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Divas and diversions backstage
  
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By Sonya Ellingboe
The setting for “The Second Tosca,” backstage at the California Opera (designed in mellow old brick, iron stairways, dressing table lights, with the usual fine attention to detail by Brian Mallgrave), brings up pre-conceived images of diva rivalries, overblown egos, assorted romantic involvements— and perhaps a ghost.
Orchestral music from operatic scores fills all the corners as the staff awaits the arrival of legendary diva Gloria Franklin, who is to perform the leading role.
Maestro Aaron Steiner (Erik Tieze), ambitious and overbearing, hopes she’ll be so late that his gifted fiancee Lisa Duvall (Diana Dresser) — the cover, or understudy— will need to sing the lead in rehearsal.
At this point Gloria Franklin (Nora Cole) rushes in with her little dog, Princess, followed by her young assistant Darcy, an aspiring singer (Emily Van Fleet) — just in time. She mistakes Lisa for her dresser and starts ordering her to go out for dog food, etc.
Also backstage is hunky stage manager Ben (Josh Robinson), who hates opera but takes an immediate a shine to Lisa— so maybe he’ll learn to appreciate. And Lisa’s manager, her gay brother Stephen (a bit overplayed by the excellent Brian Merz-Hutchinson) is around, focusing on her career, and men.
The final character in playwright Tom Rowan’s roster is immature Julliard music student Nathaniel Colby, who is fixated on Lisa, has written a song cycle for her, and has flown across the country to hear her sing the Saturday matinee performance of “Tosca.”
Actually, there is one more character. Lisa begins hearing voices— of earlier singers who have performed “Tosca” in this opera house. Enter the white satin-clad ghost of diva Angelina Rinucci (operatic mezzo soprano Jennifer deDominici ) who was on this stage 50 years ago, and died when she took Tosca’s final fatal leap (The backstage mattress moved).
Lisa can see and hear her, as can Gloria, who feuded with her during a previous appearance in this house. The older women cat fight, but also sympathetically counsel Lisa, who is nervous about this major role — is she ready?
Drama continues, verging on soap opera, as opening night draws near. Gloria and Aaron are in constant conflict. Lisa begins to wonder if Aaron really is such a fine match for her. And all ends well, eventually, after a few twists and turns.
This production would be appropriate for 12 and ups who are interested in theater and opera. It’s a really pleasing way to spend a couple of hours in an imaginary world.
Directed by the veteran Bev Madden-Newcomb, “The Second Tosca” is a light, clever, smoothly-run, fairly new work (New York 2007) by Tom Rowan, an opera-loving playwright who grew up in Colorado and now directs and writes in New York. While much of his career has been involved in the directing part of the theater spectrum, we’ll look forward to seeing additional well-crafted plays.
He is quoted as saying you don’t have to know about opera to enjoy this play, although opera buffs will probably discover added layers of meaning and perhaps share his respect for those exceptional singers.
If you go:
“The Second Tosca” by Tom Rowan plays through Nov. 22 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 1 p.m. Wednesdays. Tickets: 720-898-7200, www.arvadacenter.org.
Orchestral music from operatic scores fills all the corners as the staff awaits the arrival of legendary diva Gloria Franklin, who is to perform the leading role.
Maestro Aaron Steiner (Erik Tieze), ambitious and overbearing, hopes she’ll be so late that his gifted fiancee Lisa Duvall (Diana Dresser) — the cover, or understudy— will need to sing the lead in rehearsal.
At this point Gloria Franklin (Nora Cole) rushes in with her little dog, Princess, followed by her young assistant Darcy, an aspiring singer (Emily Van Fleet) — just in time. She mistakes Lisa for her dresser and starts ordering her to go out for dog food, etc.
Also backstage is hunky stage manager Ben (Josh Robinson), who hates opera but takes an immediate a shine to Lisa— so maybe he’ll learn to appreciate. And Lisa’s manager, her gay brother Stephen (a bit overplayed by the excellent Brian Merz-Hutchinson) is around, focusing on her career, and men.
The final character in playwright Tom Rowan’s roster is immature Julliard music student Nathaniel Colby, who is fixated on Lisa, has written a song cycle for her, and has flown across the country to hear her sing the Saturday matinee performance of “Tosca.”
Actually, there is one more character. Lisa begins hearing voices— of earlier singers who have performed “Tosca” in this opera house. Enter the white satin-clad ghost of diva Angelina Rinucci (operatic mezzo soprano Jennifer deDominici ) who was on this stage 50 years ago, and died when she took Tosca’s final fatal leap (The backstage mattress moved).
Lisa can see and hear her, as can Gloria, who feuded with her during a previous appearance in this house. The older women cat fight, but also sympathetically counsel Lisa, who is nervous about this major role — is she ready?
Drama continues, verging on soap opera, as opening night draws near. Gloria and Aaron are in constant conflict. Lisa begins to wonder if Aaron really is such a fine match for her. And all ends well, eventually, after a few twists and turns.
This production would be appropriate for 12 and ups who are interested in theater and opera. It’s a really pleasing way to spend a couple of hours in an imaginary world.
Directed by the veteran Bev Madden-Newcomb, “The Second Tosca” is a light, clever, smoothly-run, fairly new work (New York 2007) by Tom Rowan, an opera-loving playwright who grew up in Colorado and now directs and writes in New York. While much of his career has been involved in the directing part of the theater spectrum, we’ll look forward to seeing additional well-crafted plays.
He is quoted as saying you don’t have to know about opera to enjoy this play, although opera buffs will probably discover added layers of meaning and perhaps share his respect for those exceptional singers.
If you go:
“The Second Tosca” by Tom Rowan plays through Nov. 22 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 1 p.m. Wednesdays. Tickets: 720-898-7200, www.arvadacenter.org.
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