dark sisters, orpheus pdx, 2023
Real life on the fringes: OrpheusPDX’s Dark Sisters. Local production of Nico Muhly’s opera brings complex emotions and conflicting points of view to Lincoln Hall.
OrpheusPDX, Christopher Mattaliano’s new opera company in its second summer season, staged Dark Sisters Aug. 24… OrpheusPDX’s formula is to produce one oldie-goldie chamber piece and one contemporary opera each summer, all designed with artistic intimacy in mind. So far, the format has been highly successful. I’ve seen all four operas produced to date, and praised them all, and I’m not the only critic who has had good things to say. But back to Dark SIsters, the most stunning and provocative of the four operas performed so far, one that Mattaliano said has haunted and intrigued him for years since he saw the 2012 premiere. The story, directed spellbindingly by Kristine McIntyre and sung in English, focuses on the women who were part of the polygamy-practicing FLDS sect that split from mainstream Mormons in the early 20th century… Thanks to OrpheusPDX for bringing us such searing and real reflections of 21st-century life, though the opera did portray real life on the fringes. If any company can persuade reluctant opera goers to engage with this artform, it’s this one.
Angela Allen, Oregon ArtsWatch
Review: OrpheusPDX production of Dark Sisters
Portland’s Chamber Opera company, OrpheusPDX, completed its second season August 27 by making a powerful case for composer Nico Muhly and librettist Stephen Karam’s 2011 work, Dark Sisters… Based largely on memoirs and the aftermath of the 2008 raid at Yearning for Zion Ranch, a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community in Texas, Dark Sisters received a southern Utah setting from director Kristine McIntyre and designers Megan Wilkerson (sets), Lucy Wells (costumes) and Solomon Weisbard (lighting). The first scene depicted five sister wives lamenting their absent children before an orange and white mesa at twilight. Night skies held a large moon or were star-studded. Daytime video footage of beautiful landscapes appeared when they would not distract. The ranch gate bore the inscription “Pray and Obey,” a mantra the women sing almost as often as “Keep Sweet.” Moving indoors brought formal portraits of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and other church-recognized “prophets.”… Show, don’t tell, they say. Karam’s skillful libretto eschews narration for conversation that enables the viewer to piece together the story. With McIntyre’s sensitive direction and fine acting throughout the cast, one knew where each of the five wives stood in the eyes of their husband, the Prophet. In this no-narrative vein, OrpheusPDX offered no detailed synopsis of Dark Sisters, which enabled a wrenching surprise: Act II opens with the women in their plain dresses thrust before cameras and a national TV audience for CNN’s “Larry King Live.”
Mark Mandel, Northwest Reverb
OrpheusPDX 2023 Review: Dark Sisters
OrpheusPDX, a new company founded by Christopher Mattaliano in Portland, Oregon, concluded its second season with a brilliant and thought-provoking production of Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters, at Lincoln Hall on August 24. Dark Sisters explores and exposes relationships in a polygamous sect and reveals the courage of one sister-wife to leave it. With Stephen Karam’s libretto inspired by memoirs of women who have left the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and the 2008 raid of the YFZ Ranch by the FBI, Dark Sisters was delivered with spot-on directing by Kristine McIntyre and riveting performances by an exceptional cast.
James Bash, OperaWire
bluebeard’s castle, des moines metro opera, 2023
IN REVIEW: Des Moines
Des Moines Metro Opera’s 2023 season was one of its strongest to date. The weekend of July 14-16 began at an exceptionally high level with a stunning mounting of Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle (seen July 14). Director Kristine McIntyre and digital-image composer Oyoram created a dazzling audience experience; through the use of a multitude of LED panels, an evocative setting by Luke Cantarella successively morphed into subterranean dungeons, dank armories and lush gardens whose flowers dripped with blood. There was a marvelous effect at the opening of the fifth door: the images took us frantically down a long hallway and then burst onto a sweeping mountain vista as Bartók’s crashing F-minor chords announced its glory. The last moments were shattering: Bluebeard’s wives all joined in a beatific sisterhood, relegating him to eternal isolation as the color around him slowly drained away… The brief opera was given as a stand-alone piece, but with a performance this intense and extraordinary, Bluebeard had the impact of Götterdämmerung.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, OPERA NEWS
Dark romance & psychological horror in Des Moines Metro Opera’s Bluebeard
Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle was a marriage of powerful music and stunning visuals, a combination that pushed this often overlooked operatic masterpiece to new heights. As with most fairy tales, the story of Bluebeard’s ill-fated bride is full of compelling contradictions, and this production struck just the right balance of dark romance mixed with psychological horror… Kristine McIntyre’s staging was a refreshing twist on an usually tragic tale. When Bluebeard opens the final door, Judith discovers the fate of his three previous wives. The women are captives on display, muses frozen in time. Bluebeard reveals that his fourth bride, Judith herself, is to join their ranks, and at first she submits to her doom, allowing him to drape the midnight mantle over her shoulders. Then in a moment of defiance, Judith casts the garment aside, and the other brides follow suit. The four women flee the castle, ascending the spiral staircase and returning to the light once more. In the end, the women are triumphant, and Bluebeard is left in his crumbling mansion, alone in the dark. The final visual was a powerful one, the four brides and the Prologue joining hands in solidarity as their tormentor mourned below. The beauty of a fairy tale is its ability to evolve, resonating with the audience time and time again. Des Moines Metro Opera’s cutting edge production of Bluebeard’s Castle breathed new life into an underrated opera, blending the digital and traditional in a seamless immersive display. The immortal power of this dark love story proved just as potent in this new format, and I can’t wait to see how the opera company continues to push the boundaries of this technology in future productions.
Meghan Klinkenborg, schmopera.com
Astonishing Castle Among Iowa’s Cornfields
Miraculous. That pretty much encapsulates my reaction to the staggering accomplishment of Des Moines Metro Opera’s festival production of Bartok’s masterpiece, Bluebeard’s Castle. This taut, barely sixty-minute performance was brimming with outstanding achievements, not least of which was the cast of only two singers… Director Kristine McIntyre has made her annual welcome return to DMMO to invest another stellar product with her unrivaled skill and fertile imagination. Her firm hand surely shaped the complex realization of the projected effects, but even more important, Ms. McIntyre forged a palpable bond between Bluebeard and Judith that was riveting in its commitment and inevitable in its truthful journey… Bluebeard’s Castle was yet another shining example of the care, thought, talent, and creative thinking that informs each of the beautifully considered productions at Des Moines Metro Opera.
James Sohre, Opera Today
A THOUSAND ACRES, DES MOINES METRO opera, 2022
Acres of Consequence in Iowa
As a component of its Fiftieth Anniversary Season, Des Moines Metro Opera added to its already prestigious reputation with a compelling world premiere of Kristin Kuster and Mark Campbell’s A Thousand Acres… Mark Campbell’s libretto was characterized by his usual lean, comprehensible storytelling, with just enough emotional subtext to let the composer flesh it out. The characters were cleanly defined and the arc of the plot was well-crafted and easy to follow… Kristin Kuster has fashioned a fascinating score, so full of vibrant instrumental effects that it is not possible to take it all in on one hearing, nor to adequately describe it here. Since the land itself and the (poisoned) water beneath it are a major presence in the story, so they are in the score. Mr. Campbell and Ms. Kuster have alternated book scenes and interludes, and it is in the latter that we most fully experience her sound vocabulary. To evoke the “Acres” she deploys mostly strings and woodwinds, which she layers in a variety of configurations… The musical direction could not have been in better hands. David Neely not only imbued the whole evening with seeming spontaneity and inevitability but corralled all his forces into an awesome unity of purpose. Maestro Neely communicated an infectious sense of discovery that made the sounds leap from the page, and I eagerly awaited every new effect and turn of phrase. The accomplished musicians that form the DMMO orchestra rewarded him (and us) with sterling results. Director Kristine McIntyre once again exceeded her own high bar. Her overall success at drawing such uniformly detailed, internalized and deeply personal performances from her cast speaks volumes to the depth of her talent. Ms. McIntyre also has a keen eye for stage pictures and the practical use of this particular space, Simpson College’s Pote Theatre. She knows the idiosyncrasies of the theatre well and makes efficient and varied use of its trap door, thrust, and adjoining proscenium stage. She is greatly assisted in that by the straightforward, minimal, fluid scenic and projection design by Luke Cantarella. A weathered, earthen colored, jagged-edged barn wall backdrop is in place upstage, with elements of it rising and falling to create slightly different locales, and to subtly alter the configuration of the “screen,” on which Mr. Cantarella’s many-faceted projections and videos are shown. Behind it a faint cornfield extends from wing to wing. In front of this evocative visual commentary, simple wagons glide on and off to create a 70’s kitchen here, a front porch there; or fly in to complete a “look” with windows or well-dressed walls; or arise from the depths on the apron to create bedrooms and, for a key confrontation scene, deliver the all-important table with Monopoly board… Des Moines Metro Opera made it to its triumphant landmark celebration for one reason alone: the unparalleled, consistent excellence of its artistic product, opera after opera, year after year, festival after festival. The outstanding achievement that is A Thousand Acres is but another sparkling addition to a jewel-studded crown. May there be many more.
James Sohre, Opera Today
A Thousand Acres by Kristin Kuster and Mark Campbell Makes a Stunning World Premiere at Des Moines Metro Opera: A World Premiere Production Celebrates What Makes Des Moines Metro Opera an Amazing Company and Looks Towards its Future.
If you have been previously attended one of DMMO's seasons, you are probably accustomed to the elaborate sets and costumes typically seen in their shows. A Thousand Acres challenges the audience's idea of what sets and costumes can be. The costumes by Valérie T. Bart are more modern than what typical audiences are used to and honestly look like things people within our community would wear. The sets designed by Luke Cantarella are minimalist, but for a very important reason. The opulence of this show comes from Luke Cantarella's projection design, and the use of the projections throughout the show is spectacular… One of the things I appreciated about this show was how it looks toward the future with multiple designers making their debut with DMMO. It also brings in some artists who have made the company what people know and love. One is director Kristine McIntyre, who has become a staple of the company and has found different ways of pushing stories and the art form in general forward each time. A Thousand Acres is no different for her. We also hear the superb orchestra under the direction of another DMMO staple David Neely… While it's easy to look at the past when celebrating a significant milestone, DMMO continues to look forward. The company's leadership took a huge risk in presenting a world premiere debuting a new opera, which paid off by allowing them to tell stories in a way I've never seen them do before. If this is an example of what is to come in the future from DMMO, then we have so much to look forward to in the next 50 years and more.
DC Felton, Broadway World
Putting the Culture in Agriculture: The 50th Anniversary Performance by the Des Moines Metro Opera Tells the Tragic Tale of an Iowa Farm Family.
This year is DMMO's 50th anniversary, and to commemorate this milestone, they commissioned a brand new opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. I was at the fundraising brunch a few years ago as a guest of Successful Farming editor emeritus and DMMO Board of Directors member Betsy Freese when the commission was announced, and have been looking forward to it ever since. Leading up to the premiere, DMMO hosted discussion panels, agriculture-themed art exhibits, and other events to celebrate the new opera… When my friends and I made our way out the doors and into the humid Iowa night, we said, "That was a lot to unpack." We talked about the themes that were familiar to us — farm succession issues and the mixed emotions of leaving home — and were grateful that's where the similarities to our own stories ended. Once we were able to catch our breath, we couldn't stop talking about how the writers, vocalists, orchestra, designers, and crew did such a magnificent job bringing this difficult story to life… At first, I thought I might have chosen something lighter to celebrate 50 years of DMMO — an opera that would leave the audience smiling. Something with lyrics that I'd want to listen to over and over, like my Pavarotti playlist. But that's the thing about art: its job isn't to make us comfortable or give us a happy ending. It forces us to think about difficult things. It lets us experience different lives, and they aren't always pretty… A few days have passed since the performance, but I continue to be haunted by A Thousand Acres. I can't get the Cook family out of my thoughts. When DMMO chose this particular piece to commemorate their anniversary, that's no doubt exactly what they had in mind. Bravo!
Lisa Foust Prater, Successful Farming
A Thousand Acres, DES MOINES-Des Moines Metro Opera 7/9/22
Des Moines Metro Opera celebrated its golden-anniversary season with a terrific world premiere, a company premiere of an American masterpiece and a fresh look at a beloved company favorite. The festival’s centerpiece came on July 9, with the first performance of A Thousand Acres, DMMO’s first major commission since Lee Hoiby’s The Tempest in 1986. With a score by Kristin Kuster and libretto by Mark Campbell, A Thousand Acres is based on Jane Smiley’s Pulitzer-winning novel, which transfers Shakespeare’s King Lear into 1970s Iowa… Luke Cantarella’s marvelous setting was magically transformed by enveloping projections that took the audience on journeys through sweeping acres of Iowa farmland, or into the deep corners of the troubled minds of the characters. Kristine McIntyre’s perceptive direction managed the seamier elements of the story sensitively and rendered the sisterly relationships to perfection.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, OPERA NEWS
flight, utah opera, 2022
Dove’s Flight Explores Human Relations in Soaring Utah Opera Debut
When performing an opera set in an airport, it’s a cute idea to have uniformed flight attendants take the stage to make the “Turn off your cell phones” announcement. At Utah Opera’s first-rate opening night performance of Flight at the Capitol Theatre, the introduction made the audience members feel like fellow travelers on what would prove to be a delightful and poignant journey… A delightful aspect of Flight, highlighted in this production, is the way the cast functions as an ensemble, reacting as a group to one another’s stories and at different times, comforting and disappointing one another. Director Kristine McIntyre did an excellent job instilling each character with a clear objective and making sure their interactions were authentic. The cast particularly shone in the moments when they reacted as a group. It was chilling to watch each of the travelers dismiss the Refugee, with a curt and almost identical “We can’t help you,” when he begged them for help evading the immigration officer, and it was thrilling as they all watched a plane take off or land, pausing their worries to gaze in wonder at the miracle of human flight… In the 23 years since its premiere, Flight has received dozens of productions by companies around the globe. As long as there are refugees, lonely travelers, and ambivalent married couples, Dove’s opera appears likely to continue to find companies and audiences eager to explore these themes.
Rick Mortensen, Utah Arts Review
sweeney todd, des moines metro opera, 2021
Sweeney A Palpable Hit, So Help Me Todd
The estimable American festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, ventured confidently into Stephen Sondheim territory with an enthralling new production of Sweeney Todd. The first great asset in its favor is that the company entrusted the stage direction to the confident skills of Kristine McIntyre. This endlessly inventive director revels in character motivation, ever-shifting stage pictures, and a rich inventory of detail-oriented business. Ms. McIntyre is also well-acquainted with the idiosyncratic strengths of the Blank Theatre’s thrust space, with its mid-stage sunken pit, and capitalizes on them. She moves her players through their inexorable paces with murderous glee, and a dark humor firmly fixed in Gothic reality. This was quite a driven rendition of this now-familiar tale, and the entire cast seemed electrifying in its delivery. While there were blissful moments of momentary musical comedy repose, the whole performance was underscored by a restlessness that kept us on edge even as it kept us entertained… this was a minor miracle of a Sweeney Todd: By turns intimate, grand, in your face, out of this world, over-the-top, restrained, musically impeccable, and, having seen the original Broadway production (‘pace’ Mr. Prince et al), DMMO’s thrilling up-close-and-personal experience is even better.
James Sohre, Opera Today
Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd in Des Moines—the Perfect Evening After a Year Without Theatre
As you enter the theatre, your eyes can't help but focus on the intricate set designed by R. Keith Brumley. What I loved was how as the story unfolded, so did the set. Each reveal during the show was just as exciting as the previous. While many productions of Sweeney Todd tend to use a black and white palette for colors, this production is daring and plays against that palette and uses color with the set and Jonathan Kipscher's beautiful costumes. Another of my favorite technical elements of the show is Kate Ashton's lighting. Her lighting allows Sweeney's shadow to almost look down on stage at the show's opening when he makes his first entrance and also allows the sets to light up and appear to be factory ovens being worked during the show. All of this is tied together under the fantastic direction of Kristine McIntyre. Her staging puts the audience right in the center of the show's action. It does a beautiful job of transitioning between when the audience is being told what is happening and times where the audience is getting to watch what is happening in the show. It's as though the proverbial fourth wall doesn't exist… From the incredible sets and costumes to the terrific direction and the outstandingly superb cast, Sweeney Todd is a production you won't want to miss.
DC Felton, Broadway World
semele, pittsburgh opera, 2021
Striking visuals bring Semele to life at Pittsburgh Opera
Much ink has been spilled over whether the 2020s will be as roaring as the 1920s as the pandemic lingers. For Pittsburgh Opera, the 1920s are already back. In their first ever production of Handel’s Semele, the company transformed its chamber opera auditorium in its Strip District headquarters Saturday into an art deco palace. Combining the traditional flourishes of Baroque music with cutting-edge projections to aid in scene changes, this Semele — helmed by conductor Antony Walker and stage director Kristine McIntyre — was a sumptuous and beautiful spectacle that elevated the source material past its musty moralizing. In this production, Semele is no mere vain figure of tragedy. Rather, her motivations stem from knowing what she wants, discarding societal expectations and making every effort to get it. While her ambitions are her downfall, Semele’s agency provides a refreshingly multidimensional character arc. Not an easy feat when the main character is wearing a frilly, pink robe most of the opera. Projections — created by Lawrence Shea on art deco screens — transport the characters from the icy black and white of earth to the lush, colorful world of the gods to the cave of Somnus, the god of sleep, to Semele’s palace apartment, bedecked in blossoms. The projections not only helped with the scene changes and illustrated Jove’s power and Semele’s ascension, but also made the smaller auditorium seem several times bigger… Costumes from Jason Bray were outstanding examples of 1920s-inspired design. Iris’ polychrome dress and especially the peacock ensemble worn by Juno were over the top in all the best ways, suiting the celestial characters and the elegant atmosphere. Overall, Semele — with its striking visuals, talented performers, authentic musicianship and inventive production design — is a highlight of the 2021 season and a memorable addition to Pittsburgh Opera’s long history.
Tyler Dague, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Opera’s Semele: Endless Pleasure, Endless Love
I drove eight hours round trip to Pittsburgh to attend the dress rehearsal. If you can’t scarf up a ticket, don’t miss the live stream. First of all, it is an amazingly good adaptation of this very pleasing baroque opera that operates within COVID-19 constraints and precautions. Second of all, where else are you going to see live, staged opera right now?... The real point of the Semele story is to give Handel a construct to adorn with his pretty music and arias. So, PO’s staging that has Roman gods from ancient times ‘putting on the Ritz’ in the roaring twenties bothered me not at all. Gods are immortal; they can be anywhere and in any time they want, and the human archetypes they represent are as relevant today as when first conceived. In this case, the advantage to the audience is that we get to see some dazzlingly captivating costumes with some equally dazzling art-deco projections on window screens forming the backdrop for the stage; kudos to Director Kristine McIntyre, Costume Designer Jason Bray, and Projection Designer Lawrence Shea. After adapting William Congreve’s poetic opera written thirty years earlier into his libretto, Handel created some confusion designating Semele as an opera “to be performed as an oratorio”. While I’m sure it could work in a concert format, Ms. McIntyre’s creative staging definitely adds to the visual pleasure and entertainment… My title for this post, “Endless pleasure, endless love” is an aria in Semele. To me, it seemed to fit this production overall; though Semele’s pleasure was not endless, it lasted throughout the entire performance, and I think its love still endures. Pittsburgh Opera has kept both the pleasure and the love active in this most challenging of seasons.
OperaGene
Glory Denied, Urban Arias, Washington DC, 2020
Opera review: Glory Denied, a heartbreaking story of the Vietnam War and its aftermath
Robert Wood opened his first season as Artistic Director of Urban Arias in 2011 with Glory Denied in rep. I did not manage to see the production, but it seems for political and artistic reasons, this is a very good time to revisit the work… The choice of a bare raked platform with floor and panels on either sides of the stage providing surfaces for projections serve the work well. We get footage of prisoners being escorted by Vietcong, bamboo lashed together as human “cages,” and Southeast Asian jungle foliage. Then periodically juxtaposed, the action is transported by “scenes” of very orderly tendrils and fronds of tidy wallpaper, images of giant American flags waving, and family 8-millimeter movies from the early 60’s. With these, stage director Kristine McIntyre has kept the story-telling as fluid as possible. Although written in two acts, she quite rightly, I think, has chosen to align the work into one seamless and dizzying trajectory. Cipullo chose to make his opera with two Alyces, the Younger Alyce and the Older but also two Jims, enabling classical compositional choices of soprano, mezzo, tenor, and baritone. McIntyre keeps the characters on stage most of the time so they are all relating to each other, pushing and challenging one another and at other times just looking back at themselves… Wood has brought together a terrific team of singers, musicians, designers and director, and never a better production has been produced by this strong, lean and exciting contemporary opera company. Glory Denied is a piece that had me riveted to my seat, unable to clap or break the mood but only gasp silently. Go to see one of the only three more performances this weekend. Jim’s and Alyce’s story will break your hearts.
DC Theatre Scene, Susan Galbraith
BWW Review: GLORY DENIED at Urban Arias
Projection/Lighting Designer Kathy Maxwell contributes to every aspect of Glory Denied. For projection, she's selected news footage of soldiers humping through the jungle, home movies from the 60s when men had crew cuts and women looked after children while wearing day dresses and plastic earrings, the infantry in the rain in their ponchos, Viet Namese vegetation, the text of the 1973 treaty that ended the conflict, tiger cages, that blueprint, those stars. Set Designer Adam Crinson hung the sky onstage with those same misshapen stars, put up the walls of a Hanoi prison compound onto which Maxwell could project things, and stepped out of the way: less is more. Thank you to him, and to director Kristine McIntyre. Everyone connected with Glory Denied knows how to allow documentary content to speak for itself without imposing their own "concepts." Conductor Robert Wood leads the splendid nine-piece orchestra.
Broadway World, Mary Lincer
Songs of love and war in UrbanArias’ brilliant Glory Denied
If your parents taught you that opera is the ultimate blend of words and music, where both elements are dependent on the other and that the end result is far more than the sum of its parts, and if you have since developed a taste for chamber opera, then you must hurry to see Tom Cipullo’s opera Glory Denied. Currently being given a magnificent production by UrbanArias at Keegan Theater, all the necessary elements of Glory Denied coordinate smoothly and precisely… The opera’s director, Kristine McIntyre, keeps the action moving swiftly in the small space of the Keegan Theater. Adam Crinson’s set design is a square playing space bracketed by two pentagonal-shaped panels, stage left and stage right, for projections. Kathy Maxwell’s lighting design provides marvelous patterns of light and shade to increase Jim’s isolation in his Laotian and Vietnamese prisons. Maxwell also provides projections that set important scenes: the document ending the Vietnam War; the windows of the church where Older Thompson imagines himself being welcomed home… At a time when rational Americans must be thinking about war – either the ones we have fought or those that may come – and at a time when the fate of our veterans is on the front page of every paper throughout the country, it seems more than appropriate that UrbanArias would want to produce Glory Denied right now. Not only is it the appropriate time, it’s an amazing musical experience. Just like those classic operas your parents taught you about, the total worth of Glory Denied is far more than the sum of its parts.
Barbara Mackay, DC Metro
The Human Voice, Des Moines Metro Opera, Des Moines, 2020
Technologies may change, People may not: DMMO’s The Human Voice
Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Poulenc’s The Human Voice was an intimate view into a desperate woman’s emotional spiral. In a world where our phones dominate almost every aspect of our lives, this opera’s relevance has only increased over time. Technology allows us to communicate with others easily, but it also has the power to isolate us. Constant connection can be a blessing and a curse, especially when it comes to love. The set design was realistic in its minimalism. The small details brought Elle’s bedroom to life. Piles of clothes discarded on the floor. A pair of high heels kicked off by exhausted feet in the corner. Aside from the disorder and the bottle of gin on the vanity, the space was a blank canvas. Rather than a cozy refuge, Elle’s room seemed like a self-inflicted solitary confinement. She is too busy living through her phone to concern herself with her physical home. The floor of the bedroom became the vehicle for viewing Elle’s cell phone screen as well as her inner thoughts. Lighting designer, Dustin Morache, used projections to illustrate Elle’s fixations, displaying her texts and social media as well as her memories and moods through nature scenes. The visual connection to her emotional turmoil paired well with Poulenc’s moody music, enhancing the dialogue without distracting. The Human Voice is truly a musical partnership between singer and pianist, reminiscent of the composer’s art songs. Music director David Neely brought Poulenc’s score to life from the piano, providing a fluctuating emotional backdrop for Elle’s personal drama. It didn’t draw attention often, a quality that allowed the audience to focus on the content of the dialogue rather than the music itself. There weren’t any catchy tunes that you would walk away humming, but the cool atmospheric vibes sounded classy as hell even as Elle hit rock bottom. At times she paced the bedroom with an agitated energy, only to follow it up with a sultry aura as she lounged in her bed. Stage director Kristine McIntyre brought Poulenc’s one woman drama into the modern era with her own updated translation of the libretto. Performing the opera in English removed the need for surtitles, which let the audience focus on the drama. In addition to the telephone, McIntyre added in some new technologies such as a smartphone and tablet. Instead of waiting by a landline for her beloved to call, she is constantly checking her mobile for updates and texts. Elle’s response to the chiming noises when she gets a call is Pavlovian in its desperation. Even when she sets it aside, that device is always on her mind. We see her deleting old photos and checking her Instagram feed. The FOMO is omnipresent,and the cell phone isn’t her only addiction. In McIntyre’s version of the libretto, Elle might have more modes of communication available to her, but the sentiments remain the same. When a toxic relationship combines with technology, communication isn’t always a good thing… While technology changes, heartbreak remains consistently poignant.
Schmopera.com, Meghan Klinkenborg
Mirror Game, Portland State University, 2019
A Game of Reflections: Gaming-themed opera commissioned and staged by Portland State University places women's voices centerstage
Mirror Game, a new opera commissioned by Portland State University’s Opera program, made its world premiere Nov. 29 in PSU’s Lincoln Hall Studio Theater. The opera is an intriguing effort to bring women into the limelight in a male-dominated tech world. The historically misogynistic world of opera often casts women characters as victims of culture or the times, or dying of some disease or addiction—though opera directors have lately tried to put more positive spins on such characters as Bess in Porgy and Bess, Madama Butterfly’s Cio-Cio-San, and even “gypsy girl” Carmen, in an attempt to lift them out of the limitations of damsels-in-distress roles. And although I don’t play video games, younger generations tell me there aren’t a helluva lot of strong women characters populating that entertainment genre. So opera in general, and this particular opera’s subject matter, reflect one another. The opera was written by librettist Amy Punt, who created The Place Where You Started, which PSU Opera staged four years ago, and award-winning composer Celka Ojakangas, who has not yet reached age 30. The 80-minute opera is lively and engaging, even if you don’t know a thing about gaming – which Mirror Game is about (it has a several truncated love stories, too, and of course, power is a theme). It bursts with video graphics and complex projections and lighting that reflect the gaming world. This is an all-hands-on-deck piece by the PSU Opera crew, which consistently creates shows that far outreach most student operas. Kudos as usual go to veteran stage director Kristine McIntyre for bringing it all together… The best thing is that PSU was enlightened enough to commission this opera, and that Opera America gave a grant to composer Ojakangas, a doctoral candidate at University of Southern California, to write it. The opera provides new music and new ideas for new audiences, but with the much talked-about short attention span of Millennials, will 80 minutes be too long? I’ve seen young people stick with video games for way longer than that, so why not take a break from screens and give it a whirl?
Oregon ArtsWatch, Angela Allen
PSU Opera’s “Mirror Game” reflects gender bias and distorted values in hi tech world
Inspired by the Me Too movement and the quick rise and fall of charismatic Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, Mirror Game, a brand new opera commissioned by PSU Opera and presented on November 29 in Lincoln Hall Studio Theater, touched and torched many issues that affect women in world of hi tech. Set in a Silicon Valley company that produces video games, Mirror Game, written by composer Celka Ojakangas with librettist Amy Punt, can be seen as a cautionary tale for women and basically anyone who uses deception to achieve “success.” Delivered in 80 minutes without intermission, Mirror Game, covered a lot of territory and suffered just a tad because it sped by at a fast pace. Yet, the skillful directions of Kristine McIntyre worked well with a strong cast led by Maeve Stier in the central role of Cybil, a coder who schemes her way to the top of her company, running over her colleagues and her lover in the process. In the final scene, Cybil’s perfidy is exposed to her colleagues and the general public, and she is left alone… Ojakangas’s score for electronic piano and synthesized music evoked the gaming world with an agile, lightweight texture. The dialogs between characters were sung, and Ojakangas sprinkled in duets, trios, and ensemble numbers that worked well. She also included timely arias for the main characters, including a 60’s styled pop number that Tony sang. Punt kept things moving at a fast pace and threw in references to the #MeToo movement, Harvey Weinstein, Amy Adams, and others along the way. Punt and Ojakangas made terrific use of the Pause button to create asides for Cybil to communicate her intimate thoughts. The Humiliation Half Life situations were also excellently conveyed. Crisp stage directions by Kristine McIntyre enhanced the story and made good use of the sparse props, including a bench that barely accommodated a seduction scene between Cybil and Tony. The video projections by Kathy Maxwell were outstanding, with some suggesting the chaotic inner world of the characters, some imitating the gaming experience, and others displaying views of the Bay Area. A tip of the hat to costume designer Madeleine Beer, because Cybil changed her top to a black turtleneck sweater a la Elisabeth Holmes (who had a copied that style from Steve Jobs). Mirror Game is an admirable opera that deserves more than one hearing. It will be interesting to find out how Ojakangas and Punt’s creation plays on other stages, especially if it is done in the Bay Area.
Northwest Reverb, James Bash
DON GIOVANNI, PITTSBURGH OPERA, 2019
In Review: In Pittsburgh Opera's Don Giovanni, a noir spin proves arresting, thought-provoking
When serial womanizer and sexual deviant Don Giovanni meets his operatic demise, it’s impossible not to consider the parallels to some of opera’s real-life stars. In recent years, conductors, singers and musicians have been dragged down from pedestals, if not into hell then certainly into the court of public opinion after credible accusations of sexual impropriety have come to light… Jump now to Pittsburgh Opera, which opened its season Saturday with one of the all-time greats in the opera literature, Mozart’s Don Giovanni. In this production, director Kristine McIntyre reaches back through the centuries to yank the famous rake by the ear into the unglamorous, gray world of 1950s’ film noir, where the Don puffs cigars and leans on street corners and runs his own nightclub. This interpretation is a stroke of inspiration. The smoky writhing grays of the sets and costumes were a murky complement to the opera’s moral ambiguity, where no one escapes mockery and no one is entirely unrelatable… In this era of #MeToo, staging an opera about a serial womanizer is a tricky proposition. Some productions of Don Giovanni have leaned into the humor of Giovanni’s antics, which could be seen as trivializing. Some have emphasized Giovanni’s lesser qualities to cement the idea that he’s just a bad, bad man, but this isn’t satisfactory either as it causes his victims to appear either delusional or stupid when they aren’t. Ms. McIntyre has crafted a compelling retelling of the tale, infusing humanity and a dose of realism where outright moralizing would seem trite.
Jeremy Reynolds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sex and Violence on a Mythic Scale: Don Giovanni at Pittsburgh Opera
The sexiest show in town is not an R-rated movie. It’s a 232-year-old opera. Mozart’s Don Giovanni, at Pittsburgh Opera through October 20, sizzles with the intricacies and mysteries of love and desire… Throughout the opera, the film noir veneer is effective. It feels natural. No anachronisms clang dissonantly to muddy the mood. One recurring backdrop—the projected form of a red-brick high-rise building, silhouetted against a shifting sky—provides a wonderfully eerie tone. The whole thing comes across as a modern fable, soaked in dark-comic peril and fantasy—as it surely did in Mozart’s time, and as it certainly should today. But the modernized overlay is not what makes the production work. The elements that make it work are the fundamentals: creative direction and stellar performing. They match the complex brilliance of Mozart’s music; they bring out the twists and ironic nuances in the libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Once the combination casts its spell, it doesn’t matter that the setting is more Bogart than brocades and powdered wigs. You are in for a ride… Perhaps the skillful stage director of the Pittsburgh Opera production, Kristine McIntyre, picked up on those traces in the score and libretto, and ran with them. But that doesn’t matter, either. Don Giovanni is rich and intriguing. Bravo.
Mike Vargo, Entertainment Central Pittsburgh
wozzeck, des moines, 2019
In Review: Wozzeck
There were surprises on July 14 with Kristine McIntyre’s emotionally shattering mounting of Alban Berg’s seminal twelve-tone masterpiece Wozzeck… McIntyre and her creative team (all-female, including the fight director) conceived a hostile, totalitarian environment of regimented movement, sadly drab clothing and a series of mobile steel panels from designer Vita Tzykun that eerily resembled chopping blades as they successively revealed each scene. The opera’s pitiful characters didn’t stand a chance. Some may doubt that Wozzeck would be a hit in the Midwestern cornfields, but the ovations were staggering. This was easily one of the most satisfying experiences I have had in an opera house.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
Profoundly Bone-chilling Wozzeck in Iowa
If any further proof were needed that Des Moines Metro Opera is at the forefront of operatic excellence in America, their theatrically searing, musically impeccable Wozzeck would cement this assertion. I am happy to report that although I have only ever seen good productions worldwide of this challenging Alban Berg opus, I had to come to Indianola, Iowa to see the very best. This mesmerizing performance would be at home on any world stage, and the reasons are many… Kristine McIntyre has once again brought soul-stirring inspiration and clarity of purpose to a very difficult piece. I think I ran out of superlatives to describe her artistic accomplishments two reviews ago, but suffice it to say this nonpareil version of Wozzeck has not only met her own very high standards, but has raised her own bar one notch higher. The design team has abetted Ms. McIntyre with a jittery, spectacularly skewed milieu that visually matched the instability of the protagonist’s mind… But it was Ms. McIntyre that successfully pulled this unified vision together and invested it with her customary passion and intelligence. Never have I been so engrossed by the journey all of these personages are making. Part of that is owing to the beauty of the proximity to the stage in the Blank Performing Arts Center. But it was the masterful director who ensured to a person, the characters on the stage were committed, honest, and compellingly believable. Lustrous musical effects, meaningful character interaction, world class singing and playing, heart-stopping intimacy, a masterpiece vividly brought most impactfully to life – where else but Des Moines Metro Opera?
James Sohre, Opera Today
Raw & Exposed: Wozzeck
Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck was a powerful theatrical experience. The atonal masterpiece is 98 minutes of psychological thriller in operatic form, immersing the audience in the dark and disturbing world of an unstable mind. It was absolutely riveting and sometimes hard to watch, but the emotions, whether good or bad, were always intense. Shout out to the spectacular, ALL FEMALE production team that created the bleak and menacing atmosphere of Wozzeck’s troubled existence… Kristine McIntyre’s stage direction showed us the world through Wozzeck’s eyes. Certain characters and scenes were exaggerated and grotesque, accentuating Wozzeck’s unreliable interpretation of reality. Other moments, however, were unsettling precisely because they felt so realistic. The omnipresent menacing atmosphere was palpable throughout the opera, and McIntyre did not pull any punches when it came to the pivotal murder scene. She did not hide anything from the audience. We watched as Wozzeck slit Marie’s throat, leaving her body splayed on the stage for the rest of the scene. Frankly, it was difficult to watch, but anything less jarring would have been a disservice to the story. Wozzeck is full of disturbing interactions, but at the root of the distortions and delusions there are dark truths about rage, violence, and poverty that continue to be relevant today… A violent murder, a frantic suicide, and an orphaned child left behind. The opera ended with Wozzeck’s and Marie’s child playing alone, not comprehending what has happened to his parents or the dismal future ahead of him. The little boy stared out at the audience with a sad and empty expression, his hand starting to twitch at his side, hearkening back to his father. This subtle tick spoke volumes: the cycle will repeat itself. Des Moines Metro Opera’s Wozzeck left the audience feeling raw and exposed… The performance exhumed emotions that we usually avoid, but afterwards, everyone couldn’t stop talking about it. And isn’t that what art is all about - to make us think and get a dialogue going? Berg’s opera challenges us as an audience musically and emotionally, and I loved every unsettling minute of it.
Meghan Klinkenborg, Schmopera.com
Wozzeck at Des Moines Metro Opera: A Thought Provoking Work of Art
I want to personally commend everyone at DMMO for taking a chance with this production. Wozzeck is an opera that is not performed by many companies… One approach they took with this show was to have a fully female directing and designing team. It is refreshing to see production companies start to take this approach. Technical positions have been prominently filled by men. The women who made this production made an extremely memorable night that I won't soon forget. Each of these women took the idea of insanity and incorporated it into their different elements… With this technical of a show, it is imperative that the show has a director with a strong vision. The direction of Kristine McIntyre beautifully ties all of these aspects together. Her choices in staging use the sets, lights, and costumes to their fullest potential. Her contribution to staging insanity was in the staging of the 15 scenes within the show. Each scene was staged completely differently, yet it all effortlessly flowed together. Even the three scenes at Wozzeck's house, while in the same room, had their own unique view of the room. None of the items were ever in the same order as you came into the room… From the staging to the cast, Des Moines Metro Opera's production of Berg's Wozzeck is a powerful and unforgettable evening at the opera. Each element illustrates takes the idea of insanity and weaves it into the fabric of the show. While the show is about a character going insane, it truly is a case study on how we not only view music but how we view mental issues. You know how good a show is when it makes you want to scream "NO" to what the main character is going through. This show had me wanting to do that multiple times. This show is a not to be missed production. And with only three performances left, you need to hurry to get your tickets before it's too late.
DC Felton, Broadway World
Death & Despair in Des Moines: Metro Opera Continues its Remarkable Ascent
The best summer festivals highlight the unexpected: The juxtaposition of idyllic landscapes with the sort of high-end performances that we usually experience in urban settings sometimes permits us to view great art in fresh ways… this uncannily intimate festival draws tourists from more than 40 states and several foreign countries, and its high-end productions frequently rival those of any American opera festival I can name … [including] a no-holds-barred production of Berg’s expressionist Wozzeck directed by Kristine McIntyre (a familiar name to Kansas Citians), with sets and costumes by the ingenious Vita Tzykun and conducted by former KU professor David Neely… Not even the wrenching sorrow of the final act of Bohème can prepare a summer festival-goer for the onslaught of inhumanity that is Wozzeck, which I attended on opening night, July 6th. I should perhaps say up-front that I love Alban Berg’s masterpiece as I love few operas. But actually sitting through an exceptional performance of it (which, fortunately or unfortunately, this was) can be downright traumatizing… Cast in 15 continuous scenes that are often no more than a few minutes each, Wozzeck presents enormous logistical challenges for any production team, which must find a way to delineate each set-piece with lightning-speed costume and prop changes… Tzykun has portrayed these strange domestic moments in framed vignettes: Her set consists of an enormous black wall made up of moveable “shards,” which shift and slide perilously about to create spaces large and small—and occasionally, little rooms in which Marie and the child (mostly) interact… It was here that we became aware of McIntyre’s stealthy direction and sensibility: What had begun as a small-scale, almost manageable set of conflicts begins to unravel into an out-of-control spinning wheel of increasing centrifugal force. Wozzeck suffers terrifying nightmares, which Kate Ashton conveys with jolting lighting shifts. Now and then a group of mysterious, shadowy figures (which are lit so that you can barely make them out) move noiselessly about the stage. As McIntyre injects more mystery at every turn, we feel we’re moving toward an inexorable downward slide that we don’t know how to decelerate. Tzykun’s costumes are indicative of class and rank: But when the troops are slumbering in their “long-johns,” they could just as easily be ghosts as fellow-soldiers… Marie, for her part, feels just as trapped as Wozzeck, and yet when the final music hues to a murderous climax, what we feel more than anything is the inevitability of it all. It was here, and in the hauntingly tonal, almost comforting D-minor epilogue, that we became fully aware of Neely’s mastery of this thorniest of scores… In any event this surely stands as one of DMMO’s finest moments, and if you can catch one of the remaining three performances, you certainly should.
Paul Horsley, The Independent (Kansas City)
More: see the gallery page for this production or watch an interview about the design of the show
moby dick, chicago, 2019
A Decade of Classical Music: Looking Back on the Ten Classical Music Highlights of the 2010s
2019: Chicago Opera Theater has made its mark by performing an array of new or under-the-radar works but few if any of its offerings have topped this superb April production of Jake Heggie’s adaptation of Moby Dick. The 2010 opera is a worthy successor to Benjamin Britten’s 1951 adaptation of another of Melville’s sea-faring novels, Billy Budd and director Kristine McIntyre’s staging invested the characters with depth and poignancy and infused the ensemble scenes with rollicking movement and energy.
Chicago Sun-Times
In Review: Moby-Dick, Chicago Opera Theater
CHICAGO OPERA THEATER notably upped its artistic ante on April 25 with the belated and spectacular Windy City premiere of Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick. The mounting is a co-effort with the companies of Utah, Pittsburgh, San Jose and the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and was by some distance a highlight of Chicago’s current season. Moby-Dick may have taken its time to drop anchor in Windy City, but Heggie’s opera sailed in to Chicago with style… Director Kristine McIntyre reveled in her signature ability to elicit meticulously detailed character portraiture from her forces. Each character emerged as a fully drawn individual with a multi-dimensional theatrical soul. McIntyre is also one of the relatively few young directors around today who knows how to stage a crowd; the clarion-voiced, fifty-two-player ensemble was very nimbly handled. Erhard Rom’s evocative setting featured a central, dominant mast atop a circular platform that briskly revolved to variously suggest the crew’s quarters, a workmanlike dinghy, the force of a terrifying ocean storm, and finally – the eye of the great white whale itself. The ship’s interior was formed of sepia-toned nautical maps festooned with references to famous voyages past. An expanse of turbulent sky above an eternal sea hovered beyond. Jessica Jahn’s wardrobe and David Martin Jacques’ atmospheric lighting completed the maritime effect. The opera gave COT music director Lidiya Yankovskaya a juicy opportunity to really strut her stuff for Chicago’s audience, and she delivered an electrifying reading.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
This Superb Moby-Dick is a Defining Point in Chicago Opera Theater’s History
By any measure, the Chicago Opera Theater's staging of Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance is a defining success in the history of the company… Kristine McIntyre, who brings the human and moral contradictions into bold relief, investing the characters with depth and poignancy and infusing the ensemble scenes with rollicking movement and energy. With the help of props like harpoons and massive ropes, scenic designer Erhard Rom potently evokes a ship’s deck with a semi-abstract, semi-circular set lined with an oversized, vintage map of the world and a giant mast. Changing backdrops offer visions of waves and clouds and a chart of the stars, a navigational necessity of the time… The audience greeted the opera’s conclusion with an ardent and well-deserved ovation. By any measure, Moby-Dick is a defining success in the history of the Chicago Opera Theater.
Kyle MacMillan, Chicago Sun-Times
Opera Review: Moby Dick
[This] impressive collaboration richly captures the drive and grasp of Herman Melville’s 1851 masterwork… Kristine McIntyre’s massive staging, which features 52 performers rampaging around Erhard Rom’s vast set (an astronomical observatory whose telescope becomes the whaleship Pequod) does full justice to the monomaniacal and self-destructive quest of a crippled captain… An all-revealing cyclorama registers the converging clouds and lonely stars seen from the main deck. A twirling capstan suggests the “Nantucket sleighrides” where the whaleboats sought to weaken the sperm whale before towing it in… None of this detracts from the enthralling immediacy of story and song, musical mastery that turns both this massed ensemble and superb orchestra (conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya) into forces of nature in their own right. C.O.T.’s labor of love abounds in thinking thrills, unforgettable stage tableaux, and monumental energy that always rises to Melville’s occasions.
Lawrence Bommer, Stage and Cinema
Opera Review: A Slightly Flawed but Still Mighty Moby-Dick
Jake Heggie’s 2010 Moby-Dick, with libretto by Gene Scheer, cuts to the core of the story and, in its best passages, chillingly probes its central characters’ motivations and longings. That much was apparent in the belated Chicago premiere of the work… But the ultimate star here was the production itself, a tour de force for Chicago Opera Theater with many moving parts in Erhard Rom’s ingenious scenic design… Stage director Kristine McIntyre elegantly choreographed a large cast of characters and choristers whose movements proved consistently expressive, especially when whales were in their sights… And yet, by opera’s end, it’s impossible not to be moved by all the men and dreams lost at sea, their tale told by the Greenhorn, who finally sings, “Call me Ishmael.”
Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
Review: Moby Dick, the opera
Tough, rare and bloody… those three words encapsulate Chicago Opera Theater’s Chicago premiere of Moby-Dick. Tough to take Hermann Melville’s 1851 sweeping epic and distill it into as gripping and poignant of a libretto as Gene Scheer has miraculously done. Rare to hear a more hauntingly beautiful and stylistically varied score in a contemporary opera than what Jake Heggie composed for this 2010 work which has already been deemed a masterpiece. Bloody? Well, let’s just say that this entire production is a bloody brilliant success… Stage Director Kristine McIntyre has marvelously shaped this work into a living and breathing organism as massive and impressive as the Atlantic Ocean itself [and]… skillfully created continuous and inventive movement for a cast of over 50 singers… This Chicago Opera Theater production of Moby-Dick, which is co-produced by Utah Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, San Jose Opera and Gran Teatre del Liceu is flawless on every level. With all of that pedigree and backed by international elan it easily has become the most ambitious, technically daring and most impeccable achievement that this company has presented.
Jeffrey Leibham, Around the Town Chicago
More: see gallery page, watch video preview, or read Kristine’s blog for this production
moby dick, san jose, 2019
Moby-Dick Takes Turn Toward Intimacy in Beautiful San Jose Production
When we last encountered Moby-Dick in operatic form, this magnum opus from composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer was embodied in the San Francisco Opera’s sweeping, majestic 2012 production. It was, among other things, a tour de force of stagecraft and visual design, which somehow managed to evoke the great watery vistas of Melville’s novel. So when Moby-Dick was announced as part of the current season by Opera San José one of the first questions was whether the magic of that epic reach could be replicated on a more modest scale. The answer, revealed during the predominantly successful opening-night performance on Saturday, Feb. 9, at the California Theatre, was that it absolutely can — and in ways that reveal a lot about the greatness of this resourceful and beautiful work… For this production, director Kristine McIntyre and set designer Erhard Rom have created a world in which the close quarters of the Pequod register with almost claustrophobic intimacy. The whaling ship consists of one deck and a single mast, with a base that can swivel to impersonate one of the small, fragile boats in which the men cast off to hunt their prey. A pair of matching maps — stars above, the world below — serves as a backdrop, which is just enough to convey the hugeness of the setting. Yet within that enormous world there are personal interactions playing out, which is what the San Jose production — led with tenderness and power by the company’s music director and principal conductor, Joseph Marcheso — gets memorably right… Moby-Dick stood, revealed yet again as a theatrical work of enormous inventiveness, subtlety and insight — by my reckoning, Heggie’s most triumphant creation since his maiden opera, Dead Man Walking. Like that earlier opera, Moby-Dick seems to be well on its way to becoming a repertory staple, and productions like the one at Opera San José reveal why.
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
San Jose Opera’s Moby Dick a Whale of a Show
When Moby-Dick made its world premiere at Dallas Opera in 2010, followed by its acclaimed West Coast premiere at San Francisco Opera in 2012, Jake Heggie’s opera was quickly recognized as one of the finest new music works of the 21st century. Adapting Herman Melville’s leviathan novel, composer Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer created an aptly large-scale drama, one that has gone on to be produced by opera companies around the world. In Opera San José’s splendid new production, it’s easy to see why. Sunday’s performance in the California Theatre, beautifully staged and vibrantly performed by an impressive ensemble cast conducted by music director Joseph Marcheso, offered a thrilling reminder of the work’s theatrical power and beauty. Heggie’s score yields a richly enveloping atmosphere, with character-defining arias, tender interludes, and big, soaring ensembles. Scheer’s libretto manages to capture both the intensity and perils of life aboard the whaling ship Pequod while exploring the relationships of the men who sail the seas under the command of the monomaniacal Captain Ahab. This revival presents the story in magnificently imagined detail. Director Kristine McIntyre and set designer Erhard Rom have given the opera a flexible, large-scale set that moves into various configurations to suggest both the Pequod’s massive deck and the smaller boats used by the men to enter the roiling waters surrounding it. Maps of the world wrap around the stage, with rear projections and atmospheric lighting (Pamila Z. Gray) summoning the vastness of the sea… With its well-defined strains of intimate lyricism and almost Wagnerian grandeur, Moby-Dick requires a conductor well-tuned to the opera’s shifts in mood. Marcheso, leading an alert orchestra, guided the performance through its most turbulent waters.
Georgia Rowe, The San Francisco Examiner
A Vibrant & Intellectually Engaging Production of Heggie & Scheer’s Masterpiece
Director Kristine McIntyre has offered fresh moments in this gripping work, making the production in the beautiful California Theater in San José something to marvel at. McIntyre has limited projections of ocean and whaling, to spin the whole tale not only in the belly of the ship, The Pequod, but also from a centrifugal mast. We see a moving sky that galvanizes the story and opera’s vastness with its shifting constellations and gashes of lightning that appear and disappear from its vortex. Created by Set Designer Erhard Rom, and lit by Lighting Designer Pamila Z. Gray, it all worked well, especially with integration of the Chorus, performing on-going ship activities. This, in conjunction with the bold narrative confrontations, contributed much to emphasize down-to-earth ship life — e.g., mops and harpoons, jigs and dances, just as Ahab’s willful quest drove the story forward. And so Melville, through McIntyre’s direction of Heggie and Scheer’s vision, thus continued his rightful legacy… Not only did the universality of theme come successfully alive in the McIntyre-Marcheso production, but so did the diversity of person/ethnicity and religious convictions. Opera San José has done justice to this grand opera’s high seriousness and weight.
Lois Silverstein, OperaWire
More: see gallery page, watch video preview, or read Kristine’s blog for this production
don giovanni, palm beach, 2019
Season in review: Palm Beach arts critics name favorite shows and exhibitions
Palm Beach Opera: Mozart’s Don Giovanni. A new take on the greatest opera ever written: Director Kristine McIntyre rethought the work as a 1940s Hollywood film noir. It was pretty presumptuous, but it worked surprisingly well. Think George Raft or Humphrey Bogart in the title part, Ida Lupino or Lauren Bacall among the women and you’ll get the idea. McIntyre and conductor David Stern trimmed out about 30 minutes of the score, including two solo arias and the entire moralizing epilogue, resulting in a fast-moving, cinematic show that had particular relevance for the way women are still being treated in the 21st century. Things haven’t changed as much as we’d like to think. Depicting the last day in the life of history’s legendary womanizer, McIntyre emphasized the rape of Donna Anna (Caitlin Lynch), the abandonment of the unstable Donna Elvira (Danielle Pastin) and the almost-but-not-quite willing seduction of the gullible Zerlina (Danielle MacMillan) by a gangster-type macho man who got his retribution here by means of a pistol shot, rather than the traditional descent to Hell.
Robert Croan, Palm Beach Daily News
Palm Beach Opera serves up a striking, film noir Don Giovanni
The gangster owner of a supper club called “Giovanni’s” serves as the anti-hero of Palm Beach Opera’s engrossing new production of one of Mozart’s greatest operas. Don Giovanni’s brand of swinishness is so universal that the opera translates smoothly into other eras. In a production that opened Friday at the Kravis Center, stage director Kristine McIntyre’s smart, witty film noir approach updates the work to an American city of the 1950s, in a distinctly cinematic spectacle with fedoras, trench coats, handguns and long black shadows on gray city buildings. “Real tough guy, aren’t you?” Don Giovanni snarls as he beats the hapless bridegroom Masetto, according to the words projected above the stage, in what is likely a less-than-faithful translation of the Italian. But in the most important respects, this is a production that respects and enhances the musical and dramatic essence of the opera… Director McIntyre and set designer R. Keith Brumley originally created this film noir version of Don Giovanni for Kansas City Opera. The sets are striking, with grim city buildings and tenements, and a sign that spells out “Giovanni’s” in appropriately sleazy blue neon.
David Fleshler, South Florida Classical Review
Palm Beach Opera – Mozart’s Don Giovanni
Kristine McIntyre has transformed Mozart’s Don Giovanni into a film noir, with staging that mimics scenes from famous exemplars of that genre. Costumes feature fedoras, trench-coats and mid-twentieth-century women’s fashion. Swords are replaced by revolvers, and the minuet by the lindy. The darkly lit cityscape’s only touch of color is the gaudy neon sign at Giovanni’s – the supper club run by the tuxedo-clad title character. Supertitles take liberties with the libretto to reflect the vernacular of the period, and a uniformly excellent cast carries the concept off brilliantly.
David M. Rice, ClassicalSource
PB Opera scores with stylish, fast-moving Giovanni
Using a production from the Lyric Opera of Kansas City that sets the 1787 opera in a mildly film-noir context in an unnamed American city in the 1950s, this Don Giovanni has plenty of fine singing, absorbing stage direction and visuals, and a pace that rarely slackens despite the evening’s three-hour length. Director Kristine McIntyre has given her singing actors plenty to do, and they’re all in: Each performer brings as full a characterization to his or her role as the show allows, and the result is a stage naturalism with none of the stand-and-sing artificiality of operas tradition. Aided by a sharp set design by R. Keith Brumley (the Don’s house is a supper club called Giovanni’s, spelled out in blue neon), handsome costumes by Mary Traylor and evocative, strategic lighting by Marcus Dilliard (noir fans will appreciate the Third Man shadow in the first act), this is a good-looking show that feels more like a stylish police procedural than an 18th-century morality play.
Greg Stepanich, Palm Beach Arts Paper
More: see gallery page or watch video preview for this production
glory denied, des moines, 2018
Glory, Glory Hallelujah
A minor miracle occurred as Des Moines Metro Opera converted a large hall on a Reserve Army Base to a wholly successful theatrical venue, and delivered a stunning rendition of Tom Cipullo’s compelling military-themed one act opera, Glory Denied. Scheduled in the wake of Veteran’s Day celebrations, and performed at Camp Dodge, the work had an especial, gut-wrenching resonance as it tells the true story of an American family torn apart during the unsettling era of the unpopular Vietnam War… Jim Thompson is truly a heroic subject, worthy of ennoblement by a thrillingly varied score, mesmerizing libretto, and a flawless, kaleidoscopic staging by the abundantly gifted director, Kristine McIntyre. The central playing space has audience members on all four sides and Ms. McIntyre has devised fluid, continuously morphing stage pictures that not only underscore the dramatic truth of the situations, but also keep each segment of the audience fully immersed in the drama by having at least one character playing in their direction. She drew deeply personal portrayals from her superb cast. And she has obviously toiled to great effect as she developed “younger” and “older” versions of Jim and Alyce that share identical personality cores as well as an eerily unified approach to the roles’ physicalization. We really believed that these were two embodiments of the same two souls. I may have said it before, but it bears repeating: Kristine McIntyre is one of the foremost directors working in opera today. If you see her name in the credits, rest assured it is going to a top tier, often revelatory experience. She was ably abetted by a superlative creative team… This wholly successful presentation was complemented by a meaningful talk back after the show that included Vietnam vets and military personnel currently serving Des Moines Metro Opera is a major force in the national opera scene, and if any reinforcement of that was needed, after this remarkably effective mounting of Glory Denied, I can emphatically say: Mission Accomplished.
James Sohre, Opera Today
True Impact: DMMO'S Glory Denied
Des Moines Metro Opera does not pull any punches when it comes to their Second Stages series. The company has consistently chosen operas that are thought provoking and relevant to modern audiences and then set them in unique locations that provide another level of thematic context. Tom Cipullo's Glory Denied is a complex, emotional piece on its own, but its dramatic impact is greatly enhanced when performed on an active military base. This is Des Moines Metro Opera's second opera performed at Camp Dodge, and I hope it will not be the last. Aside from the physical location, the collaboration with the military community produces numerous benefits. The participation of veterans and active duty service members in the post-show panel discussion helped to bridge the gap between theater and reality. Cipullo's music can convey the passion and angst of a soldier's true story, but seeing a Vietnam veteran with tears in his eyes as he talked about the loss of his best friend, a POW who never returned, breaks your heart with visceral power. Putting the faces of real people, fellow Iowans, at the front of the discussion helped to highlight the universal themes of Glory Denied. The scenic design by Adam Crinson was subtle and versatile with a four pronged platform that could serve as the site of Colonel Thompson's captivity and his world back home in the United States simultaneously. A plethora of crude paper stars hung from the ceiling of the theater, a constant reminder of a homemade gift from his daughter and a symbol of what he is fighting to return to. Kathy Maxwell's lighting design showcased the singers as the dramatic focal point, and the use of video projects on upright panels provided historic images and written correspondence without being distracting. The stage was set up in a round which allowed the singers to move through the space organically and sing at different angles… Glory Denied is guaranteed to make you feel something whether you have been personally impacted by the military experience or not.
Meghan Klinkenborg, Schmopera.com
More: watch video interview about this production
flight, des moines, 2018
Flight Soars High in Des Moines
Jonathan Dove’s innovative opera Flight is being lavished with an absolutely riveting new production at Des Moines Metro Opera’s resoundingly successful 2018 Festival… Director Kristine McIntyre has inspired this miracle of an ensemble cast to the highest possible level of achievement. The personal journey of each character has its own arc and together the team has not only defined the individual’s quests, but also has woven them together so that in the end, they are all surprised as they embrace their interdependence… And Team Flight accomplished this with humor, tireless physical movement, utter belief in the material, limitless application of talent, and profound compassion for the frailty of their (and our) characters. Back to the unerring staging from Ms. McIntyre, she used every possible inch of the playing space with variety and abandon… Flight was a uniquely satisfying journey with echoes of today’s headlines, musically vibrant and theatrically engaging, passionately presented by a thoroughbred team of interpreters who simply could not have been bettered. Bravi tutti!
James Sohre, Opera Today
Layered comedy: Flight
Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Flight captured the magic of travel and the complex emotions that go with it. The set design by R. Keith Brumley was sleek and reminiscent of both futuristic and retro airport architecture… In the nature of any good comedy, Flight relies on a true ensemble cast. Director Kristine McIntyre enhances the fluctuating emotions and interactions of the characters with strategic visuals. The excitement of a plane taking off is made grand as the travelers expand across the stage. More intimate moments like the women bonding over booze are brought downstage and close to the audience. Sexual encounters are mostly hidden with quick teases of flailing limbs and discarded clothing. What struck me most about this work by Jonathan Dove and April de Angelis is the intricate, layered nature of the music and text. I could see numerous performances of this opera and discover something new about it everything single time. Great comedy should make us think, and Flight provides plenty of food for thought.
Meghan Klinkenborg, Schmopera.com
IN REVIEW: Flight, Des Moines Metro Opera
Jonathan Dove’s Flight followed on July 8. Director Kristine McIntyre got things off the ground uproariously by sending the flight crew out after the orchestral tune-up to remind us to extinguish our cell phones—and to point out the exits and warn that in case of water landing, our seat cushions could not be used for flotation. A superb ensemble then accompanied us on Dove’s amusing, often poignant journey through the human condition… Designer Brumley outdid himself with a terrific realization of the airport terminal, complete with operational plane fuselage… The extraordinary refinement of DMMO’s orchestral performances under music director David Neely has been one of the great pleasures of recent seasons. Neely’s evocation of the disparate sound worlds in the Dvorˇák and Dove was nothing short of spectacular.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
Florencia en el Amazonas, MADISON, 2018
Opera of Ideas: Madison Opera’s Bold Choice Delivers
Showing bold enterprise, the Madison Opera closes its season with the local premiere of a “modern” opera, Florencia en el Amazonas. Its composer, Mexican-born Daniel Catán, was becoming one of the most important of recent opera composers until his untimely death at age 62 in 2011. Florencia en el Amazonas, his breakthrough work, is fascinating and provocative — but also complicated, with many levels of meaning ranging from the romantic to the symbolic… Scenically, the production is quite superb. The clever, wonderfully detailed set, designed for Arizona Opera, vividly represents the vessel and its journey, aided by imaginative lighting. Kristine McIntyre’s stage direction is full of apt movement… The seven important roles are as much about acting as singing, but both are brought off splendidly by this team… This is not the opera of Verdi and Puccini. It is opera of ideas, rather than of hit tunes. But it keeps one listening, and has one thinking long after the performance. I consider this one of the most important and representative operas of our time.
John W. Barker, Isthmus
An Operatic Love Boat Journeys through the Jungle in a Lush, Romantic Florencia en el Amazonas
Inspired by the magical realism of novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez and staged with swirling, boldly colorful lighting by Marcus Dilliard, Florencia echoes the warmth and drama of Marquez’s epic love stories… Director Kristine McIntyre (Tales of Hoffmann, 2016) gives her performers free range… This looks like a cast that’s been performing together for months [in] McIntyre’s striking staging. Kanopy Dance modern dancers, choreographed by co-artistic director Lisa Thurrell, give scenes motion and color as they swirl through and around the ship… The most moving moments in Florencia come when magical realism reveals real emotions, as in Zabala’s poignant Act II aria or a heated duet of denial between the young lovers. The music and story are highly theatrical but when performers connect to the honesty beneath, something sparks on this South American ship and flames to beautiful life.
Lindsay Christians, The Capital Times
Madison Opera's Florencia Demonstrates What Opera Can Be
Madison Opera's weekend production of Florencia en el Amazonas may be the best example of the potential of opera to include all its art forms that we have seen in a long while. Although we tend to think of opera in terms of music – of sopranos and tenors singing arias and a symphony orchestra keeping things going – opera also depends on costumes and stage sets and lighting and, often, ballet or modern dance. What makes this production outstanding is the way it integrates all of the arts, so much so that it is difficult to imagine any of them standing alone… The lighting and stage management, the costumes, everything works so much in harmony that they create the magic that characterizes opera at its best. And because Catán's score is consistently beautiful... the music itself lends to this integrated concept. As does the Madison Symphony Orchestra, which, though not on stage, maintains the spellbinding effect of a very good opera.
Bill Wineke, Channel 3000
MOBY DICK, salt lake city, 2018
Utah’s New Moby Dick Sets Sail: It is Cause for Celebration that Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Epic Moby Dick has been Realized in a Handsome New Physical Production by Utah Opera
As impressive as all of these demonstrably fine singers were singly, they were most remarkable for their impressive ensemble work, thanks to inspired direction from Kristine McIntyre. Ms. McIntyre thrives on large cast extravaganzas, managing to move masses of singers meaningfully about the playing space, all the while effectively focusing attention on solo moments as required. She crafted richly detailed character relationships, and seemed to effortlessly manufacture one telling stage picture after another. Having recently marveled at her Billy Budd at Des Moines Metro Opera, I am wondering if she is entering the nautical phase of her career? What’s next Kristine? Pinafore? Dutchman? I would sail well out of my way to see anything this talented director undertakes. She is especially adept at synchronized gestures, steps, and percussive effects, and there were many potent passages of unison group movement, with effective choreography incorporated by Daniel Charon… Still, this was such a stunning achievement full of so many memorable components, that it is easy to predict this winningly re-imagined Moby Dick will have a long and full run on national and world stages.
James Sohre, Opera Today
In Review: Moby Dick
The Utah Opera team of stage director Kristine McIntyre, set designer Erhard Rom and costume designer Jessica Jahn created period-authentic scenes with textured, individualistic costuming, stunning seascapes, vintage nautical and star charts and multi-level perches, including a crow’s nest on a large mast column that dominated center stage. A sense of motion, visualized in the original production through projections, was here partially provided by a cast-powered turntable surrounding the mast—a device especially effective during scenes when sailors with harpoons were dispatched in longboats. More action and emotional depth came from the Utah Opera chorus, prepared by Michaella Calzaretta, and four dancers, choreographed by Daniel Charon. McIntyre imbued this band of sailors with individuality and natural movement, positioning them for maximum visual and vocal benefit. Their Act I chorus, “Death to Moby Dick,” was riveting.
Robert Coleman, Opera News
Moby Dick: Jake Heggie’s Masterwork Soars In Solid Production
The sets that Erhard Rom designed, and which were constructed at the Utah Opera Production Studios, were built specifically with an eye towards smaller theaters with limited stage space. And Rom’s design works remarkably well in the Capitol Theatre. It depicts the whaler “Pequod” as a deconstructed ship with its sides decorated by maps of seafaring explorers with their names and the dates of their legendary voyages. The sides are curved and seem to coalesce and flow into the wings of the theater. Consequently, the action and movement onstage don’t seem confined or constrained. There is also a raised platform around a large mast center stage that is decorated with a compass dial that revolves and allows for quick scene changes that keep the story moving along. The fact that the setting works so effortlessly is also due to director Kristine McIntyre’s deft blocking and staging that make full use of the available space. Working together, Rom and McIntyre have come up with a highly successful formula that should play well in other regional opera houses.
Edward Reich, OperaWire
Moby-Dick Opera Transforms a Massive Novel into a Human-Scaled Epic. Utah Opera Gives the World its First Look at a Stunning Reimagining
Utah Opera is presenting the first major reimagining of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s ambitious 2010 opera Moby-Dick... A full house of opera fans (including Heggie and Scheer) got their first look at this stunning new production at the Capitol Theatre Saturday night. Erhard Rom’s abstract set design, Jessica Jahn’s exhaustively researched costumes and Kristine McIntyre’s authoritative stage direction pull the audience into the action. McIntyre has made exceptionally intelligent use of the space, onstage and off, and wisely brought in choreographer Daniel Charon and four dancers to assist in the work of the ship. This might be the best use anyone has ever made of the Utah Opera Chorus, expertly prepared by new chorus master Michaella Calzaretta. The men not only sang powerfully but also threw themselves into the choreography’s rigorous physical demands… Capping this operatic triumph was the Utah Symphony’s vivid performance of Heggie’s rich score, conducted by Joseph Mechavich.
Catherine Reese Newton, Salt Lake Tribune
All Whale Breaks Loose in Utah Opera's Captivating Moby-Dick
It didn’t take long for Utah Opera’s production, under the guidance of stage director Kristine McIntyre, to take on a dark, almost cult-like feeling. Heggie’s music, simultaneously beautiful and ominous, began telling the story, and within a few minutes, the single-minded Ahab, portrayed in a terrifyingly convincing manner by tenor Roger Honeywell — peg leg and all — had members of his crew surrounding him and repeatedly chanting, “Death to Moby-Dick!”… In her telling of Melville’s story, stage director McIntyre made remarkable use of space on and off the stage… In addition to offering stirring vocals on and offstage, the Utah Opera Chorus took part in the rigorous demands of life on the ship, helping to propel the Pequod forward. Also aiding this effort were four dancers from Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company — a unique choice from McIntyre — whose choreography, under the direction of Ririe-Woodbury Artistic Director Daniel Charon, contributed to the continual movement and motion of life on the sea… If staging Moby-Dick represents a transition for Utah Opera as it begins to embrace a new wave of opera, Saturday night proved that the company is more than ready for the challenge.
Lottie Peterson Johnson, Deseret News
A Fine Cast and Thoughtful Staging Help Jake Heggie’s Leviathan of an Opera to Sail Again
Moby Dick appeared destined to be cast adrift on the endless sea of operatic memory – until now. Enter Utah Opera, in this its 40th year, whose pioneering efforts have produced a simplified version that is not just available, it’s clearly downright viable as demonstrated by Kristine McIntyre’s modest yet intense new production. Of course, none of this would matter if Heggie and Scheer hadn’t created something lasting and worthwhile out of Melville’s sprawling novel of fixation, revenge and whalers on the high seas in search of blood and profit. But from the atmospheric seascape of the ‘overture’ onwards – its theme later identifiable with Ahab’s obsession – the power of score and story are undeniably compelling. Across two substantial acts, the 75-strong Utah Symphony under Joseph Mechavich do a superb job of bringing these resourceful scorings to life, playing with grace and strength in equal measure… But if Moby Dick is an opera worth the doing, Heggie and Scheer’s deftly boiled down take on the original epic is no pussycat to put on stage. There are harpoon chases, men overboard and a nasty case of St. Elmo’s fire to deal with, not to mention the chilling appearance of the baleful “white-headed whale with a wrinkled brow and a crooked jaw”, the twisted harpoons still peppering his flanks. Most, if not all of the above is tackled with aplomb by McIntyre through the agency of Erhard Rom’s clean-limbed sets, Marcus Dilliard’s sensitive lighting and Jessica Jahn’s carefully observed period costumes… McIntyre moves her players effectively around the space, adroitly solving many of the transitional problems. The feeling of claustrophobia can work to McIntyre’s advantage too, as when the gruesome rendering of whale blubber is forced to rub up against a sublimely peaceful trio.
Clive Paget, Limelight Magazine
Get Lost in the Heart of the Sea with Utah Opera’s Moby-Dick
In perhaps their greatest feat to date, Utah Opera premiered their re-imagining of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s masterwork Moby-Dick this last Saturday at the Capitol Theatre… Since its premiere in 2010, Moby-Dick has been regarded as a large and somewhat intimidating work to pull off. But Utah Opera, along with director Kristine McIntyre and conductor Joseph Mechavich saw the potential to present an accessible production so that this masterwork might be better showcased with more companies to more audiences. Design plays a crucial role in this remount, as the limitations of a mid-sized house are kept in mind when assembling the set and costumes. Set Designer Erhard Rom features elements that are abstract and presentational as the whole stage is covered in sea charts and maps. Then a more practical and representative side is then revealed as the show progresses with various units suddenly turning into masts, cots, longboats, whale blubber, and more, showcasing the ingenious imagination of Rom and the production team. What’s more, this imagination continues throughout the entirety of the piece, holding twists, turns, and surprises for the audience every step of the way… During the performance, dancers intermingle between singers and performers until it is almost impossible to tell who is who and all become members of the crew on the Pequod. Opera lovers and novices alike should try and make their way to Utah Opera’s imaginative production of the American classic Moby-Dick at the Capitol Theater…. Utah Opera’s production of Moby-Dick was such an experience for me, as it demonstrated theatre can still be a vehicle for imaginative, accessible, and creative art.
Spicer W. Carr, Front Row Reviewers Utah
More: see gallery page, watch video preview, or read Kristine’s blog for this production
as one, des moines, 2017
Review: As One: "They Both Took Risks that Paid Off"
Des Moines Metro Opera’s timing of their production was perfectly planned, falling at the end of Transgender Awareness Week. Like many of the operas they choose for their 2nd Stages Series, As One’s subject matter hits the audience with a relevant topic and sparks a meaningful discussion. Opening night was made even more special by the presence of the creators of As One, composer Laura Kaminsky and co-librettists Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed. After the performance, Des Moines Metro Opera in collaboration with One Iowa facilitated a post show talkback with a panel consisting of the creators, performers, production team, and local trans and LGBTQ activists. The discussion brought another layer to the evening, prompting self-reflection and creating new dialogues for all involved… As One calls for every performer to push beyond their comfort zone, and it feels like a true ensemble piece because of that… This production calls for emotional variety and power, and they both took risks that paid off. The roles are also incredibly physical, involving climbing over chairs and running around the performance space with no opportunity to step offstage and catch their breath. How they did this for 75 minutes without getting one drink of water, I cannot fathom. The creators of As One emphasize that they wanted Hannah to be relatable, and they accomplish this in many ways. As a transwoman, she experiences struggles and pain, but the overarching emotion of the opera is one of joy… The opera ends with both voices combined in a sense of unified harmony (which is an oxymoron but somehow appropriate for this story). Hannah has found herself and with self-acceptance comes freedom.
Meghan Klinkenborg, Schmopera.com
More: watch video preview for this production
MANON, SANTA BARBARA, 2017
Massenet’s Marvelous Manon
Opera Santa Barbara pulled off a major artistic coup last weekend, presenting a sprawling and splendid production of Jules Massenet’s opera Manon at the Granada theatre… A beautifully balanced cast, featuring soprano Sarah Coburn in the title role, delivered an entertainment that was both amusing and serious, no small feat… Stage Director Kristine McIntyre, in her OSB debut, kept the action onstage believable as well as purposeful, including Manon’s incredibly powerful and moving death scene. 150 glorious rococo costumes from Sydney Opera added period accuracy and eye-arresting color to the production, abetted by Scenic Director Keith Brumley and Lighting Director Marcus Dilliard (OSB debut) who made magic happen with Des Moines Metro Opera’s scenery. Especially memorable, the gates of Saint Sulpice and the gaming salon at the Hotel de Transylvanie, drenched in bordello red.
Daniel Kepl, Voice Magazine
More: see gallery page or watch video preview of this production
BILLY BUDD, DES MOINES, 2017
In Review: Des Moines Metro Opera 45th Anniversary Summer Festival
The weekend concluded July 9 with Kristine McIntyre's spectacular mounting of Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd. DMMO scored a coup in commissioning Britten specialist Steuart Bedford to craft an orchestral reduction that may finally enable other small-scale opera companies to approach the opera. It was stunning... Brumley's design cleverly transformed the playing circle into the bow of the Indomitable. There was a marvelous effect when the exceptional ensemble leapt upon the railing to unleash a mammoth wave of golden sound for "This is Our Moment." Barry Steele's projections left the audience with a final image of Billy vanishing for eternity into the enveloping seas. This Billy Budd was an extraordinary theatrical experience and showed DMMO at its zenith.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
Billy Budd Indomitable in Des Moines
It is hard to know where to begin to praise the peerless accomplishment that is Des Moines Metro Opera’s staggeringly powerful Billy Budd. In the intimate Blank Performing Arts Center space, we are not so much observing a wrenching drama as we are participating in it… I had never experienced an opera this large and active in such an intimate space, and director Kristine McIntyre did a masterful job filling every nook and cranny with meaningful action and carefully rehearsed “spontaneity” without putting us on sensory overload. Having successfully negotiated this huge group around that limited space, I think Ms. McIntyre is ready to be a traffic controller at O’Hare. But she also knew when to let her forces be still. When Lisa Hasson’s impeccable chorus and the soloists stood and poured out their climactic, overwhelming war cry in Act Two, it was electrifying in its raw emotion. Kristine also knows how to wring every conceivable variation out of well-motivated blocking, usage of levels, and meaningful character relationships. Each of the principals clearly understood the dynamic and arc of their roles, and the monologues were coached and crafted like one act plays. This was a remarkable directorial realization, one that nurtured faultless ensemble playing as well as encouraging stand-alone personal bests… I have seen six other good productions of this piece over my years of opera going and I have always thought that, when all its planets align, it should make me weep but it never quite did. Well, Mission Accomplished. When Vere sang his final, diminishing statements, and the “sail” descended from above with its projection of rolling waves; and when the final projections first showed a silhouette of Billy’s hanging corpse, then morphed to Billy’s wrapped body floating to the depths, and then to Billy’s handsome face dissolving into the waves; well, this was a moment of surpassing beauty. And damn if the tears aren’t streaming again right now.
James Sohre, OperaToday
World-Class Opera Grows Tall and Proud in the Corn Belt
Its 467 seats arranged in a dozen curved rows, the Pote Theater draws you into the action in ways impossible to achieve in such gargantuan theaters as the Civic Opera House. Patrons in the front row sit within touching distance of the performers. The sunken orchestra pit, surrounded by a thrust stage, is a design element, doubling, for example, as the ship's hold of the HMS Indomitable, the 18th century British battleship that is the setting of Billy Budd. Britten's Melville-based 1951 masterpiece is badly neglected in America (Lyric Opera has mounted it only twice since giving the U.S. stage premiere in 1970). DMMO makes the strongest possible case for repertory status. These are the first performances of a new performing edition based on a reduced orchestration by Britten scholar and conductor Steuart Bedford that cuts back on winds and percussion (a good thing, given the space restrictions of the Pote pit). Neely's firmly paced conducting provided a rock-solid foundation for the superior singing and acting of a large all-male ensemble at the performance I caught last weekend. Kristine McIntyre moved human traffic with telling dramatic detail within a handsome, realistic British frigate-set by designer R. Keith Brumley,… speeding the tragedy to its devastating conclusion with nary a false step.
John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune
A Stunning Production of Billy Budd
Brawny sailors are crawling literally out of the woodwork in Billy Budd at the Des Moines Metro Opera—up from below through a grate, high into the rigging, even onto a curving bannister to (almost) barf overboard. There are so many hands on deck, with the cannons and all, you start to wonder if their ship might sink. But as numerous as they seem, this crew and the below-deck orchestra are among the leanest teams to ever tackle this extraordinary show. The Indianola company, punching above its weight, as usual, commissioned a new arrangement of Benjamin Britten’s 1951 score, pared down for a smaller ensemble by Steuart Bedford, one of the late composer’s closest associates. The results are stunning. Under conductor David Neely’s baton, the orchestra floods the Blank Performing Arts Center with a mysterious swirl of eddies and undercurrents, which, like the ocean, is powerful but ultimately indifferent to the soloists on the surface. Only rarely do the singers and instrumentalists swim in the same harmonic direction, rendering those moments of confluence even more beautiful for their scarcity. The story, directed by Kristine McIntyre, tacks closely to Herman Melville’s final novel, about a young man who joins the crew of a British warship in the paranoid summer of 1797, when threats from the French and rumors of mutiny filled the air like fog… Behind the scenes, the technical crew is guided by the vision of scenic designer R. Keith Brumley and lighting wizard Barry Steele, who somehow built an 18th century man-of-war here in the middle of Iowa. The captain’s cabin slides out like a cabinet drawer. The sailors sleep in hammocks below deck. And above, video projections of the ocean ripple across a giant sail.
Michael Morain, DSM Magazine
More: see gallery page or watch video preview or about the making of the production
VANESSA, TOLEDO, 2017
Toledo Opera Production of Vanessa is a Work of Art
The Toledo Opera’s spring production of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa is, in short, art with a capital “A.” This riveting drama lays, brick by brick and note by note, a masterful framework of musical genius that leaves the listener at curtain call wondering whether to sit weeping at its pathos or stand speechless at its beauty. The evening is a dark and seething morass of intrigue and tension. Stage director Kristine McIntyre has made brilliant artistic choices which underscore why the 1958 musical drama won the Pulitzer Prize… Video projections designed by Michael Baumgarten create the illusion of space and mood. The music begins and within two minutes the mind fills in everything that is missing. The orchestra disappears. As if by magic, the audience finds itself lost in a mansion somewhere in the middle of Europe. Snow and ice are everywhere, both on the ground and in the hearts of those whose lives we are soon to plumb. The drama unfolds and the lack of stage decoration pushes the emotional grinding forward with a palpable intimacy, demanding the audience’s attention. The all-star cast, only seven singing roles, interacts with ferocious tension that can be cut with a knife… Particular mention should be made of two exquisite dramatic moments: the second-act scene where Vanessa and Erika share the glory of grand ballroom dances gone by, and the quintet finale that prophetically reveals the awaiting fate of each of the principals… Yet the whole of this Vanessa packs an aesthetic impact that approaches artistic perfection.
Wayne F. Anthony, The Blade
SOLDIER SONGS, DES MOINES, 2017
Soldier Songs' Drama is Unprecedented
I don’t think I’ve ever come away from an opera quite so shaken as I did from Sunday’s Des Moines Metro Opera final staging of David T. Little’s Soldier Songs at Camp Dodge in Johnston. High emotional drama is what you expect when you go to the opera. But baritone Michael Mayes’ charged performance of this modern multimedia theater-piece based on combat veterans’ interviews was practically unprecedented in DMMO’s almost half-century history. With generous and indispensable help from Camp Dodge and Veterans Administration Central Iowa Health Care Services staff, DMMO General & Artistic Director Michael Egel has brought out the most compelling show yet in his new “2nd Stages Series” of opera performances… The Camp Dodge Drill Hall, a bare, airplane-hangar-sized room fitted with military displays and metal scaffolding hung with dozens of TV monitors, proved a perfect setting for scenic designer Adam Crinson’s set, a three-quarters-round thrust stage with real Humvees in two corners and a raised platform for the seven-player contemporary chamber ensemble in another… In a Q&A following the performance, both Egel and Mayes spoke, enthusiastically and movingly, of how vital it had felt to them to bring Soldier Songs to an active military base, to emphasize the contemporary relevance of this fine piece and the importance of the questions it poses. Stage director Kristine McIntyre, also on the panel, noted that this new production was for her – and for the composer, who had been here earlier in the week – unusually meaningful for the help they had received from military personnel and families (who had witnessed the rehearsal process) in understanding both the horrors of war and how artistic endeavor can bridge the chasm between combatants and civilians. And panelist David Neely, DMMO music director and the conductor of this production, echoed the full-house audience’s standing ovation when he described what a moving experience it had been for him to make drama with an artist as talented and committed, and as brutally honest, as Mayes.
Bruce Carr, Des Moines Register
More: see gallery page or watch video preview of this production
THE PLACE WHERE YOU STARTED, PORTLAND, 2016
The Place Where You Started: Love From Afar
Portland State University’s world premiere... [is] crackling with rapid-fire texting, laptop creations, video, and heated dinner-party arguments over immigration politics. This contemporary orientation is essential for a college opera program that develops tomorrow’s opera musicians. PSU’s acclaimed opera program has long been renowned for its professional-level productions (thanks to donor generosity) of standard operatic fare, but Place also marks the debut of not just a new opera, but also a new fall PSU series that opera studies director Christine Meadows aims to include new and non-standard operas that speak to today’s concerns, instead of endlessly fetishizing the 18th and 19th century Top Ten... Director Kristine McIntyre crisply squeezed maximum effect out of PSU’s Lincoln Studio Theater’s tiny stage and secured uniformly convincing performances... Place benefited from its minimalist surroundings. Complemented by Kayla Scrivner and Abigail Vaughan’s sharp, spare set and tech design, [Omar Ramos'] spiffy projections transform the tiny stage into, successively, the exterior and Ikea-white interior of the suburban home Meredith shares with her obnoxious boyfriend Steve (well-played with believable clinginess by Alex Trull), LA skylines, unspecified Latin American streetscapes, a holding cell, and (sometimes hilariously) Meredith’s cheesy vampire romance screenplay-in-progress. As Meredith’s imagined scenarios change, so does the projected scenery. Other images appear: handwritten poetry that Punt wrote in Meredith’s voice, tropical flowers, book covers, seed packets. Given opera’s inherent economic challenges, smart use of technology makes this show much more portable and produceable than most. As these shows... and many of the other new operas now flourishing around the country prove, as long as the art form engages timely and timeless human emotions, using words and music that speak to people in our own century, it will thrive.
Brett Campbell, Oregon ArtsWatch
PSU Opera Superb in World Premiere of The Place Where You Started
It is a rare day when a college music department presents the world premiere of an opera, and even rarer still that such a production would be timely, relevant, and superbly done, but Portland State University’s opera program brought it all to fruition with its performance of The Place Where You Started on Friday, November 18th at the Lincoln Hall Studio Theater. Written by Mark Lanz Weiser with a libretto by Amy Punt, The Place Where You Started deftly handled themes that dealt with love, loss, illegal aliens, and fear. Delivered by six singers and a pianist, the music subtly blended dissonance with harmonic lines and worked naturally with the outstanding stage directions of Kristine McIntyre... [Omar Ramos'] evocative projections enhanced the production with excellent visual cues, such as portions of the movie script that Meredith was working on. One of McIntyre’s best directions involved Meredith typing and mouthing the words of her characters (Lucinda/ Erickson and Roland/Ramaley) as they sang them... Kudos to Meadows and all involved in this effort. Hopefully, those performances will serve as a springboard for more productions of this remarkable opera.
James Bash, Northwest Reverb
More: see video preview or watch entire performance of this production
JANE EYRE, NEW YORK, 2016
New York Chronicle, Music: Jane Eyre by Louis Karchin
[Louis Karchin] tells the story through the orchestra, as much as the singers, with their words. This is a symphonic opera as much as a vocal one. Karchin writes like a man who has lived with opera, although Jane Eyre is only his second opera, and his first full-length one. Ah, well: Beethoven wrote just one opera. So did Gershwin. In the Kaye Playhouse, Jane Eyre was served by a very good production, overseen by the director Kristine McIntyre. Use of video was intelligent. At every turn, the production enhanced the story, libretto, and music, rather than overtaking them... The composer, and the librettist, and the stage director—and the novelist, Charlotte Brontë—had me the whole way… I thought, “This opera, in its warmth, beauty, and goodness, is brave.”
Jay Nordlinger, New Criterion
In Review: Jane Eyre, Center for Contemporary Opera
Karchin (b. 1951), a New York University professor whom Andrew Porter called a composer of 'fearless eloquence,' proved himself a master of his craft... CCO served Jane Eyre well, especially in the casting of the leading roles with Jennifer Zetlan as Jane and Ryan McPherson as Rochester, who brought their characters to vivid vocal and dramatic life... The production, keenly directed by Kristine McIntyre with scenery designed by Luke Cantarella and costumes by Rachel Townsend, suggested a measure of manor house opulence... [and] Sarah Jobin conducted an involving performance of the work, scored for a traditional orchestra.
George Loomis, Opera Magazine (London)
New Louis Karchin & Diane Osen Opera, Presented by CCO, Traces Tribulations of Jane Eyre & Edward Rochester
There were striking ensembles, as when Zetlan and McPherson sang with soprano Kimberly Giordano, as Mrs. Fairfax, his housekeeper, and mezzo-soprano Jessica Best, as Bessie, to close Act One, and when Rochester and the Ingrams—soprano Jessica Thompson as haughty Mrs. Ingram, baritone Thomas Meglioranza as Roderick, and soprano Katrina Thurman as Blanche, who would be Edward’s bride—discussed Donizetti operas…. Kudos go to director Kristine McIntyre and designers Luke Cantarella (sets and video), Burke Brown (lighting) and Rachel Townsend (costumes).
Bruce-Michael Gelbert, Q Onstage
MANON, DES MOINES, 2016
IN REVIEW: Manon, Des Moines Metro Opera
Des Moines Metro Opera celebrated their forty-fourth season with a trio of productions that offered an impressive level of depth and detail as well as some genuine theatrical thrills… On July 3, Kristine McIntyre’s meticulously crafted production of Massenet’s Manon was graced by a brace of principals who displayed extraordinary dramatic commitment… The Saint-Sulpice interlude was as sexy as it gets with these two… R. Keith Brumley’s setting was grounded by a series of panels in gilded frames that revolved to variously suggest a Fragonard-inspired landscape, or the mirrored walls of a gambling house washed in lurid red by lighting designer Barry Steele. Neely elegantly propelled the orchestra through a discreetly edited version of the score. This Manon was the most cogent mounting of Massenet’s opera on the regional market in memory… This was a most satisfying season with something of appeal for any operatic connoisseur.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
Manon Features High Glamour, Fine Singing
If you’re looking for high theatrical glamour and exceptionally fine singing, you can hardly do better than the Des Moines Metro Opera’s brilliant production of Jules Massenet’s Manon, which opened last Saturday night at the Blank Performing Arts Center… Massenet’s music is renowned for its beauty, characteristic charm, and professional polish; it’s designed to match exactly all the scenes and situations of his plot... The chorus, and stage director Kristine McIntyre and scenic designer R. Keith Brumley, took special applause for a couple of striking tableaux vivants at the beginnings of acts… And not the least glamorous aspect of this production of Massenet’s Manon (which DMMO has presented only once before, in 1976) are the truly glamorous costumes, opulent silk and brocaded gowns and lace petticoats, knee breeches and vests, all in the most astonishingly subtly shaded pastels, provided by Opera Australia.
Bruce Carr, Des Moines Register
Manon Dazzles
The affair started on a lark a few years earlier and will end in tragedy a bit later, plunging in emotional tone like a sunny summer day that finishes with a storm. But along the way, the glory of Jules Massenet’s 1884 score seems to shine only brighter, illuminated by the radiant talents of California soprano Sydney Mancasola, as Manon, and the Texas tenor Joseph Dennis, as the young Chevalier des Grieux. They sang so persuasively at Saturday’s opening at the Blank Performing Arts Center in Indianola that you could almost believe the unbelievable story… Director Kristine McIntyre, whose previous work for the company includes a dark and stark reading of Dead Man Walking, takes a different tack here, wrapping the stage and its players in all the glamour of Versailles in the early 1700s. Elegant sets (by R. Keith Brumley) and lavish costumes [by R. Kirk] conjure up the “boudoir world” of Madame de Pompadour, as McIntyre notes in the program, when society women wielded power in a surprisingly modern way… What starts with a smile ends with a shudder.
Michael Morain, DSM Magazine
The Lady Packs a Wallop
Such high-key colors contribute to the show’s pleasure... the brilliant costumes by Roger Kirk are used to full effect, especially in the skillful arrangements director Kristine McIntyre gives the group scenes. The crowd around the casino table at the start of Act III — a throng in firecracker red and gold — prompted applause as soon as the curtain went up. McIntyre also found ways to capture the tensions in less crowded scenes. Early on, Manon’s cousin Lescaut insists to her that he knows best, and a spirited girl like her belongs in a nunnery. Lescaut even enlists a couple of fellow soldiers to help while Manon stands apart, arms crossed, plainly conflicted... The power of Manon, however, depends on the love story. The goddess demands a disciple worthy of her, and tenor Joseph Dennis proves up to the task. As the tormented Chevalier des Grieux, when Dennis duets with the woman he calls an “astonishing sphinx,” he winds up with his chin hanging out. He’s practically begging to be hit. The melody may feel like a caress, but the lady packs a wallop.
John Domini, DSM Cityview
More: see gallery page or watch video preview of this production
TALES OF HOFFMANN, MADISON, 2016
Operatic Wonder: Madison Opera’s Tales of Hoffmann is an Absolute Triumph
Both visually and musically, Madison Opera’s production of Jacques Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann is an absolute triumph — perhaps the finest achievement yet under Kathryn Smith’s reign as general director. It is a long and a difficult opera to cope with. Offenbach died before he could put his score into definitive shape. There are loose ends, and music not written by Offenbach himself has been added to revised editions, including the spurious “diamond” aria and the sextet in the Venice act. Since a Prologue and an Epilogue are set in Luther’s tavern (here, a 1920s bar), director Kristine McIntyre had the clever idea of presenting each of the full acts as performances on a stage-within-the-stage, with the onstage audience serving as bar patrons. The direction was aided by a set [designed by Erhard Rom], an extremely clever and versatile multi-piece construction... Costumes, lighting, the full visual panoply are admirably handled, but director McIntyre is the magician who makes it all come together with seamless flow and clever ideas. As always, conductor John DeMain leads this excellent production with unalloyed devotion to the work.
John W. Barker, Isthmus
Opera Review: Hoffmann Pines, Drinks and Chases Skirts in Madison Opera's Decadent Tales
Director Kristine McIntyre (“Dead Man Walking,” Madison Opera 2014) embraces the theatrical frame of Hoffmann in both the tone and style of her dynamic staging. She takes the chorus of flappers and tuxedoed gentlemen in the prologue and epilogue and makes them onstage spectators. Hoffmann may appear as a character, but we (and they) hear the stories through his eyes. The other constants are Hoffmann’s Muse, sung in a tux by the charming mezzo Adriana Zabala, and a devious baritone villain, who takes different guises throughout the opera… Maestro John DeMain leads the orchestra, which has a lush, nuanced sound fitting with the opera’s soaring highs and lows. Of particular note are the winds, including a lively flute in Act I and a sumptuous violin line in Act II.
Lindsay Christians, The Capital Times
Classical Music: Madison Opera’s “Tales of Hoffmann” Proved a Musical and Theatrical Delight from Beginning to End
I had been looking forward to Madison Opera’s production of The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach ever since it was announced. The opera is a particular favorite of mine, and I’ve seen a number of productions in larger houses, most recently in Tokyo and most memorably a production at the San Francisco Opera 30 years ago with Placido Domingo and James Morris. I was interested to see how Madison Opera would approach this somewhat theatrically difficult work, and Sunday’s performance was a delight from beginning to end.
The production was set in a well-stocked bar, and Hoffmann’s series of bad choices in love appeared fueled by alcohol. The set, from the Virginia Opera, and costumes were dazzling, particularly in the Giulietta act, which in a departure from the productions I’ve seen, was the third act. I felt that the change of the order of the acts made a lot of sense dramatically. And I loved the use by stage director Kristine McIntyre of the Roaring Twenties theme – flappers and Charlestons, along with gondolas, fog and a bit of German Expressionism. Total fun. The Madison Symphony Orchestra was excellent throughout, and Maestro John DeMain is a treasure whom Madison is extremely fortunate to have. His sense of timing and dynamics is a wonder. My favorite moment of the opera is the ensemble in the Giulietta scene “Hélas Mon Coeur,” and its performance Sunday nearly brought me to tears… So, bravo Madison Opera, for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon at the opera.
Larry Wells, The Well-Tempered Ear
THE TENDER LAND, DETROIT, 2016
The Tender Land, Detroit, Michigan Opera Theater
Michigan Opera Theater’s staging of The Tender Land (seen Mar. 12) was a charming, heartfelt production... The curtain opened on saturated color and high contrast: a flaxen farmhouse and barn, a field of wheat, and a wide blue sky strewn with clouds. Against this canvas, lighting designer Marcus Dilliard seamlessly turned day to night to day, with soft purple dusk and vibrant streaks of pink at dawn. Monika Essen’s production design was often excellent: pale day dresses were appropriately understated and Laurie’s graduation dress was all pink lace and charm... Director Kristine McIntyre summoned authentic, tender performances from this company of young singers despite a score whose drama is sometimes abrupt and whose emotions aren’t always earned.
Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, Opera News
MOT Brings Populist Opera to the People with Copland's The Tender Land
The music for his opera The Tender Land, the current Michigan Opera Theatre production, echoes the thrum of the plow, the rustle of dry grain, the creak of aching bones and the trill of a meadowlark. Its tempo is paced to the setting sun and the pulse of hearts that yearn for something they cannot name. Aaron Copland's heartfelt music and a quintessentially American story make this production of The Tender Land by Michigan Opera Theatre one for the "must see" list. The Tender Land is an intimate, unsentimental treatment of New Deal-era America and the hard living eked out by those in the isolated farming communities that dotted the Midwest. It’s a perfect choice for MOT’s second annual community-initiative opera… This MOT production of The Tender Land is a rare treat that area patrons should rush to see.
Patty Nolan, Detroit Examiner
MOT's Tender Land Evokes the American Heartland
Michigan Opera Theatre's push beyond the borders of the Detroit Opera House has been couched in terms of audience building, but it's also paying artistic dividends by opening doors to modern and contemporary American repertoire that doesn't fit comfortably within the company's 2,700-seat downtown home... MOT's alluring new production of Aaron Copland's The Tender Land (1954), which opened Saturday at the Macomb Center and moves to Taylor this weekend, is likewise too intimate for the opera house… Dramatic and musical flaws have kept the opera from cracking the standard repertoire. But MOT's rewarding production — highlighted by an energetic young cast and Monika Essen's attractive set design of blue sky, golden fields and functional A-frame structures — honors the best intentions of Copland's elegiac scores and Erik Johns' uneven libretto. The production makes a persuasive case that the opera deserves a higher profile.
Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press
The Tender Land: Copland’s Look at Small-Town Life
Michigan Opera Theatre’s fine new production offers a chance to look at this somewhat lesser known piece from many angles. But most of all, it is a beautifully rendered, well sung, visually appealing night (or day) of music theatre. The simple but gorgeous production design by Monika Essen and lighting by Marcus Dilliard present a peach-colored dream of a Midwestern farm. In this time and place we meet the Moss family, their friends, and two strangers. Kristine McIntyre has guided the young cast well and staged the movement wonderfully. Of particular note is the second-act party, brimming with life and activity.
Amy J. Parrent, Encore Michigan
OF MICE AND MEN, AUSTIN, 2016
Opera Review: Austin Opera’s Of Mice and Men
Director Kristine McIntyre organizes the cast, on a couple of occasions, into poses that imitate iconic dust bowl photographs, and recognizing these is a thrill… the acting, the sense of modernity and the stunning finale are reason enough to seek out this opera. An opera told in English, about a story most viewers are familiar with is capable of subtly changing how one sees the art form. In the end, it all comes down to George and Lennie and the performances here seal the deal.
Luke Quinton, The Austin American-Statesman
Austin Opera’s Of Mice and Men
Combining a love of classic literature and amazing music—it’s not an easy task… [but] the Austin Opera—they skillfully and successfully conveyed all of the intricate themes of the book... The orchestra was phenomenal, the props, backdrops, and costumes were perfect… Every effort made by the composer, director, and cast did not go unnoticed—it was flawless.
Alysha Kaye, Texas Lifestyle Magazine
More: watch interviews about this production
STREET SCENE, BALTIMORE, 2015
Peabody Opera Takes Big Step with Street Scene
For the fifth year, Peabody Opera Theatre stepped outside the conservatory campus and headed a few blocks north to stage a work at the Lyric. This season's choice was ambitious and welcome… Street Scene looked terrific - a multi-story set (Luke Cantarella), subtly lit (Douglas Nelson) and fleshed out with atmospheric projections that gave the text an extra boost at key moments; assured, vibrant stage direction (Kristine McIntyre, who also trimmed the spoken dialogue judiciously). No comparison to the bare-bones stagings Peabody Opera has previously offered at the Lyric. The classy visuals helped enormously to serve this masterful look at the poorer side of American city life. Causing only a few little incongruities, the setting for the opera was changed in this case from New York to Baltimore, but the essence (and the 1940s time period) remained in place… a Street Scene worth visiting.
Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun
don giovanni, kansas city, 2015
Giovanni Goes Noir
The Lyric’s production of Mozart’s opera opened on Saturday night to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience, who encountered a Don Giovanni reconceived in the style of film noir by director Kristine McIntyre. With a stark cityscape set designed by R. Keith Brumley accompanied by the dramatic lighting design by Marcus Dilliard, the atmosphere of this production matches the barren and desolate soul of Mozart’s antihero whose life is a long, evil road to destruction. In a palette of blacks, whites, and grays, costume designer Mary Traylor’s creations are chic and sophisticated and fully evocative of a Philip Marlow-esque world. Da Ponte’s libretto makes clear that Giovanni’s fate is sealed the moment he commits murder. The Commendatore is his Angel of Judgment shadowing him through his last days, ready to exact moral retribution. This film noir concept is a viable interpretation of Don Giovanni; it highlights the underlying darkness, full of betrayal, sexual conquest and domination, and murder. There are always some incongruities between text and setting when removing a libretto from its historical context; there are some here that are occasionally distracting and Giovanni’s final punishment, while not traditional, is consistent with this concept. However, McIntyre’s direction is a stunning success, capturing the essence of this opera’s power and moral struggle.
Sarah Young, KC Metropolis
Lyric Opera Captures Menace of Don Giovanni in Stylish Film Noir Production
The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s film noir production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni was a successful, stylized modernization. Director Kristine McIntyre’s concept works for the opera, with its violence, ambiguous morals, beautiful women, ominous setting and, of course, the unrepentant leading man. Mozart’s genius score, with poetic and humorous libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, thrilled Saturday’s audience in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre. The production team created a convincing film noir universe with R. Keith Brumley’s gloomy back-alley-to-nightclub sets, lighting by Marcus Dilliard casting looming shadows, and Mary Traylor’s tailored, elegant costumes, enhanced by Alison Hanks’ wig/makeup design.
Libby Hanssen, The Kansas City Star
More: see gallery page or watch video preview for this production
bon appetit, portland, 2015
Portland State Opera Review: Tasty Amuse-Bouches
A pair of food related one act operas are on the menu this weekend at Portland State. The gawky Child, known as much for bringing French cuisine to middle America as she is for dropping a roast on air and recommencing her recipe with aplomb, is easy to make fun of, but she’s not easy to do right. Mezzo-soprano Christine Meadows, longtime PSU opera director, channels Julia seamlessly from helmet hair and pearls (and a clean towel at her waist) to her lilting phrasing. Presenting her cake, she sings/yodels: “It is nicer than a soufflé because it doesn’t fall!” in a crescendo of exuberance. The audience howled. Meadows juggles real butter and cream, pans, wine and esprit as she sings Lee Hoiby’s opera that premiered at the Kennedy Center in 1989. The late American composer based the libretto on two episodes of The French Chef, Child’s public TV cooking show that ran from 1963-1973. Mark Shulgasser reworked the episodes for the opera, and for this production Meadows and stage director Kristine McIntyre watched numerous hours of Child “performing” her unpredictable food magic on the cooking program. All the effort shows… She captures Child’s love of life and food.
Angela Allen, Oregon ArtsWatch
PSU Opera Serves Up Delicious Doctor Miracle and Bon Appétit
Portland State Opera inaugurated its new fall term production with delightful performances of Georges Bizet’s Doctor Miracle and Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appétit. Presented before a packed house at the Studio Theater in Lincoln Hall, both one-act productions admirably showed off the artistic and comic talents of the performers. Doctor Miracle was performed by a superb student cast, and Bon Appétit featured PSU Opera director Christine Meadows as Julia Child.
After intermission, the audience was treated to a second course, Hoiby’s Bon Appétit, which was adapted by Mark Shulgasser from transcripts of two episodes of Julia Child’s The French Chef, a popular TV show that ran from 1963 to 1973. In teaching the audience how to make a Le Gâteau au Chocolat L’Éminence Brune, a classic French chocolate cake, Meadows nailed the persona and gestures of Child so well that it was outrageously funny and sort of flabbergasting at one gulp. The way she would blithely toss a pan or another cooking implement to the side or fling flour all over the place caused buckets of laughter to erupt from the audience. At one point, after downing a glass of wine during a pause in the process, she would warn us that “You don’t want to go out and play croquet.” At another point, she can’t resist putting a chocolate-laden spatula into her mouth and giving us a tantalizing um! Vocally, Meadows’s voice is still delicious to the ears, and she was supported with playful sensitivity by pianist Janet Coleman. Stage directions by Kristine McIntyre dished up platefuls of humor. It was a performance that Meadows should repeat at one of the hoity-toity restaurants in the Pearl. Seconds anyone?!
James Bash, Northwest Reverb
jenufa, des moines, 2015
IN REVIEW: Jenůfa, Des Moines, IA
The festival presentations were crowned by director Kristine McIntyre’s stunning mounting of Janáček’s Jenůfa on July 5, which fielded an exciting breakthrough performance from Sara Gartland in the title role… R. Keith Brumley’s… presentational chrome and timber concept for the Janáček was complete with formidable mill wheel that began grinding away during the overture. Barry Steele’s lighting complemented each environment deftly. Lisa Hasson’s chorus was fine throughout. DMMO’s quality continues to ratchet up exponentially with each successive season.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
Jenůfa Packs a Wallop at DMMO
There are few operas that can rival the visceral impact of a well-staged Jenůfa and Des Moines Metro Opera has emphatically delivered the goods… Director Kristine McIntyre exerted a sure hand over the proceedings, and the unique thrust stage space with its (almost) bisecting pit did not hamper her development of character relationships or crowd control. In fact, it seemed to liberate her, and she filled the stage with crackling confrontations, mournful soliloquies, and delightful motion. In the party scenes, she was ably abetted by choreographer Kyle Lang who devised lively folk-like dances that were as varied as they were cleanly executed. R. Keith Brumley’s austere set design provided a perfect environment for the piece. Mr. Brumley crafted a series of intersecting, overlapping tiered platforms that spilled off staged and surrounded the pit, constructed of rude, weathered planks. It aptly suggested the simple, rustic life, all the while giving the director an enviable number of levels, an opportunity that Ms. McIntyre capitalized on handsomely. The large spinning mill wheel that was upstage for Act One, gave way to a skeletal structure of a farmhouse in Act Two, and produced a coup de theatre in Act Three as the walls came crashing down as Kostelnička’s deception falls prey to the truth.
James Sohre, Opera Today
More: see gallery page or watch a video preview about this production
BARBER OF SEVILLE tour, 2015
Portland Opera's Bilingual Production of The Barber of Seville Examines Love and Language Barriers
Midway through the Portland Opera's school production of The Barber of Seville, Count Almaviva still couldn't pronounce Bartolo's name. No matter how many times he tried, the tenor couldn't nail the rolling Spanish r. Students at Vancouver's Columbia Valley Elementary cackled and rocked with laughter. The opera had turned a real-world communication issue into comedy. The pronunciation fumble is one of a dozen such moments in the abridged and re-imagined version of the 1816 opera being staged at 62 Oregon and Washington schools this spring. Kristine McIntyre, who adapts longer operas for the short school productions, didn't want to create a version where characters simply alternated lines in English and Spanish. "There should be a reason this is bilingual," she said. The group agreed The Barber of the Seville would be a natural fit. The original opera's plot revolves around impaired communication. The lovers try to reach each other, but something always gets in their way. What if, McIntyre suggested, language was the barrier keeping the lovers apart?... Halfway through his Figaros, Ramirez-Solano began pointing at the students. The goal, he said later, was to acknowledge that many of the kids play the role of Figaro in their own world. Playing the part of translator is taxing, but important, he said. Figaro helps the lovers connect. "They end up enjoying a wonderful conversation," Ramirez-Solano said. "There is friendship. There is love. We can overcome all kinds of differences simply by communicating."
Casey Parks, The Oregonian
DEAD MAN WALKING, DES MOINES, 2014
THEATER REVIEW: Dead Man Walking, Des Moines Metro Opera
Everyone involved with the powerhouse production of Dead Man Walking covered themselves in glory. This was music- and theatre-making of the highest order… Director Kristine McIntyre not only honed dramatic moments of unerring dramatic accuracy, but also mined every ounce of humor in the work, striking a powerful balance… I cannot imagine a more powerful production of this engrossing opera.
James Sohre, Opera Today
IN REVIEW: Dead Man Walking, Des Moines Metro Opera
The weekend concluded on July 6 with a beautifully sung, impeccably staged and conducted mounting of Dead Man Walking that fully revealed the perfect fusion of emotional intensity and aural splendor achieved by this now nearly ubiquitous opera by Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally… Kristine McIntyre’s insightful, almost Shakespearean direction made grand capital of DMMO’s intimate space, particularly in the opera’s final, fatal moments. This was one of the most shattering evenings I have ever spent in a theater.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
Dead Man Walking Opera is Surprisingly Beautiful
Just moments after the murders in the prologue of Dead Man Walking, even as the two naked bodies are sliding offstage on rolling platforms, the Catholic nun Helen Prejean appears in a stark spotlight and begins to sing: "He will gather us around, all around.” And gather we did for the Iowa premiere of Jake Heggie's searing but surprisingly beautiful opera, … the perceptive director Kristine McIntyre (last year's Peter Grimes, 2012's Eugene Onegin) plays up the real-life story's psychological drama and the lonely torment the nun and prisoner must endure on their own. In their first meetings, they sing to each other from opposite sides of the orchestra pit, barely bridging the gap between two very different worlds… One scene flows seamlessly into the next, which ratchets up the tension toward the story's inevitable conclusion.
Michael Morain, The Des Moines Register
More: see gallery page or watch a video preview for this production
IOLANTHE, PORTLAND, 2014
Iolanthe Unfolds in London’s Swinging 60s in a Vibrant Production at Mock’s Crest
Stage director Kristine McIntyre and designer Larry Larsen do wonders with the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, offering one show every June at Mock’s Crest productions. The sparkling operettas are always worth the trip to the University of Portland’s beautiful campus, and the trek to see this year’s show, Iolanthe, is no exception. It’s the company’s 24th season, and definite proof that things improve with age. The vibrant, clever production is set in the early ’60s of Soho London, and the story nestles there quite splendidly. W.S. Gilbert would certainly smile. The plot deals with members of the House of Peers, stuffy grey flannel suited Englishmen with their briefcases and black umbrellas, who come lock horns with a group of fairies, here decked in go-go boots, mini-skirts, and the bright psychedelic colors of Carnaby Street. Colorful umbrellas are a great touch, and the girls use them as interesting props. The match of upper-class twits and comely enchantresses eventually proves that opposites attract as guys and gals alike do the twist in the final scene. Lo and behold, the twist actually works with Sullivan’s music.
Holly Johnson, Oregon Music News
DEAD MAN WALKING, MADISON, 2014
Dead Man Walking Conquers Another City
In one of the most anticipated opening nights in the history of Madison Opera, the performance of Dead Man Walking Friday night capped what may go down as the finest overall season in the fifty-plus years of the company. Everything you’ve read or heard about the opera is true: It is not a polemic against the death penalty, it has stretches of almost unbearable intensity that are arguably without equal in the world of opera, the music is memorable, singable and compelling…and it transcends the art form as only true masterpieces can. In other words: It came…They sang…We were conquered.
Greg Hettmanberger, Madison Magazine
Madison Opera's Brilliant Dead Man Walking Finds Power in Pain
In the opera's disturbing opening scene, two giggling teenagers (played by University of Wisconsin-Madison undergrads) run into the dim lights of a parked car, having just gone skinny-dipping. In the shadows, it's hard to see exactly when the De Rocher brothers, silent, menacing and barely visible beyond the tip of a lit cigarette, close in on the pair… It is contrasts like these that make Dead Man Walking among the most galvanizing, emotionally wrenching works to play Overture Hall in the last few years… With powerful performances by the principals and supporting cast alike, aided by sensitive, balanced direction by Kristine McIntyre (A Masked Ball, 2012), the opera steers clear of sensationalizing a crime or simplifying a story… Save a few brief comic moments, Dead Man Walking is a devastating piece of theater… In a moderated talkback after the performance, Heggie praised the production's "visceral momentum," an apt descriptor for an opera that evokes such strong emotions.
Lindsay Christians, The Capital Times
Madison Opera's Dead Man Walking is a Landmark Achievement that Dramatizes a Nun's Relationship with a Death-Row Inmate
Madison Opera’s production of Jake Heggie’s much-admired opera Dead Man Walking is the apex of the 2013-14 season and a landmark in the company’s history of successful boldness… The opera is presented in a production brought to Madison from the Fort Worth Opera. Its set, stark and simple, uses constantly shifting sections of jail bars to convey the grim relentlessness of a Louisiana prison. This setting is exploited deftly by stage director Kristine McIntyre… Dead Man Walking is one of the epochal operas of our time, engaging us in a grave moral issue while also offering a shattering theatrical experience. It is amazing that Madison Opera has been able to bring together a production so consistently excellent. It is one that will long linger in the memories of the Madison audiences.
John W. Barker, The Daily Page
The Truth Will Set You Free
There are no words for art like this. None suffices. The English language is inadequate when tasked with depicting an experience of the kind to which Dead Man Walking belongs… If anything, the opera is more deeply human than anything in the canon I have yet seen or heard. The libretto is skillfully crafted, capturing every character in life-like depth. Its score is masterful, propulsive, colorful, and powerfully moving, with influences from Mozart, Wagner and George Gershwin apparent. Remarkably, for a composer’s first opera, it balances to the stage apparently without effort… The brilliant stage direction by Kristine McIntyre brings the whole production to life against the starkly effective scenery... The costumes, lighting and sound design are simple and successful… This is opera. This is art. This is human expression at its most direct, at its most powerful, at its most deeply touching. Go see Dead Man Walking. You will come away changed.
Mikko Utevsky, The Well-Tempered Ear
ELMER GANTRY, TULSA, 2014
THEATER REVIEW: Elmer Gantry, Tulsa Opera
Elmer Gantry, the opera by Robert Aldrich and Herschel Garfein that Tulsa Opera is presenting this weekend at the Tulsa PAC, is likely to make fans of, and newcomers to, lyric theater quite happy — or at least shout a “Hallelujah” or two… Composer Aldrich and librettist Garfein have crafted a musically rich and varied work that tells a uniquely American story in a most entertaining — and often humorous — way that the cast and orchestra performs with a kind of joyous intensity… Director Kristine McIntyre stages the action so that it flows with cinematic ease amid the spare but evocative sets designed for Florentine Opera by Kris Stone. And Kostis Protopapas conducts the Tulsa Opera Orchestra in a stellar performance as full of color and drama as the production itself.
James D. Watts, Jr., Tulsa World
More: watch video preview of this production
PETER GRIMES, DES MOINES, 2013
IN REVIEW: Peter Grimes, Des Moines Metro Opera
Des Moines Metro Opera's forty-first season found the company taking some provocative risks and considerably upping the artistic ante from previous years… Roger Honeywell’s extraordinary performance in the title role of Britten's Peter Grimes (seen June 30)… bodes to be a career-defining interpretation... The fifty plus- voice chorus was top notch, and when in Kristine Mclntyre's admirable staging the assemblage bled into the aisles, the effect was overwhelming; one really felt surrounded by an enraged, dangerous mob. Neely spirited the orchestra through those sea interludes beautifully. This Grimes would be a front-runner on any stage, anywhere… This was DMMO’s strongest season in memory.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
THEATER REVIEW: Peter Grimes, Des Moines Metro Opera
The 1945 opera by Benjamin Britten is often cited as the best of the 20th century, and the new production shows why. From the get-go, director Kristine McIntyre and conductor David Neely’s talents work together to unspool the ambiguous story of a fisherman’s fight for acceptance among his neighbors, whose threats are as constant as the sea’s… The look of the show is stylish, with noir touches in Robin McGee’s ‘40s-era costumes, set designer Brumley’s cobblestones and Cubist buildings, and lighting designer Steele’s video-projected storms. The combined effect is unforgettable, even after the clouds part and Peter sails once again out to sea.
Michael Morain, The Des Moines Register
More: see the gallery page or watch a video preview for this production
DON GIOVANNI, LOUISVILLE, 2013
Don Giovanni Succeeds on Strength of Strong Cast, Stylish Concept
Kentucky Opera closed out its 2012-2013 season with a sold-out production of Don Giovanni that delivered on its promise of translating the classic tale to the shadowy, seductive atmosphere that marked the golden era of film noir. Given Director Kristine McIntyre's concept of the opera, Eric Allgeier (set) and Connie Yun (lighting) combined their crafts to create a design that was a character in itself. A city of dark alleys and long shadows offers ample opportunities for the dangerously charming Don Giovanni to prey upon women... The drama that follows brings together an array of people who have reason to take revenge on Giovanni, but this production emphasizes that it is Giovanni's own tortured conscience that finally brings about his destruction.
Selena Frye, louisville.com
More: see gallery page or watch video preview for this production
Die Fledermaus, portland, 2013
Die Fledermaus set in Roaring '20s makes for sparkling entertainment
Sparkling costumes, stunning voices, exquisitely timed humor and a gleaming art deco set fill an energetic, hiliarious Die Fledermaus currently presented by Mock's Crest Productions at the University of Portland. Director Kristine McIntyre, formerly of New York's Metropolitan Opera, has set Johann Strauss II's popular 19th century operetta in the Roaring '20s of New York (she's also written a new English libretto). As the comedy celebrates the virtues of champagne and partying, it fits nicely into the Prohibition era. McIntyre, with help from choreographer Anne Egan, updates the humor for modern audiences and much of it is delightfully physical… In this mélange of white lies, mistaken identities, revenge plots and Strauss' whirling waltz tunes, we're engaged from the start… One shimmering number resembled a rainbow trout. We need to remember that the waltz that Strauss so famously promoted was the sexy, daring dance of the 1800s, so the brazenness of the 1920s is a fitting update. But the rich, romantic music never strays from 1874 Vienna, when Die Fledermaus was first performed. It's all sparkle: Pass the champagne.
Holly Johnson, The Oregonian
eugene onegin, des moines, 2012
IN REVIEW: Eugene Onegin
Des Moines Metro Opera celebrated its ruby anniversary with a three-opera season that gathered a beloved Mozart dramma giocoso, the company’s intitial foray into Russian repertoire and an achingly romantic confection by Puccini… Director Kristine McIntyre ably explored the psyches of her Pushkin-inspired characters. Neely was again the sensitive conductor… The Onegin environment by R. Keith Brumley was creatively augmented by Barry Steele’s projections, through which a cloudy night sky began to display the actual text of Tatiana’s letter as she feverishly composed it… The enviable success of the season — entirely planned by artistic director Michael Egel, who succeeded company founder Robert Larsen in 2011 — and the happy news of David Neely’s appointment as DMMO’s first-ever music director, as of September 2012, portend some exciting operatic growth at Des Moines in years to come.
Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News
OF MICE AND MEN, SALT LAKE CITY, 2012
IN REVIEW: Of Mice and Men, Utah Opera
Utah Opera closed its current season with Floyd's vivid adaptation (seen May 5) in a searing performance that was an artistic triumph for this company. Director Kristine McIntyre's canny ability to meld visual and musical elements seamlessly allowed Floyd's score and libretto full voice and clearly communicated the work's central theme — that personal relationship, however tenuous, is far superior to solitary existence... Minimalist set pieces, dominated by a tapered boardwalk stretching toward the horizon, were designed by Vicki Davis. Susan Memmott-Allred's Depression-era costumes and Nicholas Cavallaro's lighting contributed to one of most completely satisfying Utah Opera productions in memory.
Robert Coleman, Opera News
Utah Opera's Of Mice and Men is Gripping Theater
Utah Opera’s production of the Carlisle Floyd opera, which opened Saturday at the Capitol Theatre, is a gripping evening of theater. From the singers portraying the iconic George Milton and Lennie Small to the adorable shelter pup who plays Lennie’s ill-fated dog, every aspect of this staging is top-notch... Kristine McIntyre’s stage direction is another key ingredient in the success of this production. There is nary a wasted movement or gesture all night.
Catherine Reese Newton, The Salt Lake Tribune
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cosi fan tutte, kansas city, 2011
A Little Old Work Fills a Big New Space
The company's first season in its new home began with Puccini's lavish Turandot. The production was intended to make it clear that grand opera can stand up to even the grandest architecture. But the company wanted to follow up with something more intimate, to show its range and prove that smaller works needn't vanish in the imposing center. The Lyric Opera has little to worry about on that front. In Kristine McIntyre's breezy production, which I saw at the final performance of its run on Sunday afternoon, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte never seemed dwarfed by its surroundings... The production has updated the action to a swank seaside resort during the Roaring Twenties: airy blue skies, boardwalk, period deck chairs and slinky beaded gowns. It was simple and effective, much like the theater's interior, with its straightforward lines and attractive blond wood.
Zachary Woolfe, The New York Times
Lyric Opera's Cosi fan tutte Mixes Hijinks, High C's
On the surface, the plot of Mozart's late opera Cosi fan tutte seems almost like a sitcom, yet as the new production by the Lyric Opera of Kansas City shows, there's no reason to let a little fun get in the way of some of the most elegant music this side of creation. The near-sellout audience Saturday night at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts did just that, enjoying a splendid evening of hijinks and high C's. I've always thought that Cosi was one of the more difficult operas to stage, but Kristine McIntyre's stylish direction made it seem easy... The first act seethed with clever staging, crisp gestures and comical twists, leaving the audience guessing what would happen next.
Timothy McDonald, The Kansas City Star
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the mikado, portland, 2010
The Mikado Dismisses your Preconceived Notions
Forget every preconceived notion you have of Titipu, the Japanese setting for The Mikado, and dive into this one. The fresh, quirky, colorful version by Mock's Crest Productions at University of Portland spills forth a veritable piñata of visual ideas, thanks to a new concept by director Kristine McIntyre, with help from set designer Lawrence Larsen and costumer Darrin Pufall. Victorian England's been left behind in the dust: McIntyre instead gives us a peek at what might be the West's influence on Japan. It's a wild mix, with several bows to The Wizard of Oz, Walt Disney and the modern technology of cell phones that both sides of the planet know too well. The Japanese have a fondness for Van Gogh, and Larsen's set is steeped in the bright colors of the Post-Impressionists. Here, Titipu is a seaside town, with bubble tea and ice cream for sale, a modern sushi bar (where Katisha, played to perfection by Mock's Crest regular Alexis Hamilton, tosses down saki with the bartender as she croons "Alone, and yet alive") and a shop selling inflatable beach toys. Touches of Art Nouveau decorate the buildings, and when red streamers, hoops and confetti fill the town in the final scene, all that's missing are Chinese fireworks. East meets West, blending fantasy and familiarity.
Holly Johnson, The Oregonian
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cenerentola, washington d.c., 2010
WCO Has a Ball with Cenerentola
The acting was so good and the directing so sophisticated that the absence of sets and costumes was never really missed in the Washington Concert Opera's semi-staged production of Rossini's La Cenerentola at Lisner Auditorium on Sunday... This reworking of the Cinderella story combines all the elements that Rossini delighted in and crafted so devastatingly and that this production projected so vividly -- humor and pathos, buffoonery and elegance, and reality clothed in fairy tale. It needs singers, seven of them, who can act and actors whose comfortable idiom is coloratura. It needs balance and a commitment to ensemble, and, most of all, it needs a sense of comic timing. All of this was there in abundance on Sunday, and, along with Walker and his forces, credit must go to stage director Kristine McIntyre.
Joan Reinthaler, The Washington Post
Washington Concert Opera's Cenerentola Sparkles
The Washington Concert Opera concluded its brief but always interesting 2009-2010 season last Sunday with a smashing, semi-staged version of Gioacchino Rossini’s classic La Cenerentola (Cinderella) at Lisner Auditorium... Nonetheless, things did turn out happily ever after in the end. And it was an inspired decision to have the singers act out their parts rather than read music from their music stands as is usually the case in concert opera. Clearly, all the singers were familiar with the roles. Freeing them to actually get into their roles—under the imaginative direction of Kristine McIntyre—really made this production pop.
Terry Ponick, The Washington Times
un giorno di regno, washington d.c., 2008
Washington Post Top 10 Classical Music events of 2008: Wolf Trap Opera fields a great young ensemble in Verdi’s early comedy King for a Day.
IN REVIEW: Un Giorno di Regno, Lyric Wolf Trap Opera
Witnessing a committed, dynamic performance of Un Giorno di Regno is the easiest way to cure the habit of dismissing this comic opera as inferior Verdi... Wolf Trap Opera did its best to erase the past with an entertaining production that, quite persuasively, advanced the action to 1950s Paris, neatly evoked by Erhard Rom's set (with a huge portrait of Verdi on one wall adding a wry link to the piece's origins) and Carol Bailey's chic costumes, not to mention a Vespa that spiced up the finale. The June 17 performance in the Barns of Wolf Trap found the young cast fully engaged, as much in the music as in the antics, directed with cleverness and unforced humor by Kristine McIntyre.
Tim Smith, Opera News
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john brown, kansas city, 2008
John Brown, Hero: Lyric's New Opera is Hit at Opening Performance
At several points during composer Kirke Mechem's 20-year struggle to put the story of John Brown on the opera stage, he must have despaired of its chances of ever becoming a reality. But it is very real, and Saturday's world premiere of John Brown by the Lyric Opera of Kansas City was the sort of magical success that composers and musicians dream of. With unabashedly lush solo and choral writing, a shimmering orchestral backdrop and a raw-nerved story of continued relevance, this opera is a natural almost from start to finish... Kristine McIntyre's stage direction was deft and natural.
Paul Horsley, The Kansas City Star
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flight, pittsburgh, 2008
THEATER REVIEW: Flight, Pittsburgh Opera Center
The splendid set, designed for this theater by Carol Bailey, gives the audience a feeling of actually being inside a real airport terminal, where the story takes place... The ultimate effect, as staged by Kristine McIntyre with the strong musical direction of James Lowe, is that of, say, a well-oiled off-Broadway show... There's not a weak link in this production. It's by far the best thing the Opera Center has done: an evening of total theater not to be missed.
Robert Croan, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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