Directing this production of Three Decembers is William Florescu [6], who serves as General Director of the Florentine Opera Company in Milwaukee. In a recent conversation, Florescu talked about how this show is coming together and what audiences can expect from what may be an unfamiliar new work. First, Florescu points out that this opera has a level of musical accessibility that many people will appreciate. "This piece, in particular, has flavorings of Broadway -- it might remind you a little bit of Sondheim, it might remind you a little bit of Gershwin, but still in Jake's [Heggie] unique voice."
Heggie is best known for his operatic adaptations of Sister Helen Prejean's Dead Man Walking and Herman Melville's Moby Dick, which has won rave reviews since its premiere at the Dallas Opera in 2010. Hailed as a triumph, the San Francisco Opera's production of Moby Dick was filmed for PBS's Great Performances series. Modern audiences will find the story of Three Decembers to be much more familiar than many operas in the classic repertoire. There are no kings, gods, or castle battlements here. Instead, it is a story of family relationships and how they are affected by emotional neglect, alcoholism and AIDs. Graves plays Broadway diva Madeleine Mitchell, who tries to reach out to her adult children, Bea (soprano Nicole Joseph) and Charlie (baritone Carlton Ford) over three Decembers, each ten years apart.
Florescu draws on his background as both a singing actor and director to bring together the vocal, musical, and dramatic elements of the piece. "The focus is on how the actors bring the characters to life and what they bring to the table in terms of how the story illuminates each of them." The show features a small chamber orchestra of 11 players, including two pianists, one of which is Conductor Robert Wood.
Heggie's work is a must-see for anyone interested in contemporary opera, and in Florescu's opinion, "America is where new opera is happening." He's not just being a cheerleader for the home team. While classic opera repertoire is dominated by the great works in Italian, French, and German, much of the contemporary work is being done by American composers -- Carlisle Floyd (still composing at age 90), John Adams (Nixon in China), Heggie, and Matthew Aucoin, just to name a few.
Three Decembers opens on Friday, November 13 with an additional performance on Sunday, November 15 at 2 p.m. at the Brown Theatre.
See Denyce Graves sing "Habanera" from Carmen: