Visit Austin.com to celebrate Austin, Texas! Austin.com is the web portal for everything entertaining happening in Austin, Texas.

A laymen’s take on the Austin Lyric Opera.

Let’s be clear from the beginning: I’m not the typical opera patron. So if you’re looking for technical reviews on specific arias or the skill of the sopranos, you might want to move on. (But I did feel obliged to drop some opera lingo right up front.) For that matter, I’m not really a critic, but my skills of criticism have been honed to a fine edge now that we are midway through this season of “American Idol.” During Idol watch parties, we even go so far as to pause the TV right after the contestant sings so we can give our critique before the “real” judges offer up their take. I have even been known to say exactly what Simon Cowell says, the only difference being he makes millions more dollars and I dress better. So in reality, I guess I am qualified to offer my opinion right?

With the thrill of trying something new in the air, we set off for opening night of the current Austin Lyric Opera performance of Dialogues of the Carmelites at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. Admittedly, I shared a few popular misconceptions about opera, but they were quickly dispelled. I had visions of fat ladies singing in languages I can’t understand dancing in my head and wondered if I really would grasp what was going on in the plot. I was an English major in college (at one point anyway) but even so, I worried that this might be a night spent scratching my head wondering what was going on. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case.

The story of this opera follows a young woman, Blanche de la Force (soprano Emily Pulley), as she struggles to face her fears on the eve of the French Revolution. Seeking a place of emotional shelter, she becomes a novice in a convent. The opera is performed in French, and at some points Latin, however there are English subtitles projected above the stage that allow the audience to know every word that is being sung. (How cool is that?) In addition, I went to ALO’s website, which provides a detailed synopsis, prior to the show so I would know the plot prior to arriving. I would suggest this for anyone who is going to attend, novices to pros, as the website is fantastic and contains some great information about the upcoming performances.

The experience of the opera is different than seeing a play or Broadway musical. Opening night, I learned (a bit too late), is typically dressier than a regular performance when it comes to the audience. Be that as it may, this is still Austin and jeans were seen mixed in with the tuxedos and formal dresses. There is an air of sophistication as the Austin elite and high society mix with minor media celebrities and other known faces right along with regular folks.

As the opera began, I quickly fell into the easy rhythm of altering between looking at the subtitles and following the action on stage. Opera is definitely more about the voices and the purity of the music than it is about the action on the stage as you might see in a Broadway musical. Also, the voice of the performer is not amplified (as in zero microphones) like it is in most musical productions, and this takes a little while to get used to. But when you realize the power it would take to project your voice to the back of the house (over a full orchestra to boot), one cannot help but be impressed with the performers.

Intermission offered one of those typically Austin moments. While enjoying an adult beverage out on the patio of the Long Center, we had a grand view of the Austin Reggae Festival in full swing across the street at Auditorium Shores. To borrow a theater term, juxtaposition was also in full swing as the cultured patrons of the opera poured out onto the patio to listen to the reggae beat offered at the festival. We were sipping wine, they were smoking…..oh, moving along. I could not help but laugh at the thought that inside the Long Center, people were singing about the trials of life in pre-revolutionary France while outside they were singing about the trials of life in modern times.

The second act continues to build tension and conflict until the dramatic ending (dramatic even by opera standards) where the entire convent of nuns is condemned to death at the guillotine. As they are marched to their death, the entire convent sings a hymn in unison. As they are executed one by one, the hymn is carried on by those that remain until, ultimately, only Blanche remains as the lone voice. Though the action of the executions is not shown, the director (Eric Einhorn) does a fantastic job of mixing the offstage sound of a dropping blade with the actress dropping to her knees in such a powerful and impactful way. I was very surprised at how emotionally effective this was and actually heard several sobs from the patrons around me.

As one who is more apt to attend a basketball game than an opera, I can assure you I came away a fan. So break out of your normal entertainment rut, get a little dressed up, and go see a show at a world class venue. Who knows, you might even become a fan.

 

 

Dialogues of the Carmelites continues its run at the Long Center on April 22, 24, and 26. Tickets are $30-$135 and are available here.