VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – The Pinnacle Singers are bringing their reimagining of Giacomo Puccini’s iconic opera “Turandot” to a few local venues this month and next month.
Cass Panuska, Torlef Borsting, Ashley Nuñez and Giles Howe make up The Pinnacle Singers. They all have had careers in international performance before moving to DeLand. They first debuted a new cabaret monthly at a residency at The Artisan in DeLand last year. Their shows quickly sold out and filled to capacity.
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Giles Howe said he first envisioned reimagining “Turandot” years ago and brought up the idea to the rest of the group.
“Instead of a cast of hundreds we are doing a it with a cast of four! Once I had explained my bizarre vision for it, they were intrigued and once we started singing, there was simply no stopping us - it sounded immediately exquisite and very encouraging. Because we are holding the reigns of the reimagining, we can each involve ourselves in a creative way far greater than in a traditional setting,” Howe explained.
“Turandot” is an opera set in China. It follows Prince Calaf, as he falls in love with Princess Turandot. In order to win her hand in marriage, a suiter has to solve three riddles. A wrong answer could lead to death. The Prince passes the test, but the Princess refuses to marry him. He then strikes a deal with her. If she’s able to guess his name before dawn the next day, he will accept death.
Cass Panuska plays Princess Turandot.
“Giles and I have been having lots of conversations about the character I play, Turandot, and though she’s complicated and has a history of cold, calculated, evil behavior, the questions which arises for me as I play her - and as she evolves as a character - are: Can people fundamentally change,” Panuska questioned.
“Do people let down their walls and emotional defenses? Can egomaniacal people fall in love, or even know what love is? There are many more questions, but a main message for me would be achieved and transmitted if our audience walks away thinking about some of these things and asking each other some of these questions,” she went on to say.
Torlef Borsting is playing Prince Calaf
“I am a self described traditionalist, and not to mention, a baritone. What that means is for us to do ‘Turandot’ is the character of Calaf, who is written as a tenor in the musical score, has to be more than just high notes. He had to be a fully realized individual with clear intentions. He also has to be able to participate in the story and the relationships in a vastly abbreviated time frame. This version of ‘Turandot’ will include all the best parts of the much longer iteration and working on it has been very rewarding,” Borsting said.
The group said the show has been radically revised and reformed, and it will be sung in English.
“We’re taking something as grand and iconic as ‘Turandot’ and reshaping it into something more intimate and immediate. That means rearranging the music, rethinking the staging, and reinterpreting the characters in a way that keeps the heart of the piece, but makes it accessible to a wider audience. We’ve spent time working through the music, refining the storytelling, and building a version of this opera that’s powerful, even in its more condensed form,” Ashley Nuñez said.
Here’s their schedule for their upcoming performance:
- April 20 - The Lounge at The Artisan Hotel, DeLand
- May 9 - Ancient City Baptist Church, part of St. Augustine’s Romanza Festivale
- May 10 - Northwest Square, DeLand
Tickets are limited for each event. Click here for information.