LA Opera/Cathedral partnership presents "The Festival Play of Daniel"

by Douglas Neslund

Six years ago, Los Angeles Opera approached the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels located kitty-cornered to LA Opera's home in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with a concept of bringing opera to the general non-opera-going public. Cathedral policy forbids ticket sales, so performances must be supported by foundations, corporations and individuals who underwrite the costs associated with performances, with primary support coming from the Dan Murphy Foundation.

To a jam-packed Cathedral in two performances this weekend, a second go-around of "The Festival Play of Daniel" was presented, conducted by Maestro James Conlon, and performed by a large aggregation of young people filling choral, orchestral, dancing and acting requirements set forth by choreographer Leslie Stevens to music originating in the early 13th century but wonderfully orchestrated by the enormously talented director Eli Villanueva, who also provided the English translation from the original Latin. The monks would have been greatly impressed.

Originally brought to life in the 1960s by Noah Greenberg and his New York-based Pro Musica, the work was expanded by Mr. Villanueva and crew to include scads of performers in the Cathedral's open spaces, with five appropriately decorated and beautifully illuminated panels framing a temporary stage topped by as regal a throne as any king should desire.

No fewer than 12 soloists were featured:

• Angel..........................................Caleb Barnes
• King Belshazzar........................Erik Anstine
• Queen.........................................Tracy Cox
• Daniel.........................................Ben Bliss
• King Darius...............................Alexey Sayapin
• Habakkuk..................................Ashley Faatoalia
• Sage #1/Counselor...................Robert MacNeil
• Sage #2/Counselor...................Sal Malaki
• Sage #3/Counselor...................Vincent Robles
• Noble #1/Messenger................Daniel Armstrong
• Noble #2/Messenger................Johnathan McCullough
• Noble #3/Advisor.....................Museop Kim

All soloists brought their considerable individual talents to the corporate festivities, especially Ben Bliss in the title role, Daniel Armstrong (both Mr. Bliss and Mr. Armstrong impressed in the recent Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra performance of Bach's Magnificat), and a 20-year old countertenor on stilts, Caleb Barnes, who seems to have an annual contract for these Cathedral performances. Mr. Anstine and Mr. MacNeil are to be singled out for exceptionally beautiful voices.

It would be futile to list everyone, but outstanding work was rewarded with polished and exemplary performances by the Cathedral's own choir, directed by Frank Brownstead, the Colburn Children's Choir, directed by Mikhail Shtangrud, and the Pueri Cantores of San Gabriel Valley Children's Choir, directed by Patrick Flahive, among so many others. The Celebration Ringers of Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena provided a celestial touch.

The youth orchestra, supplemented by ten professionals from the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, came from Hamilton High School's Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra (coordinated by Jim Foschia) and the Colburn String Orchestra (co-directed by Margaret Shimizu and Rebecca Frazier. All musicians played beautifully under Maestro Conlon's baton, and even offered their celebrated maestro a gratuitous "Happy Birthday" as an ad hoc encore that was joyously joined by performers and audience alike.