We’ve got two contemporary operas for Christmas on this week’s Sunday Opera (12/22 3:00 p.m.) as we begin with Jake Heggie’s 2016 version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and continue with Ricky Ian Gordon’s setting of Gail Rock’s beloved novel, “The House Without a Christmas Tree.”
Both of these works were presented by the Houston Grand Opera and feature stellar casts. The first is based partly on the film as well as on the story by Philip Van Doren Smith entitled “The Greatest Gift” with a libretto by Gene Scheer.
There are only a few minor changes to the story many people make a part of their holiday viewing about George Bailey’s regaining his sense of self-worth with the help of an angel (Clara here) as he is brought to realize all of the good he has done.
William Burden heads the cast as George, Talise Trevigne is Clara, and Andrea Carroll is Mary. The supporting cast includes Stephen Thomas, Levi Smith, C.J. Friend, Jack Townsend, Rod Gilfrey, Joshua Hopkins, Anthony Dean Griffey, Frankie Hickman, Heath Martin, and Elle Grace Grasper. The Houston Grand Opera Chorus and Orchestra are conducted by Patrick Summers.
Ricky Ian Gordon’s “The House Without a Christmas Tree” features Royce Vavrek’s libretto which closely follows Gail Rock’s story of a young girl named Addie (Lauren Stouffer) who lives with her father (Daniel Belcher) and Grandmother (Patricia Schuman).
Addie asks each year for a Christmas tree, but her father, who is still in deep mourning for Addie’s mother who died at Christmas time when she was very young, forbids it. When Addie wins the school Christmas tree and brings it home, she sets in motion a sequence of events that ends with her father responding to Addie’s unselfish generosity, and Christmas coming back into their home once again.
The cast includes Heidi Stober as the adult Addie, Megan Milkailovna Samarin is Carla Mae, Elisabeth Leone is Glori Cott, and Maximillian Macias is Billy Wild. They’re joined once again by the Houston Grand Opera, but this time, the conductor is Bradley Moore.
Stay tuned after the opera for some music for Christmas including a performance of the Carol of the Bells performed on tubas!
