Review: THE LION, THE UNICORN, AND ME at Kennedy Center

Ten years ago, Washington National Opera (WNO) premiered a family opera about the events leading up to the birth of Jesus in a manger. This past weekend, The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me returned to Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater for four performances only. I reviewed the premiere, and it was as good as I remembered – and possibly even better on second listening.

Two-time Tony Award winner, Jeanine Tesori’s music fuses traditional operatic elements with musical theater to create a wonderful introduction for kids to the world of opera. The libretto is written by J.D. McClatchy based on the book of the same name by Jeanette Winterson.

The story centers around an angel (stunningly sung at my performance by eleven-year-old Aria Song). When she sees Mary and Joseph looking for somewhere to give birth to their child, the angel knows what she has to do. Through an open casting call with all of the animals she sets out find the best animal to carry Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. This job is not easy because there are many qualified (or so they think) candidates. There’s a flamingo (Tiffany Choe) and a hippo (Jonathan Pierce Rhodes) that both make strong cases for the position. Then there is the king of the beasts, the lion (Solomon Howard), and a unicorn (Kresley Figueroa) that ultimately become the final contenders. A last-minute, and unlikely, candidate – a donkey (Justin Burgess) – makes himself known to the angel and wins the audition to carry Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. That’s all of act one. I imagine you all know what happens from here.

Tesori’s fused score – employing elements from musical theatre and opera - demonstrates her range of musical talent.

Take, for example, the angel’s first song “Is This Thing on Right?” Here is a case where Tesori establishes the musical theatre-like tone so as to ease the younger members of the audience into the more operatic stuff that’s coming from the lion and unicorn.

Performance-wise everyone is at the top of their game.

Original cast member and bass Solomon Howard returns to the role of the lion for a third engagement. His rich deep sound was as good as ever as the king of the beasts.

Tesori and McClatchey’s use of the phrase “EEEYYY AWHHH” comes out in full with baritone Justin Burgess’ donkey. His vulnerability made him the endearing mode of transportation for Mary and Joseph to be sure.

Soprano Winona Martin and tenor Sahal Salam definitely made for a wonderful sounding couple.

Soprano Kresley Figueroa’s Unicorn was truly magical and beautifully sung.

Aria Song, as the angel, definitely has a career ahead of her for both opera and musical theatre. Trust me on this one.

WNO’s Artistic Director Francesca Zambello’s staging was wonderfully recreated for this production by Andrea Beasom. There was definitely no “park and bark” here. All of the performers, including the energetic children’s choir, were fully animated throughout.

Andrew J. (A.J.) Guban’s lighting, based upon Mark McCullough’s original design, helped to tell the story as only Guban can do. His work always enhances rather than overpowers. I always wonder how a designer can be that consistent all the time.

Erik Teague’s ingenious costumes were, as always, a welcome plus to the production.

Conductor Stephanie Rhodes Russell conducted the eleven-piece ensemble with a lot of energy. Her enthusiasm while conducting Tesori’s orchestrations (yes, she did it all) was a welcome sight in the orchestra pit. We’ve all seen the staunch no expression type of opera conductor before so Russell’s conducting style proves that conducting opera can be fun.

My only complaint about The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me is that WNO only presents it for one weekend about every five years. This piece could very well become a holiday tradition if audiences had more opportunities to see it. And let’s face it, you can never have too much Jeanine Tesori in your musical world.

The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me is a top-notch introduction to opera for kids – but it’s also very entertaining for adults. Tesori’s music and McClatchy’s libretto are accessible to all ages. The cast and production was as good as ever. Please see this show the next time WNO presents it. You can then work your way up to Humperdinck and Mozart.  If the classics interest you, it’s always great to be exposed to something different as well!

Running Time: One hour and 25 minutes including an intermission.

The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me ran from December 8th through 10th in the Terrace Theater at Kennedy Center.

Lead photo credit: The company of The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me. 

Photo by Scott Suchman.

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