Elmer Gantry: A New American Operatag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2008:/blog//12008-02-05T17:45:09ZMovable Type 3.35"ELMER GANTRY..., one of the most enjoyable of premieres heard in many a season, richly deserves wider currency." Opera Newstag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2008:/blog//1.212008-02-05T17:20:10Z2008-02-05T17:45:09ZOpera News gives Elmer Gantry a rave review ...the opera makes for a gripping evening of musical theater. The principal roles are gratefully conceived musically, sharply characterized dramatically, and there is some terrific ensemble writing in the form of gospel...
Opera News gives Elmer Gantry a rave review
...the opera makes for a gripping evening of musical theater. The principal roles are gratefully conceived musically, sharply characterized dramatically, and there is some terrific ensemble writing in the form of gospel music (all of Aldridge's own invention, but entirely idiomatic in impact). Gantry also boasts a propulsive developmental arc that avoids the common pitfall of hotly burning its inspiration in Act I, only to run on fumes for the duration; its final moment — an ethereal choral diminuendo as a congregation of hapless worshipers is engulfed in fiery immolation with evangelist Sharon Falconer — is one of the most chilling in memory.
To read the complete review, clickhere.]]>
"Simply Divine" The Newark Star-Ledger reviews ELMER GANTRYtag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2008:/blog//1.222008-01-27T02:20:46Z2008-03-23T05:34:32ZElmer Gantry the opera straddles satire and sentiment -- as well as the genres of opera and musical theater -- with a warmth and thoughtfulness that carry one along. To read the whole review, Download file...Elmer Gantry the opera straddles satire and sentiment -- as well as the genres of opera and musical theater -- with a warmth and thoughtfulness that carry one along.
To read the whole review, Download file
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Elmer Gantry Turns 80 (the Wall Street Journal)tag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2008:/blog//1.202008-01-14T13:50:25Z2008-01-14T14:12:13Z"You probably didn't notice it, but that old rogue Elmer Gantry turned eighty this year...." The Wall Street Journal, December 28, 2007 A look at the enduring power of ELMER GANTRY-as-archetype, and a thoughtful assessment of Sinclair Lewis's novel. To..."You probably didn't notice it, but that old rogue Elmer Gantry turned eighty this year...." The Wall Street Journal, December 28, 2007
A look at the enduring power of ELMER GANTRY-as-archetype, and a thoughtful assessment of Sinclair Lewis's novel.
To read the complete article, click here.]]>
the ELMER GANTRY: shaken with convictiontag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.192007-12-29T23:36:30Z2007-12-30T03:26:38Z Elmer Gantry, the cocktail The Elmer Gantry 4 ozs. Woodford Reserve bourbon ice Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake with conviction. Serve in a chilled martini glass. (When shaken sufficiently, the drink should have a thin layer...Elmer Gantry, the cocktailThe Elmer Gantry
4 ozs. Woodford Reserve bourbon
ice
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake with conviction. Serve in a chilled martini glass. (When shaken sufficiently, the drink should have a thin layer of foam at the top.) Consume immediately.]]>
This drink was prepared for us at the Hermitage Hotel, Nashville. We ordered so many of them over the performance weekend that I felt completely justified in asking the bar manager to name the drink after our hero. I hope anyone traveling to Nashville will visit the Hermitage bar and order it by name.
Note: we invite variations on this simple recipe. By convention, cocktails should really have two ingredients -- not counting ice. So, post your variants, and the creators and production team promise to sample all good-faith recipes.
Welcome to Zenith - from Frank Shallardtag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.182007-11-16T05:30:46Z2007-11-20T02:18:43ZOn the eve of the World Premiere performance of Elmer Gantry, I thought I'd greet you all. Like Jennifer Rivera, I haven't ever written or kept a blog either so this is a new experience for me. It's an interesting...Nashville participants
On the eve of the World Premiere performance of Elmer Gantry, I thought I'd greet you all. Like Jennifer Rivera, I haven't ever written or kept a blog either so this is a new experience for me. It's an interesting and important tool for you to read more about the opera and for us to share ideas of our process in the creation of this wonderful, moving opera. I have taken a few photos during our sitzprobe that I've posted here.
(l. to r.)Director John Hoomes, Librettist Herschel Garfein and Composer Robert Aldridge at the sitzprobe for Elmer Gantry.Librettist Herschel Garfein and Composer Robert Aldridge at the sitzprobe for Elmer Gantry.]]>
I have been fortunate to have been part of many new works and believe that in America, we are blessed with opera as a thriving art form. While it is always exciting and challenging to take on a piece that has never been performed, it's rare that actors get to do a piece that is so fully realized and masterfully written.
Maestro William Boggs conducting the sitzprobe.My role in Elmer Gantry is that of Frank Shallard. For those who are familiar with the novel, Frank is a combination of the characters Jim Lefferts and Frank Shallard. Jim was Elmer's early friend and partner in crime. Frank was a roommate with Elmer at school when he was getting his degree in the baptist ministry. They appeared at different times in Elmer's life, but in combining the two, Herschel and Robert have created a friend for Elmer that winds through his journey on the stage.
Frank enjoys Elmer's company and companionship and is convinced by Elmer to follow paths with him that he would not have taken on his own. Due to Elmer's prodding, Frank goes into the ministry at Terwilinger College with Elmer and goes on to lead a congregation instead of following other family members into a career in law that would likely have been his future. Jennifer Rivera as Sharon Falconer in the sitzprobe.Conscience is Franks guide and points out his lack of faith in Jesus Christ. This discomfort is exacerbated by seeing everyone around him seemingly so steadfast and solid in their faith, their singing of hymns, their lack of questioning the mysteries of the bible and their communion and their strength of prayer. Frank sees everyone around him growing in faith, and the church growing in commerce. Both of these issues gnaw at Frank who tries to be true to himself and his deeply felt doubts and inability to pray.
For me as an actor, it's moving to play someone who questions and finds his doubt leading him down a path, that while troubled is at the same time true to his moral self and those he cares about - and most importantly in the scope of Christianity - true to God.Chauncey Packer as the Revival Singer.
I'm thrilled to be performing with such a talented and true cast in a piece that is so moving and that the world will see with increasing frequency. Congratulations to Nashville Opera for their vision in taking this piece on; to John Hoomes for his effective, moving and informative staging of this piece; to Maestro William Boggs for his passionate conducting and Amy Tate Williams for being our orchestra at the piano before we were able to have the orchestra with us.
I hope you enjoy and are moved by your experience with Elmer Gantry and that you'll encourage others to come as well.
Vale RideoutThe Chorus of Elmer GantryKeith Phares as Elmer Gantry and Jennifer Rivera as Sharon Falconer]]>
Keely Quartet, Eolia Keelytag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.172007-11-11T18:25:41Z2007-11-11T18:56:28ZI sort of live at the turn of the century daily in my Bed & Breakfast built 1898 - 1904 here in Nashville Top O'Woodland Historic Bed & Breakfast Inn 5 minutes from the theater downtown. I have loaned the...Nashville participants
I sort of live at the turn of the century daily in my Bed & Breakfast built 1898 - 1904 here in Nashville Top O'Woodland Historic Bed & Breakfast Inn 5 minutes from the theater downtown.
I have loaned the production my turn of the century wheelchair for the perfomances. I also play my turn of the century Bowed Psaltery during our quartet moment.
I choose to use my great Aunt Osie Morehead’s real name Eolia. It was shortened by her three little brother’s inability to say Eolia, so Osie it was her whole life. Born in 1892, she had a career when women didn’t do that yet, played a mean ragtime piano daily (I have her baby grand Steinway here and several of her other posessions) and she never married living to a healthy-feisty age 103.
My quartet decided our Base-father character Bertram Keely, previously widowed, had twin children Deller (soprano) & Doche (tenor) Keely by his first wife. I, Eolia (mezzo), am his second-trophy wife since I am a few years younger. We have had fun making up creative stories about our family getting a good laugh out of each other as we wait backstage to make our entrance in the Tent Revival scene.
What an honor to be part of the premier! Belinda Lee Leslie (my real birth name)
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Hear the OCTET 'live' Nov.6 at noon EST and on the webtag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.162007-11-04T22:14:12Z2007-11-06T04:02:24ZYou'll have a chance to hear the cast sing the OCTET from ELMER GANTRY live on Nashville Public Radio, WPLN, and streamed live to the web at wpln.org. The Show is called "Live from Studio C" and it airs Tuesday,...
OCTET from ELMER GANTRY live on Nashville Public Radio, WPLN, and streamed live to the web at wpln.org. The Show is called "Live from Studio C" and it airs Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time. To hear it, click here. For more on the history of the octet, read on... Herschel]]>
Bob Aldridge and I heard the octet rehearsed by the cast a week ago in Nashville, and even then (on the 2nd day of rehearsal) it was absolutely solid and rhythmically right in the groove. It had never sounded better. The form of the octet is our take on something called "backfire gospel" which I heard on an old 78 in the record collection of The Southern Folklife Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I was there doing research for the libretto, but when I chanced on that recording I listened to it a dozen times and excitedly called Bob that night -- no cell phones at the time (remember when?) -- and sang the song from the record for him over the phone. I had never heard of "backfire" before, and I've never heard of it since, but it hinged on a very rhythmically tight, syncopated vocal imitation of the main melodic line -- quite simple in the original, startlingly complex in Bob's version. The octet has always been one of our favorite numbers from the opera, and one of my wife, Vicki's, favorites as well. Whenever Bob and I, over the years, were in one of our periods of making cuts and revisions to the opera and I would report on these to Vicki, she would always want to make sure that we weren't tampering with the octet. In fact, we have trimmed it slightly, but we never dreamed of doing away with it; it always seemed to us absolutely essential to the show. The words are a theological confrontation between the old-time Baptist religion as practiced by Rev. Baines, Mrs. Baines, Eddie, and Lulu, and the new mass-marketed evangelism of Elmer, Sharon, TJ Rigg and Frank. The whole thing proceeds with personal asides from Lulu (who is dismayed by the "lovey-dovey" looks Elmer is bestowing on Sharon) and Frank (who is dismayed by Elmer's capitulation to the lure of big business.) Enjoy!
More costumes:tag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.152007-11-04T04:33:25Z2007-11-04T04:36:16Zan ill-suited couple, Fislinger and Lulu Baines...Designers
an ill-suited couple, Fislinger and Lulu Baines
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More Costume Design, Elmer and Sharontag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.142007-11-04T04:23:28Z2007-11-04T14:34:03ZDesigners
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Elmer Gantry Act I, sc1tag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.132007-11-04T04:18:33Z2007-11-04T14:35:03ZDesigners
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Costume Designtag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.112007-11-04T03:56:16Z2007-11-04T04:07:41ZHello. My name is Camille Assaf, I am the costume designer for Elmer Gantry. I am delighted to present some of the fashions of our opera, where humor and tragedy, flesh and spirit, sacred and profane mingle freely......Designers
Hello. My name is Camille Assaf, I am the costume designer for Elmer Gantry. I am delighted to present some of the fashions of our opera, where humor and tragedy, flesh and spirit, sacred and profane mingle freely...
Letting loose and praising Godtag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.102007-11-02T17:32:01Z2007-11-04T14:36:16ZThis past week we began staging for the chorus "Tent" scene. There is a specific time in the scene when Sharon leads the congregation into a rowdy worship time. For many of us who grew up gripping the pew as...Nashville participants
This past week we began staging for the chorus "Tent" scene. There is a specific time in the scene when Sharon leads the congregation into a rowdy worship time. For many of us who grew up gripping the pew as children (and even as adults), this scene is quite liberating. Lots of hand raising, dancing, shoutin "Hallelujah" and "preach on, sister" was seen and heard this past tuesday night. I think we all came away with a new idea of what church can be like and also quite excited that modern opera could be this much fun!
~Crystal Briley (aka. "Virginia Sue Ellen")
Nashville Opera Chorus member
Audraine & Bunny & Doshetag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.92007-11-02T04:06:47Z2007-11-02T17:17:54ZAs mentioned in the previous post, the chorus in Nashville has devised their own character names. In some cases, these are family names of ancestors who lived around the time that ELMER GANTRY is set. It turns out that the...Nashville participants
Amy Tate Williams, the supremely talented Chorus Master and Accompanist for Nashville Opera.
We've invited the chorus to list their real and devised names as a way of getting them started on this blog...]]>
Virginia Sue Ellen. ]]>
ELMER in NASHVILLE -- the first few daystag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.82007-10-31T20:29:31Z2007-11-02T03:41:17Zfrom Herschel: Bob and I returned from a glorious weekend in Nashville, where rehearsals are getting underway for the world premiere of ELMER GANTRY. It was a great experience. You can read my view of things below. From now on,...Nashville participants
Bob and I returned from a glorious weekend in Nashville, where rehearsals are getting underway for the world premiere of ELMER GANTRY. It was a great experience. You can read my view of things below. From now on, we're throwing this blog open to all the participants in Nashville, so we hope to hear from them. The cast, the chorus, the director, conductor, even the entire administration -- EVERYONE down there is totally committed and working at the top of their form. They are going to have some stories to tell. ]]>
We rehearsed in a big space in Brentwood, south of town. A pretty unassuming location in what could uncharitably be called a strip mall. But once we got inside, we forgot about the surroundings. It's hard to describe just how electric the atmosphere was in that rehearsal space. The cast is phenomenal; the OCTET (one of the hardest pieces in the show) rocked!; the chorus came in and blew everyone away; John Hoomes, the director, and Bill Boggs, the conductor were juiced and keeping everything zooming towards the premiere. Nobody had ever heard the whole piece sung before, not even Bob and me. We were seated at the front of the room, facing 10 chairs occupied by our cast; behind these stood the chorus of 36. One vivid memory I have is how the chorus would look at each other incredulously as they listened to the principals, and then the principals would trade incredulous looks as they listened to the chorus. Bob and I were more or less stunned the whole time.
Here's something that moved me. I noticed that the members of the chorus were wearing nametags with their own names, written small and another name written large. These larger names were their personas for the show, which each had designated for him or herself. Many of them used the names of ancestors who would have been alive in 1905, when the opera begins. Many of these were one-of-a-kind surnames such as one often finds in the South (for example, Bob Aldridge's father is named Blan Aldridge). During the break, I spoke to several choristers who told me that they had been taken to tent revivals as children, or heard stories about them from their parents. I wrote down the names from their nametags. Here are some: Audraine Roark / Doshe Keely / Dellar Keely / Bernadine (Bunny) Moberley / Alden Leash
To me, these names bespeak an enormous personal involvement in the opera, and a real tie to the milieu and themes of the piece, such as we could never have when we worked on ELMER in Boston. Very exciting!
HELLO, My name is: Elmertag:www.elmergantryopera.com,2007:/blog//1.72007-09-24T17:24:17Z2007-11-02T03:44:47ZAfter relentless verbal abuse and repeated threats of physical violence from both Bob and Herschel, I figured now was as good a time as any to step up. I'm Keith Phares and will be singing the title role of Elmer...
After relentless verbal abuse and repeated threats of physical violence from both Bob and Herschel, I figured now was as good a time as any to step up. I'm Keith Phares and will be singing the title role of Elmer Gantry for the premiere in Nashville. Thanks to my long-time nemesis, Jenny Rivera (Sharon Falconer) I was introduced to this project last winter and I couldn't be more excited that it's finally getting off the ground. Aside from all of the gorgeous and distinctly "American" music and text,...
it's been a privilege to be a part of the development of a piece that distinguishes itself by the fact that it cannot be labelled as either traditional opera or traditional musical theater.
This comes with its own set of challanges (e.g., trying to project all of this music and text over an orchestra into a theater, still sounding like you come from Paris, KS and not "Operaland."), but in the end, I think, will prove crucial to connecting to audiences who may be turned off by opera, but still don't care to go into see a staged review of the ABBA songbook (nothing against ABBA).
In any case, it's been a blast working with Bob and Herschel and I guess, tolerable working with Jenny. I've done a fair share of new opera, but have rarely had the opportunity to work so closely with those that created it and have cocktails with them.
(l. to r.)Director John Hoomes, Librettist Herschel Garfein and Composer Robert Aldridge at the sitzprobe for Elmer Gantry.
Librettist Herschel Garfein and Composer Robert Aldridge at the sitzprobe for Elmer Gantry.]]>
I have been fortunate to have been part of many new works and believe that in America, we are blessed with opera as a thriving art form. While it is always exciting and challenging to take on a piece that has never been performed, it's rare that actors get to do a piece that is so fully realized and masterfully written.
Maestro William Boggs conducting the sitzprobe.
My role in Elmer Gantry is that of Frank Shallard. For those who are familiar with the novel, Frank is a combination of the characters Jim Lefferts and Frank Shallard. Jim was Elmer's early friend and partner in crime. Frank was a roommate with Elmer at school when he was getting his degree in the baptist ministry. They appeared at different times in Elmer's life, but in combining the two, Herschel and Robert have created a friend for Elmer that winds through his journey on the stage.
Frank enjoys Elmer's company and companionship and is convinced by Elmer to follow paths with him that he would not have taken on his own. Due to Elmer's prodding, Frank goes into the ministry at Terwilinger College with Elmer and goes on to lead a congregation instead of following other family members into a career in law that would likely have been his future.
Jennifer Rivera as Sharon Falconer in the sitzprobe.
Conscience is Franks guide and points out his lack of faith in Jesus Christ. This discomfort is exacerbated by seeing everyone around him seemingly so steadfast and solid in their faith, their singing of hymns, their lack of questioning the mysteries of the bible and their communion and their strength of prayer. Frank sees everyone around him growing in faith, and the church growing in commerce. Both of these issues gnaw at Frank who tries to be true to himself and his deeply felt doubts and inability to pray.
For me as an actor, it's moving to play someone who questions and finds his doubt leading him down a path, that while troubled is at the same time true to his moral self and those he cares about - and most importantly in the scope of Christianity - true to God.
Chauncey Packer as the Revival Singer.
I'm thrilled to be performing with such a talented and true cast in a piece that is so moving and that the world will see with increasing frequency. Congratulations to Nashville Opera for their vision in taking this piece on; to John Hoomes for his effective, moving and informative staging of this piece; to Maestro William Boggs for his passionate conducting and Amy Tate Williams for being our orchestra at the piano before we were able to have the orchestra with us.
I hope you enjoy and are moved by your experience with Elmer Gantry and that you'll encourage others to come as well.
Vale Rideout
The Chorus of Elmer Gantry
Keith Phares as Elmer Gantry and Jennifer Rivera as Sharon Falconer]]>
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