Oklahoma Today Winter 1983-1984 Volume 34 ... - Digital Collections

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Oklahomans center stage: Leona Mitche//, fmm Enid, and OR/ahoma City native William Johns sing an emotionally Aargedduet from Y/Tmatore." mance of 'Die WalkuereY--one of the most formidable challenges in the reper- tory-that would have sounded and looked perfectly respectable in San Fran- cisco or Chicago or New York, not to mention Seattle or San Diego." But what really made the opera world take note was an innovative performance, that same season, of Massenet's "La Navarraise," a short, little-known French opera that had last been performed by a major company 50 years before on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera House. The Tulsa performance prompted the Central Op- era Service of the Met's National Coun- cil to time a regional conference in Tulsa for the occasion. Much of the credit for these creative offerings and for uplifting Tulsa Opera from a well-rooted but often lackluster local tradition to the fine-arts big leagues goes to the general director, Edward C. Purrington. A Massachusetts Yankee, he came to Oklahoma in 1975 after 13 seasons with the prestigious Santa Fe Opera. Before Purrington, attendance rarely 28 reached 70 percent, even in Tulsa's old peramental divas, tempestuous tenors Convention Hall. By 1978, demand for and backstage tantrums, Purrington, tickets in the considerably larger, 2,400- with a shock of silver hair whisked theatseat Chapman Hall in Tulsa's new Per- rically back off his forehead, is a rock of forming Arts Center was so great that a elegant and practical calm. But that third performance of each of the season's doesn't mask his enthusiasm for his vitwo operas was added. The following sionary plan: making Tulsa Opera, a season, a third opera was added, and sleeping regional company, grand. Purrington is currently considering ex- He explains: "What some people panding the season to four operas. want is simply stand-up-and-sing opera In a show-biz world known for tem- with big names. What I wanted was opera as theater. Opera, that plus those big names, is acting, scenery, lighting effects and costumes--basically all the makings of grand opera." Today, he's a man who's jetting off to audition superstars in New York one day; the next, he's efficiently putting more than 200 volunteers--chorus, "spear carriers" and production workers-through their paces. For Purrington, it's all as natural as a high C for Beverly Sills. Since he was a 10-year-old in Massachusetts and singlehandedly staged "the world's smallest Pummngtonhas /ured&greats ofgrandopnvl to world's fair," he's been certain that show TuLFo. Above, Simon Esta, in makeup for '3:. business was his future. Not that there tih."buchstu~ewith PunJneton. - wasn't a little bit of ancestral encourage- Oklahoma TODAY
'Wperais acting, scenery, ligitingeffeca and costumes-plus big names-basically, allthe makings of grand opera." The triumphalentry from 'Xida. " ment: His father and uncles, who harmo- nized in a fine barber shop quartet, were invited to sing at the inauguration of Calvin Coolidge. Even before high school, Purrington says, he knew he wanted his own opera company. By 16, he had his own Actor's Equity Card, and he worked summer stock for five college summers. After a stint in the Air Force as a recreation specialist, he returned to school at Co- lumbia University to earn a master's in dramatic arts. It serves him well today as he works with his Tulsa players to give them the true feel of the opera they're performing. There's Purrington at a final chorus rehearsal for last season's "Madama But- terfly," for instance. The rehearsal lasted 12 hours over one weekend for 40 singers-to make perfect what ultimately would be one single 10-minute scene. He explains: "It's Nagasaki, Japan, at the turn of the century, on a particular hillside over- looking the harbor, on a particular after- noon. Each singer is expressing his individual attitude to the foreign Ameri- can naval lieutenant marrying one of chooses these principal artists, conductheir own and gradually showing the re- tors and stage directors from the major sentment that comes out when it be- houses of the U.S. and Europe, and he's comes clear that the Japanese girl will brought to Tulsa the likes of tenor Lugive up her religion. Each and every ciano Pavarotti. member of the chorus had to show what But Purrington admits to a special that meant." fondness for young American singers, Purrington quickly established himself particularly Oklahoma natives. He likes as a general director who paid fees for to give them a first chance at starring principal singers that were competitive roles. And there's no lack of these talentwith larger companies. He picks and ed native sons and daughters to choose from. "Oklahoma has produced a surprising number of outstanding opera singers," Purrington says. "Many of them were trained, and exceptionally well, at Oklahoma City University." There's Roberta Knie, who hefted a spear and hurled high Cs as Bruennhilde in "Die Walkuere." She's also sung at New York's Met, in London and San Francisco. She hails from Cordell. Last season, the Tulsa Opera's 35th, saw a bumper crop of talented Oklaho- I i Pummngton meets Pavamtti, at Tuba Interna- I tional Airpofl. The mowned tenor was in town - A-A* Cam +L.. .A . mans come home. David Hamilton, who graduated from Tulsa's Washington High School, has been on stage from San Diego to the Met. He sang the role of
Page 1 and 2: WINTER WINTERTIME IN BIRDLAND: GREA
Page 3 and 4: Winter 1983-'84 COVER IE2 - bnghtly
Page 5 and 6: The Stingiest Man in Lawton the for
Page 7 and 8: Shemqer'.r memories include a housm
Page 9: As the man responsible for virtuall
Page 12 and 13: places the image of the visitor ove
Page 14 and 15: 14 Oklahoma TODAY
Page 16 and 17: widgeons, goldeneyes, buffleheads.
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Page 20 and 21: By Kate Jones Photographs by Steve
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Page 26 and 27: 26 .c "+" 1; 7 ,*< s gg MANNER ' Su
Page 30 and 31: "Madama Butte@y" amives forher wedd
Page 32 and 33: 32 hst fag, we asked photographen t
Page 34: - ? RIGHT Woody Gaddis. 'Bird Feede
Page 37 and 38: YES! Enter my subscription today! R
Page 39 and 40: '-- a crowned heads of Europe. His
Page 41 and 42: empire which then surrounded Mul- A
Page 43 and 44: years there. That should give some
Page 45 and 46: DUNCAN December People travelling t
Page 47: I BIRDS Nov 20-Feb 15 Quail, Pheasa

Oklahoma Today Winter 1983-1984 Volume 34 ... - Digital Collections

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