Sunday, October 22, 2000

Opera diva Callas brought vividly to life with 'Class'

By CORA HUCKINS
NEWS-JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

DAYTONA BEACH — In a tour de force Friday night, Wendy Lehr gave a powerful performance, acting out the life of the famous opera singer Maria Callas at Seaside Music Theater's opening of Terrence McNally's award-winning show, Master Class."

To the muffled roar of motorcycles outside the theater, Lehr performed a dramatic, funny and explosive Callas, teacher of a master class on opera. She celebrated the diva's life, from her fantastic acclaim at the World's great opera houses to her triumphs over her enemies and her tumultuous love affair with Aristotle Onassis. She bullied, prodded, terrified and inspired three students into improving their performances of various arias she had made famous.

With ever-patient and extremely talented Manny (musical director Terry Tichenor) at the piano, the students demonstrated their versatility as they started as timid singers and became polished performers under the bombastic tutelage of Madame Callas.

Anna Winthrop, who plays first soprano Sophie, made a tentative entrance as an inexperienced country girl in a flowered dress with a ruffle around the hemline. Once she has been threatened, criticized and browbeaten to tears, she finally earns the admiration of the teacher with her beautiful voice as she sings an aria from "Tosca," first performed by Callas at La Scala Opera House.

The handsome tenor, Tony (Colm Fitzmaurice), seemingly overconfident and smart alecky, is soon taken down by the diva who, at one time, assured him she would "cut off his handsome head" if he kept displeasing her. He finally was allowed to display his resonant tenor to the praise of La Divina, as Callas enjoyed being called.

Finally, along comes Sharon, a second soprano beautifully played by Jenna Hintz. In a totally inappropriate gown for an interview, she flees from the displeasure and sharp tongue of the temperamental Callas, but eventually returns to redeem herself. Her beautifully sung aria from "MacBeth" captivated not only the teacher, but also the audience.

The three students were excellent performers, but it was Lehr's show from start to finish. Her various moods were performed with passion, tenderness, anger and pride. She broke off many of her thoughts, such as her jealousies of many rivals with "but that's another story," and then her story headed off in another direction.

Speaking directly to the audience which, she said, was the class, she told of her 10-year marriage to Giovanni Battista Meneghini, many years her senior, and her heartbreak over her broken romance of a number of years with Aristotle Onassis when he married Jackie Kennedy.

Loud applause greeted each performer and a richly deserved standing ovation was given Lehr as the cast took a final bow.

"Master Class" won a Tony Award for its author, Terrence McNally, who was inspired to write the play after Callas conducted a series of master classes in late 1971 and early 1972 at Juilliard School of Music in Lincoln Center.

The play is under the able direction of Lester Malizia.

Quick Facts

What: Seaside Music Theater's "Master Class."

When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and Nov. 2-4; 2 p.m. today, Oct. 29, Nov. 2 and Nov. 5.

Where: SMT Downtown, 176 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach.

Tickets: $20-$22; under 18, $10; college students, $12; Volusia and Flagler schoolteachers, $18-$20; available by calling the SMT box office at (904) 252-6200; (800) 854-5592. Also at the box office at 176 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach.