Complicated Character

By Mark Rhodes

Kim Josephson

Kim Josephson was a sturdy, workmanlike opera performer for many years performing at the Vienna State Opera and taking on an estimable number of roles at the Met during the '90s, beginning with a performance as Larkes in La Fanciulla del West. However, the end of the '90s saw this reliable performer transformed into one of the most talked about American opera talents with his star turn as Eddie Carbone, a regular guy who plunges into the abyss, in the operatic version of the '50s Arthur Miller play A View from the Bridge, which debuted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1999 and is about to make its much-talked about debut at the Met. USOPERAWEB caught up with Mr. Josephson on the eve of View's debut in Manhattan.

"As far as my personal involvement goes, I came into the piece pretty late actually. If I am not mistaken, Matthew Epstein suggested me for the role of Eddie Carbone. Basically, they called my agent who then asked me if I would be interested. I said 'Sure, let me look at the music.' Then they sent me a copy of the score for the first act and I got a chance to examine it and I thought it would be great. They asked if I would come sing for the composer and the librettist at their place in Chelsea. So, I sang "He's a Hit and Run Guy" from View From the Bridge and they seemed pleased and they offered me the role the next day."

The approach to playing a working class '50s male is similar to that of Josephson's approach to a character rooted in opera tradition. "The approach is mostly the same; you garner information about the character, the author's intent, whatever. I do think that there are a lot of resonances that speak to the American experience. This opera responds to the immigrant experience that all Americans have within them, so there is a certain level at which it resonates with all Americans."

Timothy Nolen as Alfieri and Kim Josephson as Eddie Carbone in world premiere of A View from the Bridge (William Bolcom) at Lyric Opera of Chicago (October 9, 1999). Photo by Dan Rest/LOC.

Mr. Josephson also did some basic research as part of his preparation for the character of Eddie. "Actually, one of the first things I did when I became involved in this production was get a copy of Arthur Miller's original play. I remember that he said he was trying to write an objective story, which unfolded, on its own in a kind of long, dramatic arc. So, he thought that he would utilize a chorus in the way some of the classical playwrights did. So, I look at Eddie as sort of a tragic figure where the work starts out with Eddie as a great guy whose every destructive impulse is played out in front of everyone with the gods screaming 'no! no!' When you see this it is amazingly powerful because the audience can see where this is going and is, of course, powerless to stop it."

The character of Eddie is, in many ways, an anti-hero. Was Mr. Josephson concerned about playing a character which could so easily alienate an audience? "Eddie's flaws are huge. He lusts for his niece, he's homophobic, and of course there is the fact that Rodolpho is this nice guy in love with his (Eddie's) niece and he is trying to destroy Rodolpho. So, I am trying hard to find ways to keep Eddie from becoming so evil that the audience will not understand him. As he fumbles and makes wrong move after wrong move I constantly try to make the audience connect to his situation and the pain he is experiencing. Hopefully, it is a situation where you have to hate him a lot not to like him a little."

Mr. Josephson admitted that the dominating male presence of Eddie is something audiences might have recognized in the 50's, but something that an audience in the 21st century might be somewhat unused to. "Yes, that's is absolutely correct. The drama itself captures that and what Bill Bolcom does with the music really amplifies it. When I came to the piece I was like, 'Where's Eddie's aria?' And when I spoke with Bill, he was like 'Well, the whole piece is Eddie's aria' and I came to see that through the process. It really is a march into the abyss by this tragically flawed figure."

Ironically enough, Mr. Josephson admitted that his powerful frame probably helps maintain the illusion of his performance. " What is really funny is that in classical opera you end up playing nobles, aristocrats or gentlemen and I find myself adapting some of the body language of Eddie, like slouching, which you don't normally see in an opera production."

Mr. Josephson believes that the music helps further define the character. "What I find in this piece is that it is very accessible, with a great deal of care of how the music characterizes the individuals. In other words when he writes music for Eddie it mirrors the frustration of his situation. Certainly, you hope that this is what a composer does, but what this speaks to is the accessibility, which helps it connect with the audience. Some of the music is lyrical beyond belief, there is a piece called "New York Lights" which always moves the audience. But what is totally new is that the silences are very profound in the music. You look at the page where there is a huge crescendo and a real outpouring of emotion and then next there is the tiniest of instrumentation and a minimum of text which results in a kind of primal power that is unique."

Not surprisingly, this power has had its effect on the cast. "What we found in rehearsals is that we thought a moment was resolved in one place in the score, but then it was stretched out for pages and revisited pages later. And this effect is so moving that we would find ourselves in tears and rehearsals would just stop so we could address what we were feeling. This is most of all a tribute to William's amazing music."

This must make for a draining experience." You can't imagine. In the first place, I am a baritone so I often play the bad guy. But this guy is so brutal and there is so much violence and it is such a tortuous role that it does take a lot out of me. But at the same time the whole process of creating this role is ultimately very nourishing to your artistic soul, especially in the hands of a director like Frank Galati."

"What is really cool about putting something like this together is that there is a real feeling of family that results from being trusted with something of genuine value. The performers and I are very close and you thank God that you have an opportunity to help produce this colossal work."

Mr. Josephson sees this performance connected to his work in Chicago. "To readdress this music is taking it up to another level. "It is obviously thrilling to do this again and on the Metropolitan stage no less. So even though you are starting again, you are starting at another level. The acting can't be divorced from the vocal performance. In fact, I know that Bill's intent was to use the music to amplify the drama and not overshadow the story. That process took a lot of control on his part to allow himself to strike that balance."

Mark Rhodes lives and works on Long Island, New York.