Big Story, Little Stage

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Spectrum Series presents Yaros-Sullivan and Severtson, who deliver a grand operatic performance at UPB's Bromeley Family Theater

Article | Tue, 03/29/2011 - 00:38 | By Andrew Cauley

Andrew Cauley

Scrunching her face into scowls and scratching her head, mezzo-soprano Lorraine Yaros-Sullivan took on a new character with veritably every turn of the page in an intimate performance at Bromeley Family Theatre. From a confused, love –starved girl to a horrid stepmother, Sullivan told her tales to the tunes of Georges Bizet, Gioachino Rossini, Benjamin Britten, Richard Strauss, and the shimmering sounds of her accompanist, Kirk Severtson, on piano.

Taking charge of MC duties for the evening, Severtson explained that most of these writers wrote their operas with the intention of telling grandiose stories to large audiences at large venues. When playing smaller venues, Sullivan and Severtson attempt to “show how composers can tell stories in a smaller way.” The duo selects a personal repertoire for their smaller audiences, finding an essential theme that runs through them all. Flicking the coat tails of his black tuxedo, Severtson challenged the crowd to follow along with the story they’ve prepared out of the works of many different composers.

In the first set, the two complemented each other well, displaying phenomenal chemistry with dynamic works by Bizet, including “Chanson d’Avril,” “Pastorale,” Tarantelle.” Severtson’s Steinway called with integrity and poise, and Sullivan’s responses were voiced with conviction.

After a hearty round of applause, they followed this set with another composed of who Severtson deemed “The Titans” of opera: Rossini, Giacomo Puccini, and Giuseppe Verdi, and then another by Strauss. Severtson gave a clue here of the theme they’ve selected for the evening, “Allerseelen,” meaning “All Souls Day” in German. All Souls Day is the day following All Saints Day, Severtson explained, and is believed by some to be the only day of the year that those that have passed on may return to visit their loved ones. Here, the two began to open up a bit more, and gave a glimpse of what they had in store for the remainder of the show. The set was a bit more playful, with “Schlagende Herzen” ending with Severtson clinking on the Steinway, making it sound more like a toy music box.

Those who left during intermission would be sorely disappointed, however, as the two really broke out of their shells in the last half of the show. Their story thus far has been told chronologically, and they continued in this way through the end, playing works from modern composers Britten and Jake Heggie. Sullivan especially came alive, dawning nearly every expression that could be possible with the normal number of human face muscles.

Severtson opened “Sephestia’s Lullaby” with a dissonant and uneasy passage which quickly turned feverish like a mid-night anxiety attack as Sullivan sang, “Mother’s wag, pretty boy, Father’s sorrow, father’s joy, When they father first did see, Such a boy by him and me, He was glad, I was woe; Fortune changed made me so.”

She quickly changed characters, dawning a sour countenance, pointing at audience members and shouting “Sleep!” during “A Charm.” So convincing was her act that audience members squirmed in their seats as she looked at them and dispatched her order; or, at least I did.

“Tell Me the Truth About Love,” “Calypso,” and “The Leather-Winged Bat” were other notable highlights during this final set, with swirling and fluttering piano arrangements throughout “Bat” and Sullivan running out of breath, shouting, “Driver, drive faster!” during “Calypso.”

The kicker was truly the encore, however. After a brief step backstage, the two emerged and for the first time, Sullivan introduced a tune.

“Though you’d never know it from all this tuneful music, lower voices normally get the short end of the stick,” Sullivan said as she presented Zina Goldrich’s “Alto’s Lament,” giving the audience “a taste of musical theatre.” At least the couple knew how to break the ice, even if it did come a bit late in the show.

I won’t spoil the ending and tell you what the theme of the story was, but I’ll give you a hint: if you’re alive, you might want to go and check out Sullivan and Severtson at the smallest venue you can find.

Both Sullivan and Severtson are faculty at the Crane School of Music, Sullivan the Assistant Professor of voice and Severtson serving as musical director and vocal coach for the Opera Ensemble. Severtson enjoys maintaining an active performing schedule and strives to focus on the works of living composers. Sullivan is an active and acclaimed performer whose credits include, according to her website: Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Ottavia in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea; mezzo soloist in Falla’s El amor brujo, Libby Larsen’s Eleanor Roosevelt, Duruflé’s Requiem, and Bach’s Magnificat; Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and Das Buch der hängenden Gärten; and Argento’sFrom the Diary of Virginia Woolf.

About the Author

Andrew Cauley

Writer/Photographer

Andrew is a writing major at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He also enjoys listening to, playing, writing, and recording music.