Celebrate the Holidays with BARN OPERA
https://www.rutlandherald.com/features/vermont_arts/celebrate-the-holidays-with-barn-opera/article_fb80d991-0f2b-57f6-9723-474a10def817.html
Last week on a snow-covered Saturday I drove the scenic 20 minute ride north from Rutland on Route 7 to Brandon, made a left on Pearl Street, crossed a one-lane covered bridge and pulled into what I was sure was the wrong place.
The house across the street was marked with the address I’d been given, and the barn I was parked by had a smattering of cars around it, my only clue that I might be in the right place. A woman wearing bright green leggings and a Christmas sweater was walking inside and I said hello and that I was looking for Josh. “I know him,” she said (turns out she’s his wife) and through a barn door we went and into one of Vermont’s most magical hidden gems.
Christmas lights hung and seasonal music on at a festive volume, I walked in to find about a dozen people busy decorating, talking, laughing and working. Joshua Collier, the artistic director of this wonderful place called Barn Opera, hands me a paper cup full of something warm to drink.
What am I drinking? This is so good. It’s German Glühwein, he tells me, a mulled wine recipe from Germany where he had recently visited.
Cheers! Welcome to the Barn Opera house.
Opera tenor Joshua Collier had a vision for an opera house that was both functional and authentic and he and his team made that dream come true with Barn Opera, Vermont’s only performance space dedicated to opera, on a rustic road in Brandon.
At 34, Collier has a rich background in opera including all of the training required to develop the highly technical skill of opera singing, running a company in Boston, and years of traveling around singing in theaters of all sizes. His local performances have drawn audiences from Canada and all over New England and the northeast, which became the catalyst to open a bigger performance space.
“When I moved here I had no plan of starting a company,” he said. “What we found here was a really wonderful tight-knit community that was cultured and interested in everything.”
After looking at more than 50 properties as the potential home for Barn Opera, he was waiting to sign paperwork on a different barn but the seller was late. A chance run-in right at that moment led to another opportunity to take a look at this barn. The barn. The one currently occupied. Collier joked, “I hoped it was horrible,” worn out after seeing so many, but he walked in and said, “Well, this is it.”
It was filled with residential storage back then but he could see through the work needed to the ceilings and floors and dimensions that whispered that the space was right. “As you drive by you wouldn’t know what’s in here,” he said. “That’s kind of the point too, we don’t want to affect the Vermont landscape.”
Along with partners, baritone Nicholas Tocci and technical director Russ McColman, and a team including his wife Hilary, Collier and company did everything to preserve the barn’s original authenticity including keeping the 200 year old wood floors intact by cleaning tirelessly rather than just sanding down the years of wear.
“Opera has so many preconceived notions about it,” Collier said. “I’ve performed in spaces with 3500 seats and I appreciate those spaces for what they are, but there’s a disconnect between the audience and the performer. You lose some of the subtleties of the voice. In a space like this you’re right there. The intimacy is what is important to me.”
Despite the travails of COVID, beginning this weekend Barn Opera is offering a trio of holiday events that you won’t want to miss.
At noon, Sunday, Dec. 5, in partnership with Brandon Recreation, Barn Opera is presenting a screening a film of “The Nutcracker” specifically for kids, with an open stage they can use. Collier says the film is good for any age, “it depends if they’re interested,” but probably best for ages 2 through 10.
“Opera is snobby generally and I say that being an opera singer but I’m trying to break that,” Collier said. “This event in particular is so kids can experience and be a part of this.”
The next event is Barn Opera’s annual presentation of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Christmas opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors” at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 17 and 18 at the Salisbury Congregational Church.
“We started what we had hoped was a tradition in 2019,” Collier said. “We weren’t sure how the community would respond, and it sold out.”
The short one-act, 40-minute long performance was specifically written for children and makes a great introduction to opera for them.
The final event is the New Year’s Eve bash, with a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore” that takes place Friday, Dec. 31. Known for its witty lyrics and catchy songs “H.M.S. Pinafore” is one of the best-loved operas of Gilbert and Sullivan.
“I’ve done nine of the 12 Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the tenor role in all of them, so I’ll sing that,” Collier said. “Nick will sing one of the baritones and we have a few cameos for the small roles.”
The doors will open at 6 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and a 7 p.m. live-stream of the fireworks in London. At 8 p.m. the “H.M.S. Pinafore” performance will run until around 10:30, followed by a party and live-stream of Times Square to ring in the New Year. It will be catered with a cash bar and a champagne toast at midnight.
“Gilbert and Sullivan are fun and well-known so we’re going to give out the scores and text so people can sing along,” he added. “Opera is just a reason to party. I just want to throw that out there.”