Phoning in the overture: When Victory Hall Opera’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata was canceled, the cast turned to their iPhones—but not for pandemic-induced doom scrolling. Instead, they collaborated on filming UNSUNG, the first feature film made by and about opera singers. In it, the cast navigates the challenges of life during a pandemic, and searches for ways to remain connected to the music they love. The result is a testament to artistic courage in the face of unprecedented obstacles. “It is crucial that these stories be heard; the stories of singers whose calling and life’s work has been banned in the time of COVID, with singing suddenly feared as a virus-spreading danger,” says VHO’s Miriam Gordon-Stewart. The film premieres on-demand, with a live recording of a chamber version of the opera soundtrack available through iTunes.
Saturday 2/27, $10 to stream. victoryhallopera.org.