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Bravo! Anchorage, Alaska emerges as a world class destination for opera.
Opera is among the oldest performance arts in the world. Through song accompanied by dance, scenery, and drama, opera tells a story authentically, without microphones or amplification, and with music performed by a live orchestra. Asked where great opera is found, people mention The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. They mention Teatro alla Scala in Italy, The Bolshoi Theatre in Russia, The Royal Opera House in England, or even the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
Apart from The Met, when people talk about high quality professional opera in the USA, they mention Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Fe. For most people, even avid fans, Alaska is not on the radar. However, there’s an amazing gem way up in the great north: Anchorage Opera.
You read that correctly. Anchorage, Alaska is home to excellent professional opera. The Alaska Center for the Performing Arts is a fantastic venue loaded with talent at all levels. The staff, the crews, and especially the talent, are on a level worthy of national attention. It won’t be long before people all over the country, and around the world, begin pointing to Anchorage as a mandatory opera destination.
Opera season traditionally begins in the Fall and runs through winter and to the following Spring, so the current production is the 2022-2023 season finale. Running May 5, 6 and 7, Anchorage Opera presents French composer Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.” Set in 19th century Seville, Spain, the story is about a hopeless soldier named Don Jose who abandons his childhood sweetheart, Micaela, and turns his back on the military to pursue the attention of a fiery and exotic gypsy seductress, Carmen, who also happens to be a smuggler.
Perhaps not at all untimely given the modern social-political climate in the USA and around the world, Bizet’s Carmen is said to depict political unrest in 19th century France, where issues of race, gender, and social class became the fuel for power struggles in government and throughout society. With Spain as a cover, and the unique addition of bullfighting flare, Bizet likely managed to avoid persecution for criticism of his own government at the time.
In Anchorage, the staff, crew and cast are every bit as diverse as one may dream. The mix of local community members with pedigreed professionals from abroad is part of what makes the productions so special. Stage Director Laura Alley is a name that should be familiar to experienced operagoers. Her list of credits is lengthy and spans the entire country and several places abroad. In fact, her husband recently retired as the stage manager at The Met. How’s that for a power couple!
Anchorage Opera Stage Manager Helen Irene Muller is nothing short of incredible. She’s a proud Alaskan who has worked across the country as well. Her credits range from community theatre to Broadway, and it shows. She communicates masterfully with everyone and knows exactly what the orchestra is doing at all times, and where the chorus and principals plug in. She does that while reading dialogue, maintaining command on a headset, and directing traffic on the ground. She’s not only a pro; she is a gem!
In fact, each of the staff members is indispensable. The person tending to the ropes, the lights, the props, the stage sets, the backdrops - every one of them loves doing it and does the job with seemingly limitless generosity and passion. Watching the crew work is a marvelous experience. Of course, what they do makes it possible for the cast to be successful, and that is truly one of the best things about Anchorage Opera.
A simple glance at a program tells you all you need to know. Anchorage Opera isn’t just a local effort. Audrey Babcock (Carmen) is a highly decorated international talent. Benjamin Werley (Don Jose) has a lengthy resume of credits from all over the country. Catalina Cuervo (Micaela) is without a doubt one of the finest female Latin American opera singers in the world. These are headliners, and including rising star Alex Soare (Escamillo), these are legends. This degree of above-the-line casting is alone worth making every effort to see the production.
In addition to the big-name stars, there are many highly regarded and very talented local performers of all ages who donated their time and resources to participate in this production of Carmen, and in every production cast Anchorage Opera puts together. From Zoe Mellerstig enthusiastically waving her flag and leading the Children’s Chorus across the stage, to UAA graduates Amanda Boger and Christabel Sosa lending their beautiful voices to the principal roles of Mercedes and Frasquita, to the dazzling supernumerary Matadors, it is clear there is a place in Anchorage Opera for anyone who loves music and wants to be involved in this greatest of art forms.
As for the opening night performance of Carmen, there is only one word to describe it: magnificent! Every line, every look, every aria was flawlessly on point and beautifully delivered. With a skillful orchestra masterfully led by Principal Conductor Brian DeMaris, the audience enjoyed such fan-favorites as Carmen’s “Habanera” and the “Toreador Song.”
Audrey Babcock’s voice projected with power and punch as she filled the stage with fiery seduction and dance. Babcock also lent her talents as choreographer to this production and led an enthusiastic chorus in Flamenco during her dazzling “Gypsy Song.” Benjamin Werley delivered a pure and consistent performance showing no signs of fatigue despite his many stage battles, and even captured a shred of sympathy with his performance of “La fleur que tu m’avais jetee.” Catalina Cuervo’s voice soared in an unbelievable performance that tugged at the heart strings and brought people to tears, particularly with her aria “Je dis, que rien ne m’epouvante,” sung while she is frightened and alone in the mountains, praying for courage while searching for her love, Don Jose. The character of Escamillo is always a favorite, and Alex Soare is no exception as he dazzled the audience with his charming Toreador Song, “Votre toast, je peux vous le rende,” winning more hearts than Carmen’s!
With only two nights remaining for the Anchorage Opera’s “Carmen,” the community needs to act fast to get tickets to this exceptional, must-see production! Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone, or at the box office. Come join the fun Saturday 5/6 at 8pm, or Sunday 5/7 at 4pm.
Looking ahead, the 2023-2024 season is just around the corner. This exciting upcoming season features Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” Derrick Wang’s “Scalia/Ginsburg,” and Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Follow Anchorage Opera on social media to stay updated, find out more information and learn how to get involved in this gem of a production company!
Early Inflection Point for Oregon, Pac-12
The Oregon Ducks find themselves at an important inflection point. Sitting at 2-1, and entering conference play on the road, this very well could be a defining moment for both the season and for new Head Coach Dan Lanning. Suffice it to say, the season opener was shocking for most college football fans. Losing 49-3 on the road to the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs in what was both their season opener as well as the high profile beginning of the 2022 college football season looked bad.
To the casual fan, the Ducks were completely dominated and never capable of doing anything. To the more well-versed fan, it was clear the Ducks weren’t so much incapable of quality performance as much as they appeared physically overmatched by the talent on the Georgia roster. To the experienced analyst, the take was different.
Experienced analysts on the field said the Ducks looked as one would expect of a team that was just introduced to their new playbooks 6-8 weeks prior. Some said they needed 2-3 more weeks of practice to get their schemes down, and they pointed to the miscues and confusion both at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield.
However, there’s another take on the matter worthy of mention. An analyst on the sideline in Atlanta suggested the Oregon Athletic Director lost the game. That’s right. Call it a bold take, but let’s examine the history. The Georgia Bulldogs have been a great team for many years. Leading up to their 2015 campaign, they were under the direction of head coach Mark Richt. They were high performing, posted 10+ win seasons, and back in 2006, they had agreed to a home-and-home series with Oregon.
In 2014, the Oregon Ducks performed well, won the college football playoff semifinal, and went to the 2015 national championship game where they lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs lost Mark Richt to the University of Miami. Georgia’s athletic director called the Oregon athletic director and cancelled the home-and-home series. While citing travel distance as a concern, Georgia knew they were going to have a new head coach, and they certainly did not want to be embarrassed on the road. In fact, Kirby Smart, who became the new head coach after being the defensive coordinator at the University of Alabama, struggled in his first year and led the Bulldogs to an underwhelming 8-5 record. Would they have lost on the road at Oregon? that is difficult to say. However, the risk was real, perhaps too real to realize.
Fast forward to Oregon in 2021. The Ducks had recruited well under then Head Coach Mario Cristobal. They understood their offensive and defensive systems, and they had At least half a decade of experience with their existing playbook. When Cristobal announced that he was leaving, Oregon’s athletic director should have called the athletic director at Georgia and canceled the game. Weather he cited travel distance, the expense, or something else, is neither here nor there. The bottom line is that it was Georgia coming off a national championship game performance, one that they were successful in, and it was the Ducks who had a new head coach and a new system to install. Ironically, Oregon lost their head coach to the University of Miami, the same place Georgia had lost its previous coach.
Thus, one can make the argument that it was not in fact the athletes on the field, nor the coaches on the sideline, who lost the game against Georgia, but that it was in fact the responsibility of the athletic director, and that he set the program up to face extremely difficult, if not insurmountable odds playing on the road in Atlanta. A fair leadership advisory would probably include a note to accept responsibility and move on.
Coming off that trip, the Ducks were 0-1. Many mocked them as the laughingstock of college football, but the truth is that this team may very well have been much more talented than the product that appeared on the field in Atlanta. In week two, Oregon faced a completely overmatched FCS opponent, Eastern Washington. The Eagles were defeated as expected, and the ducks appeared to be getting back on track. Week 3 cemented that after the ducks delivered a decisive win over a highly ranked BYU team.
Now, the ducks are headed to Pullman, Washington, to play the Washington State Cougars. Always a tricky opponent, and entering the game with a record of 3-0, that includes a significant road win at then ranked Wisconsin, and a decisive home win over Colorado State, it is clear the WSU Cougars are dangerous. A road win in the Palouse will not only further add to the story that Oregon is in fact a good team this season, but it will also help the team keep pace in a very competitive Pac-12 conference race.
That is where things get particularly interesting. USC currently sits atop the Pac-12 South standings, and while that may be consistent with popular predictions, it certainly is not consistent with the new head coach and playbook distinction asserted as an issue in Oregon’s opening loss. Then again, USC opened the season against it completely overmatched Rice, and then on the road at unranked Stanford, followed by a return home against unranked Fresno State. Nevertheless, they’re 3-0 and 1-0 in the conference. That has them at the top of the standings. UCLA sits behind USC, followed by 2-1 Arizona and 2-1 Utah, who remains highly ranked despite an opening road loss to the Florida Gators. The Pac-12 south will shake out over time as these teams play each other, of course.
The same is true for the Pac-12 north. Things will sort themselves out over time. As mentioned, Oregon begins that mission this weekend in Pullman. However, it is currently 3-0 Oregon State who sits atop the north standings, and the ranked 3-0 Washington Huskies who sit right behind them. WSU, also 3-0, sits right behind them. Call that a formality as none have played a conference opponent yet, and all are undefeated. That will change this weekend. Oregon State hosts USC, Washington hosts Stanford, and as previously mentioned, WSU hosts Oregon. In another interesting game perhaps slightly under the radar, Cal hosts Arizona, and the winner of that game will be 3-1, 1-1 Pac-12. Beware of dark horses.
Perhaps it’s too early for predictions. The transfer portal, those graduate transfer students, the pandemic and its extra year of eligibility, conference realignment – whatever the issues are, there are a few things that are true: (1) it is difficult to win in the Palouse; (2) it is difficult to win at Husky Stadium; (3) no ranked opponent has won in Corvallis in over a decade, nearly two! What is also true is that the weather is changing fast. From the high heat of summer and the fire smoke that filled the air during the segue to Fall, things have changed in a hurry. It’s getting chilly at night. There’s rain in some forecasts. It’s football season, and over the next couple of months we’ll find out how good the Ducks and the rest of the Pac-12 conference really are.
Back in Atlanta, Georgia fans had nothing bad to say about Oregon. On the contrary, several said “we’ll see you in the playoffs.” Whether that happens this year or not remains to be seen. There are a lot of moving parts this year and going forward. All a team can do is take it one week at a time.
Ahsan Awan has been covering NCAA sports for over a decade, and has been covering college football, including the Oregon Ducks and the Pacific 12 Conference, since 2008. All images taken by Ahsan Awan for American Presswire. ©2022 Ahsan Awan for American Presswire, subject to unlimited use under license unless otherwise noted. He can be found on Twitter as @quackarazzi and on Instagram as @quackarazzi.