Bass-baritone Evan Ross,
center, as Marchese
D'Obigny in Michigan
Opera Theatre's fall pro-
duction of Verdi's La
Traviata
Crossing The Bridge
... To Opera
Bloomfield Hills native Evan Ross sings in Michigan Opera Theatre's
A View from the Bridge, based on the Arthur Miller play.
I
Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer
L
ong before anticipating he would
appear in the modern opera A
View from the Bridge, Evan Ross
became familiar with the musical drama
as a student at the Boston Conservatory, a
Massachusetts-based college offering both
undergraduate and graduate programs in
music, dance and theater.
William Bolcom,
Bridge's composer, held
master classes at the
conservatory when Ross
was an undergrad, and
preparation for those
experiences emerged
essential.
Evan Ross
"At that time, I famil-
iarized myself with all
his music along with this opera; recalls
Ross, who will be singing the role of the
first immigration officer and chorus parts
as A View from the Bridge is staged April
5-13 by the Michigan Opera Theatre at the
Detroit Opera House.
Bolcom, professor emeritus of composi-
tion at the University of Michigan School
of Music, Theatre and Dance, is a Pulitzer
Prize- and Grammy-winner who adapted
Arthur Miller's play of the same name.
Miller co-wrote the libretto with Arnold
Weinstein, an American poet, playwright
and librettist who is best known for his
collaborations with Bolcom.
"I've long been a fan of Bolcom's work,
and this will be the first time I've gotten to
do any of it," Ross says. "It's been a great
experience digging into the score and find-
ing out how it works.
"Modern operas are not in everyone's
ears and associated with preconceived
notions. To that extent, there's a little bit
more freedom in this medium for story-
telling:"
The opera, in two acts, will be per-
formed in English. It is set in 1950s
Brooklyn and tells the story of Eddie
Carbone, a working-class Italian-American
troubled by his taboo feelings toward his
niece, Catherine. Eddie's inability to deal
with his emotions leads to disaster, both
for him and his community.
American baritone Kim Josephson
makes his MOT debut as Eddie, a role he
created for the 1999 world premiere of the
piece at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and
later reprised at the Metropolitan Opera.
Josephson's daughter, American soprano
Kiri Deonarine, debuts as Catherine.
The score includes elements of tradi-
tional opera, jazz, blues and rock. The con-
ductor is Suzanne Mallare Acton, who also
serves as MOT's chorus master, with stage
direction by Tazewell Thompson.
Ross' MOT appearances come with
being selected as a Barbara Gibson Young
Artist Apprentice for 2013-14. In the fall,
he sang the role of Marchese D'Obigny in
La Traviata and performed with the cho-
rus in The Flying Dutchman. In May, he'll
perform in the chorus of Turandot, the
final opera of the spring season.
"I actually have been in another modern
opera; Ross says. "I did a production of
Dead Man Walking with Boston Opera
Collaborative last year and had the role of
George Benton:'
Ross, 25, entered opera on the advice
of Anna Steck, his vocal teacher and
choir conductor at Cranbrook Schools in
Bloomfield Hills. When he was 16, she
suggested that his voice was a classical
instrument to be developed.
"I first had been interested in musi-
cal theater and was in all the musicals
at school:' explains Ross, whose parents,
Janice and Robert Ross of Bloomfield
Hills, had taken him to see some opera
when he was younger.
"The more I got into it, I found an
amazing world that I hadn't experienced.
I've always been interested in language,
music and theater, and opera combined all
of my interests in an amazing way:'
After taking private lessons with Steck,
Ross went on to the Boston Conservatory,
where he earned bachelor and master
degrees in voice performance.
The diversity of his roles are repre-
sented through portrayals of Bottom in A
Midsummer Night's Dream for the Lowell
House Opera in Cambridge, Mass.; Dick
Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore for the Janiec
Opera Company in Brevard, N.C., and
General Boum in La Grande-Duchesse de
Gerolstein, for the Franco-American Vocal
Academy, affiliated with the Butler School
of Music at the University of Texas.
"One of my favorite roles was Dr.
Bartolo in The Barber of Seville says
Ross, a bass-baritone. "It was the first
buffo (comic role) I ever sang, and I
enjoyed the freedom to be ridiculous. I
have a large personality, and when I get
the chance to let that out, I really enjoy it"
Ross, who grew up in Bloomfield Hills,
now lives in West Bloomfield. He shares
professional interests with his wife,
Kelsey Ross, an opera stage director. The
two, who met in college, are members of
Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township.
"We have a piano in our living room,
which is great but also means that if
either of us is practicing, there is nowhere
to go in the house to avoid sound:' Ross
says.
That problem is avoided when work is
accepted out of town.
"We don't know how long we'll be in
Michigan so we're taking advantage of the
opportunity to spend time with my fam-
ily:' says Ross, whose brother, Tyler, works
in real estate.
"My wife grew up in Virginia and is
currently working as assistant stage direc-
tor for the Boston Opera Collaborative in
a production of Sumeida's Song.
"It's hard being apart, but it's something
we knew we'd have to deal with from the
beginning. She will be able to see a dress
rehearsal of A View from the Bridge, but I
won't be able to see Sumeida's Song, which
is disappointing because we try to see as
much of each other's work as we can:'
What Ross actually anticipates happily
will be a reminder of his conservatory
introduction to A View from the Bridge.
"MOT's scheduled coaching with
Bolcom for all of the principals:' Ross
explains. "It's a really exciting opportunity
for us."
❑
A View from the Bridge will be presented April 5-13 at the Detroit Opera House,
1526 Broadway. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5; Wednesday,
April 9; Friday, April 11; and Saturday, April 12. There will be a matinee at 2:30
p.m. Sunday, April 13. $25-$125. A free opera talk begins one hour before each
performance. (313) 237-7464; michiganopera.org .
NOTE: Subsidized tickets and an afterglow for University of Michigan
students will be part of opening night. Reduced-price tickets for students
and young professionals (ages 18-40) are available for April 9, with a special
"Back to Brooklyn" reception following the performance. The opening night
performance will be broadcast live on WRCJ 90.0-FM with commentary by
Dave Wagner, music radio host, beginning at 7 p.m.
March 27 • 2014
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