Gianni Schicchi 1982

Artistic Team

Philip A. Kraus......................................................................Stage Director
Barnard Jones........................................................................Conductor
Nels Anderson.......................................................................Scenic Designer
JoEllen Bendall.....................................................................Costume Designer
Mark S. Mongold...................................................................Lighting Designer

Cast

Gianni Schicchi..................................................................... Philip Kraus
Lauretta.................................................................................. Rebecca Patterson
Zita......................................................................................... Ann G. Hoselitz
Rinuccio................................................................................. Ross Williams
Gehrardo................................................................................ Terry Stone
Nella....................................................................................... Lynda Kemeny
Gherardino............................................................................. Brian David Morris
Betto....................................................................................... Bradley Nystrom
Simone................................................................................... Thomas Sandri
Marco..................................................................................... Robert M. Knight
La Ciesca................................................................................ Donna J. Rollene
Master Spinelloccio.............................................................. John Holland
Amantio Di Nicolao.............................................................. Bruce A. Cain
Pinellino................................................................................. Jan A. Jarvis
Guccio.................................................................................... Bob Fitzgerald
Buoso Donati......................................................................... Albert Potts

On the double bill with The Beautiful Galatea was Puccini's quintessential black comedy Gianni Schicchi. It was to be the only "comic opera" as opposed to operetta or musical that the company would ever produce. Philip Kraus felt it necessary to focus the company's efforts in succeeding seasons strictly on the operetta literature. Why imitate what Lyric Opera or Chicago Opera Theater might produce, when the operetta literature was largely being ignored by these companies.

Kraus throughout his singing career had made a specialty of the title role having performed the part for the first time at Northwestern University. In addition to LOW, he would repeat the role at Chicago Opera Theater, Chamber Opera Chicago, and the Hinsdale Opera.

The artistic director engaged a top notch ensemble for the piece with every part vividly played and sung. Sopranos Lynda Kemeny and Donna Rollene would go on to do major soprano roles with the company in future seasons. Contralto Ann Hoselitz, the saucy Buttercup from Pinafore, proved a formidable "dragon" as Zita. Bill Martin (Pluto in Orpheus) returned as the ingenue lead Rinuccio (with a name change to Ross Williams due to silly Union problems) and lovely lyric soprano Rebecca Patterson joined him as a perfect Lauretta bouth in looks and voice. The cast was rounded off by a bevy of first class character players including the company accompanist Albert Potts as the expiring Buoso Donati!

As noted in the Galatea article, the sets for Schicchi were painted on the reverse sides of the panels for the Suppé operetta. A brief look at the Schicchi gallery will indicate the detail and beauty of the set painting, most of it done by Nels Anderson himself. Few sets at Light Opera Works, and for that matter other companies of similar budget, were this dazzlingly beautiful and sumptuous. With JoEllen Bendall's richly appointed costumes, the production was simply among the top two or three designs ever executed by the company. It exemplified Philip Kraus' ability to stretch a dollar on LOW's low scenery and costume budgets. The late Alan Stone, artistic director of Chicago Opera Theater, asked Kraus on opening night where the sets were rented from and was astonished to learn they had been built by the company and would be destroyed after the run.

The 1982 production of Gianni Schicchi set a high artistic standard for the future of the company. It was, by Light Opera Works standards, an unusually smooth and artistically satisfying endeavor. Kraus has often remarked that it was by far the most cohesive production of the opera he'd had the privilege of singing.

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