Arts & Entertainment
A charming menagerie
WNO’s holiday opera a breath of fresh air despite uneven writing
Bass Soloman Howard plays a blustering king of the jungle in WNO’s new holiday opera, ‘The Lion, the Unicorn and Me.’ (Photo by Scott Suchman)
‘The Lion, The Unicorn and Me’
Through Dec. 22
Kennedy Center
2700 F St., NW
$44-$64
With the glut of saccharine holiday entertainment going around, it’s refreshing to catch a more genuine offering, and Washington National Opera’s newly commissioned holiday work, “The Lion, The Unicorn and Me,” gives us a delightful break from all the tinsel. While composer Jeanine Tesori’s opera doesn’t always rise to its promised heights, the story of a self-effacing donkey charged with carrying the Virgin Mary to Bethlehem is a go-to for anyone looking for holiday magic.
As director Francesca Zambello, a lesbian, announced on opening night, this was the first time in WNO’s 58 seasons that the company is premiering a new work composed by a woman. Tesori, a four-time Tony nominee for composition, often brought a light ironical touch to her score, yet the music also broke out into moments of stunning lyricism.
The Unicorn’s first act aria (ravishingly sung by Jacqueline Echols), as well as the Donkey’s introductory piece (in a great singing and acting performance by John Orduña), brought out the deeper tones of Tesori’s evocative skill. Too bad, then, that a lack of consistency nagged the work as a whole. The first act, featuring a child angel played by the sparkling Henry Wager, was almost perfect, but the one problem spot became a touchstone for the work’s greater inconsistencies.
In a troublesome sequence, the blustering Lion, brashly played by bass Soloman Howard, strides onto the stage in a jungle-motif militaristic costume accompanied by photographers and begins his appropriately arrogant aria. Suddenly, the piece takes flight with drums, a backup chorus (including the audience) and a melody that causes the heart to jump.
And then it dies on the vine.
Sadly, the same thing happened with act two. What started off with such promise in the first half lost its steam in the second. The opera seemed to suffer from a lack of focus in music and plot, becoming slightly redundant, before rallying for an inspiring end.
However the beauty of the story prevails overall, helped along by a moving libretto from gay poet J.D. “Sandy” McClatchy and an exciting production from Zambello. As told here and in Jeanette Winterson’s original book on which the opera is based, an angel needs to find the right animal for the holy job of getting Mary to that legendary stable, and all the creatures in the world apply. Costume designer Erik Teague smartly avoids the obvious, opting instead to mix animal characteristics with modern sartorial symbols — the glamorous Unicorn hoofs it in Lady Gaga’s famous heel-less boot and a ponderously slouchy hippo wears a hoodie and baseball hat.
The children’s chorus, beautifully on pitch and absolutely charming whether playing sheep or a menacing snake, rounded out a solid cast of adult ringers. Ian McEuen’s lyric tenor and Wei Wu’s incisive bass complemented their engaging performances in supporting roles, while mezzo-soprano Catherine Martin sang luxuriously as Mary (although her rough handling of the baby Jesus was enough to make one wince).
So if Tesori’s first crack at her opera needs some tweaking (as have countless premiered works before it), there’s still plenty of enchantment to engage audiences of all ages. The children present on opening night laughed loudly and clapped excitedly as various animals pranced across the stage or Mary gave birth to that oh-so-special child, but it wasn’t just the kids who were swept up in the story. In a season that often feels overblown and out of touch, the tale of a simple person discovering the gifts that lie within him feels like the best holiday present of all.
The DC Center for the LGBTQ Community, SMYAL and Rainbow Families sponsored Gay Day at the Zoo on Sunday at the Smithsonian National Zoo. The Smithsonian marked International Family Equality Day with special exhibits and an event space.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Covering Gay Day at the Zoo for @WashBlade . Here at @NationalZooDC pic.twitter.com/LqgGNOOAiM
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) May 5, 2024
Photos
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Annual fundraiser held for LGBTQ youth scholarship, mentorship organization
The Point Foundation held its annual Taste of Point fundraiser at Room & Board on May 2.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Theater
Miss Kitty tackles classical mythology in ‘Metamorphoses’
Folger production seen through the lens of the African diaspora
‘Metamorphoses’
May 7-June 16
Folger Theatre
201 East Capitol St., S.E.
$20-$84
Folger.edu
Miss Kitty’s words are thoughtful and measured, occasionally punctuated by flamboyant flourishes and uplifting proclamations. Her tried and tested tagline is “live in fierce not fear.”
She describes herself as “AMAB (assigned male at birth), nonbinary, genderqueer, transfemme” as well as “chanteuse, noble blacktress, and dancer.”
Currently, Miss Kitty is testing her talents in Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses” at Folger Theatre on Capitol Hill.
At 90 minutes, “Metamorphoses,” is made up of interwoven vignettes from classical mythology including the tales of Midas and his daughter, Alcyone and Ceyx, and Eros and Psyche.
“It’s all stories that relate to the human condition: the follies, the happiness, the love, the loss,” Miss Kitty explains. “And a thorough knowledge of mythology isn’t a requirement for enjoyment.”
The language is contemporary and with its 11-person ensemble cast – comprised exclusively of Black or indigenous people of color – they’re adding their own spin to its present-day feel, she adds.
In Zimmerman’s famously staged premiere production, the actors performed in and around a pool of water. At Folger, director Psalmayene 24 has ditched actual aquatics; instead, he suggests the element by introducing Water Nymph, a new character constructed around Miss Kitty.
Water Nymph doesn’t speak, but she’s very visible from the opening number and throughout the play on stage and popping up in unexpected places around the venue.
“It’s a lot of dancing; I haven’t danced the way Tony Thomas is choreographing me in a very long time. At 40, can she still make theater with just my body as her instrument?
The name “Miss Kitty” was born over a decade ago.
Miss Kitty recalls, “She was still presenting as male and going by her dead name. Someone commented that with the wig she was wearing for a part, she looked like Eartha Kitt whom she deeply admires.”
Her penchant for illeism (referring to oneself in third person) isn’t without good reason. She explains, “It’s to reiterate that however she might look, she’s always there; and if you misgender, she will let you know.”
Initially, the moniker was a drag persona at Capital Pride or the occasional fabulous cabaret performance at a nightclub.
But as time passed, she realized that Miss Kitty was something she couldn’t take off. She had always been a part of her.
“She’s helped me to grow and flourish; she’s given me the strength that I never would have had before. I’m so proud of myself for realizing that before it was too late.”
Bringing Miss Kitty into her theatrical career presented some concerns. Would theater folks be open to the new her, especially those she’d worked with before?
Not always, but she’s found new companies who’ve welcomed Miss Kitty with open arms including Avant Bard, Spooky Action Theater, and now Folger.
Last fall, Miss Kitty appeared in Spooky Action’s Agreste (Drylands), a stunning queer story penned by gay Brazilian playwright Newton Moreno.
After being invited to audition and reading the script, Miss Kitty was determined to be a part of the production.
A work dealing with love and being trans, and transphobia, and how people can turn on a dime once they learn the truth about someone, resonated deeply with the actor.
“The play speaks to the idea that if people just let people be who they are and love who they want to love we’d all be a lot happier,” she says.
For her sublime efforts, Miss Kitty nabbed a Helen Hayes Award nomination in the Outstanding Lead Performer category (winner to be determined on Monday, May 20 during a ceremony at The Anthem).
It’s her first time nominated and first time attending. She’s thrilled.
Miss Kitty grew up in Oxen Hill, Md., and now lives near Washington Harbor. Her entry into performance was through music followed by high school plays. She graduated from Catholic University with a degree in music/concentration in musical theater, and from there dove directly into showbiz.
Looking back, Miss Kitty says, “being a person of color AND queer can be a double whammy of difficulty. You have to live in light and do the things you’re afraid to do. That’s the game changer.”
Presenting “Metamorphoses” through the lens of the African diaspora (the cast also includes Jon Hudson Odom and Billie Krishawn, among others) helps us to realize that every story can be universal, especially for marginalized people — South Asian, Native American, or fully queer perspectives, she says.
“Having an all-Black ensemble opens all new worlds for everyone.”
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