Long Beach Opera’s thoughtful “As One”
Danielle Marcelle Bond and Lee Gregory in “As One.” Photo by Keith Ian Polakoff “As One” – an opera about a transgender journey (a review) I’m guessing it would be quite easy for most people to say “No, thanks” to an opera about one character’s transgender journey and experiences, even knowing it was being staged by the indomitable Long Beach Opera, one of the few companies that never blinks twice when it comes to presenting bold and striking new works as well as reimaginings (e.g., their recent “Fairy Queen” by Purcell) of older classics. “As One” is a chamber orchestra, which makes me recall that Philip Glass once referred to “1000 Airplanes on the Roof” as a pocket opera. This means that it’s pretty much the complete opposite of grand opera, where maybe you’re sitting 300 rows back and glad you’ve brought binoculars or even a telescope. “As One” has only two performers, baritone Lee Gregory as Hannah Before and mezzo-soprano Danielle Marcelle Bond as Hannah After, with a musical quartet planted up front, in the very laps of the first row audience if people had been seated there. It’s not often that an opera reviewer can name the members of an entire orchestra, and I don’t want…
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