Petite Opera's "Cosi fan tutte": the making of a Chicago premiere (parts 3-5)

With only two more performances remaining in the run of Petite Opera's new Chicago premiere, we continue our series on the Making of a Chicago Premiere.

In our last post, we noted that creating a Chicago Premiere involves some careful selection to make certain the "recipe" is just right, and discussed selecting the right version.  Now, we'll look into Steps 3 through 5.

STEP 3:  Select the correct location...

The setting of Chicago is no accident.  Toscas himself hails form the Chicago area, and selected Chicago to help establish the character of the opera. Audiences can expect to see local references and scenes, which should make their experience even more appealing.  Opera newcomers should feel at home watching the action "in their backyard".

Al Fonzarello, Randall and Elmer ride the El train to
their advertising agency office in Chicago's
Palmolive (now, "Playboy") Building.

STEP 4:  Select your visionary Stage Director and Creative Team

"We approached Cathy Dunn, a long-time performer at the Chicago Lyric Opera, to be our Stage Director.  We're very impressed with her tremendous character insight and passion for bringing out the humor in every work.  She makes outstanding use of the talents of emerging professional performers, as witnessed in our previous production at Petite Opera, including The Mikado, Cinderella (Massenet), and Hansel and Gretel," says Susan Baushke, Executive Director.

Toscas, who directed the world premiere, thought it would be fabulous to see the level of dimension and comedy that a female stage director brings to the characters in this version, since the women turn the tables on the guys.

Malia Ropp as Flora and Sara Litchfield as Dora attract
the guys' attention from the secretarial pool office.

Mary Lutz Govertsen as Flora tells the tale of her
faithfulness against Carmona's set, including aluminum
frame walls with bold, geometric colors and shapes.

"The creative team for this production has been tremendous to work with," says Cathy Dunn, Petite Opera Stage Director for Cosi fan tutte.  "I really wanted a feel of the bold colors, geometric shapes and graphics of the times, as well as to accommodate numerous set changes to fit our petite stage. Our set designer, Dave Carmona, has created elegant pieces that transition from the El trains to the office setting, and office sections that divide the eye, yet not the action.  Likewise, our scenic backdrop designers, Kim Guzniczak and Christina Kakavas, have come up with a whimsical and comical period cityscape with a unique height perspective, taking you up to the higher floors of the advertising agency setting.  It's miraculous the way this team has just gelled."

Guzniczak and Kakavas' whimsical Chicago skyline.

Steve Arvanites, Director of Production, agrees.  "This creative team just clicks. Every element has combined to bring Cathy's ultimate vision to life, and is executed with the utmost creativity."

STEP 5: 

Then, you select the perfect cast

Petite Opera's Cosi fan tutte begins with a
1950's-style tableau that introduces each
of the characters using a TV announcer

"Cosi is a true ensemble show, which makes it one of the most difficult to cast. All of the characters interact and change pairings during the course of the show, so how they look together, interact comically, blend musically... all of that has to be taking into consideration," explained Baushke. "The talent that auditioned for this show was tremendous. 

Needless to say, we had a very difficult time casting the show, but we're certain audiences will be delighted with all of our choices".  

Two casts will perform on alternating nights, so audiences can see the show multiple times, and enjoy different takes on the characters and comic delivery.

Ms. Desi disguises herself as a
crazy doctor to administer an
antedote to the guys.

Elmer and Randall return disguised
as beatniks.  Al Fonzarello enlists
Ms. Desi's help to pull off the bet.

*************************************************

Petite Opera performs Cosi fan tutte (Everyone Is Just the Same) November 8-23, 2013 at Mary Wilson House Beyer Auditorium, part of St. Mary's Episcopal Church campus, 306 S Prospect Ave at Crescent Ave (enter on Crescent Ave), Park Ridge, IL.  Call 847-553-4442 to reserve tickets, or purchase tickets online via credit card (convenience charges apply to credit card orders). 

Petite Opera is a professional 501c3 opera company

MadMen Meets Mozart: the making of a Petite Opera Chicago Premiere of COSI FAN TUTTE

Petite Opera, which caters to patrons seeing their first opera, hit the bullseye in selecting its upcoming production--Cosi fan tutte (Everyone is Just the Same).  Not only is this updated version hysterically funny, and the perfect introduction to opera for newcomers, it is all about Chicago:

• A Chicago Premiere
• a new libretto written by Dimitri Toscas, who hails from Chicagoland
• set in a 1959 Chicago advertising agency
• Starring performers who reside in Chicago

Audiences are in for sheer madcap fun with this updated Cosi fan tutte. Dimitri Toscas' new libretto is nothing short of brilliant.

The Original Story
Written by Mozart in 1790, Cosi fan tutte is a comedy that centers around a bet on fidelity made by the three male characters.  The driving force of the bet is Don Alfonso (bass-baritone), a man who is cynical that any woman can be faithful.  He bets two soliders, Guglielmo (baritone) and Ferrando (tenor) that their girlfriends--sisters Fiordiligi (soprano) and Dorabella (mezzo)--will not stay faithful to them if the guys leave town for even a day.  The guys take the bet, believing their girls will never stray, and come back in disguise to woo the girls as completely different characters.  Alfonso works his scheme aided by the girls' maid, Despina (soprano). Unknowingly, the girls fall for the switch, and fall for the "new man".

The Making of the Chicago Premiere 
Creating a Chicago Premiere involves some careful selection to make certain the "recipe" is just right.

• the right version
• the right time period
• the right location
• visionary director and creative team
• the perfect cast
• allowing the comedy to live and take hold

STEP 1:  Select the right version for your audience
"The original Mozart/Da Ponte opera is wonderfully written, the interplay and music are fantastic, and it utilizes a small ensemble cast, which is in line with our "petite" mission, said Susan Baushke, Petite Opera Executive Director.  "While the show was definitely in our sights for selection, we worried about producing the original since it requires too much suspension of disbelief for today's novice opera patron: How could the girls would be so woefully incompetent or gullible as to not see through the guys' disguises? As a result, we were delighted to secure Dimitri Toscas' updated version, set in 1959 Chicago.  Here, the girls see through the disguises immediately, completely turn the tables on the guys, and teach them a lesson about betting on their fidelity!"

Toscas, told Petite Opera that he never envisioned that Mozart would actually have presented the girls as totally duped by the guys' disguises.  One of his motivations for writing the piece was to truly present that both men and women respond the same way to these little games.  Ergo, the change in focus and translation from "Thus Do All Women" or "All Women Are Like That", to "Everyone is Just the Same".  This shift comes out clearly in the update.

In addition, the show has been shortened to about 2.25 hours from its original 3.5 hours.  The chorus has been removed, and there has been some creative musical editing--moving musical selections around to accommodate the updated action.  The length appeals more to the audiences of today.

Over the next several posts, we’ll hear more from Petite Opera staff and cast on the making of this incredible Chicago Premiere.

********************************************************************************

Petite Opera performs Cosi fan tutte (Everyone Is Just the Same) November 8-23, 2013 at Mary Wilson House Beyer Auditorium, part of St. Mary's Episcopal Church campus, 306 S Prospect Ave at Crescent Ave (enter on Crescent Ave), Park Ridge, IL.  Call 847-553-4442 to reserve tickets, or purchase tickets online via credit card (convenience charges apply to credit card orders). 

Petite Opera is a professional 501c3 opera company