Love, Life and a Hidden Gem
- intouch Magazine
- Dec 1, 2021
- 1 min read
This December, Opera Hunter and Newcastle Theatre Company will present an exciting double bill by Leonard Bernstein at the Newcastle Theatre Company Theatre.
This is the fourth Love & Life series for Opera Hunter in recent years, all directed by Michael Blaxland. The huge canon of American music from the modern era is a rich source of material. Opera Hunter presents a tiny morsel in this program, with excerpts from The American Musical, American Opera and Art Song, performed by a cavalcade of stars of Hunter Theatre.
Trouble in Tahiti is a hidden gem. Bernstein wrote both the lyrics and the music, and the story is said to be based on the relationship of Bernstein's parents, Sam and Jennie (changed to Bernstein's more singable Grandmother's name of Dinah). A vocal Jazz Trio, presented as a Greek Chorus, comment throughout with sharp satire on the failure of The American Dream. The title refers to an escapist movie plot, a symbol of the importance of the "silver screen" in the characters' lives.
Direction is by Michael Blaxland, while Music Direction and accompaniment is by Mercia Buck.
WHEN: 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 DECEMBER
WHERE: Newcastle Theatre Company, 90 De Vitre Street, Lambton
TICKETS: Newcastle Theatre Company – phone 4952 4958 or visit www.newcastletheatrecompany.com.au
