By Melinda Bargreen
Seattle Times music critic
Ela Stein Weissberger, who
was in "Brundibár" at the
Terezin concentration camp.
SEATTLE, WA - June 12, 2006 - When "Brundibár" cast members led Ela Stein Weissberger out of the Nordstrom Recital Hall audience to join in the joyous onstage finale of the children's opera, it was impossible not to feel moved by this brush with history. Weissberger, now in her mid-70s, portrayed the Cat in 55 performances of the little Hans Krása opera in the Terezin concentration camp; as one of two survivors of that cast, she has made it her mission to speak for all those who were silenced.
Weissberger's preconcert remarks gave a gripping context to this performance of a charming opera with a clear message: Bullies can be overthrown even by children, if they all work together. With an ingenious set and period costumes by Jennifer Zeyl and Erich Parce's imaginative staging, the cast of children and adults did a terrific job of bringing home the pathos and the humor in this story about a brother and sister determined to earn milk for their ailing mother.
Standouts in the cast included the winsome pair of Ross Hauck and Maureen McKay as the siblings; Holly Boaz, David Korn and Auston James as the three animals who help them; and Jesse Parce, Evan Woltz, Jadd Davis and Michael Drumheller in supporting roles. As the villain Brundibár, Morgan Smith was great at creating a guy you love to hate.
Gerard Schwarz led an ensemble of Seattle Symphony members and guest artists, keeping the swift-moving show moving with a good deal of spirit. The production (repeated Tuesday) will be recorded for the Naxos label.
The curtain raiser was Krása's surprisingly tricky "Overture for Small Orchestra," with Schwarz conducting and Craig Sheppard as the able piano soloist.
Music of Remembrance, now in its eighth season, annually remembers the cellist David Tonkonogui with an eponymous award, presented to a young artist. This year's recipient was violinist Jocelyn Chang, who played the short, tuneful Serenata of Robert Dauber, with Mina Miller at the piano.