Pittsburgh Opera’s Proving Up is a dark tragic collage of the struggles facing Nebraskan homesteaders in 1870s. These homesteaders flocked west dreaming of owning land. The opera, based on a short story by Karen Russell, gives a haunting portal of the Zegner family’s efforts to meet the requirements of the Homestead Act of 1862 in order to own a piece of America. “Proving Up” preformed in the intimate setting of the Bitz Opera Factory, has the ambiance of a horror film about chasing an often-unattainable dream.
Reflection
Proving Up showcases the talent of our Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist (see Day 385). This 80 minute show, sung in English is a good opera for newbies. It engages the audience since you are close to the action in this intimate 213 seat
setting. The resident artists with strong vocals and superb acting captivate the hardness of the unforgiving land and the desire to own it even at the cost of their survival.
The father, “Pa” Zegner (Brandon Bell ) opens with the dream, “...come from every nation.
Uncle Sam is rich enough to give us all a farm.” The mother, “Ma” Zegner (Emily Richter ) seems broken as she repeatedly sings, “Where is God’s rain?” The son, Miles (Fran Daniel Laucerica) fights
the elements of a rainstorm and blizzard to share the glass window with another
farmer before the government inspector’s visit asking, “Does a window make a
home?”
There is bloody brother in a steel tub, two dead Zegner singing sisters (Julia Swan Laird) and (Jazmine Olwalis) and a zombie like Sodbuster (Evan Lazdowski) that wonders the land.
Yes it’s dark, like I said, akin to a good horror flick that does not end well. Yet this eerie opera is relevant today. It ponders the question of the existence of the American dream, even for those that seem to do everything right.
(Poven Up runs through 2/25/24. La Traviata runs March 16-24 and The Passion of Mary Cadwell runs April 27- May 5, 2024. Both of these shows are part of a new opera ride share program that puts a $60 dollar voucher in your Uber account with your ticket purchases. This makes a night out at the Opera a no parking, door to door experience. For tickets and more about the free ride voucher go to pittsburghopera.org.)
David Bachman Photography for Pittsburgh Opera
Other Sources
https://www.pittsburghopera.org/
https://www.pittsburghopera.org/resident-artists/2023-24resident-artists/
https://www.pittsburghopera.org/season/free-low-cost-events/songshop/
https://www.pittsburghopera.org/season/la-traviata/
https://www.pittsburghopera.org/season/the-passion-of-mary-cardwell-dawson
https://www.pittsburghopera.org/tickets/free-rideshare-vouchers/
