimmied and strutted during numbers such as the title song from Little Shop of Horrors by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman or the Chordettes‘ “Mr. Sandman.” To close the concert, they gender-swapped the professional baseball players of Damn Yankees in “The Game” by George Abbott, Douglass Wallop, Richard Adler, and Jerry Ross for a song reminding the athletes to forget about women in favor of their love of sports. The crowd favorite of the night was undeniably “Hail Holy Queen” from Sister Act, in which a chorus of stodgy and somewhat reserved nuns become a gospel powerhouse.
Calzaretta’sprogram was well-crafted, providing something to enjoy for a wide range of audiences. Carol Anderson skillfully tackled the accompaniment of every piece that was not a capella.
While this concert was for one performance only, the Utah Opera season is something to look forward to in the coming months and music lovers should waste no time in finding an opportunity to attend a production featuring these talented women.
Utah Opera Chorus Presents We Are Women.
Utah Opera Production Studios, 336 N 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84103.
Feb 8, 2020, 7:00 PM
www.usuo.org
Contact: (801) 533-5626
Utah Opera Facebook Page
We are Women Facebook Event
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