Francesca Zambello at Glimmerglass Opera Photo by Claire McAdams
News
Changing of the Guard at the Glimmerglass
WNYC's Kerry Nolan talks to Francesca Zambello for WQXR, the New York area classical radio station. Accompanying the short interview is a slideshow featuring images of Glimmerglass, and a look at a small portion of Zambello's recent body of work.
On June 8th, the BP Summer Screening of Carmen took place on giant screens at fourteen locations throughout Britain, from Trafalgar Square (pictured) to Aberdeen, Plymouth and Norwich. The performance was part of a live country-wide sing-along, led by Gareth Malone from BBC's "The Choir." People at all 14 locations across the UK were able to sing "The Toreador Song" from Carmen, and immerse themselves fully in the performance.
Francesca Zambello backstage with Carmen's Polly the Donkey on the night of filming for the 3D screening.
Fatal Attraction: Carmen in China (Nancy Pellegrini, Time Out Beijing/Time Out Shanghai)
"Under the guidance of directorial demigod Francesca Zambello, the National Centre for the Performing Arts is not merely co-presenting, but co-producing its first international opera...this is Carmen the way Bizet intended. Never settle again."
Glimmerglass Opera Hires a New Artistic Director (Daniel J. Wakin, The New York Times)
"Francesca Zambello, a busy opera and musical theater director whose work has ranged from Disney's Little Mermaid to Wagner's Ring cycle, has been hired as the general and artistic director of the Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, N.Y., the company said on Thursday. Ms. Zambello will succeed Michael MacLeod, who said in February he would leave this year after five seasons. Ms. Zambello, who is also artistic adviser to the San Francisco Opera, has directed productions at the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, the Paris Opera and other major companies. Glimmerglass presents four productions a summer."
Review: 'Little House' a slice of nostalgia that won't disappoint (Carrie T. Gruman-Trinkner, The [Appleton, Wisconsin] Post-Crescent)
"...Audience members may go for the nostalgia. Or they may attend because the beloved Half-Pint (Melissa Gilbert) of the series is touring in the show in the role of Ma. However, the star turn aside, this show is well written, well produced and well performed. While the music is unfamiliar, there are several songs that are simply lovely, too."
"...Teach the Wind alone would be worth the price of admission. This moment wrenches the heart. Bravo."
"The production as a whole is a success. It is difficult to bring to the stage such well-known and beloved characters, but this cast will disappoint no one. The ensemble is tight, the portrayals true."
"Do not stay away because you are afraid that the show will spoil the nostalgia of youth. Rather attend and remember, and see a new version of the beloved Ingalls. This version will not disappoint."
Zambello to Head Glimmerglass Opera (Kate Taylor, The Wall Street Journal)
"Glimmerglass Opera, the 35-year-old summer opera festival in Cooperstown, N.Y., has named Francesca Zambello as its general and artistic manager, replacing Michael MacLeod. Ms. Zambello, who has worked at many of the world's major opera houses and also directed Disney's The Little Mermaid on Broadway, will likely give the small company, which presents four operas a season, a higher profile."
""I have been after her for, oh, most of the decade," Sherwin Goldman, president of Glimmerglass's board, said in a phone interview. He said that Ms. Zambello will assume her post in September and will announce soon after a "major overhaul" of the company. Asked what that might entail, Mr. Goldman said, "I think some exciting breakthroughs of new ways to consider how to produce a festival." He added: "Everything's on the table.""
"Ms. Zambello, who has described herself in interviews as a populist and an evangelist for opera, has reportedly been on the short-list in the past for top jobs at the Royal Opera House and the English National Opera. She was also said to have been considered to run New York City Opera when its director, Paul Kellogg retired in 2007. (City Opera ultimately chose Gerard Mortier, a flamboyant European impresario, who later parted ways with the company before fully assuming the post.)"
"Ms. Zambello's work is well known beyond opera circles. In addition to The Little Mermaid, she directed a live adaptation of Aladdin for Disney's California Adventure theme park in Anaheim, Calif. She helmed a musical production of Little House on the Prairie that is currently touring the United States. A musical version of the Daphne du Maurier novel Rebecca that she directed played in Vienna for three years. A new production of Rebecca, directed by Michael Blakemore and co-directed by Ms. Zambello, will open in London next spring, subject to theater availability, according to Ben Sprecher, one of the producers, and on Broadway in 2012."
Melissa Gilbert on The Today Show
Melissa Gilbert was on The Today Show on February 5, 2010, talking with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb about Little House on the Prairie — The Musical. Click on the image below to watch the segment:
Long wait rewarded with near-perfect production (Barney Zwartz, (Melbourne's) The Age)
"...Opera Australia reigned with [Zambello's] ''Lady Macbeth'...We waited years for Opera Australia to bring this magnificent production and it was sensational — the standout production in a strong year for the art form in this city. The menace and brutality of Soviet village life was brilliantly brought to life, while the score brought shivers to the spine...I will run short of superlatives before the end of this article, but English soprano Susan Bullock, Australian bass Daniel Sumegi, conductor Richard Armstrong and director Francesca Zambello deserve plenty."
The Tsarina's Slippers comes to Covent Garden
Francesca Zambello directs The Royal Opera House's production of Tchaikovsky's Cherevichki (The Tsarina's Slippers), opening on November 20 at Covent Garden. Alexander Polianichko conducts, sets are by Mikhail Mokrov, and choreography is by Alastair Marriott. Watch the trailer by clicking the link below:
''Little House on the Prairie' Review (Matt Windman, TheaterMania.com)
"Zambello's staging includes many striking group portraits, such as an opening image of the cast as it journeys forward into an uncertain future, and quick transitions in between scenes..."
''Little House on the Prairie, The Musical' website now live!
Gershwin's genius vividly displayed in 'Porgy' at S.F. Opera (Richard Scheinin, Silicon Valley Mercury News)
"...Director Francesca Zambello's production, previously presented by companies in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago, is spiritual transportation...The pace of Zambello's direction is dazzling. The virtuoso dancing — choreography by Denni Sayers — is jubilant. The sets, reflecting Zambello's decision to move the action from the 1920s to the 1950s, are remarkable: A multi-story tenement dominates; it's an urban trap...After its initial hourlong outburst, the opera grows choppier, more like a Broadway-style revue. But what a revue! And the finale, with Porgy, chasing after his Bess, unfaithful Bess, singing "O Lawd, I'm on My Way," with the chorus flooding in behind him — it's a redemptive kiss."
Chauncey Packer as the drug-dealing Sportin' Life in SF Opera's production of Porgy & Bess.
Photo by Cory Weaver, used courtesy of San Francisco Opera
'Porgy': This should be a repertory staple (Edward Ortiz, The Sacramento Bee)
"...The many layers of this masterwork were fully rendered Tuesday evening at the War Memorial Opera House in Francesca Zambello's tasteful Washington National Opera production. The crisp staging conjured a world filled with the longing and resentment that rattles the frustrated inhabitants of a sweat-drenched Southern seaside tenement...The almost democratic nature of this opera, with its fervent use of the chorus, makes Porgy and Bess a truly "American" work. And this production goes a long way toward pumping the idea that Porgy should be performed as regularly as any work written by Verdi or Puccini."
Francesca Zambello's 'Porgy & Bess' a religious experience at SFO opening (Cindy Warner, Examiner.com)
"...Director Francesca Zambello's Porgy & Bess received a standing O when it opened last night at SFO, a big production with a big heart. Siggy Seigel, a chorister, had told me long ago, "Francesca cares about the performers and that's why they try to do their best for her," and did they ever..."
Opera Review: Powerful 'Porgy and Bess' (Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle)
"...Sure, everyone can hum along with the famous and regularly excerpted numbers from this massive melodic storehouse...But to experience Porgy as the full-bore theatrical work it was meant to be — a voluminous and meticulously researched musical portrait of an impoverished but vibrant African American community on the South Carolina coast — is a rarer opportunity. And the San Francisco production, persuasively led by conductor John DeMain and sung by a strong cast headed by Eric Owens and Laquita Mitchell in the title roles, does full justice to the musical riches of Gershwin's score...This production, directed by Francesca Zambello, emphasizes the communal aspects of the piece by placing the entire world of Catfish Row within what looks like a decaying industrial warehouse..."
Siegfried at the Washington National Opera
A short clip from the Washington National Opera's Siegfried, directed by Francesca Zambello, running from 2 through 17 May.
Little House Tour to Play Tennessee, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Florida, Texas and More in 2009-2010 (Andrew Gans, Playbill.com)
"...the musical will play a five-week engagement at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ, prior to launching its national tour at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul.
"The St. Paul engagement will begin Oct. 13 and will play the Ordway Theater through Oct. 25. Following St. Paul, Little House will be seen in Nashville, Denver, Omaha, Raleigh, Sacramento and Toronto, among other cities.
"The musical based on the Laura Ingalls Wilder series of classic American books will star Melissa Gilbert — who rose to fame as Laura in the NBC television series "Little House on the Prairie" — as Ma with Steve Blanchard as Pa and Kara Lindsay as Laura.
"Little House on the Prairie boasts direction by The Little Mermaid'sFrancesca Zambello. The new musical features a book by Tony Award winner Rachel Sheinkin (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), music by Academy Award winner Rachel Portman ("Emma") and lyrics by Donna DiNovelli. Kevin Stites is the music supervisor, and Michele Lynch is the choreographer.
"Little House, according to press notes, "is the uplifting story of an American family forging a new life amidst the mighty challenges, heartbreaks, joys and triumphs that face them in the newly-settled heartland. It is also the story of young Laura Ingalls, as she begins her life as a young woman, finding purpose, and finding love. Above all, it is the celebration of the pioneering spirit and the core values on which this country was founded — a spirit that still resonates today."
"The design team includes set designer Adrianne Lobel, lighting designer Mark McCullough and costume designer Tony winner Jess Goldstein."
'Little House' is on the Move (Patrick Healy, The New York Times ArtsBeat Blog)
"Saddle up the horses, Pa: The Ingalls wagon train is leaving the prairie and going national.
"The new musical Little House on the Prairie, based on the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder, will run for five weeks at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, N.J., in September and October and then immediately go on tour for performances in more than 30 cities through 2010, including Denver, Toronto, Houston, Tempe and Sacramento. The tour will begin at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul. The musical — which stars Melissa Gilbert (who played Laura on the "Little House" television series) — sold out all 12 weeks of its world-premiere run last summer at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, where it broke box-office records. The project was created and directed by Francesca Zambello (who directed Broadway's The Little Mermaid) and has a book by Rachel Sheinkin (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and music by Rachel Portman, who won an Academy Award for best original score for Emma."
A compelling tour of Catfish Row at Lyric (John von Rhein, The Chicago Tribune)
"Those of us who despaired of ever hearing George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess at Lyric Opera have been rewarded for our patience as the Lyric presents this enduring slice of American verismo for the first time, in a joyous and compelling production. The company could not have chosen a timelier moment to stage the great American opera whose performance history has been founded on the aspirations of African-Americans. Notice, if you will, how a strong musical performance and Francesca Zambello's fluid, cinematic direction (Denni Sayers supplies the terrific choreography) serve each other's best interests...Zambello makes a real community out of Catfish Row, filled with flesh-and-blood individuals living out their ordinary lives within Peter J. Davison's beautifully ramshackle designs."
Francesca Zambello interviewed by WFMT's (Chicago) Andrew Patner
Andrew Patner welcomed Francesca Zambello on his November 17 show, where they talked about Lyric Opera of Chicago's first-ever presentations of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Click here to listen to the interview.
Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House has produced a short promotional video for their 2008 production of Don Giovanni, including clips of an interview with Francesca Zambello. Click here, or on the image above, to see the video on the Royal Opera House's website.
Little House on a Big Stage: Ma, Pa and Half Pint Now Sing on That Prairie (Patrick Healy, The New York Times)
"Laura, Nellie and Almanzo. Charles and Caroline Ingalls. The wide open land, the unforgiving climate, the death of a baby boy. The characters and stories of "Little House on the Prairie" have delighted readers and television viewers for generations, but now they are being put to a test not unlike a cruel Midwestern winter: Will they thrive in the forbidding world of new American musicals?
"After four years of fits and starts, previews for the premiere of "Little House on the Prairie," the musical, began on Saturday at the Guthrie Theater here, in the part of the world that Laura Ingalls Wilder chronicled in her books of the 1930s and '40s.
"While "Little House" is perhaps best known from the Michael Landon TV series that began more than 30 years ago, and a star of that show is taking part in the new one, the producers have gone back to the books seeking a story of family, journey and rebellion that will, they hope, suit 21st-century audiences.
""Creating a musical is a challenge, no question, but especially one that so many people will have expectations about because of their love for the books and the TV show," said Francesca Zambello, who is the director and main creative force of the production. "But we have very high hopes."
"The project began in 2004 when Ms. Zambello, a well-known opera director who has also staged many musicals, including the current Broadway production of "The Little Mermaid," decided she wanted to create a family musical. Ms. Zambello said she felt the pioneer adventure and the defiant Laura would prove popular with musical audiences. "The story goes to core American values, the search for the American soul, and I think that will resonate at a time when the religious right and the current administration are still trying to kidnap those values," said Ms. Zambello, who lives in New York City. "We show the dark side of life too, the foreign Swedes and Norwegians coming into the heartland, which reminds us of the immigration crisis today," she added. "And the lessons Laura learns: near the end, Ma sings a song called 'Wild Child,' telling Laura to embrace that side of herself, that it's O.K. for a girl to be who you are, be different, be independent while still drawing on her family."
"As she lined up producers, Ms. Zambello presented her vision for the musical and presented two songs for representatives of the Ingalls Wilder estate. They approved, and workshops of the piece were held in New York. To heighten the project's commercial appeal, Ms. Zambello reached out to Ms. Gilbert, despite the concern that Ms. Gilbert is not an experienced singer.
"...Laura's rivalry with Nellie — as girls on the prairie, as love interests for the hunky Almanzo Wilder — also helped address an abiding concern of the director, Ms. Zambello: whether the musical would have enough dramatic tension. While Laura Ingalls can be unruly and has to deal with her sister Mary's blindness and the harsh Dakota winters, the early drafts of dialogue and scenes had a mildness that might have dulled audiences, the director said.
"The first day of ticket sales for "Little House" was an event at the Guthrie. Long lines formed hours early; many women came with their young daughters; Guthrie staff blogged live about the day on the theater's Web site, guthrietheater.org, capturing the thrill of girls meeting Ms. Gilbert and Ms. Lindsay. The production will run for 12 weeks, double the length of a normal Guthrie run, a reflection of audience interest thus far.
"Though the show's producers might be dreaming of an eventual transfer to Broadway, this "Little House" does not feel like a typical New York musical event. The orchestra is dominated by strings and the fiddle. Rachel Portman, who wrote the score, said she sought to evoke a spirit of Americana and homesteading, though she is mainly an opera writer from London who was largely unfamiliar with the books and television series. The lyrics are by Donna di Novelli."
Francesca Zambello featured in video profile on In The Life
In The Life, the nationally broadcast, award-winning public television program that takes an in-depth look at the people, issues, and policies that shape the gay experience, has produced a profile on Francesca Zambello. The program can be seen on public television (check your local listings), and can also be viewed in its entirety on their website: http://inthelifetv.org/html/episodes/60.html.
Also on In the Life, an additional 6:10 reel described as follows: "In this charming and informal, "outtake" the internationally-famed director of grand opera and the theater, Francesca Zambello reflects with her partner of 18+ years, Pulitzer-Prize winning cultural critic, Manuela Hoelterhoff, about their first anxious encounters and early inter-continental courtship. The sequel sees a major power-couple of the arts away from the lights and the prima donnas in the relative "tranquility" of their homes."
Carmen live on screen throughout Britain
"...Audience members may go for the nostalgia. Or they may attend because the beloved Half-Pint (Melissa Gilbert) of the series is touring in the show in the role of Ma. However, the star turn aside, this show is well written, well produced and well performed. While the music is unfamiliar, there are several songs that are simply lovely, too."
Francesca Zambello interviewed by WFMT's (Chicago) Andrew Patner
