Opera Orlando is closing out its “All for Arts” annual season with an atmospheric, rather dark take on a Grimm fairy tale that – to be clear – is not meant for kids.
Opera Orlando’s General Director Gabriel Preisser says the PG-13 production of “The Juniper Tree” fits into the art-focused season by celebrating both the unique visual storytelling art of puppetry…and the life of a beloved local puppeteer.
“So it's a very special story how the puppetry happened for this production specifically,” Preisser says. “Locally, many people might be familiar with Tracy Connor who ran MicheLee Puppets. We partnered with Tracy with MicheLee Puppets on several productions. In the past, we had talked with her and her company about ‘The Juniper Tree’ and she was very excited because it's not a piece that's done that much.”
“But unfortunately, Tracy passed away very unexpectedly this past summer.”
Preisser notes that Tracy Connor’s company ran in-school programs that addressed difficult topics like bullying and domestic violence through puppetry. “It would have been devastating to see that work just go by the wayside. But luckily, Orlando Family Stage, formerly known as the Rep…stepped in and kind of absorbed MicheLee Puppets, inherited their stock and their mission. And thanks to Orlando Family Stage stepping in [and building the puppets], we were able to continue with the designs.”
“And we're dedicating the production to Tracy's honor, of course,” adds Preisser.
As for “The Juniper Tree” itself, Preisser says its theme is redemption. “Not to give too much away, but the bad people get their comeuppance and those who make good decisions get good consequences.”
He says the music of the opera, written by contemporary composers Phillip Glass and Robert Moran, reminds him of the synth-heavy soundtrack to the Netflix series “Stranger Things.”
“It’s important to understand there are many different types of operas out there,” he says. “And there is modern opera still being written today.”
Preisser points out that people often think all opera is in a language other than English, but that’s not the case here – “The Juniper Tree” is performed in its original English. He stresses that opera has something for everyone.
“I know it’s kind of [often] stated that opera is the culmination of all art forms…but it really is! It’s hair and makeup design, it’s dancing - we will have dancing in ‘The Juniper Tree’ - we have the puppeteers, it’s the orchestra, it’s the set design, the lighting design, all coming together to tell a story.”
