Nov. 8, in a convivial opera house housed in a renovated midtown home that was once a 1915 church., local singers will deliver a rare concert reading of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Luisa Miller.”
“It was a choice based on a wonderful opera that’s rarely performed,” said Barbara Pritchard, soprano, cofounder and co-director of Passion Project: Opera! “The music is really wonderful, so we were kind of surprised that it’s an opera that’s not performed more often, because it’s Verdi and the music is so sumptuous.”
“Luisa Miller” is a three-act opera following the titular Luisa, a commoner and a soldier’s daughter, who falls deeply in love with “Carlo,” real name Rodolpho, son of the powerful local lord Count Walter. Doomed by class differences and ploys by Wurm, the Count’s scheming retainer who is also smitten by Luisa, the forbidden love leads to deception, violence and, ultimately, a fatal misunderstanding.
Those unacquainted with the story are not out of the loop. That’s the mission of Passion Project: Opera!
When co-founder, director and mezzo soprano Korby Myrick was living back east, she became frustrated with the repetitive repertoires of larger opera companies. After moving home to Tucson, Myrick resumed her collaborative relationship with Pritchard, who works in the mental health field and was interested in relating librettos in an emotionally intimate environment. So the two brought their ideas together: unsung operas in unpretentious locales.
“We talked about pursuing this in a relatable way and without repeating the same old repertoire, and then initially started selecting a repertoire that was on a more intimate scale and in a more relatable setting, and that included in her home, which could accommodate something of a crowd.”
After beginning in Korby’s home, the two upgraded to a converted 1915 church in midtown, where a friend of Pritchard’s lived. The two initiated the series with a duet recital in the home’s former sanctuary, which was well received, Pritchard said.
“That’s kind of become our home base in terms of hosting these opera performances,” Pritchard said. “It’s an intimate setting with wonderful acoustics, a wonderful grand piano, and audience members report they love it.”
According to the co-director, both the audience and the cast benefit from the close-quarters venue, which accommodates around 70 audience members.
“As a performer, you’re relating to the audience that’s like 10 feet away, and the audience can see you,” Pritchard said. “And so musically it’s a very relatable and intimate experience, very rewarding. Instead of being on a stage where all you can see is footlights and the audience is, you know, 50 to 100 to 200 feet away.”
After performances, the company typically offers a catered meal with beverages and desserts, encouraging the audience and cast to mingle. As a nonprofit, Passion Project: Opera! concerns itself with cultivating community and bringing Tucsonans together. Pritchard said she plans to improve outreach, bringing the music to schools, retirement communities, and those who can’t make the planned performances. The company platforms local talent, and often collaborates with the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra.
The cast of “Luisa Miller” comprises all Tucson-based singers: 10 chorus members and eight “seasoned” featured singers, including Korby and Pritchard, accompanied by the “fabulous” pianist and assistant musical director Stephanie Mao.
“All of them have stage experience, some who have been featured in prior Passion Project: Opera! performances, others who have been featured in the Arizona Opera performances and other opera companies.”
One of Passion Project: Opera!’s ambitions is to rebuild what Pritchard described as a waning local opera scene. The co-director said that Arizona Opera, the state’s premier company, previously had a greater presence in Tucson — in fact, it was founded in 1971 as the Tucson Opera Company — but has since become “more based in Phoenix.” Both cities have seen a decline in smaller opera companies and productions.
“Our hope is to establish ourselves increasingly as a presence in the opera world in Tucson, and may even extend our presence into Southern Arizona and so on, as we get more of a following and more financial support to extend our presence as well.”
