Breathtaking Performance of "Joan of Arc" by Divaria Productions

Divaria Productions, one-night-only live opera performance of "Joan of Arc, An Opera" at Bay Street Theater held the audience spellbound from the moment the performers stepped onstage. With a stellar cast, this captivating production is one of those uplifting theatrical experiences that stays with you long after you exit the theater.

Bay Street's audiences have been blessed over the years with riveting shows by Divaria Productions, including "The Shakespeare Riots," "The Human Voice," "Don Giovanni in New York," and "Othello: The Opera and Play Enmeshed." Their vision is to merge opera with other mediums and make opera accessible to everyone.

This multidisciplinary piece combines musical pieces by Verdi and Tchaikovsky, who both wrote operas influenced by Friedrich Schiller's play "The Maid of Orleans." Additionally, this show features the music of Donizetti and former Hampton resident Norman dello Joio, who received the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1957.

The text for this show draws from several sources, including George Bernard Shaw's 1923 play "Saint Joan." Shaw described his drama as "A Chronicle Play in 6 Scenes and an Epilogue." This beloved classic was written only three years after the Catholic Church canonized the Maid of Orleans.

This show utilized three extraordinary performers to bring Joan of Arc to life. Sonnie Betts portrayed the Young Joan with wide-eyed innocence and wonder, and when she delivered her moving monologue, she gave the appearance of a child touched by grace.

The brilliantly talented La Rivers gave a very believable performance in her depiction of the mature Joan, an uneducated peasant girl who happened to have a sharp mind capable of formulating complex military strategies and an uncanny ability to channel messages from Saint Catherine, Saint Margaret, and Saint Michael the Archangel. Through her powerful delivery of Shaw's well-crafted dialogue, expressive body language, and nuanced facial expressions, La Rivers captured the essence of this 15th-century woman, who was spiritually lightyears ahead of her medieval contemporaries.

American soprano opera star Ashley Galvani Bell, the mega-talented founder of Divaria, gave a riveting performance as the singing doppelganger of Joan. Bell commanded the stage with her powerhouse vocals, the perfect instrument to show the passion and pain the Maid of Orleans experienced in her short adult life on this earth.

Michael Rudko gave an award-worthy performance as Bishop Cauchon, a pompous academic theologian. Joan's assertion that she communed directly with God without needing an intermediary of the church was pure heresy to Bishop Cauchon. Rudko was witty and wonderful, delivering every line with precision-perfect timing. His expressive body language and gestures brought this troubled religious figure to life. Michael Nansel, with his rich baritone voice, passionately executed each of his heartrending arias, which revealed the soul-searching inner angst Bishop Cauchon experienced when he pleaded, cajoled, and begged Joan to repent and save herself.

As Dauphin Charles, Ron Menzel used his strong comedic skills to believably portray this weak, mealy-mouthed buffoon destined to be crowned Charles VII. Menzel's standout performance in a role that calls for subtle transformation in character was worth the ticket price. Victor Starsky is one of the finest tenors you will hear on any stage, and he gave an electrifying performance as the singer portraying Dauphin Charles.

A special shoutout goes to Sergio Martinez Zangróniz for his outstanding musical direction. Adding to the show's overall success was the string quartet of musicians drawn from the New Asia Chamber Music Society, with Sophia Su and Andy Lin on violin, Sungwon Kim on viola, and Jane Lee on cello. The choral soloists, Lara Lee Gayer, Michaela Larsen, and Michael Celentano, had magnificent voices. Jan Mizushima as the Inquisitor and Liana Afuni as the Steward gave memorable performances.

This unforgettable production, brilliantly co-directed by Antón Armendariz Diaz and Andrew Bell, paid homage to the seriousness of the ideas presented and handled the inherent spirituality and mysticism of Shaw's text with reverence, all the while recognizing the underlying humor and irony that permeates this classic historical play.

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an award-winning playwright. She has a BFA in Theatre from UCONN and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is the author of "Grant Me a Higher Love," "Why Good People Can't Leave Bad Relationships," and "Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic." Her play, "The Menu," is featured in Kingdom Theatre's Playwright Celebration weekend, November 3, in New York City. To purchase tickets, text: 347-843-9932. Grantmeahigherlove.com.