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‘A Fleeting Animal: An Opera from Judevine’: Reliving a true Vermont opera

By Jim Lowe
Staff Writer
Moments in the 2015 opening night performance of “A Fleeting Animal: An Opera from Judevine” — with the soaring voices of soprano Mary Bonhag as Grace and tenor Adam Hall as Tommy — could have been Puccini, but with a Vermont accent.

Set in Vermont, written and performed by Vermonters, “A Fleeting Animal” is decidedly a Vermont opera, combining a love story with Vietnam War PTSD and the Northeast Kingdom. With music by Brookfield composer Erik Nielsen and a libretto by the late Wolcott poet David Budbill, it has the kind of power that made that great Italian opera composer so irresistible.

The final performance of the 2015 Vermont tour is now available to the public in video made by Jeff Tolbert. Actually two videos, one for each act, include subtitles so you can read along with Budbill’s remarkable libretto.

“A Fleeting Animal” was premiered in another Vermont tour in 2000 by Vermont Opera Theater and the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, directed by Tim Tavcar and conducted by Anne Decker. The 2015 revision proved entertaining as well as devastating, as only opera can be, thanks to the authentic libretto, brilliant score, and beautiful, exciting performance.

The opera tells the tragic tale of Tommy, a Vietnam veteran plagued with vivid memories, and Grace, an impoverished single mother, in rural Vermont. They face not only the disapproval of their close-minded community but their own inner demons. Despite their undeniable love for each other, the mix turns out to be explosive.

The result is tragic — and beautiful — opera.

Budbill’s authentic atmosphere and characters are made all the more vivid by Nielsen’s evocative score. Musical styles range from country and folk to blues to Broadway, as well as grand opera, made all the more immediate by contemporary classical harmonic and rhythmic language. As with some of Puccini’s operas, there are some weak moments, though few, in the buildup to the powerful climax — and devastating anti-climax.

Nielsen and Budbill, who died in 2016 in Montpelier, based “A Fleeting Animal” on Budbill’s 1991 “Judevine: The Complete Poems” (not the play). Commissioned by Vermont Opera Theater, the opera premiered to critical and popular success. Revisions for this reprisal included the elimination of the unnecessary penultimate scene where Grace rails at the audience.

Operatic is the only way to describe the performances by Bonhag and Hall. Bonhag, a Marshfield resident, owns a lyrical crystalline voice that soared when called upon. Hall, who lives in Burlington, proved a potent and expressive tenor. The two were most convincing — vocally and theatrically.

The production was given its feeling of authenticity and drama by the imaginative and sensitive stage direction of Margo Whitcomb. Expert musical direction was by Decker, who this time led seven members of her TURNmusic ensemble — clarinet, string quartet, piano and percussion — all fine Vermont instrumentalists.

The French-Canadian woodcutter Antoine, the story’s conscience, was sung with richness and wit by bass Geoffrey Penar. Contrasting was soprano Allison Devery’s haunting performance as the Angel of Depression — devastating in a duet with Bonhag’s Grace.

Soprano Sarah Cullins proved witty as well as a fine singer as the town wag, Edith. George Cordes used his powerful bass as Tommy’s bigoted colleague Doug, while soprano Stephanie Weigand contrasted as his disapproving wife. Tenor Johnny Lee Green and baritone Thomas Beard were strong vocally and theatrically as Tommy’s Vietnam buddies James and William. They were backed by a fine chorus.

Staging was appropriately minimal, and Cora Fauser’s costumes felt authentic. Lighting was largely effective, but could have been more imaginative. At times, it was difficult to hear what was being sung, though the story was always obvious. That will be remedied by the video’s subtitles.

“A Flying Animal” is a true Vermont opera — authentic, tragic and beautiful.

Editor’s note: Much of the material in this piece was taken from Jim Lowe’s Sept. 13, 2015, review.

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