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February 23rd, 2018 – 7:30 PM
February 24th, 2018- 7:30 PM
February 25th, 2018- 3:00 PM
Tri-Cities Opera Center
Savoca Hibbitt Hall
315 Clinton Street
Binghamton, NY 13905
An intimate portrait of Maria Callas’ Juilliard master classes by Terrence McNally. TCO alum (and Callas master class participant) Cynthia Clarey returns to direct former TCO Resident Artist Andréa Gregori and a cast of TCO singers
Maria Callas is teaching a master class in front of an audience (us). She’s glamorous, commanding, larger than life—and drop-dead funny. An accompanist sits at the piano. Callas’ first “victim” is Sophie, a ridiculous, overly-perky soprano, dressed all in pink. Sophie chooses to sing one of the most difficult arias, the sleepwalking scene from La Sonnambula—an aria that Callas made famous. Before the girl sings a note, Callas stops her—she clearly can’t stand hearing music massacred. And now what has started out as a class has become a platform for Callas. She glories in her own career, dabbles in opera dish and flat-out seduces the audience. Callas gets on her knees and acts the entire aria in dumb show, eventually reducing the poor singer to tears. But with that there are plenty of laughs going on, especially between Callas and the audience. Callas pulls back and gives Sophie a chance to use what she’s learned. As soon as Sophie starts singing, though, Callas mentally leaves the room and goes into a sprawling interior monologue about her own performance of that aria and the thunderous applause she received at La Scala. Callas wakes up and sends Sophie off with a pat. The next two sessions repeat the same dynamic, only the middle session is with a tenor who moves Callas to tears. She again enters her memories, and we learn about Callas’ affair with Aristotle Onassis; an abortion she was forced to have; her first elderly husband whom she left; her early days as an ugly duckling; the fierce hatred of her rivals; and the unforgiving press that savaged her at first. Finally, we meet Sharon, another soprano, who arrives in a full ball gown. With Sharon singing, Callas is genuinely moved, for the young singer has talent, but Callas tells her to stick to flimsy roles. Sharon is devastated and spits back every nasty thing you’ve ever heard about Callas: She’s old, washed up; she ruined her voice too early in her career; she only wants people to worship her, etc. Sharon rushes out of the hall, and Callas brings the class to a close with a beautiful speech about the sacrifices we must make in the name of art.
Courtesy of Dramatist Play Service Inc.
315 Clinton Street
Binghamton, New York 13905
Phone: (607) 729-3444
Box Office: (607) 772-0400
We recognize the indigenous peoples whose land Tri-Cities Opera’s facilities were built on. This land has been sustainably stewarded throughout generations by Haudenosaunee and Algonkian speaking peoples. We honor and respect the enduring relationship that exists between these peoples and nations and this land.
Tri-Cities Opera is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Productions are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. General Operating Support is provided to Tri-Cities Opera by grants from the Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation, the United Cultural Fund of the Broome County Arts Council, and the Community Foundation for South Central New York.
