The Dallas Opera 2021-2022 - Madame Butterfly/Flight

19 FLIGHT from August 1988 to July 2006. The Refugee (countertenor) is central to Flight , which includes nine other characters thrown together in an unnamed airport when flights are delayed: Tina (soprano) and Bill (tenor), hoping that their upcoming holiday trip will help restore excitement to their marriage; an Older Woman (mezzo- soprano), awaiting the arrival of her much-younger fiancé. Another married couple, the Minskman (baritone) and the heavily pregnant Minskwoman (mezzo-soprano), are on their way to Minsk where the husband is to take on a diplomatic post. The whole group is tended to by a Steward (baritone) and Stewardess (soprano) who can barely keep their hands off each other. Viewing everyone from her lofty vantage point is the Controller (soprano), and making an occasional forbidding appearance is the Immigration Officer (bass- baritone). Together these characters prove that, as the critic Rodney Milnes wrote of Flight , “an airport departure lounge is as valid a microcosm of the human condition as, say, the Almaviva household in [The Marriage of] Figaro .” In the course of the opera, these characters interact in all sorts of theatrically riveting ways. Everyone also has his/her opportunity to shine vocally—there’s one soaring lyrical episode after another—but perhaps even more vital are the ensembles. Flight abounds with them, from exceedingly intimate, ravishingly beautiful moments to superhumanly fast patter passages. Especially delightful is a very lively quartet sung by Tina, the Minskwoman, the Stewardess, and the Older Woman when they’re getting madly drunk. The voices in this cast must blend ideally, and the necessity for the singers to relate to each other in-depth not just dramatically, but also musically, make this the 21st-century’s ensemble opera par excellence. Dove’s music is endlessly rewarding for singers. Any true bel canto baritone, for example, can shine as the Steward, and luminous-voiced lyric sopranos find memorable opportunities as Tina and the Stewardess. A tenor who would normally sing, say, Rodolfo in La bohème , can be thrilling as Bill, and a stupendously high-ranging soprano who navigates with ease at fortissimo way above high C can stun the audience as the Controller. The Dallas Opera’s cast consists of phenomenal singing actors, from legendary Finnish diva Karita Mattila (Older Woman) and scintillating Australian coloratura soprano Jessica Pratt (Controller) to up-and- coming stars, including countertenor John Holiday (Refugee), baritone Will Liverman (Steward), and lyric soprano Elena Villalón (Tina). On the podium will be music director Emmanuel Villaume, who’s repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to contemporary repertoire. TDO will be remounting a production by one of America’s most successful directors of contemporary opera, Kristine McIntyre, who’s also staged the opera in Des Moines, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, and Austin. Flight is a glorious experience in the opera house, and it gives us all faith in the future of this art form. • A writer, lecturer, teacher, and coach, Roger Pines has contributed articles to every major opera-related publication in America, as well as to seven prestigious recording labels. Since 2006 he has appeared annually as a panelist on the Met broadcasts’ “Opera Quiz.” PHOTOS: DUANE TINKEY