MAY 16 • 2024 | 47

know that The Cunning Little 
Vixen is a show for everybody,
” 
Rosen said. “It’s about animals, 
but it’s not really a kids’ show. 
It’s a show that’s acceptable for 
kids, but it’s really deep and 
interesting for any adults that 
are going to come to see it. 
“It’s not very long as far as 
opera goes, but it has so much 
beautiful musical information 
and dramatic depth in a seem-
ingly simple story. The music 
sounds like a blend between 
avant-garde European classical 
music of the era with some 
moments that sound straight 
out of a Hollywood film.
”
Rosen has a lot to say about 
the staging, which prevents 
cast members with dual roles 
to not feel stressed about cos-
tume changes. 
“The animals exist in 
this half projection and half 
real physical world,
” Rosen 
explained. “There’s this beauti-
ful backdrop onto which there 
are hand-drawn animations, 
and our heads pop out of little 
holes in the backdrop. 
“It allows us to move around 
and be quite animated with the 
help of the projections. That 
way, when we have to make a 
quick costume change, maybe 
we already have our human 
clothes on and our heads come 
out with a little hat on to signi-
fy which characters we are.
”
The production is 
enhanced with direction by 
Yuval Sharon, the Gary L. 
Wasserman artistic director of 
the company, and is conducted 
by Roberto Kalb, company 
music director.
With all his work engage-
ments, Rosen still makes time 
for personal commitments. He 
attends synagogues in towns 
where he is visiting, and he has 
flown back and forth between 
France and San Francisco to 
attend a friend’s wedding held 
between production rehearsal 
times.

 Also, he enjoys cooking and 
makes allotments for that.
“Quite early in my life, I 
started piano lessons, and 
through various musical men-
tors — my piano teacher and 
public school music teachers 
— I made my way to a chil-
dren’s chorus, which happens 
to be the auxiliary chorus for 
the LA Opera. 
“Through that nonprofit 
organization, I found myself 
singing 12 different operas 
with LA Opera and other 
opera companies in the area. 
I sang quite a bit of opera as 
a young kid. When my voice 
changed, I went back to play-
ing piano. My voice developed 
a little bit more, and I realized I 
would like to keep singing.
“I started taking some les-
sons again and found my way 
to the conservatory, where I 
studied both piano and sing-
ing. Eventually, I affirmed my 
path as a singer, and here I 
am.
” 

Details 
The Cunning Little Vixen 
will be performed at 7:30 
p.m. Friday, May 17; and 
2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 
19, in the Detroit Opera 
House, 1526 Broadway. 
Opera talks are one hour 
before show times. Ticket 
prices begin at $15. (313) 
237-7464. detroitopera.
org.

Alex 
Rosen

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