Row 1 Kevin Thompson, Elliott Carlton
Hines, Babatunde Akinboboye
Row 2: John Holiday,
G Thomas Allen, Darryl Taylor
L to R: Elliott Carlton Hines, Kevin Thompson & Babatunde Akinboboye
L to R: Elliott Carlton Hines, Kevin Thompson & Babatunde Akinboboye
Bill Doggett writes:
Dateline, Santa Barbara, California, November 7th 2014,The Granada Theater
For
the second time in less than two weeks, Black men who sing opera have
made history on two opera stages in Southern California First, three
Countertenors in LA Opera's Barrie Kosky's production of Purcell's Dido
and Aeneas and now...a Bass and two Baritones in Opera Santa Barbara's
Season Opening production of Verdi's Rigoletto at Santa Barbara's
historic Granada Theater, Friday night, November 7th.
At Opera Santa Barbara's Season Opener, they are.... Bass, Kevin Thompson in the principal role of Sparafucile, Baritone, Eliiott Carlton Hines in the principal role of Monterone and Baritone, Babatunde
Akinboboye in the comprimario role of Usher. To my knowledge, this is
the first performance anywhere of Verdi’s Rigoletto in which three
African American men have been cast in leading roles.
Performed at Santa Barbara’s historic Granada Theater,
Thompson, Hines and Akinboboye vocally shined in their roles adding to an
exquisitely cast production of exceptionally gifted young singers who performed
in their Opera Santa Barbara debuts, the principal roles of Rigoletto [Evan
Brummel], Duke of Mantua [Cody Austin] and Gilda [Andrea Carroll] Making his Opera Santa Barbara conducting
debut, Christopher Allen, Associate Conductor of LA Opera provided a
beautifully hewn interpretation masterfully performed by The Opera Orchestra.
Kevin Thompson, who sang the principal role of Sparafucile
is a Bass of commanding presence with a Bass tessitura that is huge,booming and
clearly signals to Artistic Directors that he is an awesome choice as a future Fafner or Fasolt in Wagner’s Ring
Cycle. In his 2013 debut at Opera
Santa Barbara, Mr. Thompson sang the principal leading role of Ramfis, The King
in Verdi’s Aida to great acclaim,
Opera Santa
Barbara General Director, Steven Sharpe and Artistic
Director, Jose Maria Condemi must be applauded for the artistic
decisions to cast these exceptionally talented young singers. Having attended the 1997 and 2012 San
Francisco Opera productions of Rigoletto, last night I was frankly blown away
by the gorgeous world class singing of the Principals with particular applause
to Cody Austin’s fantastic premiere
performance as The Duke and Andrea Carroll’s ravishingly beautiful performance
as Gilda. Both singers were making
their debuts
Moreover, as one of the Founding Board of Directors of Los
Angeles Opera’s African Americans for LA Opera [AALAO] who served on the board
from 1994-1999, mirroring on stage
the social demographics of the larger community in which a Performing Arts
institution resides has long been a critical goal to usher forward new audience
development, as well as celebrating diversity in artistic merit of young and
emerging singers.. This end goal informed LA
Opera’s first General Director, Peter Hemmings and has blossomed under the leadership of
Placido Domingo at LA Opera
What is exceptional about the artistic choices at Opera
Santa Barbara is the decision to showcase diversity in casting as a matter of
progressive artistic vision.
Demographic mirroring to support the casting choices is not present in
Santa Barbara, making this exceptional and noteworthy.
Black Opera History is upon us….In October and November,
2014 at both LA Opera and Opera Santa
Barbara, six gifted Black men have and continue to make their mark in
celebrating artistic excellence as singers of exceptional promise. At Opera Santa Barbara Rigoletto: Kevin
Thompson, Elliott Carlton Hines and Babatunde Akinboboye, at LA Opera Dido and
Aeneas: John Holiday, Darryl Taylor and G Thomas Allen. Bravi Tutti
Bill Doggett: Strategic Marketing,Publicist consultant for
LA Opera production: Dido and Aeneas www.billldoggettproductions.com
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