“The show must go on.” It is an adage familiar to all that hear it. While its origins come from theatrical arenas outside of opera, the statement is a perfect fit for Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 1892 opera Pagliacci – the tragic story of famed clown Canio who finds he must go on performing, even after learning some devastating news. In fact, it may just be the metaphoric counterpart to “Vesti la giubba” [Put on the costume], the famous tenor aria from the opera.
The show is set to go on for a long time for three young, home-grown stars. Ottawa natives Wallis Giunta, Jonathan Estabrooks and Yannick-Muriel Noah – originally from Madagascar, she spent part of her life in Ottawa – come back to starring roles in Ottawa Lyra Ottawa’s 2011-12 season openers Pagliacci and the opera with which it often gets associated, Pietro Mascasgni’s Cavalleria rusticana. Estabrooks plays Silvio in Pagliacci, alongside Noah, who plays Nedda. Meanwhile, Giunta is Lola in Cavalleria rusticana. These are three soloist roles for three up-and-coming singers. This is a big deal in any measure; performing in their home-town is an added bonus. The three stars are old friends. They grew up doing the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festivals and other singing competitions.
“I was so happy, I felt like I could do anything,” Giunta says of her reaction to getting the part. Giunta has been living and performing in Toronto since moving there at the age of 19, has been regularly performing in Europe, and has recently been making the transition to New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where she is part of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. However, Ottawa still holds a special charm, she explains. “Coming back here to work has been a really important career goal for me, because this is the company I started with.”
There is a definitive theme of connecting to roots in this entire scenario. The two works being staged changed the Italian Opera landscape, as they were showing “verisimo”, or “true to life”, characters. Instead of portraying romanticized royals, these characters were regular people. The works became hugely successful, particularly as they connected with the everyday person. It parallels Giunta ’s experience of working in Ottawa: “A the Met, everything is go big or go home. […] Companies like [Opera Lyra] are what’s going to keep the art form alive. Everyone from the community gets involved, they get students in in the chorus, like I did, they get volunteers. […] I like working with companies that you can really feel a connection to the root of why you’re doing it, where it’s not just a job.”
Estabrooks also notes people’s perception of the opera is far from reality, and is closer to the theme of the two works. “Opera companies all around the world are struggling to get people into seats. People kind of look at opera and they often think stodgy, not for the average person. And I think, if anything, opera has always been an art form that was for everybody.”
The three artists really have come full circle. Estabrooks started in the Opera Lyra boys’ choir when he was only seven. “Music was always part of my life growing up,” he explains. “For me it really is a full circle – to go from the choir to principal artist. That, in and of itself, is exciting for me as an artist.”
Meanwhile, both Noah and Giunta were part of The Young Artists Training Studio – now renamed the Young People outreach program – Opera Lyra Ottawa’s youth-centred project. Noah was part of the chorus for an Opera Lyra production of Tosca while, at 15, Giunta was part of the chorus in Madam Butterfly. Coming back to perform in rusticana, Giunta found that people on the production team had gone to high school with her, the art director, Tyrone Paterson, and the stage director, Michael Cavanagh, were also behind Madam Butterfly. This time around, she finds herself centre-stage. It’s her first time performing as a soloist in Ottawa.
But Giunta may be better known to Ottawans for altogether a different reason. In late 2010, she made a deal with local couturier and wedding dress maker, McCaffrey Haute Couture. “The connection is mutually beneficial,” says Giunta. While the beauty is the fresh face for McCaffrey, the clothier also designs dresses for Giunta’s public events and recitals.
Her connection to Opera Lyra Ottawa has also proven lucrative. In her work abroad, she says that she has been “constantly told that […] a disproportionate amount of talent comes out of this city. So, I don’t think he [Paterson] needs to make excuses to use local talent. It says something about the teaching here and the opportunities.”
For Paterson, “It’s a matter of the stars aligning in a lot of ways.” The reunion, while perhaps serendipitous, was not the main reason for the casting choices. “First off, it was deciding who’s best for the roles, and the fact that they happened to be from Ottawa is a great resounding bonus.”
“It made for an interesting alignment with what’s happening in Ottawa now,” argues Paterson. “It shows how Opera Lyra is helping the young singers […] bridge the gap.” Paterson is referring to stages of development that Opera Lyra encourages. Through the program, talented youth can come in to be part of the chorus, than participate in the training program, which is a springboard for them to become professional singers. So for him, the reunion is also a source of proof that Opera Lyra’s youth program is producing palpable results. “I can take great pride in the fact that this is working. It’s a fruition. You plant the seeds, and we’re seeing the trees grow.”
Opera Lyra Ottawa presents Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana on September 10, 12, 14 and 17 at NAC Southam Hall. For more information go to www.operalyra.ca
