Saturday afternoon, October 12th at NOON
If you can, I would suggest that you watch the Hitchcock movie of Marnie before seeing the opera, Marnie. It will give you a better understanding of the characters and the interplay between them. The Hitchcock movie, Marnie, can be rented or purchased from Amazon Prime, watched on YouTube or borrowed from the library.
Though not yet out in DVD we will be showing Marnie through the magic of DirecTV. This performance was originally shown on television’s “Live from the Met” on February 1, 2019. Composer Nico Muhly was fascinated by Winston Graham’s 1961 novel, “Marnie,” which also inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s spellbinding 1964 film with Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. Muhly thought that Marnie would make a intriguing opera as well.
Marnie is an intense psychological drama revolving around a beautiful but disturbed woman. She works as a clerk at the accounting firm of Crombie & Strutt resourcefully moving from job to job, changing her looks and her identity, while also compulsively stealing money from her employers. As a customer of Mr. Strutt, Mark Rutland first meets Marnie at Crombie & Strutt, whose business was recently robbed by his secretary, the mysterious Marnie Edgar. Marnie next applies for a job with Rutland, with the full intention of also stealing from him. Mark, who has become obsessively infatuated with Marnie, blackmails her into marrying him. However, he soon discovers that she suffers from severe psychological trauma and resolves to help her come to terms with her past.
Nico Muhly’s opera, Marnie, with an effective libretto by Nicholas Wright, painstakingly tries to use his imagination and his proven skill at orchestration to flesh out Marnie’s mysterious past, making this an intense and penetrating opera.
Running time: 3 hours 17 minutes, with one intermission
Newcomers to opera — These DVD presentations by the Pescadero Opera Society are a great way to learn about opera. The atmosphere is always friendly and informal — never stuffy. An introduction to the opera is given before the show, letting you know what you are about to see and hear, and any opera trivia available. Programs are provided that include a synopsis of the opera. The DVD includes English subtitles, and there’s always room for questions and discussion.
The opera is held in our fabulous Event Hall (lovingly referred to as “The Barn”). It will be shown on our wonderful giant-sized Gracie Anderson Memorial Movie Screen (donated by her son, Rodney), in six-channel digital surround-sound (donated by Jason Skinner and family, and several yard sales). Sit in our comfy theater seats (donated by Coastal Repertory Theatre), all set on our wonderful carpeting from the Ritz Carlton ballroom (donated by Kevin Palmer of Floors to Go, Premier Termite & the Long Branch Saloon/Event Center). Munch on popcorn from our fantastic popcorn machine (donated by Chris and Suneva from Aratas Pumpkin Farm). Keep warm and cozy with our 60,000 BTU heater and enjoy the show with our fabulous new projector (both made possible by your generous donations).
Socializing, barbecue and pot luck are held between 12:00-1:00 p.m. We will provide the main dish, large salad, drinks and snacks. Please bring a dish that you want to share for the pot luck. The opera starts at 1:00 p.m. with a brief introduction by Phyllis Neumann.