Main Street Nashville
NASHVILLE WEATHER
physicians-mutual-dental-insurance-banners

Nashville Opera to bring talent, laughs to Ascend in big return





Grammy nominee and highly praised mezzo soprano Emily Fons is set to star in the title role in

Grammy nominee and highly praised mezzo soprano Emily Fons is set to star in the title role in “Cinderella” in June.Photo by Dario Acosta, courtesy of Nashville Opera

Voices will soon bellow from Ascend Amphitheater with belly laughs to follow.

On June 12, the Nashville Opera will perform Rossini’s dramma giocoso “Cinderella” live in the open air at Ascend Amphitheater on Nashville’s riverfront, where artists will enact a timeless tale with a bizarre and humorous twist.

Grammy-nominated mezzo soprano Emily Fons, hailed by Opera News as one of the best singing actresses of her generation, will star in the production’s title role.

Together with Nashville Opera CEO and Artistic Director John Hoomes, Fons will bring a much-needed lighthearted work to the Cumberland via the uncommon, but undoubtedly intriguing, stylistic combination of Rossini’s music and the madcap beach party movies of the 1960s.

“I think people need some escapism now, something light and funny, and that’s what this is,” Hoomes said. “It’s a big family show.”

Hoomes expanded on the inspiration behind the pairing, drawing from the mind of “Merrie Melodies” of all things in opting for the timeless comedic Rossini piece.

John Hoomes is Nashville Opera’s CEO and artistic director.Courtesy / Nashville Opera

John Hoomes is Nashville Opera’s CEO and artistic director.Courtesy / Nashville Opera

“I’m a huge fan of Bugs Bunny and those cartoons,” Hoomes said. “A lot of people, myself included, that was our first exposure to opera, either ‘What’s Opera, Doc?’ or the ‘Rabbit of Seville.’ “

In Hoomes’ humorous reimagining, the prince’s castle has been eschewed for a yacht club.

“Usually it’s told with castles and ballgowns and things, but we’re going to be outdoors at an amphitheater, and I’ve always liked the colorful nature and the kind of silliness of these early ‘60s beach party movies,” Hoomes said. “And so we thought, ‘Why don’t we try to merge these together since we’re going to be outdoors?’ The show itself is a comedy, but I think we’re going to make (it) a little more so just with our setting. I think it could be a lot of fun.”

While Rossini’s interpretation of the tale also eliminates many of the fantastical elements of the story, there will be plenty of good-natured gags for the audience to enjoy, Hoomes said.

Ascend Amphitheater is set to host the Nashville Opera’s return to the stage with “Cinderella” in June.Courtesy / Nashville Opera

Ascend Amphitheater is set to host the Nashville Opera’s return to the stage with “Cinderella” in June.Courtesy / Nashville Opera

The performance, which includes the 32-player Nashville Opera Orchestra, will be the Nashville’s Opera’s first-ever large-scale outdoor endeavor, its first show at Ascend and its first in-person show in over a year.

“It’s a big experiment for everybody,” said Hoomes, noting the only thing that will stop the performance is a storm. “It’s coming together really well, and I’m excited about it.”

Tickets range from $26 to $104 and will be available for purchase through Ticketmaster beginning April 30.

According to a release from the opera, leadership has worked with a Vanderbilt University Medical Center advisory team in planning Nashville Opera’s comeback.

The initial performance will be to a socially distanced audience at 22% venue capacity, approximately 1,500 patrons.

Additionally, the production has been edited to run as a 90-minute performance with no intermission. Masks will be required.

The Nashville Opera is set to soon roll out a 16-foot traveling stage, which it will use all over Middle Tennessee to perform on street corners, nursing homes and more on a pop-up basis.Courtesy / Nashville Opera

The Nashville Opera is set to soon roll out a 16-foot traveling stage, which it will use all over Middle Tennessee to perform on street corners, nursing homes and more on a pop-up basis.Courtesy / Nashville Opera

It won’t be the first time the opera has dealt with COVID-19 pandemic-induced changes, as it closed down a little over a year ago and was forced to cancel or postpone a slew of performances, including a January performance of “Cinderella.”

In the downtime, Hoomes and company have found ways to engage with the world via streaming.

“We really pushed ourselves to remain active during this period,” Hoomes said. “Once the door is open to the video and the streaming, I don’t think you can shut the door again. I don’t know if I want to shut the door again. This may become a part of a lot of the things we do from now on.”

In a fine example of innovation, Hoomes and company created a children’s production of “Three Little Pigs” featuring four singers all over the country who filmed entirely via Zoom with green screens.

“We mailed everybody a green screen and some lighting equipment, costumes and props, and wherever they were, they filmed their part,” Hoomes said. “I directed the show by Zoom. Then, when it came to the singers, we made individual music tracks with a click track.

 

 

“These people have never met to this day, but they all appear on the same screen together. It was a grand experiment, we had never done anything like this, but I felt it was important that we stayed as viable, alive, as possible.”

That superimposed production has since reached 24,000 students.

Additionally, performers filmed a more adult-oriented opera movie, “One Vote One,” focused on the right to vote for women and minorities.

The Nashville Opera is also set to soon roll out a 16-foot traveling stage, which it will use all over Middle Tennessee utilizing its light and sound system to perform on street corners, nursing homes and more on a pop-up basis.

“It’s a chance for us to get music and art out into the community,” Hoomes said.

Donations, along with Paycheck Protection Program funds and, with any luck, Shuttered Venue Operators Grant funds, have helped the opera avoid furloughing its 12 full-time employees.

“The opera right now, I’m proud to say, is standing pretty strong right now,” Hoomes said. “With a not-for-profit that could change in a heartbeat, but we’ve come through this pretty solid.”

Visit nashvilleopera.org/cinderella for more information.

Leave a Reply