From: Karen Mercedes
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: musical theatre fachs - Longish
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

On Tue, 1 Feb 2000, Kylie Purcell wrote:

> Th other problem is getting the music here in Australia - I had actually
> thought Regina was an American opera, going by the type of posts
> I'd read on the classicalsinger forum.


Blitzstein originally wrote REGINA as an opera. However, it is one of
those works like Weill's DER DREIGROSCHENOPER, that has been produced both
in operatic and musical theatre styles/venues. Blitzstein, as you may
know, also wrote the very controversial pro-union musical THE CRADLE MAY
ROCK, about which there is now a not-so-successful film out. And
Blitzstein was Weill's translator for THE THREEPENNY OPERA. So while
REGINA was originally intended as an opera, it was with Blitzstein's
blessing and involvement also produced as a musical. But you are right to
worry about it because the opera world seems to be reclaiming this
particular work; on the other hand, when has the musical theatre world
ever really cared what the opera world did?

By the way, I've successfully auditioned for musicals with operatic
repertoire that I felt was appropriate - specifically, with Dat's Love
from CARMEN JONES (the Habanera reset to words by Hammerstein) and with
Popova's aria, I was a constant faithful wife, from Walton's THE BEAR.

KM
=====
There is delight in singing,
tho' none hear Beside the singer.
- Walter Savage Landor
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