I am so happy to share with you the great success of my Debut with Michigan Opera Theatre in Weinberg's The Passanger (Die Passagierin)
I am now in my eighth week as a Resident Artist with the Michigan Opera Theatre Studio. Following a successful run of La Boheme, we endeavored to mount David Poutney's powerful production of The Passanger (information about the opera, synopsis, history and plot can be found by clicking this parenthetical phrase). With Rob Kearly as the revival director and Steven Mercurio at the helm of this Brazil bound alabaster singing cruise liner, there was no doubt that this was going to be a home run production. I was cast as the sadistic, and twisted 3rd Schutzstaffel Mann. There is great significance in the underlying and overt sadism in my character. This cold-blooded and obsessed attributes set the 3rd SS officer in relief from the SS Maenner 1 and 2 archetypes. The other two SS Maenner typified the contrasting, yet coexisting SS paradigms: social climber disconnected to his task, and the aggressor who wishes he was at the front lines - disconnected to the concentration camp life.
It was honestly, very difficult for me to find the path to this character. My research left me depressed, despondent, and disconsolate. Reading about the Shutzstaffel, the nazi, the Holocaust was obviously bad enough, but becoming one? pretending to be one? acting realistically as one? The hours of videos of marches, post war interviews, and concentration camps were trying. Naturally, I cried.
The singers included a plethora or voices:
Daveda Karanas (Liese), Adrienn Miksch (Marta), David Danholt (Walter), Anna Gorbachyova (Katya), Liubov Sokolova (Bronka),Marian Pop (Tadeusz), Angela Theis (Yvette), Ashley Maria Bahri Kashat (Krystyna), Kristin Eder(Vlasta), Courtney Miller (Hannah), Jeff Byrnes (1st SS Officer), Lauren Skuce (Old Woman/Alta), Brent Michael Smith (2nd SS Officer), Yours Truly (3rd SS Officer), Stephen Lusmann (Older passenger, steward and commandant), and Geraldine Dulex (Kapo/Overseer). I would be remis if I did not include and or mention the responsive, and musical MOT Chorus, lead by Susanne Acton.
In addition to The Passenger I have been working with Richard Leech and preparing small concerts around Detroit, though mostly in the opera house. We have also begun our work on The Tenderland.
I am falling in love with this city, its people, and the musical experiences here.
Now some photo for your patience, you earned them.
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