Resonance Works will close out its ninth season with two powerful productions. In April, International superstar soprano, Takesha Meshé Kizart-Thomas, gives a moving solo recital dedicated to women artists who shaped the 20th century. In May, Resonance presents a reimagined version of Giuseppe Verdi’s heartbreaking opera masterpiece Rigoletto set in 1930s Hollywood.
“We believe that empowered artists create inspired audiences,” says Maria Sensi Sellner, the organization’s Founder and Artistic Director. The Phenomenal Woman and Rigoletto represent the incredible range of artistic excellence we strive to bring to Pittsburgh stages every year. We’re excited to once again be bringing so many world-class artists into collaboration with our vibrant artistic family in Pittsburgh. Over the last two years, we’ve seen how fragile our art-making can be and how necessary it remains. We are grateful for every opportunity to share live performance with our Pittsburgh community.”
The Phenomenal Woman | April 30, 7 p.m. | at the Mellon Institute Auditorium, Oakland
In The Phenomenal Woman, Kizart-Thomas makes her Pittsburgh debut in a one-night-only concert of opera, art song, jazz, and more. Praised by critics for her compelling performances, Kizart-Thomas brings her versatility as a classical, jazz, soul, and pop vocal soloist to this powerful program. Kizart-Thomas’s voice has been described by The New York Times as “powerful, lustrous, silky, caramel-hued, wielding impressive ease and elegant control.”
“The Phenomenal Woman will be an unforgettable experience,” says Sensi Sellner. “We are honored to work with Takesha, who has a magnificently powerful voice and is a spectacular creator and musical evangelist.”
The performance will feature arias honoring the dramatic heroines of the opera stage as portrayed by artists Shirley Verrett, Leontyne Price, and Jessye Norma, along with jazz standards popularized by the “First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald, art songs by contemporary Black women composers.
For the second half of the program, dedicated to jazz and contemporary music, Kizart-Thomas will be accompanied by a jazz trio.
BOX OFFICE: Tickets for The Phenomenal Woman are Pay What You Like and can be purchased online or over the phone at 412.501.3330.
Rigoletto | May 20, 8 p.m., and May 22, 3 p.m. | Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, Carnegie
Vibrating with emotion, Rigoletto is a timeless tale about fate and revenge. Rigoletto tries to protect his pure-hearted daughter Gilda. When she falls for an infamous Duke in disguise, she encounters a treacherous world of privilege and power. This beloved tragedy has been reimagined by acclaimed stage director Mo Zhou, who updates the story to the glamor and sleaze of 1930s Hollywood, bringing Gilda’s experience into sharp focus.
“We’ve been anxiously waiting to be able to stage Rigoletto since it was postponed in 2020. Now, we have assembled some of the most exciting emerging opera artists in the country to bring it to life,” says Sensi Sellner. “With incisive direction from Mo Zhou, this familiar classic takes on a new urgency as we reframe Gilda’s experience for a 21st-century audience.”
Baritone Andrew Cummings takes on the role of Rigoletto, lending his “hefty voice and formidable presence” (Houston Chronicle) to the character. Venezuelan soprano Maria Brea, recently a finalist in the 2022 Paris Opera Competition, makes her role and Resonance Works debut as Gilda.
This mainstage production will be accompanied by a streaming world premiere of L’assassino, a hip-hopera creation by composer and performing artist K.F. Jacques. A prequel to the Rigoletto story, L’assassino will tell of the dark beginnings of the assassin Sparafucile through Jacques’ unique fusion of hip-hop and opera. Jacques’ Corsair premiered in last season’s Tales from a Safe Distance and was named Best New Local Opera Production of 2020 in The Chicago Reader.
Tickets for Rigoletto can be purchased online or over the phone at 412.501.3330. \
Categories: Preview
Leave a Reply Cancel reply