Meghan Randolph: Maureen Janson
Ja’ Malik, left, Meghan Randolph, Kathryn Smith, Robert Cleary and Lisa Thurrell.
Last month, Isthmus interviewed Madison area theater groups on how these nonprofits are rebounding from COVID interruptions and what they’re looking forward to in 2023 and beyond. This month, we continue the conversation with more arts groups, focusing on music and dance.
Madison Ballet
Ja’ Malik, artistic director
Congratulations on beginning your first official season as the artistic director of Madison Ballet. What has surprised you the most about Madison as a community, as home for artists, and about the audiences here?
I’ve been most surprised by the number of persons who are genuinely interested in Madison Ballet, and in particular our mixed repertory programs, but don’t know when and where we perform. I’ve been on a mission to reach new audiences who are hungry for performing arts that speak to what’s going on now!
If you could present any new ballet next season, regardless of cost, what would you choose?
I would mount Red Angels, by the late, great Ulysses Dove. It’s a visually and technically stunning work with live music by electric violinist Mary Rowell. I think the Madison community would fall in love with this ballet and our company could perform it brilliantly!
Madison Opera
Kathryn Smith, general director
Opera has a very long history as an art form and performances have been interrupted over the centuries due to plagues, natural disasters and wars. Was there a particular time period or opera composer whose story gave you hope during the pandemic?
Even before the pandemic, my lodestar for the resilience of opera was Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, which premiered in 1786. It is one of my favorite operas, as I think Mozart told us more about who we are as human beings than any other composer. Figaro has survived countless wars, pandemics, and social upheavals around the world, and the brilliance of its music and story has shone across the centuries.
We had been scheduled to perform Figaro in spring 2021 and I felt some emotional pangs when I had to cancel it. But I could tell myself that opera and Figaro had survived worse times, and we would all be back. And yes, we have rescheduled that 2021 production for April 2023. My answer would have been Figaro even if it were not in our current season.
Madison Opera’s upcoming production of ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ will star (clockwise from top left) Elizabeth Caballero, Michael Adams, Jasmine Habersham and Matt Boehler.
If you commissioned an opera about a world-wide pandemic, which composer (living or dead) would you like to take on that project? What would it look like and sound like? Who would be the main characters?
That’s a tough one. I have no interest in sitting through a serious opera about the pandemic, as living through it has been quite enough, so I would want to see if there could be a more light-hearted take on it. Jacques Offenbach spoofed everything in his political and social milieu of the 1860s and 1870s, writing shows that were entertaining but also clever and with some bite. Assuming his usual librettists, Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, were available, I’d like to see what the three of them could do with the topic, and would give them free rein for their imaginations. I would assume there would be a few lively chorus numbers, and possibly even a repeat of their “Infernal Galop” (the can-can) from Orpheus in the Underworld.
Madison Symphony Orchestra
Robert A. Reed, executive director
Music is such a huge part of the holidays for many people. What was it like welcoming patrons back to live performances at the holidays?
[In 2021] we were able to have our holiday concert in person just before the Omicron variant hit, so people were able to come back, masked, and our musicians were elated to be on stage again. And in 2022, I’m happy to report that we had three sold-out performances of our holiday concert. It was so heartwarming to see that people want to come out to live performances again, to celebrate with the symphony. It is an important holiday tradition and people came back in droves. We hope that trend continues with our other classical concerts. For those performances we’re definitely still in a rebuilding mode.
Has the experience of the pandemic affected the way you approach performances? Have you thought about doing more live streaming, or making your programs available to audiences electronically in the future?
In the wake of the pandemic we do have the capability to do more streaming, but it’s definitely a cost issue. We already [broadcast] our “Final Forte” concert on PBS Wisconsin, which reaches the entire state. I would expect there will be more of that.
How is the MSO addressing accessibility, diversity and inclusion in the wake of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement?
The MSO is looking at things through a more diverse lens than ever before. We’re featuring artists and composers or color throughout our season. We’re also featuring guest artists of color, and trying to add to the diversity of our symphony musicians. On the administrative side our board now has 10 persons of color. And we’re not just focusing on racial diversity, we want to welcome everyone to our concerts. No matter who you are, we want the symphony to be something you enjoy. So we want to see a range of ages in our patrons, we welcome the LGBTQ community, and people with disabilities. It’s a long-term commitment.
If you could commission any composer to celebrate the return of live orchestral music to Overture Center, who would it be?
Whether it’s Bach, Beethoven, or Mason Bates, Jennifer Higdon or Jessie Montgomery — I would want the commission to be a celebratory piece that makes people’s emotions soar, that touches their inner souls and makes people feel good. When I listen to the “Ride of the Valkyries” it always pumps me up and puts me in a good mood. It’s a thrill. I would want that feeling in a piece marking our return.
Music Theatre of Madison
Meghan Randolph, executive director
Last fall you completed a years-long process by bringing a newly commissioned musical about Nellie Bly to a full production. What was the most important thing you learned about going from having an idea, to commissioning artists, to holding readings, to hearing applause on opening night?
Beau Meyer
Scene from the play.
Music Theatre of Madison commissioned ‘Ten Days in a Madhouse,’ a musical about Nellie Bly.
It’s hard to put into words how much we learned as an organization and as individual creatives. We had an incredible team and quite a few obstacles in terms of bringing the piece to life, but we conquered them and came up with something we were proud of. I think the most important thing I learned was how to evaluate the logistics of bringing a play from page to stage, and the pros and cons of adapting different types of material. Most of all, we were reminded how many wonderful, giving, dedicated artists we have right here in Madison, and what they can offer as team members, onstage and off.
MTM has performed in a lot of non-traditional spaces over the years. If money was no object, where would you most like to stage a musical in the Madison area?
I do love a beautiful old theater, and I would love to stage a show in a historic space like the Orpheum or the Barrymore. We don’t often do shows that need that kind of stage space, or that many seats, but I have some on my bucket list that might work one day!
Kanopy Dance
Lisa Thurrell and Robert Cleary, co-artistic directors
What are the biggest differences between teaching dance over Zoom and teaching in person again?
Thurrell: Although we are excited to be working with students in our new studio, teaching via Zoom was transformative. When the pandemic put an end to our in-person classes, the Kanopy Academy quickly migrated to a video format, and suddenly we were able to tap into incredibly talented dancers and choreographers from around the country to significantly deepen our offerings in modern dance techniques.
You’ve done a lot of interesting collaborations with other dancers, musicians, composers, and theater performers. Is there a company or person in Madison that you would love to collaborate with in 2023?
Thurrell: Our door is always open for creative partnerships that stretch us artistically, enhance our mutual work, and engage our diverse community in meaningful ways.
Is there a company or person outside of Wisconsin that you’d love to work with?
Cleary: We would like to do additional work with Jamar Roberts, the resident choreographer for Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in New York City. We’ve commissioned him to do a piece called “Born to Love” for our “Connexions” concert at Overture Center in March. It would be great to work with him on other projects in the future.
Read part one of this story here.
