“JOurney North Opera Company (JNOC) Presents Minnesota Premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s 2018 Opera To prove himself at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis, November 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and November 13 at 2 p.m. Directed by Amanda Carlson, musical direction by Brian Dowdy.

In their first stage production since 2019 The Rape of LucretiusJourney North Opera is delighted to present To prove himself – a new American opera from pioneering composer Missy Mazzoli: the Zegner family have fulfilled nearly every stipulation of the American Homestead Act of 1862 – a turf house, acres of grain, five years of harvest – not to mention crushing sacrifices what they have ‘made while trying to survive a years-long drought… only one crucial element remains before they become owners: a rare and fragile glass window must adorn their mound of parched earth.”

Cast:

Miles Zegner – David Walton The Sodbuster – Alex Barnett Mr. Johannes “Pa” Zegner – Joel Mathias Mrs. Johannes “Ma” Zegner – Amy Wolf Taller Zegner Daughter – Alyssa Burdick Littler Zegner Daughter – Kristina Butler Peter Zegner – Joe Allen Nore – Kelly Nelson

Creative team:

Director – Amanda Carlson Musical Director and Conductor – Brian Dowdy Producer – Colleen Meier Collaborating Pianist – Jared Miller Stage Manager – Ajah Williams Violence Choreographer – Mason Tyer Costume Designer – Stacey Palmer Set Designer – Todd Edwards Lighting Designer – Kyia Britts Makeup Designer – Colleen Meier

It was the first time I had seen a Journey North Opera Company production. They did this production at the Southern Theater. I’ve been to the Southern Theater for concerts so it was interesting to see the space used for an opera.

The opera house had a live orchestra on the left stage, and the rest of the stage was used for scenery and performance space. The set which was a turf house and burial place, fence and wooden animals created a realistic feel inside the space along with the costumes and makeup, it gave a dark sense of the period.

The talent was great. All the performers had great chemistry and were attached to their characters. The score had beautiful music and the story was haunting yet gripping. They all had splendid voices that worked well in the space that had surprisingly good acoustics for opera. The captions were displayed well and clearly on the back wall. The opera was sung in English but I think even if the opera is sung in English it helps. The opera lasted only 70 minutes without intermission. This would be a great opera opportunity for someone who may have never seen opera before or may be new to the opera scene.

J

Thank you Journey North Opera Company for a wonderful production! We can’t wait to see more!

For more information on Journey North Opera Company and upcoming productions, please click on the ticket link button below.

Photos by Loco/FX Photography