Munro Review, August 10, 2018

Munro Review

Opera director and singer: Offstage they’re happily engaged, onstage he’s toxic masculinityCalifornia Opera wraps up its annual festival with ‘Bluebeard’s Castle’ and ‘Trouble in Tahiti.’ Gabriel Manro and Justine Prado fill us in
The California Opera Association’s annual Summer Opera Arts & Education Festival concludes with a busy weekend highlighted by two fully staged productions at the Mercedes Edwards Theatre in Clovis.
Béla Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” will be performed 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10. And Leonard Bernstein’s “Trouble in Tahiti” will be performed 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12. Admission is free, with donations accepted. (Also on the festival lineup: the popular “Doctors at the Met” performance at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11.

The cast of ‘Bluebeard’s Castle’: Linda Baird, left, Gabriel Manro, Courtney Dunn, Chelsea Spoon and Julia Yu. Photo / California Opera
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​Two of the shining names at this year’s festival are baritone Gabriel Manroand stage director Justine Prado — who just happen to be engaged. (And what a story their engagement is. More on that in a moment.) She’s directing the two 20th century operas for the Fresno festival. I caught up with them for an email interview.
Donald: Justine, let’s start with “Trouble in Tahiti.” Did Bernstein really begin composing it on his honeymoon? (And should that have been a danger sign to his wife?)
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