![]() Abilene dearly loves Edward, but Edward is unresponsive to her. He is dressed in dapper apparel specially tailored for him. Set in the United States during the 1930s, a somber woman named Pellegrina presents an elegant toy rabbit as a Christmas gift to her ten-year-old granddaughter Abilene, who names him Edward Tulane. The episodic story's theme is that a life without love is without value. Pulitzer Prize winning librettist Mark Campbell deftly transforms DiCamillo's inventive tale for opera. The imaginative costumes for a fairy tale told as a bedtime story within the opera are utterly amazing. A display rack holding an array of beautifully dressed and coifed dolls, singing out to customers in hopes that one will give them a home, takes the breath away. The deck of the Queen Mary making a fashionable 1930s-era ocean crossing, a crowd of depression-era drifters riding the rails in boxcars, and a bustling neon-lit diner are also impressively rendered. A scene set at the bottom of the ocean, complete with balletic marine life, drew applause from the audience before even a note was sung. ![]() The glory of Edward Tulane is the way it looks, with sets (by Walt Spangler), costumes (by Victoria Tzykun), and lighting (by Marcus Doshi) that truly dazzle the eye. ![]() Minnesota Opera has launched its Sixtieth Anniversary season with the long-waited (due to cancellation of its imminent opening when the COVID-19 shutdown took hold) world premiere of Edward Tulane, an eye-popping rendition of the Kate DiCamillo's utterly charming novel for children, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane." As is the case in many popular works of children's literature, the story is meant to be accessible to youngsters, but its whimsy, elaborate narrative, and over-riding message, can warm the hearts of readers–or, as transformed into opera, audiences of all ages. Review by Arthur Dorman | Season Schedule (updated)Īlso see Arty's recent reviews of Five Minutes of Heaven and Buddy - The Buddy Holly StoryĮlise Quagliata, Zulimar Lopez-Hernandez, ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |