Opera, the synthesis of music, drama and dance exists to provide entertainment, and like all art forms to hold up a mirror to our lives past and present. The Brooklyn Academy of music is presenting a new opera by Laura Kaminsky called As One. The libretto is by film maker Kimberly Reed and Mark Campbell. As One tells the story of a man who via surgery and hormone therapy becomes a woman. The opera stars Kelly Margraf and Sacha Cooke. The two are married offstage, and on stage they play the same character, before and after. Sacha Cooke sang Mahler with the Columbus Symphony two years ago. She was magnificent. "Because we trust and know each other so well. I think the piece will benefit from our shared relationship and energy," Sacha told the Brooklyn Paper. A transgendered person refers to gender identity rather than sexual orientation. Someone who instinctively knows they should live as a member of the opposite sex. There's a great deal of gender confusion in opera, particularly among the Venetian Commedia opera in the 17th and 18th centuries. There are many so called "pants roles" where women play young men. But this must be the first opera to portray what must be a painful struggle, and what hopefully is a happy resolution. Co-librettist Kimberly Reed is herself a transgendered person. Her recent film, Prodigal Sons examines the transgenedred community. Composer Laura Kaminsky told Opera News, "I was very consciously trying to find joyful and innocent music and then have music that shows her becoming more conscious of the complexity and ugliness of the world. And the last scene brings it all together in a unified voice. " As One opens on September 4th. Gauging the public reaction will be interesting.
Christopher Purdy is Classical 101's early morning host, 7-10 a.m. weekdays. He is host and producer of Front Row Center – Classical 101’s weekly celebration of Opera and more – as well as Music in Mid-Ohio, Concerts at Ohio State, and the Columbus Symphony broadcast series. He is the regular pre-concert speaker for Columbus Symphony performances in the Ohio Theater.