The Turn of the Screw from Batimore, MD (11/16) Report, featuring pixietricks
Just wanted to drop some brief comments on the Peabody Opera Theater’s performance of The Turn of the Screw (note: content forthcoming), written by Henry James and adapted for opera by Benjamin Britten, including Jill “pixietricks” Goldin and her role as 8-year old Flora.
Though likely a staple of many operas, there were at least two instances of four singers at once coming together in what I felt was an indistinct cacophony of voices. Though performed in English, the opera being subtitled was thus a significant help in terms on following the show. A portion of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra provided excellent music through the duration of the story, greatly enhancing the overall mood, especially meaningful given that the stage setup was not overly elaborate.
Before I mention Jill, I felt the rest of the cast was very strong, but Adam Caughey really stood out to me with great voice control and strength in his role as the complete piece of shit child molester Peter Quint. Jill herself was great in her role and the playful and (as the performance wound down) hateful, Flora, really laying it into the character of The Governess in a big moment that left me realizing that this surprisingly dark story would definitely not have the trite happy ending one comes to expect in most stories of good vs. evil. Paraphrasing hint: “I hate you!”
I promised myself I would check out at least one of Jill’s performances before she graduated Peabody, and I’m glad I was able to follow through. The Lady, Jill’s boyfriend Andrew “zircon” Aversa, and fellow Peabody student Doug “DrumUltimA” Perry were all in attendance.
Afterward, I got to meet Jill’s mother briefly, and The Lady and I stayed the night at Jill’s apartment (thanks to me misjudging when the last train to DC ran). Talking to the judgy couple, I put on my radio host cap and inquired about both pixie and zirc’s histories in obtaining professional work, something that a lot of artists their age aren’t really good enough for or (when good enough) aggressive enough in pursuing while college undergrads. I’m always interested in that kind of stuff.
Leaving this morning for DC, it’s off to AnimeUSA in Arlington, VA for today’s OverClocked ReMix panel. I’ll be back later this week to provide a report on that, part of a very busy weekend with the OCR community.