Natalie Cordone to make OKC debut as opera icon Maria Callas in ‘Master Class’
One of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century, Maria Callas was the definition of a diva: glamorous, scandalous, tempestuous as well as surprisingly funny. So, no pressure for Natalie Cordone, who is portraying the icon revered for her larger-than-life voice and persona in Lyric Theatre’s production of the Tony Awardwinning play “Master Class.”
“It’s a lot. I’m not gonna lie. This is an incredible show that a lot of the onus is put on Maria’s character,” Cordone said. “Then, to get to do it with three different companies of actors ... and doing it outside in what I’ve now come to know is Oklahoma’s summer (that) extends well into September, as I’ve learned, it’s going to be a wild ride.”
Lyric Theatre continues its all-outdoor 2021 season Sept. 15-Oct. 3 on the Myriad Botanical Gardens’ Water Stage, where Cordone will make her Oklahoma City debut under the direction of a longtime pal: She and Lyric’s Producing Artistic Director Michael Baron both attended Wake Forest University — although at different times—- and became friends when they directed together an alumni production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
“She is a beautiful, legit soprano and has sung opera. She tours the country with sym
phonies,” Baron said. “She knows what it’s like to have an entire production on her shoulders, which I think is necessary when doing ‘Master Class’ and playing this role.”
Who was Maria Callas?
Although “Master Class” marks her Lyric Theatre debut, Cordone has a long list of credits, including starring in the popular off-Broadway production of “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding,” performing with Orlando Shakespeare Theatre and Winter Park (Florida) Play House and headlining concerts with the Colorado Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic and more.
“I knew that, in this crazy time, she would be able to do the amount of work necessary for the role to be successful,” Baron said. “I love plays about real people that kind of dig into their lives and their process. ... What the play is about is what’s required to be at the peak of your profession, particularly artistically, and how much you have to bring of yourself to the art form.”
Lyric Theatre’s run of “Master Class” will coincide with the 44th anniversary of Callas’ death of a heart attack on Sept. 16, 1977, in Paris. Although she was just 53 when she died, Callas is still remembered as one of the most outstanding operatic sopranos of her generation, known for her roles in “Tosca,” “Madea,” “La traviata” and more. Born in New York City in 1923 to Greek immigrant parents, she weathered an unhappy childhood, a reputation as a difficult artist and a scandalous love affair with
shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis — who eventually left the singer for Jacqueline Kennedy — to remain one of opera’s most famous stars even decades after her death. “There are things you gain and things you lose by becoming the top in your field, but it certainly is inspirational. And it’s a reminder to our audiences of the amount of work that goes into creating a live performance,” Baron said. “She’s not a tragic figure. I feel she’s actually quite funny. ... She’s someone certainly to look up to, as an artist, for her work ethic, for her attention to detail and the importance of knowing where your performance comes from, the artists before you that created it and where you fit into that line.”
Acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally based “Master Class” on the real-life master classes Callas gave at Juilliard in the 1970s, toward the end of her life. The diva is alternately impressed and dismayed by the students who perform excerpts of famous operas for her, leading her to ponder experiences from her legendary life and career. Zoe Caldwell won a Tony for portraying Callas in the 1995 Broadway production, with Audra McDonald also winning for her performance as one of Callas’ students.
Why is the show a good fit?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lyric Theatre is performing all its 2021 shows outdoors and encouraging audiences to wear masks and observe social distancing. “For the fall at Myriad Gardens, I looked at plays and musicals that would fit nicely in the gardens, which is a fairly public space but also a very fairly grand space because your backdrop is the city and the Devon Tower,” Baron said. “This one particularly stood out for the Myriad Gardens because of the opera element.”
Lyric’s production will feature three different sets of actors playing Callas’ students, which means Cordone will have different co-stars each week of the run. “This is going to be a wholly different experience, I think, just because it is such an intense show — it’s funny, but it also deals with some pretty intense themes — and doing that with ducks quacking and and cars driving by in the distance and that sort of thing, it’s gonna pose some interesting challenges,” Cordone said.
“It is an enormous honor that Michael thought that I was up to the task of all the things that he threw at me. That’s how I’m taking it.”