Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Jay Hunter Morris (pictured left in the State Opera of South Australia's production of Moby-Dick) will replace Ben Heppner as Captain Ahab in the San Diego Opera's Moby-Dick on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Heppner is ill. Morris had been originally scheduled for the San Diego performances, but withdrew to sing Siegfried in the Metropolitan Opera's Götterdämmerung last month.
Moby-Dick at San Diego Opera | San Diego Opera's Press Releases
No offense to Mr. Heppner….but Jay will bring so much to the role of Captain Ahab. I cannot wait to see him do this (even for 2 perfomances) this Autumn at SF!
♥ Robin ♥
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I am very much looking forward to hearing Morris sing this in SF.
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Heppner was awful on Saturday – cracked notes everywhere and he almost didn’t make the ending. Hunter Morris’ voice is not pretty, but maybe he’ll sing the right notes. Neither one is worth the $$$.
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How interesting that the ONLY girl in the cast has become the anchor, even as she sings a mad scene flying 30 feet above the stage on a wire! Brava Talise Trevigne aka Pip the Cabin Boy! A mighty little “Valkyrie.”
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Heppner did sound anguished, but I liked him more in Moby-Dick than that recent Lohengrin at LA Opera.
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She has a gorgeous voice.
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I’ve just read that JH Morris is in for the remaining performances in San Diego. I’m counting myself “lucky” (I see Moby Dick on Friday).
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Let us know how it is!
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OK. Will do!
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Looking forward to your review!!!!
♥ Robin ♥
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Saw the opening with Heppner; came back Tuesday for Morris. The difference was magnificent. Heppner struggled, and it was sad that he was just not well enough to pull it off. Morris filled the role magnificently; you could tell he was enjoying himself and the rest of the cast responded. This was truly a memorable production to the eye, the ear and the emotion.
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I agree with SteveSD. I didn’t hear Heppner as Ahab, but Jay Hunter Morris had no trouble singing the role. I could hear him clearly for most of the night, he didn’t seem strained, and he embodied the single-mindedness of the character very well. For me, the fact that Morris didn’t look much older than most of the Pequod’s crew only intensified his obsession and madness. He seemed to suggest than any one of us could be capable of taking such a dark path. The only part where I could see Heppner being a more appropriate Ahab is near the end when Ahab sings about the 40 years he’s been at sea. Morris doesn’t look weathered enough for 40 years of sun, wind, and sea salt. I did detect, however, signs that Ahab was written specifically for Heppner’s current vocal state. Much of his text is set as parlando or arioso, which I’m guessing wouldn’t strain a voice as much as full-out singing.
Morgan Smith as Starbuck was impressive, maybe the most impressive of the cast in terms of consistency in singing & acting. I was grateful whenever he came on stage and opened his mouth. I was initially only so-so on Jonathan Boyd (Greenhorn) because he didn’t seem young or green enough, but he grew on me. He and Jonathan Lemalu (as Queequeg) had good chemistry, I thought. Talise Trevigne was as great as everyone has said she is. Her set-piece aria — when she’s underwater — seemed as natural to her as breathing.
I think Heggie knows how to write for the voice. I can see why so many singers seek him out as a songwriter. He pushes the voice but leaves in the melody, and he doesn’t write vocal lines that are too angular or remain at the high end of a singer’s range. He & Scheer are well-suited to each other. How I wished that they had tackled Great Gatsby instead of Harbison. The music for Moby Dick pulls forward and yet allows voices to be heard. I felt I could understand 90% of the text without reading the supertitles. I may not have left the theater humming any arias, but in the moment, the music seemed entirely appropriate to the action and emotion on the stage (again, something I didn’t feel that The Great Gatsby managed).
I’m very happy I traveled to see this opera and look forward to seeing it again in SF.
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Just so you all know, Heppner was magnificent in Calgary (early February)
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I hope Heppner can work out his illness and sing well in autumn, as scheduled in San Francisco.
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PS. For tattling, I discovered that San Diego opera goers like crunchy finger candy. Everywhere I looked, I saw Skittles and M&M bags. Once the lights went out, I heard those bags being opened and the candies being eaten.
Also, I spotted my first pair of sweatpants at the opera last night.
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CruzSF….and SteveSD…wonderful reviews – thank you both! I am really looking forward to seeing this….(particularly with Jay). Mr. Heppner’s voice is like a weathervane these days – you never know which way it will blow – beautifully – or terribly. It’s a shame…. but – Jay is a rising force in Opera!
Loved the Tattling section…. sweatpants? Skittles? Mein Gott!!!
♥ Robin ♥
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Glad to hear that Morris sang well.
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Thanks for your thoughts!
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Heppner is notoriously inconsistent. I am glad he did sing well in Calgary though! Hope he is in good voice for SF Opera’s performances.
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How funny! The opening nights at San Diego Opera are opulent affairs, at least as far as attire is concerned.
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The Opera Tattler 
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