Utah Arts Review

Christopher McBeth, Utah Opera’s artistic director, has always been a strong proponent of new American operas. And for the last several years, the company has been staging a contemporary American work each season.

True to this tradition, Utah Opera opened its new season Saturday in the Capitol Theatre with a superb production of The Shining by composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell. Based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel of the same name (rather than on the movie version, a point that Campbell emphasizes very clearly in his program notes), the libretto follows the story closely and captures the eerie goings-on at the Overlook Hotel and the male protagonist’s gradual descent into madness.

One would imagine that it would be a daunting task to take this story, which was King’s first bestselling novel and a hugely popular movie, and fashion it into an opera. But Moravec and Campbell succeeded wonderfully, thanks to a solid libretto and an atmospheric score. And the sound effects and projected imagery are equally as essential as the words and music in helping to tell the story in an operatic format. 

The story takes place in 1975. Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic, accepts the position of caretaker at the Overlook Hotel over winter when the hotel is closed. He brings his wife Wendy and their son Danny with him and hopes that  being alone at the hotel with them will bring them closer as a family. However Danny, who has a sixth sense, called “the shining,” senses the malevolent spirits (which includes Jack’s abusive father, Mark) that haunt the hotel. These apparitions become more aggressive and powerful; they possess Jack and urge him to kill his wife and son. He almost succeeds, but thanks to Danny’s intervention he has a moment of lucidity. He lets Danny and Wendy escape and allows the hotel’s old boiler to explode.

As Wendy, soprano Kearstin Piper Brown was Irvin’s equal as a singer and actor. Her role, too, is vocally challenging, and she handled it with ease, tackling her many high notes with a full bodied sounding and a warm middle range. She also exhibited a wide range of acting chops, from her tender moments with Jack early in the opera, to her fierce and defiant determination to protect Danny and herself from Jack’s murderous intentions. 

Bella Grace Smith in the speaking role of Danny was an absolute gem to watch. A member of The Madeleine Choir School, Smith infused her performance Saturday with subtle shifts in demeanor and expressions. She deftly shifted from being just a normal kid to one who perceives and understands the evil and perverse supernatural world around her. (Smith alternates in the role with Emmy Ward.)  

Bass Patrick Blackwell as the cook Dick Hallorann, who also has psychic powers, turned in a finely honed performance. His rich, resonant timbre contrasted well with those of Irvin  and Brown, and he, too, exhibited fine acting. His tender song to Danny in the epilogue exhorting him to be strong and move on from the tragedy he had witnessed is a musical highlight of the opera, the melodic line contrasting starkly with the atonal madness that had just concluded the second act. 

Rounding out the large cast are Christian Sanders as Stuart Ullman and Delbert Grady; Aaron McKone as Bill Watson and Lloyd; Eva Peterson and Lilah Burrell as the Grady girls; Stephanie Chee as Mrs. Grady; Julia Holoman as Mrs. Massey; and Rodney Sharp II as Horace Derwent. All were excellent in their respective roles.

Of particular note was Christopher Clayton as Mark Torrance. His dark, full-bodied baritone dominated over the other voices in the insane, grotesque New Year’s Eve party and he was an ominous, sinister presence as he kept urging his son to murder Wendy and Danny.

Members of the Utah Opera Chorus, as the apparitions, were in typically top form and the Utah Symphony, under the baton of Geoffrey McDonald, played with precision and clarity.

Stage director Brian Staufenbiel kept things moving along at a good pace. With numerous and frequent scene changes, Staufenbiehl never let the action drag; his direction kept the momentum hurling forward towards the disastrous ending.

The projected imagery on a translucent screen is a major component to the success of this opera. Often, it allowed several different layers of the story to unfold simultaneously, but without ever being overwhelming or visually confusing.

 Utah Opera’s The Shining runs through October 19. utahopera.org