Opera opens hall

The one-act comic operas are perfect for those who are new to the art form, says the director.
By GUY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University's Performing Arts Series will take to a new stage this week.
The university will offer opera in the Butler Institute of American Art's newly renovated North building. It will be the building's first use as a performing arts venue.
The building -- the former First Christian Church -- is next to the Butler on the corner of Wick Avenue and University Place. The museum bought the building, which had been de-sanctified by the church, in August 2005.
"It's a beautiful neo-classical building," said Butler director Dr. Louis Zona.
The Butler has been steadily renovating the interior of the building. A portion of it -- dubbed the Dennison Education Center -- is already being used for meetings and classes. The center was named in honor of Gail Dennison, who left funds to the museum for the building's purchase.
The former sanctuary has been turned into a small theater.
A soaring arched ceiling, hanging light fixtures, hardwood floors and stained-glass windows make the performance area a striking space. The stage, on the former altar, has been extended forward about 12 feet.
Stained glass
A large stained-glass window looms over the rear of the stage, and more stained glass lines the side walls. The artful glass does not contain religious symbolism.
The pews have been removed, but are kept in an ancillary room. They have been cut in half and refinished, and can be returned to the performance area for use as seating.
In addition to opera, the Butler intends to use the performance space, which can hold about 300, for lectures, dance, exhibits, weddings and other purposes, said Zona.
No changes are planned for the exterior. "We want to respect the history of the building," said Zona. "A congregation loved that building."
The First Christian congregation merged with Boardman Christian Church -- now Disciples Christian Church -- in 2004.
In the past,YSU staged its opera in Stambaugh Auditorium and the university's Ford Theater.
Two one-act comic operas, presented as a student-faculty collaboration, will be presented Thursday through next Sunday: Mozart's "The Impresario" and Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi."
Misook Yun, associate professor of voice at Dana School of Music, is the music director and vocal coach of the effort; John Wilcox, associate professor at Dana, is conductor.
W. Rick Schilling, associate staff designer of YSU Theater, is the stage director.
Good introductions
"The Impresario" and "Gianni Schicchi" are excellent introductions to the world of opera, said Schilling.
"'Gianni Schicchi' is a great opera for a first-timer who fears 'I'm not going to know what's going on,'" said Schilling. "You'll get it even if you don't read every word."
"Gianni Schicchi" is sung in Italian with supertitles projected over the stage. The Puccini work, which is about an hour long, is about an extended family greedily squabbling over a will. The wily lawyer Gianni Schicchi orchestrates an unconventional solution to the problem, bringing about a nearly miraculous reversal of fortune for the sake of his daughter and the young man she loves.
Mozart's "The Impresario" will be performed in English in a style known as singspiel (spoken dialogue).
It tells the story of two feisty opera divas who vie for attention and top billing from world-weary impresario Mr. Cash. When the two prima donnas arrive at a Vienna opera house to audition for the same role, the cat fight begins.
"They are stereotypical opera divas," said Schilling. "Large hair, ribbons and lace."
Schilling is looking forward to performing in the Butler North and the challenges it presents. "It's a small church with a big-church feel. It's designed for a different kind of music. We are creating theater in an environmental space."
Local members of the cast of "Gianni Schicchi" are Leanne Phillips, Girard; Carrie Minenok, Austintown; Lauren Hess, Poland; Josh Lewis, Boardman; Matt Miles, Poland; Jason Madeline, Boardman; Anthony DeRose, North Lima; and David Gruver, Austintown.
Local members of the cast of "The Impresario" are Carrie Minenok, Austintown; Noel King, Sharon, Pa.; Richard Bell, Austintown; and Randy Huffman, New Castle, Pa.