In 1983, Long Beach Opera presented a decidedly provocative production of Claudio Monteverdi’s Homeric saga, “The Return of Ulysses to His Homeland,” which had its first performance in 1641.
Directed by Christopher Alden, the staging cast aside any hint of Greek mythos in favor of an of-the-moment interpretation that cast the battle weary hero as a wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet desperate to leave the Trojan War behind and find his way home. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), the production suggested, is as old as war itself.
Now, Long Beach Opera has returned to the battlefield with its world premiere production of “Fallujah,” which opened Friday (appropriately) at the Army National Guard armory in Long Beach. With its powerful libretto by Iraqi-American playwright Heather Raffo, and propulsive multi-dimensional score by Canadian composer, Tobin Stokes, “Fallujah” is a shock-and-awe experience that will open your eyes and rend your heart.
The plot is inspired by the real-life combat experiences, PTSD suffering, and multiple suicide attempts by Marine Gunnery Sgt. Christian Ellis, who fought in the bloodiest conflict of the Iraq war, the second battle of Fallujah in 2004.
The initial stimulus for the project grew out of a therapeutic retreat for vets organized by Explore.org, a division of the Los Angeles-based Annenberg Foundation. It was at this Idaho fly fishing retreat that philanthropist Charles Annenberg met Ellis. Annenberg was impressed and deeply moved by the fact that the former Marine had been trained as a classical singer before joining the military and encouraged him to write an initial treatment for an opera based on his experiences.
Through a series of connections, City Opera, Vancouver and its conductor/artistic director, Charles Barber, became aware of the project and made the decision to produce a workshop. Stokes and Raffo were selected to create the score and libretto. Each consulted with Ellis. And each came away from the encounter with insights that add depth and dimension to the work. The result, so ably demonstrated by LBO, is an opera that is set amid the chaos and violence or war, that is as much about healing as it is about loss — for Americans and Iraqis.
LaMarcus Miller (a resounding young baritone whose voice can hit like a Howitzer) plays Philip, a USMC lance corporal who is confined at a medical facility on 72-hour watch following a second suicide attempt. His adopted mother, Colleen (played with devastating intensity by Suzan Hanson) has come to be with him. But Philip, literally and metaphorically, is incapable of unlocking the door to let her in.
He is not, however, entirely alone. In addition to a well-meaning orderly (Arnold Livingston Geis) who tries to give him solace, Philip is visited by a succession of ghosts from the past. Again and again his memories return to two horrific incidents. One involves the death of his best friend and platoon brother, Lance Cpl. Taylor (Todd Strange) who Philip literally sees blown away. The other revolves around a confrontation with a young Iraqi boy, Wissam (sensitively played by Jonathan Lacayo), and his radicalized mother, Shatha (sung powerfully by Ani Maldjian). It’s a confrontation that initially suggests the possibility of building a bridge between combatants, but ultimately ends in tragedy.
Long Beach Opera excels in making the opera fit the clime. And the decision to place the action of “Fallujah” on a raised stage inside an Army National Guard Armory makes a powerful statement. The action is bathed in projections that include photographs taken by Marines in Fallujah and nightmarish artwork created specifically for the production by a pair of PTSD-suffering Iraq war vets — Jon Harguindeguy and Michael Hebert.
Musically, Stokes’ score is a powerful, exceedingly listenable mélange of orchestral atmospheres that ebb and flow in a manner that reflects the chaotic battle-torn state of Philip’s mind. The combat sections are driving by rhythmic intensity, accentuated by a small rock ensemble reflecting the type of thrash metal music that was favored by many of the soldiers in Iraq. Moments of crisis, chaos and confrontation are balanced against interludes of calm and reflection with a hint of Middle Eastern musical influence. There are introspective arias and ensembles including a climactic quartet sung by the two mothers and their sons.
The brilliantly executed set design and projections are the creation of Andreas Mitisek (Long Beach Opera’s artistic director), lighting designer Dan Weingarten and video artist Hana S. Kim. The opera also opens with a series of interviews that serve as an overture. The 11-piece orchestra (which is set off to one side) is skillfully and propulsively conducted by Ktistof Van Grysperre.
Every performance of “Fallujah” is followed by a question and answer exchange with the cast. And while the best way to experience the visceral power of the opera is to experience it live, there is an alternative — “Fallujah” will be televised Friday live on KCET, Link TV, DirecTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410. Don’t miss it.
Oorah!
Jim Farber is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.
Want to go?
Rating: 4 stars
Where: Army National Guard Armory, 854 E. Seventh Street, Long Beach.
When: 8 p.m. March 17-19, 2:30 p.m. March 19-20.
Information: 562-432-5934 or longbeachopera.org.
