CASA ITALIANA OPERA COMPANY
Located at the northernmost
border of Los Angeles’ Chinatown, the Casa Italiana is home to as eclectic
a crowd as ever appeared in any major Hollywood production. Drawn together
by unflagging passion, dreadful tenacity and the notion that opera goes
down better with a plate of spaghetti, these "VOLUNTEERS FOR VERDI" embody
the rich cultural mix of Southern California, where America's melting pot
continues to bubble and individual dreams can and do come true, even into
the twilight years.
To mount their 30th anniversay
production of Verdi’s “Don Carlo,” the Casa Italiana Opera Company called upon the talents of Yunghee Kavanagh, a Korean-born homemaker, for the role of Elizabeth, Queen of Spain; Doug "Roberto" Falcone, owner-operator of a local fence-building company
for the tile role of Don Carlo, Infante of Spain. Mario Biscaldi, a retired Argentinean mechanic came on board as as Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa; David Odekirk as King Phillip of Spain; and cheerful mail carrier Bill Bartlett, tripled as a Monk, a Courtier and the Grand Inquisitor.
Other major supporting roles were filled by Victoria Brago, a kindergarten teacher in South Central Los Angeles, as the sinister Princess Eboli; our executive producer, writer and actor Jeff Bergquist, as the Ghost of Charles V; Sylvana Vienne as the Countess of Aremberg; real estate appraiser Paul Junger as Count Lerma, the Herald; Carolyn Rogoff as Tebaldo, the Queen's Page; business administrator Phyllis Elliott, as a Courtier and The Voice of Heaven); and English-born Irishman, Dr. George Murphy, emeritus professor of economics, as the entire
Flemish Delegation.
The Ladies-in-Waiting were played by tax-preparer Lani Bartlett, Edith Nader-Favre and Christy Duarte. Peter Napoles not only doubled as a Monk and an Assassin, but created the special effects flintlock he used for the dastardly deed. Elva Biscaldi, Margery Brown, Wallace Giffen, Jason Harris, Thomas Kennedy, Klyda Mahoney, Barbara Medina, Carol Osborn, Pauline Ramirez, Elizabeth Rohde, Donald Squillace, Leo Weg and Janet Werier made up the chorus; and sales manager Michael Rejniak, Michael Fallon, Lou Walters, Roger Kirtz and custom framemaker Randy Ball, all played supernumeries doubling and tripling as guards, monks, heretics and townspeople who appeared on stage, but did not have singing roles.
Austrian World War II refugee and registered U.S. patent agent Walter Unterberg conducted; professional musician John Mitchell was the rehearsal pianist and sang in the chorus; and Machiavellian Italian-American Maestro Mario Leonetti, formerly
of the New York City Opera, founder of the Casa Italiana Opera Company, directed.
There are two main points to this rather extraordinarily long list. First, of course, is to give credit where credit is due. Second, and perhaps more importantly, to make it clear that most of these people live "normal" lives outside of opera. The orchestra was paid. The rest, whatever their age and ethnicity, were all "Volunteers for Verdi." |
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
WRITER-PRODUCER-DIRECTOR
WRITER-PRODUCER-EDITOR
