Opera In Your Living Room: Portland Studio Opera Theater

You haven’t seen opera (and appreciated opera) until you see it in a chamber setting – this is one thing I’ve learned from yesterday’s performance of Britten’s Albert Herring at Portland Studio Opera Theater.  The premiere took place on March 14th and the reviewers already said most of what there is to say about the cast, the quality of this small production  and other aspects.  The chamber opera is, of course, not a new genre by any means, but Portland Opera’s insistence on the introduction of the audience to that genre is very commendable. The setting is a large room with the area where singers performs being about the size of your average to large living room.  Audience sits on the three sides of this “living room” in four rows of about 15 chairs each (so about 180 when all sits are taken).  All the action/singing takes place right before one’s eyes and honestly makes for an incredible experience.