Partnership with the Loudoun Lyric Opera Company
Last month we were fortunate to partner with the Loudoun Lyric Opera Company (LLO) on their production “Baking with Divas!” It featured a double-bill of two comic operas by Lee Hoiby: The Italian Lesson and Bon Appétit! The instrumentation for both consisted exclusively of solo performers accompanied by piano, but the Company lacked an adequate piano for the performance. So when the Artistic/General Director Mark Irchai reached out, we were glad to step in. For this production, we brought “Windy”, our Petrof grand with a bright tone that proved to be a good fit for the hall and musical score. Windy received many compliments!
Each night opened with The Italian Lesson, featuring Mrs. Clancy, a 1920s socialite, performed by Sally Freeland. Mrs. Clancy is pulled between all the activities and interests of a wealthy woman living on 5th Avenue. The audience was amused being pulled between all Mrs. Clancy’s distractions. The whirlwind was handled impressively by Freeland.
The second half of the bill, Bon Appétit!, featured the legendary culinary icon Julia Child played by Amanda Zoe Vest. Just like her shows “Baking with Julia” and “The French Chef”, we followed Julia her as she baked a chocolate cake on stage. Amazingly, Amanda Zoe Vest iced and finished an actual cake on stage, while singing, in perfect time to the music.
Accompanying both of these performances was the pianist and Artistic/General Director Mark Irchai, who was a pleasure to work with. Mark is an exceptional pianist who pushed the piano to its maximum potential each night. Mark has remarkable range; Hoiby’s scores generally had a lighter tone, and Mr. Irchai navigated them with a delicate touch and precision. But when the music rose for an introduction or conclusion, you could feel the energy and power coming from Mark and the piano. Both Mr. Irchai’s and Windy’s capabilities were on display, and both made strong impressions on the audience, as several audience members noted to me during intermission and afterwards. They were very complimentary of both artist and easel.
The performers and production team were all talented, impressive, and a joy to work with. For a deeper dive, I highly Maggie Ramsey’s review on Opera Today that features more insight and interviews from the cast.
About Loudoun Lyric Opera Company — This group came into existence with the expressed purpose of bringing opera to Loudoun County. They perform in various locations in Loudoun, including the Dreamscapes Performing Arts Center, a space for community performances.