Centerville
The first full performance of "Così Fan Tutte" is in the books. Last night, we hauled out to Centerville, which is a good 90 minutes at a decent speed southeast of Indianola. What that means is that it's about 90 miles removed from being merely rural.
The first full performance of "Così Fan
Tutte" is in the books. Last night, we hauled out to Centerville, which is a
good 90 minutes at a decent speed southeast of Indianola. What that means is
that it's about 90 miles removed from being merely rural. Centerville is a
former mining colony whose caves have been stripped clean for a long time. With
each passing year, the town has a tougher time holding on to those who remain.
Most of the approximately 6,000 left are, predictably, farmers.
The venue, Simon Estes Hall, was renovated about five years ago and is blessed with fine acoustics. It's attached to the town high school, and our dressing rooms were the school's band and choir rooms. Even though the town is small and desolate, it's clear that the arts are an extremely high priority in the community. The spacious band room was stocked with a wonderful array of instruments, and the walls, adorned with photos and awards, boasted of a rich musical tradition. It shouldn't have been a surprise, since the performance space is named after Estes, an alumnus of Centerville High and a successful opera singer.
Simon Estes Hall - Centerville, IA
Shortly after we arrived, I went outside to take a picture of the nameplate of the auditorium. I met a middle-aged man named Steve, a volunteer who was there to help our Technical Director unload the truck. He asked me where I lived, and when I told him New York City, I must admit that I expected the typical, "Golly, gee" reaction that we often get from the locals who seldom venture far from the fields. Instead, Steve's face lit up and, in his lazy Iowa drawl (I'm beginning to believe that such a thing exists) informed me, "I love going to the city. My daughter is a press rep for the Public Theater. My wife and I love to visit and go to all the shows." His son, it turns out, lives in Wrigleyville and works for Leo Burnett. And thus, Centerville's grasp on its 6,000 citizens weakens a little bit more.
The performance was not without its hitches, and perhaps understandably so. We hadn't done the show in a couple of weeks. Moments before our first entrance, I noticed that a tray containing a decanter and three glasses had not been pre-set. As Steve Stone used to say so eloquently (albeit redundantly) during Cubs telecasts, "It proved to be a harbinger of things to come." During the first scene change, I almost rammed poor Ida against a wall with a set piece, causing a stack of folding chairs offstage to fall clamorously to the ground. In a humorous but humiliating turn, we had to go back onstage with the offending bench to get it off without incident. Various props (and singers, for that matter) were late to arrive to their prescribed spots, and an entire section of one aria mysteriously disappeared on its way from the score into the singer's mouth. Fortunately, Eric's brilliance at the keyboard ensured that all memory lapses went undetected. Amidst the general chaos, we had a ball.
Così Fan Tutte - Act II
Even if the execution was a little rough, the spirit onstage was high and the story was gamely told. I would estimate that there were about 200 people in the house, and they made for a wonderfully attentive and warm audience. It reminded me of reruns of "The Honeymooners," because seemingly all entrances and exits were greeted with rounds of hearty applause. The crowd seemed incapable of letting a single corny gag or facial tic go unnoticed. We were the only live entertainment for several miles, and they were cheerfully determined to get their money's worth. For a performer, such a level of gratification is indeed rare. We only had to travel about 1,000 miles from home to get it.
After the show, we all went in our costumes to the lobby of the theater to greet people as they left. Handshakes were in ample supply, and nothing that occurred did anything to dispel my glowing impressions of Iowans' unflagging hospitality. Many of the spectators, adults and children alike, told us that it had been their first experience with live opera. The smiles on their faces suggested that maybe it wouldn't be their last.
The Opera Iowa tour presses on tomorrow morning, when we make our first overnight trip of the season: "Pigs" in the afternoon, followed by another full-length "Così" in the evening.
The venue, Simon Estes Hall, was renovated about five years ago and is blessed with fine acoustics. It's attached to the town high school, and our dressing rooms were the school's band and choir rooms. Even though the town is small and desolate, it's clear that the arts are an extremely high priority in the community. The spacious band room was stocked with a wonderful array of instruments, and the walls, adorned with photos and awards, boasted of a rich musical tradition. It shouldn't have been a surprise, since the performance space is named after Estes, an alumnus of Centerville High and a successful opera singer.
Simon Estes Hall - Centerville, IA
Shortly after we arrived, I went outside to take a picture of the nameplate of the auditorium. I met a middle-aged man named Steve, a volunteer who was there to help our Technical Director unload the truck. He asked me where I lived, and when I told him New York City, I must admit that I expected the typical, "Golly, gee" reaction that we often get from the locals who seldom venture far from the fields. Instead, Steve's face lit up and, in his lazy Iowa drawl (I'm beginning to believe that such a thing exists) informed me, "I love going to the city. My daughter is a press rep for the Public Theater. My wife and I love to visit and go to all the shows." His son, it turns out, lives in Wrigleyville and works for Leo Burnett. And thus, Centerville's grasp on its 6,000 citizens weakens a little bit more.
The performance was not without its hitches, and perhaps understandably so. We hadn't done the show in a couple of weeks. Moments before our first entrance, I noticed that a tray containing a decanter and three glasses had not been pre-set. As Steve Stone used to say so eloquently (albeit redundantly) during Cubs telecasts, "It proved to be a harbinger of things to come." During the first scene change, I almost rammed poor Ida against a wall with a set piece, causing a stack of folding chairs offstage to fall clamorously to the ground. In a humorous but humiliating turn, we had to go back onstage with the offending bench to get it off without incident. Various props (and singers, for that matter) were late to arrive to their prescribed spots, and an entire section of one aria mysteriously disappeared on its way from the score into the singer's mouth. Fortunately, Eric's brilliance at the keyboard ensured that all memory lapses went undetected. Amidst the general chaos, we had a ball.
Così Fan Tutte - Act II
Even if the execution was a little rough, the spirit onstage was high and the story was gamely told. I would estimate that there were about 200 people in the house, and they made for a wonderfully attentive and warm audience. It reminded me of reruns of "The Honeymooners," because seemingly all entrances and exits were greeted with rounds of hearty applause. The crowd seemed incapable of letting a single corny gag or facial tic go unnoticed. We were the only live entertainment for several miles, and they were cheerfully determined to get their money's worth. For a performer, such a level of gratification is indeed rare. We only had to travel about 1,000 miles from home to get it.
After the show, we all went in our costumes to the lobby of the theater to greet people as they left. Handshakes were in ample supply, and nothing that occurred did anything to dispel my glowing impressions of Iowans' unflagging hospitality. Many of the spectators, adults and children alike, told us that it had been their first experience with live opera. The smiles on their faces suggested that maybe it wouldn't be their last.
The Opera Iowa tour presses on tomorrow morning, when we make our first overnight trip of the season: "Pigs" in the afternoon, followed by another full-length "Così" in the evening.
Posted: Sun - February 13, 2005 at 09:40 PM
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Published On: Mar 23, 2005 10:43 PM
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Published On: Mar 23, 2005 10:43 PM