April 6th, 2006

  PERFORMANCES Whether it’s the spectacular staging of a grand opera triumphal march or the beauty of a painting, art of any kind is enormously multifaceted. Opera is a huge experience with soloists, choruses, dancers, staging, scenery, and elaborate costumes. A painting is simply color on a flat surface. They may appear to be different in form, but they are more the same than we expect—especially when you consider that the aesthetic effects available in both opera and a painting include variation, juxtaposition, repetition, symmetry, perceived mass, subliminal structure, linear dynamics, tension and repose, pattern, contrast, perspective, three dimensionality, movement, rhythm, u-nity, and pro- portion. No small wonder we are thrilled.

  Orange County’s Opera Pacific, led by John DeMain as artistic director, presents its first production in ten years of Verdi’s Aïda at Segerstrom Hall on April 18, 20, 22, and 23. One of the most popular of all operas, Aïda combines the spectacular and exotic features of grand opera with the orchestral virtuosity of Verdi’s style. Pageants and scenes of great public forums are juxtaposed with vivid portrayals of personal relationships. Angela Brown, a new and major discovery on the operatic circuit, will sing the title role. The Associated Press said, “She combines a potent, dusky lower register with a striking ability to spin out soft high notes of shimmering beauty.” “A singer of this great talent only comes along once in a generation,” ballyhooed another music critic.
  Maestro DeMain claims Brown is the premier Aïda in the world now. “She takes your breath away,” he rhapsodizes. “This opera satisfies everyone from the man on the street to the music snob. It defies criticism with its great music. It takes Olympians to sing Aïda. This opera has big, spectacular scenery, a full ballet, and all of the ingredients of a terrific love story. It is incredible pageant. Verdi wrote this colossal piece in four months. He knew what he wanted to do. Even though the opera is set in Egypt, it’s an Italian opera. It has an overwhelming emotional power. The climax of the triumphal scene is breathtaking–––as great a moment in the theater as you will experience. It brings you out of your seat because it’s so exciting,” he proclaims.PROFILES Last November, Suzanne and James R. Mellor pledged $5 million to The Laguna Playhouse, and a capital campaign is now being planned for expansion of the theatre’s facilities. Today more than 100,000 theatergoers yearly attend performances at the Laguna Playhouse. It is considered one of Southern California’s most important nonprofit theatre companies. Over its 86 years of continuous operation, the Playhouse has produced award-winning plays, West Coast premieres, and an assortment of U.S. premieres.
Richard Stein, executive director, has spent the past 16 years guiding the Playhouse. He has an extensive background as a director at the Guthrie Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, and Yale Repertory Theatre. “I’m tempted to say that if there was ever a time when theatre was critical to our lives, it’s now because technology has turned most forms of entertainment into isolating experiences. I think humans have a visceral need to engage in shared collective experiences. There is just nothing like sitting in the same room as skilled storytellers ply their craft, and that’s what theatre offers us.”
For Stein it is the eclectic programming at Laguna Playhouse that gives him pride in the company. “We produce such a wide spectrum of theatre that our audience has come to expect the unexpected and to revel in the variety of unusual works. We occasionally joke a-bout giving our audiences ‘whiplash,’ but there are not many theatres like ours where the mainstream and the iconoclastic share the bill, so our theatergoers have wholeheartedly embraced the adventure of it all. And, with a true sense of humor about what he wants the audience members to experience from a performance, he muses, “Hopefully not a fellow theatergoer opening a noisy candy wrapper or people talking through the performance like they’re sitting in front of the tube! Cell phones have become a real bane in theatres everywhere. That being said, it’s all about engagement–––unlike television or film, theatre is not a passive activity.”
Stein discusses drama and comedy and the differences and similarities. “The old saying is that comedy equals tragedy plus time. Simplistic but insightful, don’t you think?” What makes a good actor/actress? “For the stage, remembering lines, moving gracefully and effortlessly, and filling the room with your voice are essential ingredients. Unfortunately, these days they are harder to find among actors whose only training and experience has been for film and television.” What should the theatergoer look for in the actor’s performance? “Absorb the totality of the performance, how fully and seamlessly the actor inhabits the role, fulfilling the demands of a two-hour play.” What makes a good play? “For me, it’s a great story, compelling characters, and plenty of surprises.”POSTINGS With a mission to improve understanding and communication between China and the United States, the Contemporary Chinese Fine Art in Laguna Beach has created the “Passport to China Scholarship.” Two Laguna College of Art & Design students, Caroline Peters and Nicholas Enevoldsen, will spend 10 days at the Central Academy’s Art Department in Beijing as well as visit Chinese artists in their homes and studios.
One of the most critically acclaimed Chinese masters of contemporary realism working today, painter Zhao Kailin, is represented exclusively by the Contemporary Chinese Fine Art. His work reflects his admiration for Rembrandt, Carravagio, John Singer Sargent, and Andrew Wyeth. Zhao’s paintings are highly representative, with a hyper-realistic technique involving painstakingly detailed brushwork.
California attracts plein air painters because the light in this area is so identifiable. Artist members of The Southern California Plein Air Painters Association (SOCPAPA) will present “Painting the California Landscape,” an art exhibition in the Mission San Juan Capistrano Barracks Gallery, April 22 to July 24.
On view currently at the Anaheim Museum Inc., through April 22, is a fashion show of a rare kind. California Style, The Golden State’s Fashion Heritage comes from the Collection of Theodore Theodosus Gonzales. Both his mother and paternal grandmother were collectors in their own right. It’s a small wonder Ted grew up understanding the importance of history and heritage. Gonzales has been assembling classic dresses, purses, jewelry, and other accessories for decades. He believes historical clothing provides concrete links to the politics and trends that have shaped California culture.
The world-class Laguna Beach Chamber Music Festival brings together internationally renowned musicians and gifted young musicians in a week-long intimate teaching environment, which concludes with three inspired weekend concerts, April 24 to 30. The festival is a collaboration of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Laguna Beach Live!, and the Laguna Chamber Music Society. It is a blend of education, performances, and events throughout Laguna Beach. The public has the rare opportunity to observe these stars of tomorrow as they hone their musical technique and expression and to enjoy special performances.