Minnesota Fringe Festival 2010

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Trouble in Tahiti on 3-Minute Egg! Our segment starts at the 1:45 mark...





Stage Director Bob Neu talks about the production, spliced with footage from rehearsal:




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Opera Returns to the Fringe!

Dead Composers Society, producer of 2009's sold-out Fringe hit Two Short Operas: Mr. Berman's Bath-Size Bar and There's a Mastodon In My Backyard (named a "Must-See Show" by the Pioneer Press), returns to present another opera to defy audiences' expectations of the medium. Leonard Berstein's one-act Trouble in Tahiti will appeal to opera lovers and newcomers alike. Sung in English, it combines elements of traditional opera, Broadway, and jazz. Though the setting is 1950's suburbia, the plot is well-known: a married couple who have fallen out of love and are struggling just to hang on.

Dead Composers Society was founded in 2008 to provide young classical singers with opportunities for performing and growth. Most recently, the company teamed up with performance initiative Mixed Precipitation to present Tonya & Nancy: The Opera.

The ensemble cast includes Meredith Cain-Nielsen, Paul Coate, Ben Henry-Moreland, Jake LaSota, and Leah Reddy.

Stage director Robert Neu returns to Dead Composers Society after directing last year's acclaimed production of Two Short Operas. Neu has also directed productions for Skylark Opera, the Phipps Center, St. Cloud’s Paramount Theater, New Breath Productions, and the Minnesota Orchestra. He is also the Vice President and General Manager of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Music director Dr. Andrew Fleser has performed as a pianist throughout the United States and Europe. He is currently on faculty at McNally Smith College of Music.

Meredith Cain-Nielsen
Role: Dinah
Meredith Cain-Nielsen is a native of the Twin Cities. A graduate of the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, she has appeared with Opera Lucca, Inland Valley Opera, Center Stage Opera, Mixed Precipitation, Dead Composers Society, and Skylark Opera. Favorite roles include Tonya Harding in Tonya and Nancy: The Opera, Eurydice in Orpheus and Eurydice, and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. This summer she will also appear as Giulietta in Tales of Hoffman with Mixed Precipitation. She also regularly appears with the performance art group Pegasus Collective.

Ben Henry-Moreland
Role: Sam
Baritone Ben Henry-Moreland has performed extensively throughout the Twin Cities since graduating from St. Olaf College in 2007. He has performed solo and ensemble roles with the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Skylark Opera, University of Minnesota Opera Theatre, and Dead Composers Society. He is also an active church and early music singer, and will perform next season with Consortium Carissimi, Minnesota Bach Society, and Minnesota Opera.

Paul Coate
Role: Trio
Paul R. Coate has performed locally with Theater Latte Da, Skylark Opera, Classical Actors Ensemble, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, The Strange Capers, Bloomington Civic Theatre, NEO Cabaret, and the Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company. Regional credits include Opera Omaha, Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Nebraska Repertory Theatre, Highland Summer Theatre, and the Paul Bunyan Playhouse. Upcoming projects include Migaldi in Evita with Theater Latte Da and Monostatos in The Magic Flute (his Minnesota Orchestra debut). Love to Kat, Gena, and TJ. www.paulrcoate.com

Jake LaSota
Role: Trio
Jake LaSota has performed with the Minnesota Opera, the Rochester Aria Group, La Musica Lirica and the University of Minnesota Opera Theater. He is a member of La Bonne Chanson and the Minnesota Chorale, and is the baritone section leader at Central Presbyterian Church in downtown St. Paul. Jake previously appeared as Jeff Gillooly in the Dead Composers Society's production of Tonya & Nancy: the Opera.

Leah Reddy
Role: Trio
Leah Reddy has appeared with Skylark Opera in The Desert Song, Don Pasquale, Our Town, Naughty Marietta, The Student Prince and Iolanthe. She has performed locally with the Dead Composers Society, The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, Heritage Theatre Company, New Breath Productions and Morris Park Players. Leah has also sung with the Amadeus Opera Ensemble, Indiana University Opera Theater and UW-Milwaukee Opera Theater. Favorite roles include Adele in Die Fledermaus, Despina in Cosi fan tutte, Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Cordelia Benedict in There's a Mastodon in my Backyard and Nancy Kerrigan in Tonya and Nancy: The Opera.

Robert Neu
Role: Director
Robert Neu is delighted to be collaborating for a second time with Dead Composers Society. His productions have been seen in Cincinnati (The Music Man, The Magic Flute, Peer Gynt and Cosi fan Tutte), Virginia (Romeo and Juliet), New York (Romeo and Juliet) and West Virginia (La Boheme). For the Minnesota Orchestra, he has directed productions of Candide, Fidelio, Tosca (starring Deborah Voigt), Carmen, La Boheme, Peer Gynt (for which he also co-wrote the adaptation), Bernstein’s Mass, Hansel and Gretel, and La Traviata. In the Twin Cities area, he has directed Oliver for New Breath Productions, The Sound of Music for the Phipps Center for the Arts, Fiddler on the Roof for St. Cloud’s Paramount Theatre, The Sound of Music and Oliver for Lyric Arts, and The Merry Widow, Don Pasquale and Naughty Marietta for Skylark Opera. Neu teaches masterclasses in audition techniques for the University of Minnesota’s opera department.

Upcoming productions include The Magic Flute for the Minnesota Orchestra, and Almost, Maine for Lyric Arts.

Neu is a graduate of The Juilliard School.

Andrew Fleser
Role: Music Director/Accompanist
ANDREW FLESER, pianist and vocal coach, has performed as a soloist and accompanist throughout the United States and Europe. He has worked with the Dead Composers Society on many occasions, including last year’s Fringe hit Two Short Operas. Dedicated to the art of the interpretation of vocal music, Andrew is an avid opera and musical theatre coach, and performs in numerous vocal recitals each year. Upcoming productions include History Theatre’s production The Christmas Schooner this December. He currently teaches keyboard studies, music theory, and musical theatre at McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul; in addition, he is the Music Director of Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Andrew is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Collaborative Piano.

Erik Pearson
Role: Choreographer

Katherine Clanton
Role: Stage Manager
Katherine Clanton is currently a student at the University of Minnesota studying Theatre Arts. She works in prop shop as a prop artisan and a prop master. She has worked with Live Action Set, Skylark Opera, and Berkshire Theater Festival, and this summer is also working on the Minnesota Orchestra's production of Tosca. This fall, she looks forward to being the Co-Exective Director for the Xperimental Theatre, the student theatre company based in Rarig Center at the U of M.

User reviews

skilfully dark and uplifting
by Jean Sramek Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Kudos for pulling off a buffed-and-polished *opera* (gasp) at the Fringe. Creative staging and stellar talent, plus the guts to do a lesser-known, non-crowd-pleaser = yay.

Give me a T...A...H...I...T...I...
by ADAM KING Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A TA plus a HIT and I loved it! A talented cast takes the audience on a tour of Suburbia, and the time flew by. The Dead Composers Society follows up last year's winner with another Fringe hit! Congrats to all!

Bravo
by Marvin Joel Rubin Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Well sung, acted and directed.

When Meredith Cain-Nielsen would soar to the high notes, it was beautiful. Her singing was so good, I was weepy.

"West Side Story" is like a hobby of mine. I was listening for patterns that sounded like WSS.

I thought the newspaper reviews were misleading. The subject is dark, but the production wasn't depressing.

I did think about the movie "Revolutionary Road" with DeCaprio and Winslett, which had similar material. The opera stars are our Leonardo and Kate.

I can't believe I saw this at the Fringe
by Jennifer Walker Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
It was an absolute privilege to watch these incredible performers, especially for the low price of a Fringe ticket. While the material is admittedly not what you would call "uplifting", the level of talent and skill in the Rarig Thrust during this performance is something everyone should see. Thank you to the Dead Composers Society for being here!

Bernstein at the Fringe!
by Florence Brammer Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
How wonderful to get to see a production of this rarely-seen material. Everything was top-notch: the performances, the choreography, the staging, the costumes, the props. A big treat for the eyes as well as the ears: this production looks great on Rarig's Thrust stage.

Fabulous Fringe
by Tara Laberge Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Loved this peice! Wonderfully nuanced performances by the two leads coupled with the sublime trio make this a real treat. Well directed, well played, well sung...this is fabulous fringe!

Thoroughly Enjoyable
by Paul Mattes Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This is a solid production throughout, with some flashes of brilliance. Ben's performance is outstanding, both in vocal and acting quality. The staging of Trouble in Tahiti (the song) is especially clever.

Nice Niche
by Jim Beggs Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A bit unusual, but spot on if you like jazz, Bernstein, opera and spirited performances from top quality singers. A rare treat. Tight choreography and music. Fram, Fram!

Bravi
by Josiah Gulden Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I was privileged to be in the audience for Monday night's performance. Meredith Cain-Nelson was in superb voice and brought a pensive honesty to the role of Dinah in addition to her shimmering mezzo-soprano. Moreland's stilted acting lent an extra degree of believability to the "straight man" character of Sam. The trio was excellent, but the Paul Coate's superb comic physicality stood out especially. Bob Neu's direction made effective and intelligent use of the thrust stage, and Erik Pearson's choreography was neither indulgent nor too subtle. Kudos to all on an engaging and perfectly paced show.

Island Magic
by Dave Romm Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Like last year's June of Arc, Trouble In Tahiti is set in post-WWII American suburbia and deals with a man wrapped up in making a buck and a woman trapped in a marriage in which she doesn't feel loved. The 45-minute show, written by Leonard Bernstein in 1952, is an operetta, using jazz riffs with traditional opera phrasing, where almost all the dialog is sung. The singers are marvelous and the the cast makes good use of the Thrust stage. You may not see yourself in either of the characters, but you will understand them, at least a little. While I can't say that this is for everyone, it worked for me. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Longer reviews with pictures at Baron Dave's LiveJournal and snarky comments on Facebook.

Wit and whimsy
by Teresa Mock Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Gorgeous voices! Very playful, fun and quirky choreography! It's not often you see opera singers having so much fun and moving so much, Including the gentlemen who can do press-ups and sing at the same time, what a feat! In general the stage and construction of the space as a whole was expertly and cleanly done. There was a lot of fun play with contrasts that I enjoyed. Also Meredith Cain-Neilson sung a gorgeous section about a fantasy garden. I always enjoy her work, and this went above and beyond for me. The production was full of wit and whimsy. It's clear this group of artists knows their craft.

Snappy and well-paced
by Maggie Lofboom Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This witty staging of Bernstein was as refreshing and effervescent as sparkling pink lemonade (or a good G&T- take your pick!)

Bob Neu's staging was delightfully wry, and the trio of Coate, Reddy and LaSota was razor-sharp; seemingly effortless singing (with great diction!) and hilarious comedy, all while deftly executing Pearson's sharp choreography.

Very satisfying and great fun. Congrats!!

Nicely Done
by David Trudeau Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
but not a compelling opera. Fifties themes of post war suburban materialism-happy days-psychoanalysis for existential angst -"Road to" movies - man in grey flannel suit - makes for droll humor and not much of a plot. Glad I saw it - interesting as part of the Bernstein cannon not often seen or heard. It must have turned heads in its day.

Great Show!
by Kyle Potter Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A great performance! While not typically a fan of opera, I thought that this was an accessible and fun show. Cain-Nielson and Henry-Moreland steal the show with their performances. I especially liked the title song. Watch out for that one!

Not for me
by amihan huesmann Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
First, let me say that I hate most musicals and operas, but I love Bernstein. I loved the silliness of this staging, and I loved the tight choreography---the movement was beautiful to watch.

But I found Cain-Nielsen's voice too loud, too "operatic", and often unintelligible. Maybe that was a feature of where I was sitting (center, row 3)---from the other reviews it sounds like other locations had different sound issues.

Still, if you like opera, and silliness (and who doesn't?), you'll probably love this.

Madmen, the opera
by Cris Ross Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
For people who might not go see an "opera show" at the fringe...sure, the dialogue is entirely sung except for a few lines, and the singing is beautiful and rich. Except for that, forget preconceptions about opera. It's crisply paced, both comic (the trouble in Tahiti scene is hilarious) and a dark and affecting domestic drama. All parts well cast and performed.

early bernstein, excellent show
by mark browning milner Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
this was written in 1952, with only "on the town" preceeding it as a major musical theatre work. it is charming, funny, sad, serious, winsome, sarcastic, and silly. lenny was nothing if not a populist as well as a first class contemporary american composer, and "tahiti" is his first stab at popular serious operatic music. this production has stellar singing and freshly brilliant staging. try not to miss this one if at all possible. (and my colleague is correct - the piano is sometimes too loud.)

Great as Expected
by Erica Mauter Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I didn't know anything about the original opera. I don't think you need to. The movement between the unhappy couple and the Greek chorus trio and wonderful singing and dancing to keep it interesting.

The pianist totally reminded me of the guy that plays the piano on Glee.

Also, sit on the opposite side of the theater from the piano. It's a little loud and it was a bit hard to hear the singers sitting so close to the piano.

Homage to Bernstein
by Frederik Grant Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Great artists are relevant in any era, and the cast (and very able director) of Trouble in Tahiti brought Bernstein's 1952 work solidly into 2010.
The powerful, clear voices and first rate acting of Meredith Cain-Nielsen and Ben Henry-Moreland as the unhappy couple - framed by the jazzy singing, snappy dancing, and satiric lyrics of the excellent chorus/trio - made this a standout performance.
Clever use of props too.
Let us hope that the Dead Composers Society has many more exciting productions ahead of them!

OUTSTANDING!!!!!! A MUST SEE!!!!!!!
by M. Spicker Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
What a delight to see Bernstein's rarely performed Trouble in Tahiti wonderfully executed by this outstanding group!

Seamless choreography, clear diction and voice, smooth juxtaposition of the trio with Dinah and Sam. Beautiful voices and fine acting.

Baritone Ben Henry-Moreland's Sam is believable and unreachable (beautiful lyric voice).

Mezzo Meredith Cain-Nielsen's "Garden" brought me to tears-fully capturing the pathos of Dinah's despair and hope.

Cain-Nielsen's "Island Scene" is BRILLIANT!!,
with nonstop movie frame background action by the outstanding cast.

Bravo and thank you Dead Composers Society.

M. Spicker

Go see it!
by Freya Zaheer Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A heart-wrenching story, beautifully executed. Meredith CN and Ben are fantastic in the roles of Dinah and Sam, and the trio provide much needed comic relief. The production is short and sweet - a perfect night.

Opera for the hip
by Peter Erickson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
If you're not an opera fan, relax. This contemporary urban opera by the great Leonard Bernstein was made to delight and entertain. The central story, the failing marriage of an alienated couple, is indeed "operatic," but Bernstein and director Bob Neu support the tragedy with a counterpoint of song and dance by a Trio of very cool and tightly choreographed entertainers. All are fine singers, but I especially enjoyed the vocal richness of Meredith Cain-Nielsen, playing the role of the disaffected housewife Dinah.

Expertise Defined
by Anthony Rydberg Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Everything about "Trouble in Tahiti" was a demonstration of a cast and crew working in their element. From the opening number to the final tableau, the show soars with beautiful voices, great ensemble work, engaging choreography, and an impressive range of emotions. Every scene is a gem, and the sum total is simply breathtaking. Highly recommended!

Great production of a beautiful opera
by William Beeman Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
It is astonishing how well Trouble in Tahiti stands up after fifty-plus years. This beautiful Bernstein work is often done at colleges and music schools, but the music and the book are so clever, it deserves to be a part of the regular opera repertoire. The set piece "What a Movie" is often done as a comic concert piece for soprano--and here it gets an over-the-top hilarious treatment that had the audience in stitches. But this comic juxtaposition is part of the brilliance of the piece, which finds melancholy poignancy in the desperate emptiness of American suburbia. The performers are vocally up to the task. Merideth Cain-Nielson and Ben Henry-Morel as Dinah and Sam are strong actors with lovely voices. Aside from "What a Movie," Ms. Cain-Nielson's lovely rendering of the beautiful "There is a Garden" is heart-wrenching. The goofy and bubbly jazz trio (Paul Coate, Jake LaSota and Leah Reddy) that serves as a counterpoint to the emptiness that haunts Sam and Dinah's life blend their voices beautifully, play numerous supporting roles and bounce around the stage like manic rubber balls. I have seen many productions of this piece, and found Robert Neu's direction imaginative, with beautifully choreographed stage movement. Don't miss this.

Enjoyed it very much!
by Melissa Rach Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Interesting score, well staged, well choreographed... fun to watch. Especially enjoyed the antics of the trio, who were all very well cast.