What a Week!

That hectic, thrilling life in the theater that is a Super’s midseason dream came true this weekend with a veritable whirlpool of activity and mixed metaphors. Your indefatigable correspondent, Ulrica, was there to document it all.

Dateline: Friday, November the 5th

Things began Friday evening when 18 Supers and friends ventured outside the City and County, over the Bay Bridge to nuclear-free Berkeley to attend a performance of Noel Coward’s comedy Present Laughter starring Super-turned-legit-actor Louis Schilling.

Although this London Blitz-era play isn’t one of Sir Noel’s better known works(those would be Private Lives and Blithe Spirit), it is nevertheless a very entertaining two hours of repartee and farcical incidents in the life of eminent British thespian Garry Essendine (Louis) who seemed to behave a lot like Sir Noel himself. Louis played the role with perfect timing and exasperation, sounding a lot like Cary Grant and, at times, a little like Austin Powers. He was very well-supported by fellow members of the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, with Melanie Curry (as ex-wife Liz) and Maureen Coyne (as the long-suffering secretary Monica) really standing out. The production values were great, with authentic period costumes and a very handsome set dotted with framed pics of Louis and his opera co-stars.

We were amazed at Louis’ capacity for memorizing lines (something we Supers of failing memory needn’t worry about) and his consistent voice and sharp pace. A good time was had by all, before, during and after the show. There are still a few more opportunities to see Present Laughter before it closes on November the 20th and it’s only ten bucks a ticket. Click here if you're interested.

Louis sent the following email:

Hey Everybody!
I can't tell you how honored I was that so many of you made it to my show; it's one performance I'll never forget. It was so nice to see you all...I feel that I've been away from the Opera for years. (FYI, I actually supered this past summer in the Merola production of The Rape of Lucretia at Fort Mason.) My castmates all told me that they, too, felt very special when you applauded them as they exited the stage door. Thanks for that, the flowers, the photos, your support and, most importantly, for being there! Bravos to you all,
Louis

Dateline: Saturday Afternoon

Next up was the "Thank You" reception lunch hosted by the dear folks at the Opera Guild. Supers and Lightwalkers were out in force (to qualify for an invite you have to have logged 10 volunteer hours, which can include lightwalking but not supering. For more information on volunteering contact Cimi Ahluwalia.

The reception was held in the lobby of the Opera House and among the speakers was General Director Pamela Rosenberg noting that “the doors of this opera house would not be open if it weren’t for all you volunteers.”

The catering was first rate and hordes of hors d’oeuvres-hungry Supers chowed down like starved socialites.

The final dress rehearsal of Der Fliegende Hollander followed the reception. The production is exciting, graphic, and bold, and featured some cool choreography by the chorus men and ballet ladies. The Dutchman’s entrance and the spinning wheel scene were extraordinary. There was a large audience with bus loads of seniors joining the Guild volunteers, but future attendees be warned -- it is performed without intermission (2 + hours), so go to the bathroom beforehand.

The singing was uniformly excellent with the Senta, debuting Swedish soprano Nina Stemme, a revelation to all (except Tom Carlisle and Andrew Korniej who had seen her perform in an English-language Manon Lescaut at London’s ENO a few years ago). IMHO,* we haven’t seen a more graceful performer since Anna Caterina Antonacci performed here (in Norma) six years ago, nor a more exciting Dramatic Soprano since I can’t remember when.

With Le Grand Macabre garnering rave reviews and Dutchman opening this week it looks as though the season will go out with a bang, albeit a Superless one. Speaking of which, it turns out a friend of the production’s AD got the choice role of Lensky’s Second in the new production of Eugene Onegin. Commiserations to the 15 guys who took the time to get to the Opera House from all points in the Bay Area and stood around for an hour only to suffer wholesale rejection.

But the casting for the Super Skit (premiering at the Annual Party on Saturday, December 11th) promises to be much more egalitarian. In a reversal of general Super casting procedures, if you want to be in the show then a role will be found for you. Just let producer/director/author Charlie Lichtman know and be available for a few rehearsals (TBA).

Also, Carrie received great news in the form of a very generous check from Super Rudy Cook. Rudy wrote:

Dear fellow Supers:
All my good wishes to every one of you for your wonderful devotion to Opera. Tho' my "roles" have been limited these past few years I have always been with you in spirit.
Accept my contribution as more or less a subsidy for the upcoming Super Party. My hope is to have the charge kept to a minimum.
All good wishes for a great season. My compliments to those responsible for the latest edition of "The Spearhead" - by far the best I have ever had the pleasure of receiving.
As ever,
Rudy Cook

Rudy, On behalf of all the Supers, your contribution was much appreciated and we’ll all look forward to an outstanding Super Party.

* IMHO =In My Humble Opinion

Tosca Swiss Guard Jeff Kohler has begun an eight month training program for the June 2005 AIDS Life/Cycle SF to LA fundraiser. As well as benefiting a number of AIDS supporting organizations, the Life/Cycle is as much about setting and meeting personal challenges and goals -- both physically, and in terms of raising funds. Jeff already has $2,000 worth of sponsorship and is regularly cycling 30 miles. It isn’t too early to pledge a donation and the Spearhead team wishes him all the best in his endeavor.

Meanwhile, back to the weekend…

Dateline: Sunday, November the 7th

Sunday was an important day in the history of SFO. When luminous Maestra Sara Jobin wielded the baton for the Sunday matinee performance of Tosca it was the first time that a woman had conducted a performance on the main stage of the San Francisco Opera, during the main season.


The ever-thoughtful Super Committee presented Sara with a bouquet to mark the milestone.

It was a wonderful occasion and the company and audience were right there with her. The performance rocked and it was particularly sweet to watch the monitors and see her lip-synching the words as she went along: moving from the soprano, through the tenor, to the baritone parts with alacrity. Elton John would not have approved. Brava Sara!

going..going

The matinee was also the chance to host the last bakesale of the fall season, again netting over $700 with some incredible dishes: Kimberly’s pot pie, Joe Potter’s array of quiche, and someone’s Guilt-free Brownie Bites…

gone!

Singer/comedian Anthony Laciura was one of the bakesale’s patrons. Tony actually began his career as a Super with New Orleans Opera. Look out for Tom Carlisle’s interview with him; coming soon to Spearheadnews.com.

During this very eventful and memorable afternoon one very famous diva was seen "mooning"’ one of her colleagues onstage (the colleague -- not the mooning diva -- was onstage). Of course all backstage eyes were politely averted as she hiked up her skirt so Ulrica has no reliable information on what the underwear situation was.

Shortly thereafter, in a presumably unrelated incident, the canopy that accompanies the entrance of Cardinal Jim Downey fell apart as the four less-than-cherubic choirboys went to pick it up. With luck it was put back together just in time for their entrance cue.

Of course, Ulrica would know about falling apart…

Dateline: Wednesday, November the 10th

A good number of Supers, mostly Tosca-ninis, stayed up past their usual bedtimes to attend the Company / Cast Party after the opening night of Der Fliegende Hollander, filling three tables. Among the grateful attendees were Committee Members Paul Szezcuil and the lovely Irene Bechtel, Cardinal Jim Downey, Walt Thorpe (surprisingly not wearing shorts), Steve Baumann (surprisingly not wearing overalls) and veteran Paul Ricks. Pamela Rosenberg graciously went around the room stopping at each table to wish everyone “Guten Abend” and chatting for a few minutes.
The center table was filled with the Dutchman cast and Pamela made much of their rising star power, calling soprano Nina Stemme the best Senta she has seen in 40 years worth of Dutchmans, and Finnish bass-baritone Juha Uusitalo “the Wotan of the next decade.” She also did the rounds of thanking each department: from backstage to “the singers who represent us all.” Maestro Runnicles then got up to thank Pamela and to say how he “can’t conceive of the San Francisco Opera without her” after her scheduled departure in the summer of 2006. He particularly emphasized her modesty and how performances as great as that evening’s “are not great just because all the artists happen to be here but because Pamela Rosenberg brought them here.” You could appreciate their mutual affection and the closeness of their partnership. As Maestro Runnicles said, modesty is a quality not often found in the world of opera, and it would take a European to appreciate this typically un-American virtue. He also thanked his assistant, Maureen Mudge, for all her work; she leaves for Australia on November the 19th.

Some mention was made about a near-disaster the day of the dress rehearsal when the scrim with the Dutchman’s shadow ripped. Ulrica had noticed the obvious scar but thought it must represent the Dutchman’s recent appendectomy.

All the heartfelt tributes flying around were enough to distract even Ulrica from her chicken and penne pasta and she enthusiastically joined in the lengthy standing ovation for Pamela. She later got to congratulate Miss Stemme, the evening’s outstanding star, who was very friendly and very accessible.

Finally, as the clock was approaching midnight Ulrica grabbed a last handful of bite-sized desserts and wandered off into the wet evening, aglow with the glamour of it all.

And, finally, here’s Maestro Runnicles, facing the grim reality of turning fifty.

Page 17             MORE ULRICA