Utah Opera to give U. a hand with 'Little Women'

Almost from the start, Mark Adamo's 1998 opera "Little Women" established itself in the standard operatic repertoire.

Since its premiere at the Houston Grand Opera, "Little Women" has enjoyed nearly 60 productions around the country, a rare feat for an opera by a composer who, at the time, was fairly unknown.

"I can't see anything else written in the last 10 years that has more legs than 'Little Women,' " Robert Breault, who directs the U. opera program, said in a phone interview.

The University of Utah's Lyric Opera Ensemble will stage "Little Women" April 24-25, the first time the work will be performed in Utah.

Breault is thrilled to be able to present it. "Parts of it are emotionally strong," he said. "It's not completely tonal, but it's accessible."

And it's nothing like the short-lived 2005 musical-theater version of "Little Women," Breault said. "It's heavier and more robust than the musical."

One of the reasons Breault wanted to perform it was because everyone knows the Louisa May Alcott story. The libretto, which Adamo also wrote, is a faithful adaptation of the story. "Adamo takes a specific course with it. He approaches it from a certain angle and addresses the issue of change."

Breault spoke with the Deseret News from New York, where he was preparing for a performance of Stravinsky's "Pulcinella" with the New York City Opera. He said that "Little Women" is a big challenge, but he wanted his students exposed to it. "It's extremely demanding, but if they can do 'Little Women,' they'll be better prepared for this career (as an opera singer)."

He added that it's important for students to be able to do an opera like this. "You can assess how good they are — if they can sing all these notes and act."

A big plus for this production is that Breault was able to hire Stephanie Sundine as stage director. She has directed a number of productions for Utah Opera, but this will be her first time working with students. "I met Stephanie years ago in New York when she was a singer, before she became a director," Breault said.

Calling her a "wonderful director," Breault admires the way she approaches a work. "I really appreciate how Stephanie works. She starts with the score and digs in. If there are any instructions in the score, she will pay attention to it. And she tries hard to get the students to pay attention to details."

Breault usually has a shoestring budget with which to work, which means, among other things, having to be happy with the bare essentials in props and costumes. This production, however, will be different. This year, the Lyric Opera Ensemble will collaborate with Utah Opera.