arts & entertAINMENT

milt thomas

Master Class is not a new course of instruction at Riverside Theatre, but a Tony Award-winning 1995 Terrence McNally play depicting a fictional master class for opera students at Julliard back in the 1970s. The classes were taught by legendary opera diva, Maria Callas late in her too-short life.

The characters are Maria Callas, three student singers, a pianist and stagehand. The students are schooled individually by the master, leaving each one either inspired or dejected from the encounter.

Callas is portrayed to perfection by Karen Ziemba, who shows Callas at her most diva-like, yet at times humorous–and through her inner dialogue–vulnerable. Her pianist, Emmanuel Weinstock (played and performed by Julian Bond), is seated at the piano throughout the show. The stagehand (Steve Yeomanson) defines ‘walk-on’ role, often a victim of Callas’s sarcasm.

But it is the three students who want to soak up every bit of knowledge they can gain from Callas and hope to win some level of praise or recognition while enduring her intimidating, often sarcastic persona. The first student, Sophie DePalma (Jazmin Gorsline) walks onstage full of school girl innocence and enthusiasm, clearly not prepared for Callas’s wrecking ball personality. Sophie certainly has an opera-quality voice, but a fragile ego. The second student, Sharon Graham (played by Zina Ellis), withers quickly under the Callas barrage. The third student, Anthony Gandolino (Tim Quartier), has the most ego as well as the talent to go with it and wins as much of Callas’s respect as she can muster. Student #2, Sharon Graham, then returns, overcomes her early jitters and demonstrates her potential as an opera star. Then turns the tables on Callas.

The intimate nature of the Waxlax Stage help create a college classroom dynamic where the audience is a class and should be taking notes for a post-show exam.

The three ‘students’ all have opera-quality voices and with Julian Bond on the piano, the show has its musical moments (Verdi, Puccini, Bellini).

But it’s all about Maria. Born in New York in 1923, she grew up in Athens, Greece, studied with legendary star Elvira de Hidalgo, made her Italian debut in 1947, became La Scala prima donna 1950-1962 and gave her final operatic appearance in London in 1965. Her personal life was not as successful. Her parents separated when she was 13, her marriage to a wealthy Italian businessman ended in 1959 after she began a nine-year affair with Aristotle Onassis, only to be put aside when he married Jackie Kennedy.

Maria’s dialogue and inner monologue incorporates the bravado, pain and glory of her life, made tangible thanks to Ziemba’s captivating performance. The three actor/students (played by Gorsline, Ellis and Quartier) are each distinctively characterized ranging from overwhelmed to over confident, but all are professional grade performers. Julian Bond is excellent as a musician and ‘straight man’ to Ziemba’s Callas. Yeomanson is just right as the disinterested, put-upon stagehand.

It all adds up to a thoughtful, entertaining show. So don’t miss your opportunity to spend an enjoyable afternoon or evening at the theater by ‘signing up’ for a Master Class performance before the semester ends – notebooks are optional.

Master Class performs through February 23, 2025 on the Waxlax Stage at Riverside Theatre. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at http://www.riversidetheatre.com.

Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30pm; Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm; with matinees on Wednesdays, select Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. 

Dates still available:

February 18, 19 & 20 @ 7:30pm

February 16, 19, 22 & 23 @ 2pm

February 21 & 22 @ 8pm