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The park is alive with the sound of music

Lindsay Christians  —  8/22/2008 9:59 pm

Outdoor music is one of the joys of summer in Madison, and this weekend's Opera in the Park is sure to hit a high note for many music lovers.

The annual free concert of opera and musical theater favorites celebrates its seventh anniversary on Saturday, July 26. The event is one of the area's biggest outdoor summer shows and is well-attended by opera lovers and novices alike. Last year's concert attracted around 12,500 people to Garner Park.

"It's done a lot in terms of audience development," said Allan Naplan, general director of the Madison Opera, describing the wide range of ages and ethnicities among those who attend the event. "It has been hugely important to us. It helps us break down stereotypes about opera, to make it accessible."

This year, as usual, Opera in the Park will feature arias from the opera's new season: Puccini's "Madama Butterfly," Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte" and Gounod's "Faust."

The first half of the program, performed by soprano Melody Moore, mezzo Kendall Gladen, tenor Bryan Hymel and baritone Luis Ledesma, will include some familiar arias ("Un bel di" from "Madama Butterfly") as well as a few lesser known works ("Sein wir wieder gut," the Composer's Aria from "Ariadne auf Naxos" by Strauss).

The second half leans toward American musical theater, operetta and zarzuela, a genre of Spanish musical theater. Selections include "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from "Showboat" and the "Italian Street Song" from "Naughty Marietta."

In honor of the 150th anniversary of Puccini's birth, Moore and Hymel will perform a special tribute to Puccini with "O mio babbino caro" and "Nessun Dorma."

The Madison Opera Chorus and the Madison Symphony Orchestra under the baton of John DeMain will join the four guest soloists.

"We have always found that we've had some success in attracting ticket sales, both in subscriptions as well as single tickets" following Opera in the Park, Naplan said. "It resonates into generating interest for the main season."

Naplan has been steadily building a strong program at Madison Opera, and his efforts are starting to receive national notice.

In the June 2008 issue of "Opera News," Arlo MacKinnon wrote, "Both [artistic director John] DeMain and Naplan have aggressively sought out young, exciting singers on the rise for Madison Opera. Often, they have given these artists the chance to grow into roles they will subsequently perform in the international sphere."

MacKinnon cites the example of Nicole Cabell, who sang in the role of Pamina (in "The Magic Flute") with Madison Opera two years ago.

"Next year the role will serve for her Metropolitan Opera debut," MacKinnon notes, adding that Stephen Costello also made his Met debut soon after appearing in Madison Opera's "Rigoletto."

"More and more, singers are booked five years in advance," Naplan said. "Some people have said they want to try out their next role in Madison."

This coming season features a first for Madison Opera -- three fully produced mainstage productions. Last season also featured three productions, but one of them, Aaron Copland's "The Tender Land," was a concert version staged at the intimate Promenade Hall.

"Madison was trailing behind," Naplan said, explaining that other programs and cities of a similar size have three opera productions a year.

To go from one opera in the mid-fall to another in the spring with nothing in between was "too many months off the radar," Naplan said.

"It's important to have a full season," he added. "Now we just have to make sure the audience is growing at the pace of our momentum."

lchristians@madison.com

Lindsay Christians  —  8/22/2008 9:59 pm