{{infobox opera | name = 27 | composer = Ricky Ian Gordon | image = Original Cast of 27.jpg | image_upright = 1.2 | caption = Original cast of the premiere | language = English | based_on = Roland Topor's ''Le locataire chimérique'' | librettist = Royce Vavrek | premiere_date = {{start date|2014|06|14}} | premiere_location = Loretto-Hilton Center, St. Louis }} '''''27''''' (or '''''Twenty-Seven''''') is an opera by composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Royce Vavrek in a prologue and five acts that explores the relationship of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, and the salons that they hosted at their residence at 27 rue de Fleurus in Paris. The work was commissioned by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe.<ref>[https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/opera-theatre-saint-louis-releases-world-premiere-recording "Opera Theatre of Saint Louis releases world premiere recording"] by Willis Ryder Arnold, St. Louis Public Radio, February 19, 2015</ref> The full cast of five singers was featured on the cover of the June 2014 issue of ''Opera News''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2014/6/June_2014.html|title=Table of Contents: June 2014|work=Opera News|access-date=2019-12-24}}</ref> The opera premiered on June 14, 2014, in a production directed by James Robinson and conducted by Michael Christie at the Loretto-Hilton Center in St. Louis, Missouri.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2014/6/Features/Lucky_Number.html|title=Lucky Number|author=F. Paul Driscoll|work=Opera News|date=June 2014|access-date=25 December 2019}}</ref> The world premiere was recorded by Albany Records.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.albanyrecords.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AR&Product_Code=TROY1549-50&Category_Code=a-Opera|title=Albany Records: ''27'', An Opera in Five Acts|website=www.albanyrecords.com|access-date=2019-12-24}}</ref>
Pittsburgh Opera staged the work in February 2016.<ref>[http://www.pittsburghopera.org/show/Twenty-Seven ''Twenty-Seven''], performance details, Pittsburgh Opera</ref> The New York City premiere was staged in October 2016 at New York City Center with Stephanie Blythe, Heidi Stober, Theo Lebow, {{ill|Tobias Greenhalgh|de}}, and Daniel Brevik. Ted Sperling conducted the Orchestra of St. Luke's and Gordon composed new material specially for the MasterVoices chorus.<ref>[http://www.nycitycenter.org/tickets/productionNew.aspx?performanceNumber=10076#.V9z1r0197CM ''27''], New York City Center performance details, October 2016</ref>
==Roles== {| class="wikitable" |+{{sronly|Roles, voice types, premiere cast}} !Roles !Voice type !Premiere cast, 14 June 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opera-stl.org/about/news-press/2014/02/21/opera-theatre-of-saint-louis-announces-finalcasting-and-production-artists-for-2014-festival-season/|title=Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Announces Final Casting and Production Artists for 2014 Festival Season|author=|publisher=Opera-stl.org|accessdate=29 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017122316/http://www.opera-stl.org/about/news-press/2014/02/21/opera-theatre-of-saint-louis-announces-finalcasting-and-production-artists-for-2014-festival-season/|archive-date=17 October 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><br />Conductor: Michael Christie |- |Gertrude Stein||mezzo-soprano||Stephanie Blythe |- |Alice B. Toklas||soprano||Elizabeth Futral |- |Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, et al.||tenor||Theo Lebow |- |Leo Stein, Man Ray, et al.||baritone||{{ill|Tobias Greenhalgh|de}} |- |Henri Matisse, Ernest Hemingway, et al.||bass-baritone||Daniel Brevik |}
==Critical reception== ''The St. Louis American'' called the world premiere production of ''27'' a "flawless commissioned portrait of Gertrude Stein,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stlamerican.com/entertainment/living_it/article_47cc059e-f883-11e3-bbad-0019bb2963f4.html|title=Opera Theatre St. Louis stages flawless commissioned portrait of Gertrude Stein|work=The St. Louis American|accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> while Ray Mark Rinaldi of ''The Denver Post'' said that the opera "tells a great American story, as well as American opera in the 21st century" suggesting that "it is every century's job to define the century before it, and ''27'' isn't afraid to do that with certainty and depth."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/artmosphere/2014/06/24/27-tells-american-story-touching-american-way/11181/|title=''27'' tells a great American story, about Gertrude Stein as well as American opera in the 21st century|work=Artmosphere|accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> In her review for the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', Sarah Bryan Miller called the work "serious fun" praising Gordon's creation of "hummable tunes and recurring themes, drama and sweetness, in a well-wrought score. Vavrek is Steinian without stealing Stein and keeps the story moving, for a clever, witty libretto,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/opera-review-opera-theatre-s-is-serious-fun/article_d0793253-c2ca-50d6-bb42-29a34c027469.html|title=Opera review: Opera Theatre's ''27'' is serious fun|author=|work=stltoday.com|accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> while Anne Midgette of ''The Washington Post'' wrote that "[Gordon] clearly found much to inspire him in this libretto and subject, to judge from a score that has an engaging vitality from the opening bars, and is delightfully studded with allusions (a touch of ''Lakmé'', a hint of ''Vanessa'') and adroit vocal ensembles."<ref name=Midgette>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2014/06/18/gertrude-stein-sings-in-new-opera-in-st-louis/|title=Gertrude Stein sings in new opera in St. Louis|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 19, 2014|author=Anne Midgette|authorlink=Anne Midgette|access-date=26 December 2019}}</ref> Heidi Waleson of ''The Wall Street Journal'' commented that "[t]he first thing that you notice about Ricky Ian Gordon's ''27'', an opera about Gertrude Stein that recently had its world premiere at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, is that it moves. Royce Vavrek, the librettist, taking his cue from Stein's own short phrases and cells of text, created a playful, quick-witted libretto that pushed Mr. Gordon beyond his trademark melodies into a brighter, friskier style."<ref name=wsj>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/opera-review-gertrude-stein-in-st-louis-1403562334|title=Opera Review: Gertrude Stein in St. Louis|date=23 June 2014|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=29 October 2014}}</ref> Critic Scott Cantrell of ''The Dallas Morning News'' wrote that "''27'' is an unabashedly populist treatment of a yeasty artistic period, in musical idioms that wouldn't have raised an eyebrow in 1920s Paris,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/columnists/scott-cantrell/20140618-gertrude-stein-alice-b.-toklas-come-to-operatic-life-in-st.-louis.ece|title=Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas come to operatic life in St. Louis|work=The Dallas Morning News|accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> and further described Gordon's score as "tuneful, Frenchified neoclassicism" likening it to the work of Lennox Berkeley and Aaron Copland.
All five singers received unanimous praise, with Blythe garnering rapturous notices for her portrayal of Stein, and Futral celebrated for her performance as Toklas: "It is no small matter that the piece was written for Stephanie Blythe, an outsize personality herself, whose grand, multifaceted mezzo brings the character to vibrant life." (Waleson, ''Wall Street Journal'')<ref name=wsj /> "Stephanie Blythe is Gertrude; Elizabeth Futral is Alice. Individually and together, they are brilliant, as is the rest of the cast." (Robert W. Duffy, St. Louis Public Radio)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/reflection-27-opera-theatre-again-uses-powerful-art-challenge|title=Reflection: In ''27'', Opera Theatre Again Uses Powerful Art To Challenge|author=Robert W. Duffy|date=15 June 2014 |publisher=News.stlpublicradio.org|accessdate=29 October 2014}}</ref> "[A] good vehicle for Blythe, who can handle the turns and whose natural magnetism goes a long way toward helping us understand the power Stein had over her world. Futral, one of the better singing actresses working today, makes the relationship believable." (Rinaldi, ''Denver Post'') "[W]ith sublime, powerful, expressive voices, superstars Stephanie Blythe and Elizabeth Futral were a joy to behold, deserving of their robust ovations. [...] Remember the names Theo Lebow, Tobias Greenhalgh and Daniel Brevik. They excelled at portraying all the male characters distinctively and effortlessly, showcasing solid acting and strong singing in intricate, demanding supporting roles." (Lynn Venhaus, ''Belleville News-Democrat'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bnd.com/2014/06/24/3272626/opera-theatre-review-veteran-and.html|title=Metro-east news from Belleville, IL|work=Belleville News-Democrat|accessdate=29 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714195518/http://www.bnd.com/2014/06/24/3272626/opera-theatre-review-veteran-and.html|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Ann Midgette of ''The Washington Post'' noted "Daniel Brevik, bass-baritone, was particularly impressive with a sonorous voice that made him sound a bit like a young Blythe, and a build and manner so perfectly evocative of Hemingway that I, at least, was waiting for his turn in that role even while he was playing a stentorian Matisse."<ref name=Midgette />
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Gertrude Stein}} {{Portal bar|Opera}} {{Authority control}}
Category:2014 operas Category:Operas set in Paris Category:Operas based on real people Category:Operas about writers Category:Operas set in the 20th century Category:Operas by Ricky Ian Gordon Category:Operas Category:Cultural depictions of Gertrude Stein Category:Cultural depictions of Henri Matisse Category:Cultural depictions of Ernest Hemingway Category:Cultural depictions of Pablo Picasso Category:Cultural depictions of F. Scott Fitzgerald Category:English-language operas