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OPERA REVIEW
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X June 6, 2006
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Passionate X By Olivia Stapp
The Oakland Opera Theater's production of Andrew Davis' opera X, first seen in its entirety at the New York City Opera in 1986, is an extraordinary achievement in every respect. By now, everyone who loves opera, theater, and the immediacy of "art as happening" should know about this company. If proof is needed that fortune smiles on the daring, then the Oakland Opera Theater is powerful evidence thereof. Their total commitment to producing contemporary opera under the most challenging of circumstances — little money, little space — is nothing short of heroic. They are, without question, the best, most highly innovative, and inspired small opera company in the Bay Area.
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, presented here in two acts, encompasses Malcolm's life (1931-1965) from the mysterious death of his father to his own termination under a hail of assassins' bullets. Davis' music, and the lyrics by his cousin Thulani Davis, underscore the developmental stages of Malcolm's life: foster child, street hustler, conversion to Islam, the breech with Elijah Mohammed, and finally the transformation of his ministry, following a pilgrimage to Mecca, to a broader embrace of all of humanity.
The music entwines long-phrased minimalist-style passages with hard-hitting jazz eruptions. Occasionally the sounds seem distorted, like an aural Francis Bacon painting. This overlay and rewinding of compositional styles creates a powerful tension to underscore and intensify the vehement text: "We are a nation trapped in a nation; we are a nation dying"; or "This white man's land will crush us like the devil's hand." The confines of the tiny theater enforce a proximity to the performers and their nonstop passionate intensity that creates an uncomfortable intimacy with the unabated rage in the work.
The superlative ensemble, led by the inestimable baritone Joseph Wright in the title role, sang both chorus and solo roles. The stage was constructed of simple platforms, which seemed to take up half the space in the storefront theater. There were many laudable and ingenious touches: multicolored surtitles designed to underscore the emotions of the moment-by-moment drama, the orchestra perched on a high platform out of sight, the conductor directing from the back of the audience, the performers mingling before the performance. An informal ambience is pervasive. (I even saw the artistic director serving up drinks from behind the bar.) However, none of this nonchalance translated into sloppy amateurism. On the contrary, the high-quality teamwork seemed to thrive in this easy, free-flowing environment.
Joseph Wright as Malcolm X Photo by Ralph Granich
The two impossibly written tenor parts, Elijah Mohammed (Darron Flagg) and Street (Tim Miller), were confronted with courage and audacity. The composer seemed to have forgotten that castrati tenors are no longer and that the eunuch register is very difficult to reproduce. Nonetheless, these two singers appeared to have exceeded the limits of human possibility, giving unflaggingly energetic performances. If there is any possibility for humor in such a relentlessly angry piece, Tim Miller brought it home. Throughout the entire company of singers there was excellent singing, teamwork, and esprit. The remarkable conductor, Deirdre McClure, navigated the shoals of the difficult music with calm assurance, which in turn made all the musicians give their best. The last time I went to the Oakland Opera, she was up on the platform and could be seen by the performers on closed-circuit television. This time, she was in the back of the audience. Maybe next time they will fly her from an overhead beam. She seems to remain unfazed by all this innovation. If you want NOW art, go to Oakland Opera. It's a happening place.
(Olivia Stapp is an opera director, formerly artistic director of Festival Opera from 1995 to 2001, and has had a major international career as a soprano.)
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