Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Mazzoli and Vavrek’s compact, bleak PROVING UP investigates the American Dream, disturbingly and profoundly

• By drediman
• September 27, 2018
• No Comments

The company of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vivrek’s “Proving Up” at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University.

One of the most dramatically and musically potent new operas I’ve come across in recent years was Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Breaking the Waves (which I encountered at last year’s Prototype Festival), an operatic adaptation of Lars von Trier’s tough-to-watch 1996 film. Hence, it was with great anticipation that I attended last night’s opening performance of the New York premiere of that same team’s Proving Up – adapted from the short story of the same name by Karen Russell – at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University. This new piece of music theatre was co-commissioned by Washington National Opera, Opera Omaha, and the Miller Theatre. Happily, the opera lives up to its considerable promise.

Set during the years just following the Civil War, Proving Up tells the distressing story of an East Coast family, the Zegners, as they pursue the American Dream in Nebraska. Specifically, they are lured out west by the promise of land ownership via the U.S. Homestead Act. Along the way, they face hunger, drought, and most toughly, the loss of their two daughters. The opera finds the family persevering – or “proving up” – to hold onto their dreams and hopes for a more prosperous life, at all cost.

But from the get-go, something’s amiss. Even though Ms. Mazzoli’s score commences with shades of Aaron Copeland, there’s a noticeable dissonance in her music that suggests that menace and real danger are lurking just underneath the surface. Indeed, although Proving Up starts somewhat optimistically, the characters’ circumstances quickly turn morally murky and constantly life-threatening. Things won’t turn out well for this family, and they don’t. Ms. Mazzoli’s score responds to this bleakness accordingly – her accomplished work creatively and boldly depicts the drama’s compressed, turbulent, and troubled emotional landscape yet without somehow sacrificing exquisite musical expressiveness and integrity. Mr. Vavrek’s libretto structures the piece poetically and efficiently, provocatively and timely (but not didactically) challenging our notions of the American Dream and the motivations that established this country, particularly the American West.

The musical performances last night were superb. The evening was conducted by Christopher Rountree, who coaxed a vibrant performance of Ms. Mazzoli’s score from the excellent International Contemporary Ensemble. The cast all around was sensational, but I was particularly impressed by tenor Michael Slattery (as Miles Zegner, the son), soprano Talise Trevigne (as “Ma” Zegner), and baritone Andrew Harris (as the Sodbuster). Each not only was in gorgeous voice last night, they were also compelling as actors, utterly losing themselves in each moment. Director Nathan Troup has put together a theatrically rich, semi-surreal production that serves Ms. Mazzoli and Mr. Vavrek’s compact yet disturbingly profound new opera well.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

PROVING UP
Opera
Co-commissioned by Washington National Opera, Opera Omaha, and Miller Theatre at Columbia University
1 hour, 15 minutes (without an intermission)
One more performance on September 28