Pat Greene is Bungalower Media’s first sponsored Resident Reporter. Greene has joined our team as our Arts and Culture Correspondent for the next quarter, supported by the efforts of Interstruct Design + Build, an award-winning Orlando-based design and build firm.
A year ago, I attended Opera Orlando’s (Website) Tosca. Opera was one of the few art forms I had not immersed myself in but after the show, I was an instant convert.
I realized quickly though that whenever I shared my excitement about opera with a friend, I was often greeted with indifference and wasn’t taken very seriously. But I am convinced that if anyone who thinks they aren’t interested in opera attends a performance, they will become converts, too.
A few years ago, I lived across the street from Opera Orlando’s Education Director, Sarah Purser (Website). She is also an opera singer. She used to have parties where it seemed like every room had someone singing. I loved these parties, and this experience piqued my interest in opera. For some reason, I waited a few years before starting to attend. I hope that you don’t wait.
The first thing that struck me while watching Tosca was Grant Preisser’s (Grant) brilliant stage design.
Grant’s undergraduate degree was in music, with an emphasis on voice. He studied Interior Design in graduate school and worked as an interior designer and opera administrator. He is currently the artistic director of Opera Orlando.
His name rarely comes up when discussing art in the area, but I think he should be talked about. I am very interested in installation art, set design, and architecture. Grant’s work encompasses all of these elements. The designs often had functions. Some had doors within the works, so it looked like performers were walking in and out of the artwork.
Grant said his background in opera and his interest in design came together. He cites influences like Frank Lloyd Wright, Norman Foster, and Franco Zeffirelli. Grant’s designs should influence others, just like them. They are the works of someone who incorporates excellent design and storytelling.
I would love to see his work used in a public art context. In Tosca, he used giant Renaissance paintings as backdrops and walls. The size and use of the work gave the artwork context to the story and gave the paintings a new context. I strongly recommend the upcoming Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth (Website) with just two performances on October 25 and 27.
Opera and Shakespeare are two examples of how bad and reckless behavior are not new and will continue.
As a teenager, I took a road trip from Pittsburgh with my father. He always took the backroads. My father was an amateur historian who told entertaining stories as we passed through each town. He seemed to know the history of every place that we went through.
He started talking about great literature, including Shakespeare. He said none of this should be intimidating. It should be for the people. He said that everything considered to be highbrow needs to be demystified. He continued on to tell me the story of Othello, telling me as if he were one of the characters. He told the story in a way that it felt like it had just happened. Later, I took a Shakespeare class at Rollins. My father gave me a huge advantage. I not only read the plays, but I also read critical studies and watched every adaptation I could find.
My father made me realize that much of what seems challenging should not be considered a barrier. If you take a little time, you can find something new to get excited about and gain an understanding of something that you had viewed as out of reach.
This is how I feel about opera. Opera Orlando has incredibly talented members. Going to see one of their performances is such a beautiful experience. Read the subtitles. If you don’t know the story of Macbeth, read the play or at least read the synopsis online. Watch previous adaptations. Even if you lack an attention span, you might be surprised by the action and the beauty.
One resource I have used to learn more about opera is WNYC’s Aria Code. The episodes feature notable Arias from famous operas, including Verdi’s Macbeth.
Opera Orlando will perform Macbeth on Friday, October 25th, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, October 27th, at 2 PM. Both performances will be at Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips.