If you had to condense the history and scope of opera in Austin into two words (a pretty outlandish concept, but work with me), those words would likely be
Jess Walters. This esteemed singer, director, and teacher has done more to present operas, develop artists, and generally further the operatic arts in this city for more years than just about anyone else, living or not. He has contributed his rich, round bass-baritone to numerous productions in both local theatres and some of the grandest opera houses around the globe. For years and years, he has taught voice in the
UT Austin School of Music. (His current title is Professor Emeritus, but weighty as that is, it hasn't stopped him from teaching.) He created and drove the chamber opera program at
Capitol City Playhouse in the Eighties. (I count myself among the folks who really got their first taste of opera through those shows, and I credit them with sparking my interest in the form.) And he continues to be an ardent patron, attending local productions and serving on the boards and committees of various civic groups. Because he has done so much -- and still does so much -- one of the organizations which has benefited so greatly from his activism is offering him a Gala Musical Tribute.
The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin, for whom Walters occasionally sings and sits on the Advisory Board, is presenting a special program featuring friends of the great operatic artists and some of the finest singers in the city, including cast members from the recent G&S Society production of
The Mikado, performing for him and his dear wife Emma, both of whom are soon to be nonagenarians. It's a grand occasion for a grand fellow, without whom the face of Austin's cultural community would be greatly diminished. The event takes place Friday, October 16, 8pm, at the Helm Fine Art Center, St. Stephen's School. Tickets are $25. Call 454-TIXS for info.
Getting Seen
UT Department of Theatre & Dance director Michael Bloom has been at it again, winning applause and acclaim for a production he directed. This time, it was the Huntington Theatre Company production of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, the historical drama by Moisés Kaufman that has pretty much taken the American stage by storm. (It's one of the most-produced plays in the U.S. this season.) Bloom, who heads the department's Acting and Directing programs, staged the show for the opening of the Huntington's season, and the result was a smash, with the Boston Globe's Ed Siegel proclaiming the production "first-class" and "unmissable." Next up for Bloom is a pairing of two David Mamet plays, The Cryptogram and The Old Neighborhood in rep at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in December. This will be the L.A. premiere of both plays and the first time the two will have been produced together. P.S. The local premiere of Gross Indecency will be produced by Live Oak Theatre and is scheduled to open in January.
A cast album for the musical Avenue X was released last month, and the liner notes include a quote by the late David Mark Cohen from a review he wrote for The Texas Triangle. It's an especially nice way for Cohen's words to live on, given his love of musicals and the strength of the local staging of that particular show. As if you don't remember, the show was produced by the Zachary Scott Theatre Center and directed by Dave Steakley.
