From Broadway to open-air opera with dancer, actor & choreographer Reed Luplau
06/26/21 • 39 min
Magic, mischief, and mismatched lovers are at cross purposes when the Santa Fe Opera premieres one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Choreographer and dancer Reed Luplau says there’s no better setting for A Midsummer Night’s Dream than our glorious desert stage.
Host Jane Trembley learns more about Reed’s fascinating journey from his mother’s dance studio on Australia’s West Coast to some of the world’s biggest venues. Reed also shares insight into his preparations for playing Puck, the fairy whose pranks cause so much confusion, as well as his process for crafting stories through movement. The conversation ends with Reed’s must-see, do, and eat recommendations when in Santa Fe, a list that’s sure to please locals and first-timers alike.
“We're really trying to see and push how far Puck can be... how dangerous he could be, but with an innocence to him,” Reed says, offering listeners a glimpse into the collaborative relationship between choreographer and director Netia Jones.
In his quest to bring fresh energy to Shakespeare’s 400-year-old original, Reed gave thorough consideration to the complex, often cheeky relationship between his impish fairy and King Oberon, to whom he is the court jester. Puck’s ethereal nature and juvenile antics may prompt comparisons to Peter Pan, but Reed has another character on his mind heading into rehearsals: Randall Boggs, the shape-shifting villain from Monsters, Inc. “I don't know if I'm giving too much away,” he laughs, “but, for now, I think it's playful, but it's not in an evil way.”
Although A Midsummer Night’s Dream marks Reed’s first Shakespearian experience, this accomplished, joyful performer is no stranger to Santa Fe. He made his debut here in 2013 playing Bosie in Santa Fe Opera’s world premiere of Oscar, a residency that instilled in him a great appreciation for the desert. His list of area favorites includes Lake Abiquíu for outdoor adventure and dining on the patio at Gabriel’s. As fond as he is of those spots, Reed’s most cherished memories of Santa Fe are those made on The Crosby Theatre stage. “The acoustics at Santa Fe are just incredible! My favorite part is the water,” he says, referencing the small reflecting pool in front of the stage, often lovingly referred to as the moat. “It's so gorgeous, and it adds another element to the scenery of where you are.”
Listeners can find Reed’s list of Santa Fe favorites in the credits below.
CREDITSDestination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Mixed by: Edwin R. Ruiz
Hosted by: Jane Trembley
Featuring: Reed Luplau, Actor & Choreographer
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE***
Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.
We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @santafeopera.
Magic, mischief, and mismatched lovers are at cross purposes when the Santa Fe Opera premieres one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Choreographer and dancer Reed Luplau says there’s no better setting for A Midsummer Night’s Dream than our glorious desert stage.
Host Jane Trembley learns more about Reed’s fascinating journey from his mother’s dance studio on Australia’s West Coast to some of the world’s biggest venues. Reed also shares insight into his preparations for playing Puck, the fairy whose pranks cause so much confusion, as well as his process for crafting stories through movement. The conversation ends with Reed’s must-see, do, and eat recommendations when in Santa Fe, a list that’s sure to please locals and first-timers alike.
“We're really trying to see and push how far Puck can be... how dangerous he could be, but with an innocence to him,” Reed says, offering listeners a glimpse into the collaborative relationship between choreographer and director Netia Jones.
In his quest to bring fresh energy to Shakespeare’s 400-year-old original, Reed gave thorough consideration to the complex, often cheeky relationship between his impish fairy and King Oberon, to whom he is the court jester. Puck’s ethereal nature and juvenile antics may prompt comparisons to Peter Pan, but Reed has another character on his mind heading into rehearsals: Randall Boggs, the shape-shifting villain from Monsters, Inc. “I don't know if I'm giving too much away,” he laughs, “but, for now, I think it's playful, but it's not in an evil way.”
Although A Midsummer Night’s Dream marks Reed’s first Shakespearian experience, this accomplished, joyful performer is no stranger to Santa Fe. He made his debut here in 2013 playing Bosie in Santa Fe Opera’s world premiere of Oscar, a residency that instilled in him a great appreciation for the desert. His list of area favorites includes Lake Abiquíu for outdoor adventure and dining on the patio at Gabriel’s. As fond as he is of those spots, Reed’s most cherished memories of Santa Fe are those made on The Crosby Theatre stage. “The acoustics at Santa Fe are just incredible! My favorite part is the water,” he says, referencing the small reflecting pool in front of the stage, often lovingly referred to as the moat. “It's so gorgeous, and it adds another element to the scenery of where you are.”
Listeners can find Reed’s list of Santa Fe favorites in the credits below.
CREDITSDestination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Mixed by: Edwin R. Ruiz
Hosted by: Jane Trembley
Featuring: Reed Luplau, Actor & Choreographer
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE***
Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.
We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @santafeopera.
Previous Episode
Rising star Avery Amereau on contralto rep, advice for young singers, and Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”
Rising star Avery Amereau lends her lush contralto voice in the role of Olga in the Santa Fe Opera’s new production of Eugene Onegin, Alexander Pushkin’s story of rakes and romantic mistakes set to glorious music by Tchaikovsky.
While this marks the singer’s Santa Fe Opera debut, Avery is well acquainted with Olga and New Mexico’s great chile debate. Host Jane Trembley chats with her about the perks of possessing an authentic contralto voice, the singer’s less than traditional introduction to opera, and a favorite (shocking!) memory from her Metropolitan Opera debut.
Avery also shares wise words with novice singers about staying true to one’s voice and recommends thematic elements audiences should note while attending this sumptuous opera.
“There's an idea that contralto roles are usually, like, old ladies or nurses,” Avery laughs. Contraltos - singers whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type - are often cast as evil sisters or, as Avery likes to say, the witches and britches of the opera world. She sees teenage Olga as a bit of a flirt, a social butterfly - characteristics that will require a fresh perspective from Avery when the two meet again.
“It'll be a bit more challenging in that way than when I was at Julliard because I've lived so much more life since then,” she says, including becoming a new mother. In addition to heralding the singer’s debut with the Santa Fe Opera, Eugene Onegin also marks Avery’s return to performances after the pandemic. “I think it's very fitting to come back to this role,” she says. “It has a very special significance for me.”
Last seen at the Santa Fe Opera in 2002, Eugene Onegin allows audiences to experience Avery’s vibrant contralto in Russian. The feat required her to learn the Cyrillic alphabet and make sense of consonant clusters and diphthong pronunciations not found in standard American English. Tchaikovsky’s soaring score is worth the effort, though.
“It's a good mix,” Avery says of Olga. “I have a duet; I have an aria; I have a quartet; I have an ensemble. So, I get a nice smattering of everything possible.” Audiences will, too.
***
Destination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Mixed by: Edwin R. Ruiz
Hosted by: Jane Trembley
Avery Amereau, American Contralto
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Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.
We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @santafeopera.
Next Episode
Welcoming you back to the Santa Fe Opera with Audience Services Director Julie Wheeler
Welcoming opera-lovers back to the Santa Fe Opera this summer requires a massive behind-the-scenes effort, much of which is coordinated by the front-of-house team. Jane Trembley talks preparations and protocols with Julie Wheeler, the Santa Fe Opera’s audience services director. Their conversation sheds light (and a few tears) on the grace, gratitude, and overwhelming emotions accompanying this season’s return to the desert stage.
The 2021 Season comes with a host of new challenges. Few know better than Julie. She and key colleagues across the company have spent the last 16 months researching, planning, and implementing many of the modifications SFO has put into place this season. However, she credits the entire staff with making the adjustments look and feel effortless. From newly installed touchless technology to seamless social distancing measures, this season’s goal, says Julie, remains the same as always: to create an environment in which audiences can commune with opera surrounded by gorgeous natural scenery. “It's just going to be one of those things where I think what they can expect is what we've been talking about - that sense of being out and being someplace you know and love and experiencing your joy.”
Joy is Julie’s beacon. It colors memories of her first visit to Santa Fe, the one in which she visited her mother and never left. It flavors her overwhelming penchant for red chile (sorry, team green). Joy is also the force behind her compassion for ticket holders as she and her team contacted every single one last year to share that the pandemic had forced SFO into an unprecedented, season-long closure.
As summer gets underway, Julie’s excited to finally see how guests respond to SFO’s new initiatives, including the nightly, on-site Simulcasts of every single show. “For people who maybe aren't ready yet to step foot into a theater with, you know, 15- to 1700 people, it gives them an opportunity to view from their car and tailgate and still have that wonderful experience.” No matter where they’re seated this season, Julie’s efforts ensure that audiences will rediscover their joy, safely.
Listeners can find the restaurants recommended in this episode below.
CREDITSDestination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Mixed by: Edwin R. Ruiz
Hosted by: Jane Trembley
Julie Wheeler, Audience Services Director, Santa Fe Opera
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE***
Learn more about the Santa Fe Opera and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.
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