A kangaroo isn鈥檛 the animal you鈥檇 expect to see in a show named after a bat. Its presence on stage was unexpected and silly. That tone carried over to the entire production of 鈥淒ie Fledermaus鈥� at the 杏吧传媒.
The show ran for two nights on April 17 and 18 at Corthell Hall in Gorham. With a beloved score by Johann Strauss, it鈥檚 been a staple of the opera canon since debuting in 1874. The latest staging by the Osher School of Music relied on the personalities of its cast and crew to make it stand out from countless prior productions. That鈥檚 where the kangaroo came in.
The show鈥檚 director, Dr. Malinda Haslett, delegated set decoration to interested students. They needed props for a pivotal scene at a raucous party and found the kangaroo statue in storage. A supporting actor got a laugh in rehearsals by dancing with statue, which cemented its place in the show. Haslett encouraged that kind of improvisation.
鈥淭heir characters need to be alive for two hours,鈥� said Haslett. 鈥淲e, as quirky people, do things. We don鈥檛 just stand there and watch somebody. We fiddle with our feet and twiddle our hair or do whatever we do. It shows their personalities on stage and that builds their craft.鈥�
The opera鈥檚 farcical storyline lends itself to broad comedy. It hinges on a practical joke. Eisenstein is tricked into exposing his infidelity by flirting with a masked woman who turns out to be his wife, Rosalinde. Falke concocted the plot as payback. Eisenstein once mocked him for dressing up in a bat costume. Fledermaus is the German word for bat.
Andrew Marcotte, a junior majoring in Music, played Eisenstein. The role calls for big emotional bursts of ego, lust, jealousy, and contrition. Marcotte had to stretch the range of his vocals as well as his acting. A flirty struggle with Rosalinde over a pocket watch inspired some of Marcotte鈥檚 best singing.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a really fun one to listen to with a lot of super high stuff, a lot of super low stuff,鈥� said Marcotte. 鈥淚t changes speeds and tempos a lot, which I really like in music.鈥�
The object of Marcotte鈥檚 affections changed from night to night. Rosalinde was double cast so that each performance featured a different actress in the role. Aberdeen Brickett, a sophomore majoring in Vocal Performance, took her turn on opening night.
The lavish costumes were a big part of the fun for Brickett. She first arrived on stage in a pink Victorian dress and later changed into a red ball gown. By wearing Rosalinde鈥檚 wardrobe, Brickett felt more connected to the character. Emoting wasn鈥檛 the challenge for her so much as knowing when to hold back.
鈥淪ince I鈥檓 new to the opera program, I sing big and loud all the time. Right now, I鈥檓 learning to dial it down a bit when I don鈥檛 need to sing these big high notes,鈥� said Brickett. 鈥淭here are other people, amazing vocalists on stage who are doing the work for me, and I can calm down and just act.鈥�
That collegial trust was especially important between Brickett and Marcotte since they shared so many scenes together. Both of them cited the same scene near the end of the show as their favorite. As a test of Rosalinde鈥檚 faithfulness, Eisenstein disguises himself as a lawyer to interrogate her. Marcotte got to put on a silly wig and a sillier accent.
Timing is crucial for the comedy to work. If the performers miss a beat, the punchline doesn鈥檛 land. Haslett, who also serves as Director of Vocal Studies at the Osher School, pushed the cast to gradually ratchet up their pace throughout the rehearsal process. They shaved 20 minutes off the runtime in the last two weeks before opening.
鈥淭his cast is used to staging fast and doing a lot of work outside of class to make it become part of their body,鈥� said Haslett. 鈥淭hey like the zippy, peppy, caffeiney pace of it. And it makes them feel alive.鈥�