Local opera erases misconceptions
You may not be an opera buff, but you could be missing out on something that might surprise you, according to the folks who make opera available in Shreveport and the surrounding area.
Steve Aiken is the managing and artistic director of the Shreveport Opera. He’s aware that opera can be a hard sell. “Most people that say they don’t like opera have never been to the opera. It’s just that gut response of not knowing so therefore I don’t like it.” Aiken said studies around the country have learned that adults are disinclined to attend opera because it is difficult to understand.
“They don’t understand that it is no different from going to a musical, except that it’s in another language oftentimes,” he said. “We get rid of that barrier by always offering English translations in performance.” The Shreveport Opera uses “supertitles” that are scrolled on stage as the opera plays.
Executive Director Amanda Joy Bell- Gouthiere said one of the local opera’s biggest jobs is erasing misconceptions. “So many people think opera is boring or it’s too expensive, or you have to wear a tuxedo. And it’s none of those. We have very affordable ticket prices that start at $15,” she said, adding, “You can wear whatever you want.”
Aiken agreed, “I feel like if you purchase your tickets, you have the opportunity to wear whatever you’d like to be comfortable. If that means that you’re going to wear jeans and a shirt, well, that’s perfectly fine. Some people will wear a tux. Some people will wear gowns. Others will wear jeans and a shirt. We’re perfectly happy with that. You’re there to enjoy yourself. We’re there to provide the entertainment. We’re not there to judge what you’re wearing, or what color your hair is or how long it is, or what piercings and tattoos you might have.”
So, now that you know you’re welcome this season, here’s what Shreveport Opera has in store. This is the company’s 65th season, and the theme is “Desired, Inspired, Everything but Retired at 65.”
It begins with “Elixir of Love” Nov. 9. The company will bring the humor of Gilbert and Sullivan to the opera stage with “The Mikado” on Feb. 15. April 26, Aiken and Company are bringing out the big guns with “Turandot.”
“We wanted to have something gigantic, which ‘Turandot’ is, to really and truly celebrate our 65th year,” Aiken said. “We haven’t done ‘Elixir’ in seven or eight years. It involves a lot of the chorus. This is a big chorus season by design. The chorus is an integral part of this company.”
Aiken said some operas, such as “The Marriage of Figaro,” have limited choral involvement. All the operas in this season give local chorus members the opportunity to be stars, Aiken said. “It’s really a way to say thank you to the chorus because they put in a lot of work, and they are compensated minimally for the amount of work that they put in. Just the thrill of being up there and a $100 check.”
If you’ve ever had a desire to be on stage when, as the saying goes, the full-figured lady sings, Aiken said it’s not out of the question. “Generally, if they want to be in the chorus, they can just call us, and we’ll audition them. We hold auditions two to three times a year,” he said.
What many people are unaware of, according to Bell-Gouthiere, is that the opera might be called a do-it-yourself company. “We produce the entire thing here. Put it all together here in Shreveport. A lot of people don’t realize that Shreveport Opera isn’t a touring group that comes into Shreveport and leaves. We put the entire piece together here.”
Aiken added, “Our chorus, our orchestra, our crew, our security, everyone is from here. It’s quite easy to say, it’s Shreveport music. Everything you see at Shreveport Opera is a world premiere because you’re not going to see it with the same cast, with the same people except here. Even if it’s a performance of ‘Madame Butterfly,’ you’re not going to see ‘Madame Butterfly’ anyplace else the way you saw it here.”
And, you can see it for the 65th year beginning Nov. 9.
Joe Todaro may be reached at joetodaro@scribio.com.
