Unexpected Camaraderie (Kentucky Opera)
4 minutes ago
2 min read
0
1
0
All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
Written by Peter Rothstein
Vocal Arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach
Directed by Kelly Kitchen
Review by Jeanne-Marie Rogers
Entire contents are copyright © 2025 Jeanne-Marie Rogers. All rights reserved.
The opera All Is Calm portrays the events of the “Christmas Truce” of 1914 in a powerfully moving way. The all-male cast shares the words of thirty-nine WWI soldiers, representing both Allied and German troops. Through patriotic songs and Christmas carols, the story advances from the fervor of “joining up” to the despair of battle, and then the unexpected camaraderie found in No Man’s Land on Christmas Eve.
The Kentucky Opera’s production, staged at the Kentucky Opera’s Center for Cultural Health, is a masterpiece of storytelling through voice and gesture. Kelly Kitchens’ direction highlights the individuals while creating moments of unity within each group of soldiers and as the opposing sides join together. The arc of the story plays out beautifully, culminating in several profoundly reverent scenes. Careful character work enables each performer to convincingly portray multiple men as they speak from their
letters, poems and historical records. All Is Calm is a true ensemble piece with no starring roles or featured performers. Every cast member has a moment in the (literal) spotlight through spoken lines, vocal solos and crucial harmonies, and all were outstanding. In the familiar songs as arranged by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach, the use of varying vocal ranges helps define characters and ground the emotional points of the plot.
As dialect coach, Martin French oversaw multiple accents from across the British Isles and Germany. Costuming by Charles Heightchew gives the feel of the time and place without a need for military authenticity. The simple but effective lighting of Jesse Alford and Lindsay Krupski enhances the action and serves as a reminder of the horrors of war. Conductor Casey Robards did an outstanding job of guiding the actively moving chorus as they played to an audience on three sides of the stage and sang unaccompanied for over an hour.
Screens placed throughout the performing space displayed English text and translations of the songs performed in French and German. However, it could be jarring when the performers began speaking and the screens went blank. Often, the spoken dialogue was hard to hear clearly due to the use of accents and the underlying choral music.
A wartime Christmas story that is neither nostalgic nor sentimental, All Is Calm deserves to become a holiday classic with its message of Peace on Earth.
All is Calm The Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health
708 Magazine St. Louisville, KY 40203
December 12, 2025 | 8pm
December 14, 2025 | 2pm
December 16, 2025 | 1:30pm
December 18, 2025 | 7:30pm
December 20, 2025 | 7:30pm
December 21, 2025 | 2pm
