A New York Minute
I just got back to Vancouver after spending a week in New York, where I was singing some auditions and catching up with old friends. I hadn’t been to the city in about 18 months, and it’s changed a lot! When did Shake Shack become a huge chain? And when did the Strand start decorating for the Holidays in NOVEMBER?!
Two weeks ago I had a similar discussion with a colleague in Vancouver, after seeing the Vancouver Opera’s production of Stickboy. We both agreed that the shinning star of the show was the video animation. Stickboy is being adapted as a school tour, and I’m really excited to see how the VO maintains the video elements in the show.
So far the majority of operas that I’ve seen use video sets have been new operas, with a few Baroque production in the mix as well. I can’t wait for the “BIG” Verdi and Puccini shows to start getting video treatment as well.
Speaking of new opera, a colleague recently asked me which modern-day work of art I would adapt to Opera. I ended up coming up with this (sorry for the academic tone):
The Alcoholic
A New Opera by Jonathan Ames, Dean Haspiel, and Jonny Greenwood
Since being introduced to the work of American writer Jonathan Ames, I have been captivated by his unique method of portraying the lives of New Yorkers. Though he is perhaps best know for his HBO television series “Bored to Death”, I most admire Mr. Ames’ extensive collection of semi-fictitious autobiographies. In 2008 Mr. Ames collaborated with the American comic book artist Dean Haspiel to create his first graphic novel, “The Alcoholic”. While several of Mr. Ames’ works have been adapted to film, “The Alcoholic” has numerous characteristics that make it an ideal candidate for the adaptation to opera.
In 2011 I participated in City Opera Vancouver’s workshop of “Fallujah”, a new opera about the 2004 battle of Fallujah in the Iraq war. During the weeklong process of working on the opera I learned many important lessons about why some new operas succeed, while others ultimately fail to make an impression. Many of the plots to some of the world’s favorite operas are astoundingly simple. Furthermore, audiences want to experience the corruption of heroic characters and the redemption of flawed characters. Albert Herring is not an interesting opera because Albert spends his prize money on alcohol; rather, it catches our interest because the paragon of a community breaks all the rules!
“The Alcoholic”, which tells the story about Mr. Ames’ struggle with alcoholism, has many of the classic markers of great operatic heroes. Much like Pagliacci or Rigoletto, Ames struggles with isolation, depression, despair, and existential dilemmas. While his character is captivating, his problems are very much relatable to the average spectator. For example, during the height of the story, Mr. Ames witnesses the horrific attacks of 9/11. While utterly disgusted by the acts of terror, he finds humanity in the support that his neighbors — and many New Yorkers — offer each other.
The opera will require a composer capable of capturing both the dark humor, and genuine despair of “The Alcoholic”. While many qualified composers come to mind, Jonny Greenwood will likely provide a score capable of exceeding these requirements. As made evident in his composition “Popcorn Superhet Receiver”, and his film scores “Bodysong”, “There Will Be Blood”, and “Norwegian Wood” Mr. Greenwood possesses the compositional skills required to create a dynamic, reflective, and modern score, perfect for matching the nuanced writing of Mr. Ames and gloomy illustrations of Mr. Haspiel.
With the advent of cheaper projection technology, many opera companies are making use of illustrations and animations to make minimal sets come alive. The artwork in “The Alcoholic” provides an excellent framework for possible sets and scenery in the production, and could easily be adapted to created a visually stunning immersive set.
While I suspect that Jonathan Ames does not currently have plans to adapt any of his works to the operatic stage, I do hope that modern operatic composers make use of the stories written by America’s best contemporary writers.
Okay, academic exercise aside, check out “The Alcoholic”, as well as Jonathan Ames’ other novels, essays, and short stories. He’s brilliant, and his work is astoundingly absurd and hilarious, while maintaining an air of “this could happen to me”. He was also the creator and writer of the hit HBO show “Bored to Death”, and is currently developing a new show with Family Guy created Seth MacFarlane, staring Patrick Stewart.
Also, why hasn’t Jonny Green premiered an opera yet? There’s a rumor that he’s written one, so hopefully there’ll be more about that soon. I’m also curious to see if Owen Pallett will finally write one, seeing as he just announced a song book version of his previous album.
During my trip to New York I was lucky enough to hear a bit of the new Broadway show “Honeymoon in Vegas”, which is opening this week for previews. I highly recommend seeing it when it opens in January. Though the music is written by Jason Robert Brown, it has the sound of a classic Gershwin show with the comic timing of the Book of Mormon.
Finally, last week a good friend sent me a copy of “Picture You Staring” by the Montreal newcomers TOPS. They’re the latest offering from Arbutus Records, the label that previously brought you Grimes. If you like California dream-pop, have a listen. I’ve had it on repeat all week.
