Enigma Chamber Opera’s Reimagines Mozart’s ‘The Impresario’ Through the Lens of COVID

By Chris Ruel

Enigma Chamber Opera announced its newest production—a virtual reimagining of Mozart’s satiric, comedic singspiel “The Impresario.”

The company brings the classic tale of backstage intrigue into a pandemic lockdown setting, resulting in a triumph of the creative spirit. “The Impresario” is available free on Enigma’s YouTube page.

With a new book by British actor, writer, and director Simon Robson (who also plays the title role of Sir Nick Hall), and a new libretto by Enigma Founder and Artistic Director Kirsten Z. Cairns, this virtual event brings together international artists from the United States and the United Kingdom.

In Enigma’s version of Mozart’s work, the story follows director Sir Nick Hall, his investor Judas Angel, and his assistant Bluff as they struggle to mount a production in a locked-down world of Zoom meetings, selfie videos, and moments of intense isolation.

“‘The Impresario’ is the perfect piece to rethink for the lockdown,” said director Kirsten Z. Cairns in a statement put out by Enigma. “It depicts the difficulties artists go through to get a good show up and running. Layering on our current struggle, and looking at it all through the lens of laptops and phones, just made it all the more resonant. It was kind of incredible how the exceptional talents of these designers, singers, and actors came together to create this wonderful comedic piece, all without any two artists ever being in the same location.”

The show stars, in addition to Robson, tenor Matthew DiBattista as Judas Angel (DiBattista also serves as music director for the production), baritone David Kravitz as Bluff, and sopranos Katrina Galka and Deborah Selig as dueling divas Natasha Goldentrill and Angela Silverpeal.

The production and artistic team for “The Impresario” includes media design by Peter Torpey, costumes by Rebecca Shannon Butler, and piano accompaniment from Maja Tremiszewska.

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