Review: THREE DECEMBERS at Home Computer Screens

Faced with the inability to perform live opera because of COVID, Opera San Jose opted to film an opera that could be made to fit California health regulations in its new Fred Heiman Digital Media Studio. General director Khori Dastoor chose Jake Heggie's three-person chamber opera, Three Decembers. Since it's an opera that needs a major star to play famous actress Madeline Mitchell, Dastoor engaged Susan Graham. Resident company artists Maya Kherani and Efraín Solis played her daughter, Bea, and son Charlie.

Three Decembers has a libretto by Gene Scheer based on late playwright Terrence McNally's unpublished work Some Christmas Letters. Madeline Mitchell, an aging Broadway actress, wrote Christmas letters to her children over a period of three decades. Her daughter, Bea is an alcoholic in an unhappy marriage and her son is gay. Madeline does not realize that her frequent absences and secrecy about their father's death has contributed to their problems as adults.

Director Tara Branham showed us the siblings' problems as they sang Heggie's heart-tugging duets about the Golden Gate Bridge and memories of their father. Bea cradles her glass of liquor and Charlie fingers the wedding ring that reminds him his partner is ill with AIDS. Branham's production was conceived as a film and one aspect of its staging could not have been done in live theater. Madeline suddenly appears to comfort her son on the loss of his lover and disappears when he starts to recover.

In the 2020 film Designer Steven C. Kemp could set his scenes in varied locales and the result was quite different from the Three Decembers I saw in Los Angeles with Frederica von Stade many years ago. I loved the filmed scene said to be on the Golden Gate Bridge. Alyssa Oania's costumes changed with the decade and made Susan Graham look like the perfect diva, in a one-of-a-kind dress and designer shoes, of course.

As their mother, Madeline, Susan Graham was simply magnificent. She didn't just walk onstage. She bestowed her presence. Her charisma lit up every area into which she stepped, while her creamy vocal tones enriched Heggie's gorgeous music. This is a fine role for her and I hope to hear her sing it live when the pandemic is over.

Efraín Solís was a convincing Charlie, who sang with glinting tenor tones and who suffered visibly when his lover died. As Bea, Maya Kherani could have been a little more defiant, but her character's edge could have been dulled by drink. The older of the siblings, Bea remembered the most about her father, but still had to admit she imagined much of what she knew about him. Kherani sang with a silvered sound that most effectively provided the high line for Heggie's trios.

Since the 11-member chamber ensemble could not be accommodated by the health regulations, Opera San Jose's conductor, Christopher James Ray, substituted two pianos played by Head of Music Veronika Agranov and Resident Artist Sunny Yoon, who gave an elegant and untiring performance of the 90-minute score.

Three Decembers is a fascinating modern opera that speaks to common family problems. Tickets/online access: $40 per household for on-demand streaming access.

www.operasj.org

Spanish and Vietnamese subtitles are available. See website for details.

Viewing Opera San Jose's Production of Three Decembers between December 13 and 31 will help support Arizona Opera as well as Opera San Jose.

Photo of Susan Graham by David Allen.