Dimitri Pittas in Concert

T’was the night before a chilly Sunday in January when I received a Facebook message from Aunt Countess alerting me to a concert at a nearby church. Why was it so special ? Dimitri Pittas, tenor, was performing a recital and the name seemed all too familiar. Scraping the midsection of my mind, I quickly recalled the name from when I had seen Otello in 2015. Dimitri Pittas sang Cassio in the performance. “Getting the chance to see a real life opera singer in person…?” Oh, yes, I HAD to go !

Željko Lučić as Iago and Dimitri Pittas as Cassio in Otello / Metropolitan Opera

For a knockout deal of $10, I stepped into the church to find Dimitri and his accompanist (and heavily pregnant) wife, Leah, chatting with audience members as they meandered into the sanctuary. The program consisted of classical favorites translated into English as well as some sports-themed selections, which carried more mirth and appropriateness than expected: NFL playoff games were occurring simultaneously and once during a break between songs, Dimitri hollered for an updated score of the Green Bay/Atlanta game.

Wrapping up the concert with “Una furtiva lagrima” from L’Elisir d’Amore and “Maria” from West Side Story, a reception of prepared foods and punch followed. And it was here that I had my moment to jest: as a die-hard New York Yankees fan, Dimitri glowered in frustration as I broke the news of my devotion to the Boston Red Sox. So prickled was he that in between chats about growing a beard for the role of Cassio and Thanksgiving dinner with Željko Lučić, he stopped to abruptly turn and greet Jennifer as she waited her turn to speak. I folded in half with laughter.

Dimitri was a good sport, all in all, and even allowed me to take a picture with him. Too bad that the one and only photo I have of meeting a real life opera singer is of inferior quality. Oh, well… It will have to suffice.

A last minute plan turned out to be a thrilling afternoon. I bubbled with pride and giddiness as I regaled my friends with the details of the concert. And best of all… I MET AN OPERA SINGER !!!!

Toi, Toi, Toi,

Mary Martha

Cast and Credits

Dimitri Pittas in Concert
First Presbyterian Church
Lakeland, FL
Date: January 22, 2017

Dimitri Pittas ─ tenor
Leah Edwards ─ piano

Otello

It was an easy decision. After my spellbinding first opera experience with Il Trovatore, I couldn’t wait to shell out another $24 at the ticket booth for a following Verdi tragedy 2 weeks later, Otello. Intriguingly, it was Otello that jumped out at me the most when viewing the Live in HD schedule in the summer of 2015: the drama based on Shakespeare’s play could have easily been my first opera. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

Aleksandrs Antonenko in a promotional photo for Verdi’s Otello / Metropolitan Opera

Bartlett Sher’s production, with frosted Lucite walls that were supposed to be a spoof from a quote by Verdi’s librettist about enclosing Otello in a glass house, mimicked frozen blocks of ice rather than the intended domicile of transparency. They were cold, lifeless, and ineffective from my point of view.

Željko Lučić as Iago in Otello / Metropolitan Opera

The cast was decent with a liquid Željko Lučić and a piercingly chill Sonya Yoncheva (fitting for the icy production), but I felt Otello suffered from an identity crisis: with his clothing and styling (not to mention his lack of blackface) just as drab as all the secondary characters and chorus, there was nothing to distinguish him among the throngs of people on stage. Shouldn’t he have looked more… Moorish ?

Dmitri Pittas (far right) as Cassio and Aleksandrs Antonenko (center) as Otello / Metropolitan Opera

While Desdemona’s final “Muoio innocente” was moving, I was left underwhelmed by the overall performance. Still, my exuberant, newfound interest in opera was undeterred by this small nick in the grand scheme of things.

Sonya Yoncheva as Desdemona in Otello / Metropolitan Opera

Dressing up for my first opera was almost as much fun as seeing the performance itself. There’s something vicarious and invigorating about feeling fancy as if you, yourself, are a part of the opera by the clothes you choose to wear. To my second opera, however, I wanted to “theme” my outfit for the sunny Venetian locale of Otello and Desdemona’s spotless disposition. “Something golden, something demure…” I mused.

Othello Relating His Adventures to Desdemona

The scarves and skirts of my closet were paraded in breezy seaside style as I toyed with layering and softly blending color schemes. I used my standby gold tank top, which I wore to Il Trovatore, and slipped on a long white linen skirt. Then the fun began. A metallic gold thread woven through the pinky-peach and cream striped scarf gave glints of gentility and coastal charm. When I tied its fringed ends together into a loose side knot, the effect was just right… at least for an outfit made from scarves and skirts !

A pair of lace gloves (thank you, Aunt Countess !), antique gold rings (such a faux pas when worn with gloves ─ fie, me !), and just the right assortment of necklaces and earrings helped me feel right at home as Desdemona. Do I look as if I’m about to be strangled ?

I styled my hair in a “twisted sections pinned up and back” sort of style. Nothing fancy, but very elegant when clipped together with a gold flower hair accessory.

An outfit for free, a better-than-front-row-seat ticket for $24… Enjoying the thrills of opera and the emulation of one of Shakespeare’s most virtuous heroines doesn’t have to be a ship-sinking occasion. If only the production of Otello had fared better…

Toi, Toi, Toi,

Mary Martha

Cast and Credits:

Otello ─ Giuseppe Verdi (1887)
Live in HD air date: October 17, 2015

Cast:
Otello ─ Aleksandrs Antonenko
Desdemona ─ Sonya Yoncheva
Iago ─ Željko Lučić
Emilia ─ Jennifer Johnson Cano
Cassio ─ Dmitri Pittas
Roderigo ─ Chad Shelton
Lodovico ─ Günther Groissböck
Montano ─ Jeff Mattsey
A herald ─ Tyler Duncan

Credits:
Conductor ─ Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Production ─ Bartlett Sher
Set Designer ─ Es Devlin
Costume Designer ─ Catherine Zuber
Lighting Designer ─ Donald Holder
Projection Designer ─ Luke Halls
Live in HD Director ─ Gary Halvorson
Host ─ Eric Owens