Light Opera Works Naughty Marietta 1983

Artistic Team

Philip A. Kraus......................................................................Stage Director
Barnard Jones........................................................................Conductor
James J. Wasson...................................................................Scenic Designer
Kerry W. Fleming.................................................................Costume Designer
Ronald A. Greene...................................................................Lighting Designer

Cast

Marietta d'Altena....................................................................Lynda Kemeny
Etienne Grandet......................................................................Robert Knight
Pierre La Farge.......................................................................John Holland
Sister Dominique....................................................................Rosalind Zager
A Pirate....................................................................................Daniel Hurtado
Captain Richard Warrington...................................................Darrell Rowader
Harry Blake..............................................................................James Hinton
1st Casquette Girl...................................................................Elizabeth L. Taylor
2nd Casquette Girl..................................................................Deanna Lang
3rd Casquette Girl...................................................................Hazella Rollins-Epps
1st Ranger................................................................................Frank McCormick
Night Watchman......................................................................David Graves
Man with a Ladder...................................................................Christopher Frye
Sacristan...................................................................................Joseph Wm. Poprawski
1st Flower Girl........................................................................Cynthia Vaughn
2nd Flower Girl.......................................................................Jacque Zander
Flower Vendor.........................................................................Frank McCormick
Parrot Seller.............................................................................Alejandro G. Abraham II
Fruit Seller................................................................................Brian Bruder
Sugar Cane Seller.....................................................................Bruce Tilley
Town Crier................................................................................Jerry Arthur Sigman
1st Citizen.................................................................................Petger Schaberg
2nd Citizen................................................................................John Lucas
Adah le Clercq..........................................................................Kathryn Hartgrove
Scipio........................................................................................Christopher Arnold
Innkeeper...................................................................................David Graves
Florenze.....................................................................................David Cottingham
Jean-Marcel Grandet................................................................John Shea
Silas Slick..................................................................................Terrance C. McCracken
Rudolfo......................................................................................Jeff Mattsey
Giovanni.....................................................................................Frank McCormick
Pierre..........................................................................................John Holland
Plauche.......................................................................................Jerry Arthur Sigman
Robillard.....................................................................................David Graves
Major Domo...............................................................................David Zarek
1st French Girl...........................................................................Karen H. Laner
2nd French Girl..........................................................................Lorian Stein
Bordenave...................................................................................Petger Schaberg
Durand........................................................................................Alejandro G. Abraham II
La Fourche.................................................................................Christopher Frye
Beauvirage..................................................................................John Lucas

Pirates, American Rangers, Street Sweepers, Vendors, Townsmen, Dandies: Alejandro G. Abraham II, Brian Bruder, Edward Budzilowicz, Patrick Causgrove, Christopher Frye, David Graves, James Hinton, John Holland, Daniel Hurtado, Rob Kaiser, John Lucas, Frank McCormick, Joseph Wn. Poprawski, Petger Schaberg, Jerry Arthur Sigman, Bruce Tilley

Casquette Girls, Flower Girls, Townswomen, Vendors, Quadroons, Spanish Señoritas, French Mademoiselles: Elizabeth Blake, Joann M. Hoy, Lisa Kristina, Karen H. Lerner, Deanna Lang, Carol C. Mrowka, Hazella Rollins-Epps, Ruth Rome, Cheryle L. Rooney, Julie Ruttenberg, Susan Scharfenstein, Lorian Stein, Elizabeth L. Taylor, Marcie Tilkin, Cynthia Vaughn, Rosalind Zager, Jacque Zander, Jeanne Zimmer

The 1983 production of Victor Herbert's Naughty Marietta was one of a number of firsts for Light Opera Works; namely a Chicago premiere. Herbert's tuneful operettas, like most American operettas at the turn of the 20th century, were not performable in their original versions mainly due to the books being unwieldy and rather dated. Operettas at this time were somewhat pageant-like requiring numerous, drastic scene changes. Additionally, theatrical tastes in populist works change over decades and the humor and situations of most of the books of these shows simply would not play for a contemporary audience.

Frederick S. Roffman was a true lover of operetta. He was a conductor and stage director that would painstakingly go to the original musical and text sources of these works in the Library of Congress and from that material and research, would prepare a viable performing edition of the piece. His edition of Naughty Marietta was commisioned and premiered at the New York City Opera in 1978. Philip Kraus could appreciate Roffman's work as their goals and interests in the operetta genre were nearly identical. Although the City Opera version had not been received well in some quarters, it had been a hit with audiences, broadcast on radio and television and had single handedly brought Herbert's glowing score back to life. The Roffman edition shrewdly updated the original 1750 time period of the work by 50 to 60 years, placing it New Orleans in the early 1800's when the United States was a young country. Musical numbers were shifted and reorganized to fit Roffman's highly playable book without cutting numbers and still using the original orchestrations.

Naughty Marietta is a big work and was certainly the most complex piece that LOW had yet staged. It required a large cast which gave many of LOW's stalwart choristers of those years a chance to shine. It required 4 elaborate sets and multiple costumes not only for principals, but for chorus as well. In short, it was a huge undertaking which Philip Kraus managed to bring off on yet another of LOW's typical shoe-string budgets.

The title role was put in the hands of the gifted Lynda Kemeny who had played Nella so brilliantly in the previous year's Gianni Schicchi. Pretty, with a lovely lyric soprano and great theatrical savvy, she was the perfect, animated soubrette for the vivacious Marietta.
Joining her as Captain Dick was tenor Darrell Rowader, a veteran of the first season's Orpheus. Another cast member from Schicchi, Robert Knight undertook his first leading role with the company combining an effective villainy with a suave baritone voice. Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Hartgrove made her company debut as the exotic but troubled Adah with a rich sound and a "take-the-stage" presence. Baritone Jeff Mattsey in his only role with the company as Rudolfo, would go on to a busy regional career. And a bevy of fine character performers including veteran John Shea and newcomers Terrence McCracken and David Cottingham added considerable spice to the proceedings. Special mention must also be made of the LOW chorus who not only played some three to five different roles each, but whose numbers filled a wide array of supporting roles with excellence.

Marietta also marked the first of many collaborations between Philip Kraus and choreographer Charlene Campbell, a wonderful ballet dancer and a gifted professional who had the required patience to work with non-dancing singers. The sets by James Wasson took a realistic approach and were greatly helped by Ronald Greene's moody and highly varied lighting. Kerry Fleming returned to the company to provide more than 100 costumes for the elaborate operetta.

The production once again showed the inconsistencies of classical musical reviewers in Chicago getting a rave in the Tribune and panned in the Sun Times. No matter; audiences responded to Herbert's brilliant score and the performances under Kraus's detailed direction
delighted the nearly sold out houses. It would be the first of many Chicago premieres that Light Opera Works would bequeath to the city.

Use the buttons on the left to view reviews and pictures from the production.