Two Sisters singers to perform in opera

Two Sisters singers - one a veteran of the opera stage, the other a youth hitting the boards for the first time - have been cast in BendOpera's "Vía Láctea, A New Opera in English."

The opera is based on Bend poet and writer Ellen Waterston's verse novel, "Via Lactea: A Woman of a Certain Age Walks the Camino," inspired by her own pilgrimage. Waterston converted the novel to a libretto, and composer Rebecca Oswald wrote the music.

Nancy Engebretson, a principal of OperaBend, is the director.

Jeanne Wentworth debuted with Eve Queler's Opera Orchestra of New York as Henrichetta in "I Puritani" and with the Spoleto Festival USA in "Der Prinz von Homburg." Her credits include performances with Dayton Opera, including Mercedes in "Carmen," Hansel in "Hansel and Gretel," Zweite Dame in "Die Zauberflöte," and many more.

She is finding her role as Camino Woman - an ageless, Mother Earth figure - a unique experience, especially as the singing is in English.

"It's hard," she said. "It's so much harder because it's not a 'pretty' language."

The poetry uses words that are not in everyday usage. Wentworth sings nine songs in the opera.

"It's very hard to sing," she said.

But at the same time, it's exciting.

"It's not your typical opera," Wentworth explained. "It's got salsa, jazz. It is a fun, comedic opera.... I love it because it's never been done before. I love the music; I love the character. It's amazing."

Wentworth recommended that 12-year-old Ashton King audition for a role, and he landed one as an altar boy in the boys' chorus, where he will perform three songs.

It is Ashton's first experience on stage.

"He just really enjoys singing," his mother, Jennifer King, said. "The music is catchy - it gets in your head. Just to be part of something like that is going to be a really neat experience for him."

When they were interviewed, Wentworth and King had had one week of rehearsal under their belts. Ashton said he was already enjoying the experience.

Wentworth, too, is enjoying herself - and has identified another key difference from her previous experience on the opera stage: "Everyone is so freakin' nice instead of the New York mentality."

"Vía Láctea, A New Opera in English" will have its world premiere on the stage of Bend's Tower Theatre June 10-12. That means that the rehearsal schedule will intensify.

And the performers hope that June 12 is not the end of the camino for the production.

"The hope is it's going to be picked up to go other places," Wentworth said.

Tickets are available at www.towertheatre.org or by calling the box office at 541-317-0700.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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