reviews

Xerxes at Connecticut Early Music Festival

" A gifted director offers a version of Xerxes that's eye-poppingly contemporary... Irrepressible color, visual and vocal, made the piece a delight and a testament to Summer's gift for banishing stodginess from an art form too often seen as fossilized and elitist... Summer has a gift for translating classic symbolism into familiar detail with just enough flippancy to bring out the fun of the opera without skewing the emotional equation... charmingly choreographed…Street-Smart…Summer's imagination has a long reach; you see it in the subtitles she writes for the operas she directs - including Cosi fan tutte, also played at the Academy - in which street language pops like firecrackers...Since Handel himself was criticized for adding elements of comedy to Xerxes, she was on solid ground."
The Valley Advocate

"Summer's work is always spot on…Summer set the action in our time...it ends up seeming perfectly natural....veritably choreographed... The Summer-Watson collaborations are always imaginative, fruitful, enjoyable, and satisfying in their combinations of old and new, traditional and adventuresome… The projected English surtitles, freely translated by Summer, were in modern colloquial speech, sometimes racy, sometimes profane, and occasionally elicited some chuckles from the audience... [Summer's titles] communicate the essence of the thoughts behind the words in current slang...and helped the audience buy into the spirit of the production."
Boston Musical Intelligencer

“Arcadia's beautifully performed, audaciously but credibly staged SERSE compared well to the NY City Opera production from the 1990's... rousing......light-hearted... The humor and pathos of Handel's opera of love rivalry, crossed signals, and deception was finely conveyed …under stage director/producer Eve Summer [who] portrayed every nuance of their characters… I should mention that the surtitles, in a translation by stage director Summer, matched her staging, with updated, occasionally scatological wording that added to audience laughter.”
Opera ListServ

Così fan tutte at Commonwealth Opera

"...[Summer's production of] Cosi fan tutte can only be described as brilliant...there was much more developed acting than in most productions of this work...it was up-to-date, but tasteful...very modern and very natural... each [character] was individualized; none were treated as stock characters or stereotypes...
(Praise for Ms. Summer's surtitle translation)"clever, witty, hip...sexy...[the translation] seemed as natural as the sense of the original, and fit the music well, the set and production to a T."
Classical Voice of New England

"...Eve [brings] her considerable skills in deft spoken-theater direction to the world of opera... this production was amazing... brilliantly staged, beautifully sung and acted, touching, intimate, and hilarious."
Hautboy.com

"Bright" and "Delightful" & "Verve and polish”
The Valley Advocate

Don Giovanni at Opera Columbus

“Opera Columbus Returns With Magical, Magnetic Don Giovanni.
Opera Columbus roars back to life with a trimmed-down and vibrant take on Mozart’s masterpiece... The production, directed by Eve Summer, keeps all the blast furnace intensity and marvelous, twisted beauty that’s kept audiences captivated for over 200 years...

…The brilliant cast, under Summer’s direction, made the most of those boxes. Implying a distinct heat, and the fury of a very physical production raging against these almost invisible constraints. Jorell Williams’ Don Giovanni seducing Zerlina (Aryssa Leigh Burrs), against the walls of their respective boxes, and a knife fight between Giovanni and Commendatore (a dazzling Christopher Humbert Jr.) from three boxes away were two examples of the action rippling with uncanny electricity...

Summer and her cast made the most out of the thematic charge of those boxes, as well – the story of Don Giovanni leads to a hell of his own making. They amplify the deep loneliness of the libertine and his victims and the teeth-gnashing frustration of attempts at revenge and forgiveness.

A marvelous triptych/bit of verbal trench warfare between Donna Elvira (an exquisite Amber Monroe) and Giovanni with Leporello (Carl DuPont) in the middle left my jaw in my lap. The gut-wrenching confession/vow of revenge between Donna Anna (Megan Kasanders) and Don Ottavio (Victor Cardamone) and the parallel argument between Zerlina and Masetto (Miguel Pedroza) are some of the finest operatic acting I’ve ever seen, using the limitations of the staging to heighten the mood.

…the digital program opens with a content warning about the recounting of sexual assault ... one of the highlights of the production is that it neither whitewashes nor shies away from its ugliness. It balances a knowing, contemporary lens with grounding the characters in their time and place in a way I marveled at.

...it’s hard for me to imagine a better return to live performance than this dazzling Don Giovanni.”
Columbus Underground

Tosca at The Princeton Festival

“Giacomo Puccini once said, “God touched me with His little finger, and said, ‘Write for the theater, only for the theater.’” For me, “theater” is the operative word in that quote. In the decades I’ve been writing about live entertainment, I’ve favored opera productions that stress theater, the putting on of a play and deft characterization as much as it concentrates on the music, vocal, and orchestral. The Princeton Festival production of “Tosca,” which, alas, has seen its ephemeral time on the stage and is now a fond memory, met the standards of strong, engaging theater as much as any opera I’ve seen.”

Opera is, in some ways, the pinnacle of theater. It’s a mode in which everything, including grand music and complex arrangements, combines with story and design to emphasize love, power, or comic commentary with size, intensity, and depth…Eve Summer’s production of “Tosca” for the Princeton Festival exemplified all of that.

Summer kept her production small and intimate. She rarely crowded the stage, letting the full drama of Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa’s libretto affect the audience the way theater does. This up-close and personal rendition of “Tosca” made Illica and Giacosa’s story about a diva embroiled in a political situation involving the artist and revolutionary she loves and the powerful politician who craves her come to vibrant life.

But both Milanov’s musicians and Summer’s cast did more. They humanized “Tosca” in a way opera sometimes forgets to do. Milanov set a meticulous pace for the performance, one keyed to enhance the singers while taking advantage of some of Puccini’s most passionate and dramatic orchestral passages between scenes and the singers’ arias. Palmertree, Ledesma, Starsky, and their castmates acted as well as they sang, endowing their characters with personality and intention that made Summer’s production complete, a total work of theater rather than the concert opera often becomes. One did not only hear marvelous phrasing and delight in glorious voices, but one knew what each character wanted and got involved with that. Summer’s “Tosca” made the operatic characters present, real, and immediate. Palmertree brought you in touch with Tosca’s feelings and ultimate dilemma.

In Summer’s production, it’s no surprise that harmonies among Palmertree, Ledesma, Starsky, and others are pure and lovely.

Ryan McGettigan’s set of Sant’Andrea, Scarpia’s office in the Castel Sant’Angelo, and the roof of the Castel reinforce the authentic feels of Summer’s production. Paul Kilsdonk’s lighting brings these settings to more palpable life while creating the mood for crucial scenes. Marie Miller’s costumes are perfect for the characters and their various situations.
-Neal Zoren, Princeton Info

“Princeton Festival production effectively conveys the essence of Puccini’s ‘Tosca.’ Opera-goers were treated to all the passion, tragedy and torment of Giacomo Puccini’s three-act melodrama, “Tosca,” in an attentive and faithful new production, featuring stage direction by Eve Summer, at this year’s Princeton Festival. It struck the perfect balance between drama and verismo.

Summer’s storytelling did not shy away from the brutalism, though there were plenty of Romantically tinged gestures by heroically painted characters to balance out the libretto’s cruelty and gloomy subject matter.

Exacting and detailed scenography by Ryan McGettigan faithfully recreated all of the libretto’s Roman landmarks: Act I’s Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, Act II’s Palazzo Farnese and Act III’s Castel Sant’Angelo.

All of the opera’s classic and familiar iconography was included without felling like prototypical props. Marie Miller’s rich and historically informed costumes ensured that every character was detailed to the last button. Lighting by Paul Kilsdonk also sought realism, including casts of golden sunlight inside the church and the quintessential Roman blue dawn light of the finale.

The duets felt genuinely warm. While the last two years of The Princeton Festival were devoted to comedic operas, any doubts about its ability to handle dramatic works have been put to rest with a “Tosca” that was striking and persuasive, in the hands of an observant director and cast.”
-Courney Smith, New Jersey Arts

”Princeton Festival Presents Powerful Performance of 'Tosca.' The opening night of the Princeton Festival's Giacomo Puccini opera "Tosca" on June 13 under the huge tent at Morven Museum and Garden was a memorable and spectacular event. Many in the capacity audience expressed the view that they expected perfection at a New York City Metropolitan Opera House production, but much to their surprise and delight found it that evening in Princeton. Special kudos for the outstanding production go to Stage Director Eve Summer.”
-Linda Siprelle, TAP into Princeton

“At the helm was Eve Summer who gave the audience a faithful rendition. Staid? Hardly. She kept the flow moving, actions had purpose.”
-Chris Ruel, OperaWire

The evening's powerful performances, characterized by drama and intensity, were seamlessly supported by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra under highly-regarded Conductor Rossen Milanov.

”The Princeton Festival showed off its mainstage production this past weekend with a presentation of Giacomo Puccini’s timeless opera Tosca…the audience reaction made it clear that reaching to new heights can often strengthen a performing organization’s standing in the community.

In particular, the onstage action of the third act was so riveting that one almost forgot there was an orchestra, and the subtlety and crispness of the accompaniment well captured the anguish.

This year’s Princeton Festival has raised summer classical entertainment to new levels in a region where many people head to the shore for the weekends.”
-Nancy Plum, Town Topics

The Barber of Seville at Opera Saratoga

“Eve Summer directed a refreshingly unexaggerated show, with characters displaying human motivations and foibles rather than television-comedy shtick. Summer put across the plot points (how does Rosina get Berta’s laundry list? How does the escape ladder get removed?) with welcome subtlety.”
David Shengold, OPERA Magazine

Albert Herring at Curtis Opera Theatre

“The performances at Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater augured well for current students’ futures and gave a good, not-too-broad account of the character driven comedy, intelligently directed by Eve Summer…. admirably she [Ruby Dibble as Albert’s mum] and Summer avoided the common trap of mocking this character’s genuine suffering.”
David Shengold, Opera News

“Albert Herring earns the crown at Curtis Opera Theatre. Director Eve Summer piquantly captures the state of life in an insular English village, with an assist from Whitney Locher’s candy-colored costumes and Julia Noulin-Mérat’s verdant garden set. You could practically smell the wisteria! This is a comedy, but it’s also a comedy by Benjamin Britten, and all of his familiar focal points arrive on cue: class distinctions, the pernicious influence of gossip, the lingering sense of poverty, the sense that keeping up appearances matters more than being a good person. Summer handles these tonal shifts nicely, underlining the bite beneath Crozier’s amusing libretto, and making sure that an air of hypocrisy (Britten’s eternal subject) is always front and center. The cutting parody of Anglican mores is never more apparent that in the opera’s first scene…it’s staged as a drawing-room tour de force.”
Bachtrack

“Often exuberant and consistently delightful. Their approach to the unfolding drama carried significant amounts of humor, without neglecting the more poignant moments which explore the development of Albert’s character.”
OperaWire

“A witty, enjoyable Albert Herring from Curtis Opera Theatre. It is hard to imagine how the performance could have been improved. It was sensational. The production values were high, with scenery, costumes, movement, and lighting all working together to create a marvelous effect.”
Philly Gay Calendar

Ariodante at Boston Baroque

“Eve Summer's fine staging utilized the space, including the auditorium, creatively, and she had her performers listening attentively to the text, skillfully illustrating the web of conflicting desires and emotions that underlie the Ariosto derived plot.... Summer and Forsythe made it clear at the end that the wronged Ginevra would need more than a (beautifully sung) lieto fine chorus to forgive his paternal suspicions and obsession with his own honor.”
David Shengold, Opera News

“In Boston Baroque’s ‘Ariodante,’ all shines.” With ‘Ariodante,’ Boston Baroque founding director Martin Pearlman exits on a high note. A luxury cast and simple but effective stagecraft made ‘Ariodante’ the company’s strongest opera in recent years.

I’m glad to report that it’s the company’s most coherent and satisfying operatic endeavor that I’ve seen in the post-shutdown years, easily on par with 2019’s campy, sexy “L’incoronazione di Poppea” at Jordan; a satisfying cadence to honor Pearlman’s final bow.

Director Eve Summer kept the stage setup simple but effective, with singers in front, orchestra in back, and handsome projections by Camilla Tassi adding some visual interest at the rear. This “Ariodante” is an achievement to take pride in as Pearlman departs, and hopefully one to build on in the future.”
Boston Globe

“In combination with stunning vocal performances, the dramaturgical choices in Boston Baroque’s Ariodante demonstrated Baroque opera’s potential for modern relevance outside of a traditional opera house… the combination of minimal scenery with clever use of modern projection technology and lighting allowed us to luxuriate in the emotionally poignant singing, whether Ginevra’s mourning the loss of her beloved Ariodante or Dalinda’s rage at being used as a pawn by Polinesso.

Boston Baroque placed our focus on the vocalists and their nuanced portrayals of character. Thus, these 18th-century aristocrats seemed less distant and more immediate; we could imagine ourselves experiencing their heartbreak, betrayal, ultimate redemption, and triumph. In this way, Boston Baroque turned Baroque opera’s perceived faults into vehicles for drawing us in.

Ariodante represents a fitting capstone in Pearlman’s 52-year tenure with Boston Baroque… This unique and long-awaited production of one of Handel’s most unusual operas is not to be missed.”
Boston Musical Intelligencer

“Boston Baroque presented a thrilling production of one of the gems of baroque opera, George Frideric Handel’s opera “Ariodante,” Lending a daring spirit of innovation to the production, the stage took the form of raised platforms encircling the orchestra, on which the cast lithely moved and interacted. Additionally, projection designer Camilla Tassi and lighting designer Kyle Stamm created a series of dazzling visual effects that helped to set the scene, from bucolic woodlands to thunder and lightning to even projections of the characters’ faces as windows into their respective consciousnesses. Costume designer Neil Fortin also created a sumptuous wardrobe for the cast in the form of sleek tartan garments — at once period-appropriate, chic, and practical for the singers who nimbly traversed the multi-level stage.

Stage director Eve Summer’s use of the space was masterful, having the singers occupy different heights and positions on the stage in different postures, reinforcing the themes of hierarchical court life and power play. Especially given the limited stage space and unconventional performance venue, her directing choices were highly effective.”
The Harvard Crimson

”Handel’s opera sparkles with talent, triumph, and a touch of theatrical magic during Martin Pearlman’s final season. Boston Baroque’s ‘Ariodante’ was a luminous evening - filled with expressive performances, rich musicality, and a sense of farewell that made it even more poignant.

The costume design was wonderful - and did a great job of authentically evoking the opera’s era and aiding in transporting the audience to Handel’s imagined Scotland. A special nod goes to the inventive moving backdrops that elegantly portrayed thunderstorms, sunsets, and shifting times of day. These elements added dynamic beauty and mood to the production.”
Booked and Scene

The Mikado at Opera Grand Rapids

“Eve Summer, a rising star in stage direction, directed this amazing cast, and she does a brilliant job...this truly was a special production.”
Near North Now

Don Giovanni at Opera Carolina & Opera Grand Rapids

“The show was a triumph: well-staged, well-acted, and well-sung, a celebration and a delight.”
The Rapidian

”Opera Carolina's Don Giovanni Finds a Delightful New Balance for Mozart's Masterwork…If future productions are as good as this Giovanni, they will be coming back again and again.”
Classical Voice of North Carolina

La Bohème at Opera in Williamsburg

"In this Bohème… the opera’s tragedy was transfixingly personal... Director Eve Summer devised a staging that supplied the humor and tears expected in La bohème, ingenuously and movingly adapted to the venue’s spatial limitations... [she] drew the audience into the opera’s most personal dimensions....Especially gratifying was the manner in which the production’s visual elements paralleled the performance’s musical progression. Every member of the cast seemed wholly at ease in this staging, moving and singing with comfort, and the opera’s journey from light-hearted playfulness to wrenching tragedy was therefore unusually natural.”
Joseph Newsome for Voix des Arts

The Pirates of Penzance at Opera Grand Rapids

“The Pirates of Penzance Charms, Entertains. Opera Grand Rapids' staging of Pirates of Penzance, far from a museum piece, reveals the humor and charm pumping through the show's heart... Gilbert and Sullivan's comedies, by contrast ['to ostensibly serious theatre'] seem light as air - but levitation is no mean feat. ...The Pirates of Penzance, recently put on by Opera Grand Rapids, practically floated across the stage... it had audience members laughing, genuinely laughing - not because they wanted to appear smart, but because they couldn't help it ...Opera Grand Rapids staged one of its most enjoyable shows. Long may its black flag fly.”
John Kissane for The Rapidian

La Traviata at Annapolis Opera

“Annapolis Opera mounts a passionate and colorful ‘La Traviata’….Annapolis Opera’s production of La Traviata is a passionate, colorful adaptation of Verdi’s classic tale. Directed by Eve Summer and conducted by Craig Kier, it is a beautiful way to end the season.”

’Director Eve Summer creates lots of movement among the performers, having them flow back and forth on stage. The matador scene is especially clever in its symbolic “goring” of bulls. Music, singing, and acting come together for a moving story of love and sacrifice. Only one performance remains, so be sure to catch it.’
Charles Green, DC Theater Arts

“Annapolis Opera's La Traviata: A Charmer, Thrilling at Times…The packed house on Sunday…expressed their appreciation in thunderous applause and a fast-out-of-their-seats standing ovation… Dancing in opening scenes immediately created the party atmosphere of the salon and later enhanced the fun of the matador scene.  The deathbed finale was well designed by Director Summer.”
OperaGene

Le nozze di Figaro at Knoxville Opera

“This production of The Marriage of Figaro was a hands-down, solid triumph…

Directed by Eve Summer, the staging embraced the energetic, madcap scenario that Mozart and his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, created… 

Clearly, Rogers and Summer deserve kudos for this production’s energy and comic sparkle.”
Alan Sherrod, Arts Knoxville

Volpone at A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute at University of North Carolina School of the Arts

“Volpone by UNCSA’s Fletcher Opera Institute Delights Sonically and Visually…

Guest artist Eve Summer, the stage director, is also a producer and choreographer. The latter skill shows in the way the singers/actors moved around the stage in gorgeous swirling patterns and hilarious “fight” scenes. Particularly funny was a "sword" that is barely visible…

The director’s choice to set these memorable characters in a world of grace and beauty served to enhance their humanity on one hand while throwing their venality into sharp relief on the other…

There are enough puns and one-liners to tickle, but the humor is more situational than farcical…

The house servants open the show, moving like a Greek chorus and singing a ridiculous dirge about the imminent demise of their master…three wily stooges, who were consistently humorous without ever mugging…

If you think you don’t like opera, I challenge you to attend this one… Bravissimo all around!”
Classical Voice of North Carolina

Suor Angelica at Boston Symphony Orchestra

“Eve Summer’s simple but effective semi-staging guided the narrative arc and underlined Puccini’s allusions to sacred music…”
Boston Classical Review

The Tales of Hoffmann at Opera Orlando

“Eye-popping, spirited… raises the bar… Director Eve Summer has created a quick-moving, eye-popping show that captivates with delightful surprises… she uses the pretty space remarkably well… Summer lets the beats of the story play out with genuine emotion among the humorous interludes.”
Orlando Sentinel

Les Mamelles de Tirésias and The Seven Deadly Sins at Curtis Opera Theatre

“Director Eve Summer offered a cleverly symbolic and highly entertaining production, with both works unfolding on a candy-colored set designed by Cameron Anderson. A baby carriage hung suspended above the stage throughout Tirésias, replaced by a pleasant little house for The Seven Deadly Sins: twin objects of obsession that are never far from the minds of the characters. Summer drew a madcap, surrealist vibe from the performers in Tirésias—Poulenc was inspired by the works of Guillaume Apollinaire, who literally coined the term—and a more austere style for The Seven Deadly Sins. Both were engrossing in their own ways.”
Broad Street Review

The Magic Flute at Opera in Williamsburg

“‘Magic Flute hits all the right notes... the best yet of Opera in Williamsburg’s 14 productions… Stage director Eve Summer made intelligent use of the limited stage space, smartly keeping action moving on, off and about…Given the standard set here, we eagerly await next season…”
The Virginia Gazette

“Director Eve Summer keeps the action brisk and bubbling. Three scenes stand out: First, Pamina’s dramatic exit after her “Wie? Auch du?”. Second, Tamino and Pamina’s adventures in fire and  water.  Here Mathew Ishee’s subtle yet dramatic lighting enhances Ms. Summer’s simple but effective staging. Third is the final scene between Papageno and Papagena, played with great chicken-esque fun by Megan Pachecano. The moment is imaginative and delightful.”
Paul Kuritz Blog

Le nozze di Figaro at dell’Arte Opera Ensemble

"Le nozze di Figaro was definitely the highlight of the festival... Nozze was fresh and delicious, thanks to a solid cast of singers and wise direction choices....the direction...[did] justice to the theatrical twists and turns of the plot...The nine-year-old girl sitting behind us... was quite thoroughly entertained. At the end of the show we overheard her saying: 'Best night ever!' Not once did her attention fade as she was glued to the action all night. And so were we...great pacing and verve."
Allegri con Fuoco

"The performance moved right along without a single longueur. In terms of musical values, nothing more could be wanted. Direction by Eve Summer matched the music-making in tempo. Actions were all well-motivated."
Voce di meche

"...the intention was for the action to be based on 18th century reality, but also easily transferred to the current day. I credit Stage Director Eve Summer with this easy timelessness, as well as with the commitment each singer showed to every line of music."
Taminophile

Così fan tutte at Connecticut Lyric Opera

“In the hands of a good stage director (here Eve Summer), Così is not the silly, 3 Stooges-type slapstick that very often creeps into some comedies...the very real and human emotions felt in this piece (love and sex, infidelity and betrayal) subtly came across as universal and timeless.”
The Town Times

Lucia di Lammermoor at Commonwealth Opera

"...a riveting, glorious production from beginning to end… clear singing and staging...[the mad scene] was glorious...in all, a rare delicacy...The bar has simply been raised.”
Berkshire On Stage

“This was a true tour de force, a feast for eyes and ears! …Kudos for an authentic production of Lucia! ...Extremely well put together."
Opera Pulse

"The musical and visual elements of Commonwealth's 'Lucia' were splendid..."
The Springfield Republican

"A real joy" and "Magnificent"
Armchair Travel New England

Lucia di Lammermoor at Boheme Opera New Jersey

"[Lucia] used the whole stage to baffle the incredulous crowd with a portrayal that looked right out of the worst of 17th century mental bedlam."
Town Topics of Princeton

 ‘Art’ with Salem Theatre Company

"A bleak, funny portrait of friendship…’Art’ plays like a Seinfeld episode! …The audience I sat in [was] gasping."
The Salem Gazette

Romeo and Juliet with The Hovey Players (Choreographer)

"Beautifully choreographed"
MetroWest Daily News

12 Angry Men with Theatre Company of Saugus

"A unique vision of the show which featured some surprising twists… The pacing was excellent...the first act moved so swiftly that [I was] surprised when intermission came...it felt like the show had just begun…Eve and her cast attacked this material with fresh eyes… Good directing...a very good production!"
EMACT ETC Review