Regional opera companies always take a pause before they produce operas by Richard Wagner. The German composer has a big reputation for grand titles that unfold at a snail’s pace. Wagner’s famous “Ring” cycle, divided into four separate chapters, takes up to 15 hours to sing, and companies — when they take it on — often perform it over multiple nights.
That reputation can keep audiences from signing up to hear any of his music. “There is an image out there of Wagner only as the “Ring” cycle, this long, heavy epic that moves slowly over time,” said Opera Colorado general and artistic director Greg Carpenter.
But, as Carpenter points out, there is more to the composer than plodding plot lines and marathon nights at the opera house. There is also “The Flying Dutchman,” a musical folktale that is more like one of the free-wheeling, emotionally indulgent, 19th-century opera warhorses — think Verdi or Rossini — that contemporary audiences love.
“Wagner was very influenced by Verdi in his early years, and this piece has much more of an Italian feel to it,” said Carpenter.
The company is bringing back the opera for the first time since 2008, when it staged a concert performance. The piece returns Feb. 24-March 3 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the company’s home in the Denver Performing Arts Complex.
The narrative of “The Flying Dutchman” is based on an old Nordic tale and “unfolds as a cursed captain and his ghostly crew sail the seas for eternity, condemned to never rest until he finds someone who can be true to him,” as the show’s synopsis puts it. There is no saying how long this singing maritime band has been sailing or when it might find peace.
Until, as the opera unravels, he encounters a woman named Senta, who is “determined to break the curse through her unwavering devotion.” There are twists and turns to the plot until we find out if she is successful or not. Since many people here have not actually heard this opera, we will keep the ending unspoiled.
The opera is traditionally set in the period of sailing ships and maritime commerce, the era of ye olde port cities and pirates. But this production, searching for a new way to dig into Wagner, chose to move things to the present day. And why not? It is supposed to be a timeless tale; there is no rule that it has to be a period piece.
It is a bold choice, but one that makes easy sense.
So audiences will get a first act, set at sea, and two final acts, set in something that Carpenter describes as a “21st-century Eastern seaboard fishing village.” It will feel contemporary. The company hopes this update will make the story’s emotional elements resonate in a more personal way for people sitting in the seats.
The novel adaptation required a whole new production. Opera companies often rent sets and props from previous versions staged elsewhere to cut expenses. Opera Colorado is starting from scratch here.
The challenge of creating scenery that spans the ages is going to set designer Alan E. Muraoka, costume designer Madison Booth and lighting designer Kendall Smith. Kathleen Smith Belcher is directing.
As with most of Opera Colorado’s offerings, in-house music director Ari Pelto will be on the podium in front of the orchestra.
New productions can be costly to produce, but Opera Colorado has its eyes on potential future revenue. Since “Dutchman” is not done so frequently around the globe, there are not a lot of existing sets for companies to rent.
This show is being designed to be portable and attractive to other “Dutchman” producers down the road. The whole show can be reduced to a kit that can be shipped in a single truck. Companies will just need to add their own singers to replace the cast in Denver.
That, by the way, includes Icelandic baritone Olafur Sigurdarson, who last sang here in 2018 when he took the title role in “Falstaff.” Soprano Marcy Stonikas will sing Senta. The cast also includes tenor Chad Shelton and bass Harold Wilson. There is a chorus, too, in this case directed by Sahar Nouri.
Future companies will also need to buy into Opera Colorado’s unique setting in the present time. It’s a leap, no doubt, and this month’s performances will likely show how well it works. For his part, Carpenter is all confidence.
“What’s important here is we are still telling the exact same story,” said Carpenter. “But we are elevating it in a way that makes it believable.”
IF YOU GO
Opera Colorado will perform “The Flying Dutchman” Feb. 24-March 3, at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Tickets and info: 303-468-2030 or operacolorado.org.
