Zany Youth Opera premiere meets highest standards

The Sarasota Opera and the Sarasota Youth Opera gave our city an enormous gift with the world premiere of “Rootabaga Country,” a lyrically powerful new opera commissioned by the Sarasota Opera. 

In every aspect of operatic presentation, this production meets the highest standards, both in its musical and vocal excellence and in its impressive use of technical resources such as stage direction (Martha Collins), scenic design (Sheryl Liu), costume (Howard Tsvi Kaplan) and lighting design (Ken Yunker). 

The overall result of this world-class expertise was captivating, enhancing the somewhat zany libretto, inspired by the stories of iconic author Carl Sandburg in his 1922 “Rootabaga Stories” and skillfully adapted by composer and librettist Rachel Peters. 

In addition to impressive choral contributions by the Sarasota Youth Opera Chorus, we heard from the family at the core of these challenging and ultimately impressive vocal demands: Tobias Wright, Samantha Lane, Aubree Zern and Costas Tsourakis. 

The confident vocalism and dramatic musicality demonstrated by these attractive young artists brought the complexities of the libretto to life with both good humor and touching dramatic perception, often turning conventional comic gestures into meaningful responses. 

This opera tackles the issues of modern family structure and the need for freedom to explore fantasy and imagination as the heart of our love. We are told not to fear lyrical interpretations of our daily lives, but to live them to the fullest and in full imaginative freedom. 

Frankly, performance at this level of creativity and expertise is an unfair challenge to the work of a music critic. We hope that this work, commissioned by Sarasota Opera, will find a place in the repertoire of many opera companies in this country and around the world. 

‘Rootabaga Country’

Music and libretto by Rachel J. Peters. Directed by Martha Collins, conducted by Jesse Martins. Reviewed Nov. 11, Sarasota Youth Opera, Sarasota Opera House. 941-328-1300; sarasotaopera.org