Temple Sinai's Cantor Joel Colman who will be the Old Hebrew. (Photo courtesy New Orleans Opera Association)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Colman, \u00a0who performed in the past with the opera as a chorus member, is slated to perform the featured role of the Old Hebrew in the production of “Samson and Delilah” by Camille Saint-Sa\u00ebns\u00a0on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. He auditioned for the role after maestro and artistic director Robert Lyall insisted he would be perfect in the First Act role. The irony that he is making his debut in a opera based on a biblical story is not lost on the cantor. Nor is the contrast he sees between liturgical work and the spectacle of grand opera.<\/p>\n
“The difference is you’re stepping out of a cantorial role into an operatic role,” considers Colman. “Yet, the two are linked in that they both require high vocal skills.”<\/p>\n
Then there is the difference in performing in Hebrew, a language in which he has been trained to sing loudly and prominently and that of French, a romantic language with subtle nuances and trills. “You have to do a lot of listening and a lot of studying to be able to sing it properly,” Colman posits. “I’m very fortunate that our organist here (at Temple Sinai), Marcus St. Julian, is familiar with the French repertoire,” he continues. “And one of our French congregants, Gisele Schexnider, has been helping me as well as her daughter Margaux, who has been having a good time correcting her cantor’s French.”<\/p>\n
Since the end of February, much of the cantor’s free time has been taken up in rehearsals along with the principal performers and musicians under Lyall’s seasoned baton. Celebrated Metropolitan Opera performers Richard Cox, tenor, and soprano Edyta Kulzcak also make their New Orleans opera debuts in the titular roles, respectively. Meanwhile, New Orleans native bass-baritone Greer Grimsely, considered one of the leading Wagnerian interpreters and prominent international singers, returns triumphantly to tackle the role of the High Priest. Rehearsals were held in the Riverbend area at the Carrollton United Methodist Church prior to the recent striking of the set at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts.<\/p>\n
As one might expect, being a performer whose entire stage presence is over by the opening of Act II means a lot of downtime, watching blocking of scenes and listening to the principals perform their roles.<\/p>\n
Colman recalls one laborious rehearsal which started with Act III and went rather long. His scenes were not rehearsed that night, but he watched the New Orleans Ballet and listened to the principals and the New Orleans Opera Chorus go through the climactic finale.<\/p>\n
“It was a marvelous three hours,” he relates. “I got hear to hear this fabulous singing. I had a wonderful front row seat. The hours went by…” Colman says smiling while throwing up his hands.<\/p>\n
In a show of support for their cantor, many Temple Sinai congregants plan to attend the Sunday matinee performance at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. “We have people coming,” he beams.<\/p>\n
Colman considers his work with maestro Lyall, whom he calls “fabulous,” to be particularly satisfying. When it came time for blocking his role, Colman was able to incorporate some of his training and experience as a cantor into the role. “I’m able to use some of the rabbinic motions such as blessing Samson,” he notes.<\/p>\n
Last summer the Temple Sinai cantor landed a minor role as the innkeeper in the Tulane Summer Lyric production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” (See the CCJN feature story<\/a>.) In a key scene just prior to the close of Act One, Russian cossacks savage the wedding of Tevye’s daughter’s wedding.<\/p>\nColman had a flashback to that scene during the blocking for one of the scenes in “Samson and Delilah” where Samson is rallying his fellow Hebrews. “All of a sudden the Philistine soldiers come on stage and start rousting the Hebrews and I said to myself ‘Again?'” Colman muses. “The funny thing is that the Samson scene happened 3,000 years ago, but I could’t help but thinking it\u2019s happening again.” The cantor smiles broadly.<\/p>\n
So, will this debut as an operatic singer suggest a career change for Colman? “I don\u2019t know where it will go,” he concedes, but quickly adds “I am pretty happy in my role as the cantor at the temple.”<\/p>\n
“Samson and Delilah,” sung in French (with English supertitles) will be presented Friday, March 15 at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, March 17 at 2:30 p.m. at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available at the door or online by clicking here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Joel-Colman-Old-Hebrew.jpg\" "\\"Joel")