In complete darkness, we hear howls, shrieks and yelps. Are we in the jungle? No; when the lights come on, we find ourselves among that most peculiar variety of the human animal—would-be opera singers preparing their instruments for an audition. In Thank You. NEXT? , we witness a dozen men and women—of different levels of talent, experience and age—tell their personal stories, wait impatiently for their turn to shine and size one another up.
Fifteen songs were composed by Tim Rebers in this, his first commissioned work, with lyrics supplied by seasoned opera singer and poet Alicia Berneche. The actual auditions are heard through a closed door in an adjacent room—arias by Rossini, Verdi, Puccini and so forth. For the most part, the singing throughout was on-mark, the characters believable, the acting convincing, the triumphs and tragedies readily shared and understood.
“He Doesn’t Want Me to Sing,” superbly rendered by Tanya Kruse Ruck, relates how her pursuit of singing roles is far from supported by her husband. “My Phone,” sung by Edson Melendez, betrays an inner loneliness. “Singing is Expensive,” a cast number, tells of the toll—financial and otherwise—seeking an opera career can take on you. All-in-all, Thank You. NEXT? is a wonderful piece of new chamber opera.
Thank You. NEXT? was performed by the Milwaukee Opera Theatre June 23-26 at the 10th Street Theatre. For more information about MOT productions, visit milwaukeeoperatheatre.org.
