Le Nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata (or the day of madness) Options

[Mizterious]

Wow. We lost our Mezzo yesterday to a bronchial infection.

German soprano Anne Schwanewilms
withdraws from Lyric Opera of Chicago revival
of THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO due to bronchial infection

American soprano Amanda Majeski portrays Countess Almaviva
at Lyric March 9 and 12

American soprano Nicole Cabell will perform the role of the Countess
for the remaining six performances, March 15 - 27




German soprano Anne Schwanewilms has withdrawn from eight remaining performances in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s current revival of The Marriage of Figaro Feb. 28-Mar. 27 due to a stubborn bronchial infection, and has returned home on her doctor’s advice, Lyric’s general director William Mason announced today.

Schwanewilms sang the role of Countess Almaviva in the Mozart masterpiece for the opening performance Feb. 28 and subsequent performances Mar. 3 and 6.

American soprano Amanda Majeski portrays the Countess at Lyric Tues., Mar. 6 and Fri., Mar. 12. She is a first year member of the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and is scheduled to portray the Countess at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis this summer.

American soprano Nicole Cabell will portray the Countess for the final six performances at Lyric, March 15 through 27. Currently portraying Musetta in the Metropolitan Opera production of La Bohème, Cabell has been graciously released by that company, Mason said.

“We deeply appreciate Ms. Schwanewilms’ three valiant performances and offer all best wishes for her swift recovery,” said Mason. “We are fortunate that Ms. Majeski, a current member of our Ryan Opera Center and Ms. Schwanewilims’ understudy, is able to step in with confidence.

“We are additionally grateful that Ms. Cabell, a former member of the Ryan Opera Center who just starred as a brilliant Adina here, is available to sing the final six performances of the Countess, having been graciously released to do so by our friends at the Metropolitan Opera.”


Nicole Cabell, the 2005 Winner of the BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff and Decca recording artist, is fast becoming one of the most sought-after lyric sopranos of today. Her solo debut album, “Soprano,” was named “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophone magazine and has received high critical acclaim and several prestigious awards: the 2007 Georg Solti Orphée d’Or from the French Académie du Disque Lyrique and an Echo Klassik Award in Germany.

In June 2009 Cabell made her company and role debut as the Countess with Cincinnati Opera:
“She effortlessly projected an aura of resignation with occasional bursts of fire, displaying a voice of richness and enormous beauty. Her deeply felt ‘Dove sono’ was a showstopping moment, in which she conveyed her suffering and hope with believable emotion.” (Cincinnati Enquirer)
“Cabell's sensuous, dark soprano voice flowed with ease, delicately delineating the long lines of her two arias while projecting a gently restrained radiant personality weighed down with sorrow.” (Opera News)

Cabell’s current season includes her recent return to Lyric Opera of Chicago for Adina in L’elisir d’amore, followed by her return to the Metropolitan Opera for Musetta in La Bohème (a role she will also sing at the end of the season for her debut at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires). She will also make her New Orleans Opera debut in one of her favorite roles, Gounod’s Juliette. Earlier this season she made her concert debut with the Cleveland Orchestra and its music director, Franz Welser-Möst as the soprano soloist in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem; and returned to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Markus Stenz. Cabell’s other concert engagements this season include Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, first with the Singapore Symphony and John Nelson, then with the Accademia di Santa Cecilia and Antonio Pappano in Rome. Future engagements include returns in leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, plus opera debuts in Cologne, Montreal and Tokyo.


Amanda Majeski is a first-year Ryan Opera Center member and native of Gurnee, Illinois. She will portray Mozart’s Countess when she returns to Opera Theatre of St. Louis in June. In 2008 Majeski made her professional operatic debut as Lisa/La sonnambula with Michigan Opera Theatre, and in 2009 appeared as Vitellia/La clemenza di Tito at Chicago Opera Theater (debut) and Musetta/La bohème at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (Debut). Before joining the Ryan Opera Center the soprano completed graduate studies at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, where she portrayed Erisbe/L’Ormindo, Magda/La rondine, The Woman with the Cake Box/Postcard from Morocco, Nuria/Ainadamar, the title role/Iolanta, and Elle/La voix humaine. She has participated in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program (Donna Anna/Don Giovanni), the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute. Concert engagements include Handel’s Solomon and Messiah (Chicago’s Apollo Chorus), Dvorak’s Te Deum (Elmhurst Symphony), and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (Richmond Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center). Majeski has also been featured with the Curtis Symphony, the Chautauqua Institution, and the Peninsula Music Festival. She made her Weill Hall recital debut in 2008 and is active on the roster of the Marilyn Horne Foundation. A winner of the 2009 George London Foundation Awards, Majeski is also a first-prize winner of the 2008 Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition (Junior Division) and a recipient of a 2007 Sara Tucker Study Grant. She has also received awards from Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, The Bel Canto Foundation of Rhode Island, Chicago NATS, The Bel Canto Foundation of Chicago, and Opera Index. Majeski made her Lyric debut as a Peasant Girl in the current revival of Le nozze di Figaro.

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (in Italian with projected English translations) 8 remaining performances beginning at 7:30 p.m., except for matinees at 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 9, 12 (mat.), 15, 18 (mat.), 20, 22, 24, 27

Lyric Opera has presented The Marriage of Figaro in eight different seasons previously since 1957, most recently during the 2003-04 season. “La folle journée” (“The Crazy Day”) was the subtitle of Beaumarchais’ comedy on which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart based his opera, one of the greatest creations in the entire repertoire. It centers on a single frantic day in the life of Aguas Frescas, the castle of Count Almaviva (baritone Mariusz Kwiecien). The Count has designs on Susanna (soprano Danielle de Niese), maid of the Countess (sopranos Amanda Majeski Mar. 9 & 12 and Nicole Cabell Mar. 15 - 27). Susanna is to be married this very day to the count’s valet, Figaro (bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen), which doesn’t stand in the way of the Count’s keeping an assignation with her. But he reckons without Figaro and Susanna who – aided by the Countess – conspire to teach the philandering Count a lesson. Others figuring prominently in the plot are the amorous young page, Cherubino (mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato); an older couple, Dr. Bartolo (bass Andrea Silvestrelli) and Marcellina (mezzo-soprano Lauren Curnow), who turn out to be Figaro’s parents, to his amazement; Susanna’s devious music master, Basilio (tenor Keith Jameson); and Antonio, the Count’s gardener (baritone Philip Kraus).

The production is conducted by Sir Andrew Davis (Feb. 28, Mar. 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 20) and Leonardo Vordoni (debut/Mar. 15, 22, 24, 27). The original production is by Sir Peter Hall; Herbert Kellner is stage director, with sets and costumes by John Bury and lighting by Duane Schuler.

The Dr. and Mrs. Edwin J. DeCosta and the Walter E. Heller Foundation Production. Revival made possible by Mr. & Mrs. Dietrich M. Gross.

[Mizterious]

We are past the half-way mark, six down five to go. As always, production time flies. Here's an update:

Nicole Cabell has stepped into the Coutness' shoes. She is on loan from the Met by way of the Ryan Program at the Lyric. Honestly? I like plan A(nna) best, our first formidable Countessa because of how she contrasted with Danielle de Niese's Susanna. One fair, the other musky. One a bit icy, the other hell fire. And her voice was silk minus a messy vibrato that can get in the way of the person singing. Nothing I dislike more than a wabbly operatic tic. But who am I to say? I'm a lowly Supernumerary! I can't talk or sing so I'll just continue to bask in the glow of stage lighting, opening doors in Act II and schmoozing with the principles, which is in high gear now that everyone (except the Countess) has gotten their operatic sea legs and are having plain FUN performing and interacting.

Upstairs on the fifth floor, the little girls are becoming friends. That means the decible level in our dressing room has gone pretty much off the charts. Seven little girls giggling, screaming is a bit painful on our old ears. So we tell them nicely once, to quiet down, we can not hear Ms. Caroyln giving our calls to stage from the speaker in our room. That doesn't help so the Mom's in charge tell the girls to shut up. Which they do for three seconds. It will be time to bring out the game boards and books, i-pods and homework. Or I'm going down to the canteen to read (TC Boyle!) and sit on the red velevet couch left over from one of the operas.

The most thrilling news I have is that the cartons holding all costumes for Carmen have arrived! They are stacked along the walls on the fifth floor. I see four Moorish super women needed and looked closely for any women actors (which would be a nice hefty 500 bucks per performance) but didn't spot any. I guess I'll go get sprayed with tanning spray before that audition.

The blouse from my costume could now walk away on its own. The body odor from past bodies has reared its stinky head and no matter how much deodorant I wear, it isn't helping! Otherwise, I seem to be getting strung into my dress more tightly each performance. Nothing will make me look a size 2, except starvation.

We have a matinee today and depending on the mood of the principles, we supers are scheduled for photo shoot with them. I hope to pass on some of the more becoming shots of yours truly, assuming there will be any to be had!

Pleasant day to each of you at TCB's web-cafe!

Mizzy Peasant Woman

This post has been edited by Mizterious: Mar 18 2010, 06:07 AM

[Mizterious]

Our dresser is striking in a very Jewish/Greek looking mode. She's got short curly raven hair with single streaks of gray. Not salt and pepper - quite yet. She's got skinny great legs and one of those barrel waists? Big boobs. And is an out of control Metra train engine. Heavy, strong, and if you get in her way she will crush you like a bug. I've been crushed several times and am thankful for metaphors..

Opening night she's in a rage. Her husband (a regular stagehand at Chicago Theatre), wants a divorce. Has left her and the junior high school female child they bore from their loins.

She begins to tremble, cuss like a sailor, say things like, "I'm sorry, I never broke down like this before, I'm soooooooooo pissed he's doing this." Then I melt because she says, "My heart is broken." A bell goes off in my head and I embrace her in my arms and tell her, there, there. Big mistake. Now she hates me.

Or is it that she loves me? Or likes me? Or is a borderline personality? My god she barks orders at us and her hateful tone shrivels the balls I don't possess! Frightening to cross her in any way so, each of us super women assume a position of bitch dog and let her have her way which means we do exactly as told by her at all times to keep from having her yell at us! Talk about adolescent nonsense. When you don't hang your blouse exactly even, or you help a super unstring the back of her dress, this woman has a total meltdown and screams in a most unbecoming way that we are NOT to help each other get undressed or dressed because that is her job. Then she turns around and screams, 'Hurry up!! I mean it right now! I want to catch the 6:15 or 11:30 trains!' Miss Miz, what is taking you so long? Didn't you hear me?'

I become paralyzed with fear and wonder what I should do so I grin stupidly and say nothing.

On that note, I've retreated to the canteen on the third floor and am miracles of miracles, becoming used to her switch and bait personality - when I'm around the dressing room, which is not very often anymore.

Otherwise, my bit in Act II has flourished into a really fun time. The principles are pros and seem to enjoy the bantering and antics that have grown out of sheer nothingness into loads of posturing and commiserating while singing.

Except that, I am in front of my bunch of six and upstage all of them. Three women and three men. Guess which bunch is beginning to give me trouble? You guessed it, the ladies. Last night right before our entrance, one woman came up to me and said, "Isn't it high time we take turns being first to enter? So that each of us gets a chance to be up front?"

Excuse me? The director blocked this scene and it was me who got the finger tilt to be front and center. The director is no dummy. He knew who would be the most fun with the principles. So I'm ignoring the complaining which will probably begin to escalate now we are on the downside of four more Figaros.

Am I having fun yet? Beyond belief!

This post has been edited by Mizterious: Mar 19 2010, 08:52 AM

[lynnbarry]

Lovin' the updates, Miz...extreme happiness for ya!

[maccoffee]

Opening night she's in a rage. Her husband (a regular stagehand at Chicago Theatre), wants a divorce. Has left her and the junior high school female child they bore from their loins.

Excuse me? The director blocked this scene and it was me who got the finger tilt to be front and center. The director is no dummy. He knew who would be the most fun with the principles. So I'm ignoring the complaining which will probably begin to escalate now we are on the downside of four more Figaros.

Am I having fun yet? Beyond belief!

Dear Miz, I love Your vivid, zappy, hilarious reports. They really are worth to be published as a column in a journal, like "Mizterious' miraculous adventures in the bustling world of the opera",
thank You, have a wonderful weekend,
Yours , Moni (still giggling)

[Mizterious]

Bots opera!

Thank you Lynn and Maccoffee for your kind words! I really wish you could be there - total operatic drama and it is the most fun I've had since sex in my forties! Ha!

XO

This post has been edited by Mizterious: Mar 19 2010, 08:50 AM

[Mizterious]

One Nozzi left and it has been quite a ride. Everyone commented how quickly the production flew by and now in the great cavern behind stage, is pretty much empty of saws, hammers, wood, sets, ropes, lounging stagehands. I smelled the strong antiseptic smell of lysol back there, which I found quite odd but, am guessing it's got something to do with spring clean and school's out.

School's out? At the Lyric Opera Of Chicago? Yes. The entire operation emotes a school atmosphere. There's Sir Andrew Davis' chamber (he is the conductor/principal) The office, where people do administrative stuff.

The elevator! Life blood to vertical happenings up and down from first to fifth floor.

Last night I came down early to watch some of luscious Figaro. The bustle and energy of the place is love laden. Full of hugs and good wishes and CIAO! And just the most positive musical energy imaginable. It is a beautiful place.

We were told the new schedule for next season is in the works. I hope to have the opportunity to participate in at least one production next year!

Until then, Happy Singing!

XO

P.S. The Mad Dresser of Shiloh got canned last week. We now have a delightful Snow White version of a dresser who is as sweet as plums dipped in sugar! What a relief!

This post has been edited by Mizterious: Mar 26 2010, 06:40 AM

[Mizterious]

Finito

This post has been edited by Mizterious: Apr 5 2010, 04:56 AM

[lynnbarry]

These pics are wonderful. I really enjoyed reading all about your stage time and behind the scenes and all that you have been involved with these days...tonight will be bittersweet I bet. Good for you, Miz!

Hugs and Love

[TCB]

Dear Miz: Looks like towering good fun. Wish we all could have been there in the audience. TCB.

[Mizterious]

Dear TCB and Lynn and everyone: Oh yes, it was immensely fulfilling fun! The best time ever. Last night? As Lynn mentioned, many loves and hugs. I'd gotten each of the little super girls flower headbands as a momento. Heart stopping when I entered the dressing room after a final Act II blast (Susanna, Ms. DiNese made a point of thanking us for being wonderful and she will miss us! We will miss her too!), the little girls all had their headbands on. A pretty bouquet to be sure! So all and every goodbye was bittersweet. I got all choked up. Goodbye stage hand! Goodbye Rachel, our stage manager. Goodbye Bill our boss. Goodbye elevator, goodbye moon...I'm glad you guys have enjoyed being part of Le Nozze di Figaro. Let's hope next year is as fun! In the meantime, I've been cast as an extra for a new television series to air on ABC this fall. I will be part of a fancy dress up party taping. My only glitch is wait-time on film projects, veeeeeery looooong. Ah well! Ciao! Love, Miz

[lynnbarry]

From Stage to TV EXTRA??? You are livin' the life! Good for you! What show is it? I will definitely tune in next Fall...you are amazing, Mizzy!