By Mary Elizabeth Nordstrom

Ocean Park, ME, 11 July 2010. The historic octagonal Temple at Ocean Park provides an interesting and somewhat challenging venue for PortOpera’s Young Artists Program, currently on summer tour throughout Maine. Outstanding 2010 voices were selected from among prize-winning applicants from across the United States, yet proudly included a number of participants who are products of vocal training at the University of Southern Maine.

Five USM–trained voices participated in the second one-act opera, “The Night Bell”, by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)--namely Daniel Cyr, baritone and Joshua Miller, baritone, who sang principal opposing roles of Don Annibale Pistachio and Enrico-- respectively; Molly Massa, soprano, Rachel Braunstein and Earl Vogel, baritone, were wedding guests.  All three “guests” have studied or continue to study voice at the University of Southern Maine, reknowned for exceptional applied music training. Their USM voice teachers are Malcolm Smith, Ellen Chickering, David Goulet, Ms. Chickering, and Bruce Fithian, in that order.

For the first opera, the cast of “The Impresario” (W. A. Mozart, 1756-1791) made a stylish entrance from the rear of the huge natural wood structure which rises high to a central peak. They passed among an ample audience, yet probably only one-third of available seats were filled. “The Impresario” featured Alexander Nishibun, tenor from Kentucky, in the title role. Nishibun has won the Alabama NATS competitions for four consecutive years and is a second-year graduate student at the New England Conservatory. Sara Ann Mitchell, coloratura soprano, a student of Carol Haber at New England Conservatory, where she received her Masters Degree, was graduated from the University of Oklahoma. She played Madame Heartmelt in the Ocean Park production. Emily Murdock, soprano, a native of Montana who was graduated from its State University, played Mademoiselle Warblewell at Ocean Park. She studies with Julie Simpson in Boulder, Co, where she pursued her graduate studies at the University of Boulder.

The vocal music, artistically supported by pianist Kathleen Scott, was glorious. Scott is music director, conductor and voice coach, formerly associated with Curtis Institute, Boston University and NYU. Albeit raised far above the participants, a short curtain may have hampered the projection of the English translation, especially of the first one-act opera, as during “The Impresario”, the cast of three might as well have been singing in the original language (that might have been even easier to sing than English) much of the time. I can visualize the future use of taller acoustic panels, often seen in black or white, a worthy consideration.

Of the two selections, “The Night Bell” was more thoroughly entertaining and well-placed as second. The two principal baritones were trained in Maine, both continuing studies at the University of Southern Maine: Daniel Cyr, a graduate student of Malcolm Smith and Joshua Miller who continues to study voice at USM with Ellen Chickering who was noted as the Program Director for Young Artists Opera Program of PortOpera. They excelled in both solo and duet vocal encounters, and performed admirably for the “home team”, so to speak, not to downplay the equally professional level performances of those recruited from across America. Soprano Sarah Ann Mitchell was charming as the bride whom both husband and former lover Enrico wished to win.

PortOpera’s Young Artists Program’s spectacular performance completely satisfied the summer vacation audience in this Southern Coastal Maine community. Costumes were elegant and the stage settings, tasteful, against hunter green panels that stretched completely across the back of the very high-ceilinged natural wood stage. Introductory speakers in this space are more likely to be heard by all in the audience if they use rather than disdain the microphone. The program does mention that the PortOpera program is sponsored in part by the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation, and the Robert and Dorothy Goldberg Charitable Foundation.

The Ocean Park Festival continues with varied offerings according to web page announcement throughout the summer season www.oceanpark.org so vacationers making last minute plans should probably never hesitate. There will usually be seats. Southern Maine is a thriving music destination for tourists these days, both popular and classical genres appearing on regional calendars. Presenters not yet acquainted with Classical Voice of New England, Inc. are urged to send press releases to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and calendar information, including street number of venue and program, to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .