Some 40 years after her premature death at the age of 53 there still exists a fascination by a certain generation for the life, times and indeed voice of perhaps the world’s first great opera celebrity. For Maria Callas – “La Divina” – was a known quantity to the general populous and the world beyond the great international opera houses.
Terrence McNally’s play explores the enigma that was Callas from her own point of view. Drawing on real events McNally heightens, merges and adapts the truth and myth that still seems to gather around Maria. The oft told stories are sourced here of the ugly duckling who turned into a swan, her amazing dedication and singing technique, the tigress and the prima donna. However the play deals mostly with Callas the actress who so suffered for her art. We learn how she would have given up her career to keep preserved the love she had for Aristotle Onassis and the hope for a child. This relationship was the very thing that fascinated the world – it was such an example of opposites attract-the beauty and the beast. Onassis being one of the richest men in the world was seen as no match for the divine creature who was Callas, an entity whose destruction he was possibly single-handedly responsible for. Curiously the play never mentions Jackie Kennedy, and except for a projection of her face Jacky O is merely a mysterious and lingering threat to all that Callas possesses.
Amanda Muggleton plays Callas with all the gusto and prowess the character demands and therefore feeds this actress at the top of her game. Returning to her Helpmann awarding winning role after 20 years she takes the audience into her hands as if we are those Julliard School masterclass participants. Ms Muggleton stalks the audience at the top of the show encouraging us as artists to find a “look’ and to feel the music within our hearts. Throughout the play 3 actor/singers play potential opera stars of the future. They are thrown to the tigress as lambs to the slaughter. Here is where most of the humour in the play lies and Jessica Boyd, Kala Gare and Tomas Dalton provide fine support to the leading lady. The play departs from fact here as these composite pupils appear to be ill prepared for Callas, when in fact she auditioned 300 participants and worked with 2 dozen or so in a forceful but kindly manner. For dramatic and comedic purposes McNally has invented a very different masterclass experience. Accompanying them on the piano is the wonderful Dobbs Franks as Manny. Where others play it grand for laughs he plays it small with equal effect.
The best part of the play is when McNally allows Callas/Muggleton to dig deep into the subtext of various arias. There we are transported to the other worldliness of opera and the machinations of Callas’ life and torment. Ms Muggleton must be praised for her intensity, timing and sheer tour de force at these moments. These bravura streams of consciousness are for this spectator much more satisfying than the lighter and somewhat repetitive hectorings of her students as written by the playwright.
This is more than a sequential all stations biographic play. For the uninitiated into the plight of the artist it is a rewarding experience, and for the opera lover it’s a joyous trip down memory lane. The opera studio is indeed an ideal venue for this class/show- its design replicating a lecture hall. An excellent choice by the producers.
Mark G Nagle – Theatre Now & On The Town
Terrence McNally’s Master Class
Terrence McNally
20 March – 8 April 2018
Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 7:30pm
Thursday, March 22, 2018, 7:30pm
Friday, March 23, 2018, 7:00pm
Saturday, March 24, 2018, 3:00pm & 7:00pm
Sunday, March 25, 2018, 3:00pm
Tuesday, March 27, 2018 7:00pm
Wednesday, March 28, 2018, 7:00pm
Thursday, March 29, 2018, 6:30pm
Saturday, March 31, 2018, 3:00pm & 7:00pm
Tuesday, April 03, 2018, 7:00pm
Wednesday, April 04, 2018, 7:00pm
Thursday, April 05, 2018, 7:30pm
Friday, April 06, 2018, 7:00pm
Saturday, April 07, 2018, 3:00pm & 7:00pm
Sunday, April 08, 2018, 3:00pm
Venue: The Studio, Sydney Opera House
Theatre Company: Presented by the Andrew Kay & Associates
Duration: N/A
