New York Opera Festival 2019 Preview: Brooklyn College Opera Theatre Presents The Darkness of ‘Gianni Schicchi’

By David Salazar

The New York Opera Fest 2019 kicked off on Monday, April 29 and for the next several weeks, New Yorkers will get ample opportunity to enjoy opera in a variety of unique ways. As has been OperaWire’s tradition over the years, we have reached out to a number of the companies participating in the festival and have asked them a series of questions that will allow our readers to get to know them a bit.

The Brooklyn College Opera Theatre is set to showcase a unique production of Puccini’s only comedy “Gianni Schicchi.” The production will be led by Isabel Milenski, whose productions are known for their abilities to stretch the boundaries of opera narratives for contemporary audiences. The opera will be showcased on May 10 and 12.

Tell us why you’re excited to participate in this year’s New York Opera Festival.

Brooklyn College has a new performing arts center and we are thrilled to be doing opera in such a gorgeous, long awaited space!

What themes and/or issues are addressed in your production, and how are they relevant to your company and its mission?

Brooklyn Conservatory Opera Theatre is known for its ambitious productions and wonderfully talented, international singers. Under the new Artistic leadership of Isabel Milenski, the productions have a fresh and modern twist and aim to embrace the adventurous spirit of the conservatory.

What is something special or unique about your production that NYC audiences can look forward to?

Our production of “Gianni Schicchi” is a highly physical and articulate production which shrieks and stinks of the black comedy that Puccini masterfully created.

What role do you think “indie opera” plays in a city like NYC and for the future of the art form as a whole?

The indie opera companies and performances are vital not only to the younger audiences (who if tempted, will come to see opera in thousands) but also offer to New York a selection of multimedia musical works in alternative spaces as a new model for innovative theater. These collaborations open new avenues for opera and theater makers to push boundaries of all theatrical forms, shining a spotlight on New York as a strong player on the international stage.

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