Pittsburgh Opera presents dark, fairy tale-based 'Rose Elf'

Pittsburgh Opera is traveling to the land of make-believe for its next production.

“The Rose Elf,” based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, “The Elf of the Rose,” opens Friday at the Bitz Opera Factory, the opera’s headquarters at 2425 Liberty Ave.

While it is currently sold out, the opera encourages interested patrons to check for seat openings by calling 412-281-0912 or pittsburghopera.org.

A one-act chamber opera with music and libretto by David Hertzberg, the piece features a cast of Pittsburgh Opera resident artists, including soprano Madeline Ehlinger in the title role.

As the story opens, Ehlinger’s character is living happily in the petals of a beautiful rose. When the flower closes one night before the Elf returns home, the Elf seeks shelter in some honeysuckle.

From there, the Elf observes as the character of the Girl bids farewell to her Beloved, who is undertaking a long journey.

After the Beloved embarks, the Elf watches in horror as the Girl’s Brother brutally murders him and buries him beneath a linden tree. The Elf whispers the truth to the sleeping Girl, leaving behind a leaf from the linden tree to convince her that the message was not a dream.

The denouement illustrates that not all fairy tales have happy endings.

“The character of the Elf is very much an observer and a narrator,” Ehlinger said. “They’re very limited in the little world in which they live and, all of a sudden, this intense drama takes place with these humans who find themselves in the Elf’s home.”

The composer and cast refer to the Elf character as “they,” Ehlinger said. “David wants the Elf to be outside of the realm of human gender.”

The role is both challenging and satisfying to perform, Ehlinger said. 

“Musically, it’s a lot of going back and forth between moments of the Elf enjoying nature, and then suddenly being very frightened about what’s going on in what has been a very safe place,” said Ehlinger, a second-year resident artist whose time at Pittsburgh Opera will end in mid-May.

“Dramatically, it presents a big range, which is always fun for the performer,” she said. “Musically, the composer did a great job of reflecting that drama in the vocal lines. It has a big range – it goes from low to high and demands a lot of the singer, but it’s worth it in the way it reflects the story.”

Veronique Filloux performs the role of the Girl. Andrew Turner is the Beloved and Jeremy Harr is the Brother.

“Our director, Kaley Karis Smith, who is also a resident artist, thought it would be really cool if the Rose actually existed as a character for me to play with onstage,” Ehlinger said.

The Rose is portrayed by Grace Lopez, a graduate of the Point Park University dance program.

“A lot of the opera is spent with me interacting with the Rose,” Ehlinger said. “(Lopez) is phenomenal.”

The opera has a run time of about an hour.

“The projection design and set design are both so beautiful visually. It’s very appealing,” Ehlinger said. “It’s an hour well-spent, for sure.”

“The Rose Elf” will be presented at 8 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 and 2 p.m. Jan. 30.

The performances mark the Pittsburgh debut of Hertzberg’s 2018 opera, which “blooms with warmth and depth,” according to The New Yorker.