Nashville Opera Shines at Cheekwood
Golden Hour and Grand Opera
It had rained every day for the five days previous to Nashville Opera’s appearance on the Cheekwood grounds. Thankfully, on the beautiful evening of May 28th, we were treated to a wonderful performance of classic opera, and classic hits from both Broadways, as the sun slowly set into a beautiful golden hour over the manor. Artistic Director John Hoomes kicked off the evening looking Jimmy Buffett cool—clad in a Hawaiian shirt, bucket hat, and sunglasses—setting a relaxed, inviting tone for the night.
Perhaps most remarkable, and somehow typical, for most of Nashville Opera’s singers is their ability to perform a diversity of styles and genres in an authentic and enchanting way. Soprano Alysha Nesbitt opened with a blues influenced “Summertime” from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess but then returned later in the set with an astonishing rendition of Giacomo Puccini’s “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi. Her breath control through Puccini’s long, floating phrases was wonderful, and she absolutely nailed the final crescendo.
Speaking of dynamics, Nashville Opera’s Chief Strategy & Operations Officer Keri Alkema and veteran soprano (she performed the title character of Puccini’s Tosca as recently as 2022 in Toulon) gave us a stunning version of Richard Rogers’ “Some Enchanted Evening.” Although the number was written for a Broadway show, South Pacific (1958), the character to first perform (create) it and for whom Rogers wrote it, was Ezio Pinza, a Met Opera baritone. (Jose Carreras’ version, while perhaps not as famous, was my mother’s favorite.) Alkema’s instrument brought a beautiful warmth with a careful, restrained use of her lower register and a magical pianississimo—especially in the final phrase with those giant half notes ascending into the heavens “…nev-er let her go! ___” It was breathtaking.
Speaking of endings, Sarah Antell’s high B-flat at the end of her “O don fatale” rang large and clear across Cheekwood’s grounds, and yet her lower chest voice was remarkably strong and relaxed, particularly at “Ti maledico.” Her marvelous squillo was gentle and calculated to complement Stephen Carey’s well performed accompaniment. It took me a moment to get adjusted to the dramatic opening in Cheekwood’s sunset (the character opens by cursing her own beauty and pride), but the resolve of the conclusion was undeniable.
What perhaps was most remarkable is that she sang this after a wonderful duet with Steven McCoy, singing Stephen Sondheim’s “No One is Alone.” Their exquisite diction, seamless blending, and above all, a precise intonation that created an amazing, dramatic and beautiful number.
As a foil to all of this, Miles Aubrey’s performance of Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” was just enough Nashville to remind us of where we were, and his performance of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” demonstrated that there is important and rich artistic expression in popular music. In all, the evening was a triumphant showcase of Nashville Opera’s versatility, seamlessly blending the worlds of grand opera, Broadway, and popular music on one of the city’s most treasured grounds. Speaking of treasures, one can only hope that Nashville Opera at Cheekwood will become an annual, treasured, Music City tradition!
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Joseph E. Morgan is a father of two, husband, teacher and recovering guitarist in Middle Tennessee.
