Long Beach Opera Turns 30
By Stan Jenson
The residents of Long Beach sure know how to support their performing arts. Long Beach Playhouse is in its 80th continuous year, Musical Theatre West is into its 56th season, and the Long Beach Opera (LBO) is set to embark on its 30th season. While major opera companies, such as New York’s Metropolitan and the Los Angeles Opera, concentrate on grand opera, with up to a hundred cast members marching over elephantine settings, large-scale productions are extremely difficult in today’s economic climate — Orange County’s Opera Pacific even suspended operations.
LBO has concentrated on more intimate productions, and in doing so has presented an array of works that are often overlooked by major companies. An excellent example is this year’s season opener, “The Cunning Little Vixen,” which the company will present on Jan. 17 and 25 at the Center Theatre of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Written in 1924 by Leoš Janáček, “The Cunning Little Vixen” has been described as “a musical ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,’” one of the 20th century’s most imaginative excursions into fantasy. LBO has set its production in 1930s America, highlighting the struggle of humans and animals to coexist in a harsh and threatened environment.
The ingenious story tells the adventures of Vixen Sharp-Ears (Ani Maldjian), who lives in a world populated by humans as well as forest and barnyard animals. Many of the 12 cast members play multiple roles in the parallel storylines of interactions between the animals, interactions between the humans, and overlaps between the two groups. The audience eventually becomes aware that the opera is not just a simple tale about forest animals, but about the wider cycle of nature. By doubling up on cast members, the similarity between the animal tale and the human tale is reinforced.
LBO has scheduled a very special pre-production event for Jan. 11, 2009, from 3 – 6 p.m., exploring Janáček’s world. The event, titled “The Lion in Love,” begins with a rare screening of In Search of Janáček, an award-winning Czech Republic documentary. The screening will be followed by a performance of the play “The Glow of Your Kisses”, starring Michael York and Sonja Berggren. It is about the women Janáček loved and was obsessed with (his love life is as well remembered as his music). Concluding the afternoon will be Janáček’s chamber string quartet, “Intimate Letters,” played by the Lyris String Quartet. Czech culinary treats will be served. The event will be hosted by the renovated Art Theatre at 2025 E. Fourth St. in Long Beach. Tickets are $25 for subscribers and $30 for non-subscribers.
LBO’s 30th anniversary season will continue in March and April with “Montezuma,” by Antonio Vivaldi, and in May with a double-bill of “The Emperor of Atlantis” by Viktor Ullmann and “The Clever One” by Carl Orff.
Hats off to this tenacious company for its longevity, enthusiasm and continuing quality productions!
Remaining tickets for “The Cunning Little Vixen” at Long Beach Center Theatre are $98 and $128. Tickets for “The Lion In Love” at the Art Theatre are $25 and $30. Tickets for either event are available at (562) 432-5934 or www.longbeachopera.org.