Don’t miss the rare opportunity to treat yourself to a night at the opera.
The UW Department of Theatre and Dance’s production of Aaron Copland’s “The Tender Land,” directed by Seán Stone, is a wonderful experience, with excellent performances and fantastic music courtesy of Michael Griffith and the orchestra.
The magic of going to the theater is all there. Coming in from the snowy cold, buying your tickets, finding your seats in the warm, stately atmosphere of the main room, waiting for the show to begin—all enhanced by the warmups and tuning of the orchestra, a disparate blend of strings and woodwinds that come together as the lights dim and the audience hushes.
The music of the orchestra, which was a single, unbroken performance with the exception of an intermission, is a great aspect of the show. By continuing throughout the show, even as separate songs come and go, the music ties everything together into an experience that keeps you present and wrapped up in the story.
One moment stood out from the rest of the performance as the orchestra took over during a break in dialogue while Nathan Snyder’s character, a down-on-his-luck wandering hobo, took a brief moment all his own just to enjoy where he was in the sunset afternoon—I have my fair share of woes and worries and they were all replaced by a quiet, simple joy. This was enhanced by a backdrop and lighting techniques that created a finely crafted, gradually shifting change from day to twilight to night.
Copland’s story is quite contemporary and indeed written to be performed by young actors who could more closely relate to its theme of moving into new phases of life and the conflict of the familiar with the unknown. The actors are all outstanding, each embracing their character and presenting more than believable portrayals of wandering hobos, nervous graduates and cantankerous grandpas.
Corinne Landy, who opened the show after the orchestra’s overture, was particularly convincing as an enthusiastically bubbly little sister; Jenna Blazek, who portrayed the lead character the night I was there, displayed spot-on feelings of doubt, anxiety and excitement altogether; and Snyder is the more well-meaning and genial half of the hobo duo along with Kyler Arriola, who has just under too much fun in his role as a lean, crafty, amorous drifter. The whole cast was great, each an integral piece of the whole.
Landry and Snyder incorporated what I’m sure were unintentional fallen hats perfectly into the scene, seeming to act as their characters would rather than recovering from an on-stage accident—with Snyder bashfully replacing his onto his head and adding a flourish to charm a certain love interest during a duet. If it was intentional, that’s just good writing.
Along with the writing and the set, the costumes were a vital piece of creating the feel of a farmstead during the Great Depression. The outfits were well-chosen aside from some colorful modern ties, and the lead’s pants were a little peculiar—high above the waist and yet short enough to reveal utterly scandalous flashes of ankle.
Very rarely during the performance did I find something off-putting, and even then they were only minor distractions. With the orchestra situated in a pit below and between the stage and the audience, the conductor’s baton occasionally flashed into view, but it was a pleasant reminder that the orchestra was there and the music was live—leading me to again appreciate the authenticity of the opera.
The stage crew also deserves recognition for being sneaky enough to insert a shed on the edge of the stage while characters exited on the other side.
The theatre department only puts an opera on every three to four years, so take a night this weekend, put on a tux (or a tux T-shirt, they’re not picky) and settle down for the fantastic performances and music of “The Tender Land.”
