{"id":6138,"date":"2011-11-07T19:59:19","date_gmt":"2011-11-08T02:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/robertfagan.com\/?p=6138"},"modified":"2011-11-08T08:32:49","modified_gmt":"2011-11-08T15:32:49","slug":"6138","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/golf\/lifestyle\/6138\/6138","title":{"rendered":"“Master Class” – Hillbarn Theatre Production, Foster City, California"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“Master Class” featuring Monica Cappuccini at the Hillbarn Threatre<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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There are no accidents.\u00a0 Sometimes people, events, and happenings find some way to weave themselves into our lives to make an impact when you least expect them.\u00a0 At times, the person or event can be so substantial that there is no mistaking its effect.\u00a0 Okay, perhaps a community play may not be earth shattering, but just maybe the right combination of people, thoughtful direction, and inspired performances can transcend ordinary art and expression.\u00a0 For what reasons, I am not sure and for certain, I don\u2019t pretend to know why.\u00a0 All I know is that it happened.<\/p>\n

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Plays are meant to entertain, provoke, and\/or to convey another\u2019s experience.\u00a0 God knows there are many venues around the world with thespians of all abilities applying their craft in ways that hopefully are worth our time watching them \u2013 and often unfortunately not<\/em> in my opinion.\u00a0 On the 6th of November in Foster City, California there concluded a three-week perfect little storm of inspired acting, casting, and direction conspired to tug at my heart strings, and inspire, educate, and entertain me in ways I could not have predicted \u2013 especially within the realm of community theater.<\/p>\n

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The site was the Hillbarn Theatre, the play \u201cMaster Class\u201d by Terrence McNally.\u00a0 Greg Fritsch lovingly directed this production.\u00a0 This is a story or better yet, a performing class with opera legend Maria Callas.\u00a0 This role has been performed by more famous actors, but it may have never been better performed than by Monica Cappuccini of Palo Alto.<\/p>\n

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Diva Maria Callas<\/p><\/div>\n

Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano who combined wide-ranging vocal gifts with a flair for the dramatic \u2013 the very definition of a diva.\u00a0 Born in New York, and raised by an overbearing mother, she was educated in Greece and established her career in Italy.\u00a0 Callas dealt with poverty and very poor eyesight, and was overweight, but transformed herself into a glamorous and svelte figure \u2013 a factor that may have contributed to her premature vocal decline.\u00a0\u00a0 Her diva-like temperamental bouts, rivalries, and love affair with Aristotle Onassis became as much a subject of interest as her immense talent, as many viewed her as one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century.\u00a0 “Master Class” is Callas conducting a class for aspiring talent and we are able to get a glimpse into not only her artistic career, but her life and the struggles and passions that affected this remarkable woman \u2013 a strong personality to say the least.<\/p>\n

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Attending such an inconspicuous staging, I had no idea of what a masterful production that Director Fritsch and lead actress Monica Cappuccini as well as the supporting staff and production crew would present.\u00a0 Community theater is quite often entertaining, but moving too?\u00a0 What I encountered was one of those special moments that you wait years to witness, but sometimes wonder if you ever will.\u00a0 I did.\u00a0 Ms. Cappuccini became Maria Callas taking full command of the Callas character in a way that no one has and likely may never again.\u00a0 It was more like an entertaining \u201cchanneling\u201d with Cappuccini becoming the late diva – stern, playful, demanding, witty, sorrowful, proud, and more.\u00a0 Cappuccini’s fluency in Italian, her passion, timing, expressions, delivery, and unexpected adlibbing with the audience at times made for most unusual and entertaining theater, not to mention an authentically powerful, incredibly believable and memorable performance.\u00a0 I was not alone.\u00a0 By intermission, the audience was absolutely buzzing.<\/p>\n

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Actress Monica Cappuccini<\/p><\/div>\n

This was my first opportunity to witness Ms. Cappuccini and time will tell whether she will approach or exceed the Callas character, but here she exuded a powerful presence that gripped every member of the audience, while expressing the colorful life of glory, love, controversy, glamor, and pathos that Maria Callas embodied.\u00a0 It was uncommonly special by all counts and her supporting actors of Gabrielle Cohen, Marcelle Dronkers, Susanna Jiminez, Daniel Lockert, Jenny Matteucci, and Peter Schuurmans so wonderfully complemented her lead.\u00a0 I have never before observed any of these actors, but I can only imagine that Director Greg Fritsch must be so very proud.\u00a0 He and his troop left many a Hillbarn Threatre patron \u201cwowed\u201d by what I would describe as more than just a \u201cwonderful\u201d performance.\u00a0\u00a0 Here\u2019s hoping that each of them will continue to have opportunities to allow their lights to shine brightly.\u00a0 Bravo to all!<\/p>\n

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All performances end with a regret.\u00a0 Mine was that I caught the play toward the end of its two-week run as I would have absolutely relished witnessing another performance.\u00a0 Who knows what will become of its participants, but each can take satisfaction that with \u201cMaster Class\u201d at the Hillbarn theater in 2011 they combined for something very special \u2013 perhaps extraordinary.<\/p>\n

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Yes, sometimes when you least expect it, even the simple aspects of life including local theater will delightfully ambush you and impact you in ways you may never even have imagined!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  “Master Class” featuring Monica Cappuccini at the Hillbarn Threatre   There are no accidents.\u00a0 Sometimes people, events, and happenings… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":6141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[334,18,19164],"tags":[125474,125475,125476,125477,125478],"class_list":["post-6138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-lifestyle","category-offcourse","tag-maria-callas","tag-monica-cappuccini","tag-master-class","tag-hillbarn-theatre","tag-greg-fritsch"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2011\/11\/MariaCallas2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6138"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6145,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6138\/revisions\/6145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/robertfagan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}