Leah Reddy and Meredith Cain-Nielsen in "Tanya and Nancy: The Opera." Photo credit: Ty Sassaman
Mixed Precipitation has presented their theatrical events in warehouses, libraries, museum and on top of frozen lakes. This performing company presents artistic projects encouraging exploration of space (public, private and civic) and collaboration across disciplines. You may be familiar with their signature event, a picnic operetta, that happens each summer across the Twin Cities.
They are currently in the third remount of their popular production Tonya and Nancy: The Opera by composer Abigail Al-Doory Cross and writer Elizabeth Searle. The opera is based on the events of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and the knee clubbing scandal and Elizabeth’s Searle’s short story collection Celebrities in Disgrace. The libretto uses the text of interviews, courtroom reports and public statements by the two skaters. The opera also recreates the action of the 1994 competition that became of the most watched women’s sporting events in history.
I'm super excited to attend this figure skating broadcast, opera, salon and trivia event! I've asked the artists some questions and collected some of their thoughts for you to better understand their artistic proccess and to offer you a taste of the unique offerings from Mixed Precipitation.
They are currently in the third remount of their popular production Tonya and Nancy: The Opera by composer Abigail Al-Doory Cross and writer Elizabeth Searle. The opera is based on the events of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and the knee clubbing scandal and Elizabeth’s Searle’s short story collection Celebrities in Disgrace. The libretto uses the text of interviews, courtroom reports and public statements by the two skaters. The opera also recreates the action of the 1994 competition that became of the most watched women’s sporting events in history.
I'm super excited to attend this figure skating broadcast, opera, salon and trivia event! I've asked the artists some questions and collected some of their thoughts for you to better understand their artistic proccess and to offer you a taste of the unique offerings from Mixed Precipitation.
More information about Mixed Precipitation: mixedprecipitation.org
Mini-Interview
with Leah Reddy
How you identify as an artist?
Leah: Singer
What's your role in Tanya and Nancy: The Opera?
Leah: Nancy Kerrigan
What’s been the best part about being involved with Tanya and Nancy?
Leah: Singer
What's your role in Tanya and Nancy: The Opera?
Leah: Nancy Kerrigan
What’s been the best part about being involved with Tanya and Nancy?
Leah Reddy as Nancy Kerrigan.
Leah: Skating and singing are two of my passions. The opportunity to combine these into an entertaining show is pure gold.
This is a timely production. Are you watching the current Olypics? If so, does that effect your feelings about the work?
Leah: Of course I am watching the Olympics! I have been glued to the Winter Olympics since Calgary '88. Olympic fever definitely lends a lot of energy to this production.
Describe this show in three words:
Leah: Hilarious, Difficult, Fast.
When did you learn to skate?
Leah: I learned to "skate" in my Sunday shoes on a pond in my backyard at the ripe old age of 3. My parents enrolled me in formal lessons at age 7. I retired at age 12.
Mini-Interview with Joni Griffith
 Joni Griffith | How you identify as an artist? Performer and maker with an emphasis on music and physicality What's your role in Tanya and Nancy: The Opera? Joni: Director What’s been the best part about being involved with Tanya and Nancy? Joni: When I first learned about this production I had no working knowledge of the Tonya and Nancy story. I was a baby when the actual knee-wack occurred, so I grew up pretty unaware of the whole scandal. |
Learning about the story was absolutely fascinating, and I'm not sure if anyone will ever know the entire truth of it all. With a blockbuster film out about Tonya Harding, researching as much as I could about the story from multiple perspectives was incredibly important to me. The story is crazy and a bit goofy, but I think it provides a great platform to look at issues that are facing America and the world right now such as: story manipulation and "fake news", sexual abuse and what it takes for us to believe victims, and nationalism and what the all-American hero looks like.
Are you watching the current olympics? If so, does that effect your feelings about the work?
Joni: I really haven't had much time to catch the olympics this year, but I have checked in every now and then with the figure skating world (how could I not?). There is something about seeing these rather glamorous people making feats of insane athleticism look effortless that really gets people excited! I saw Mirai Nagasu become the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics! That was definitely exciting, especially with Tonya Harding's triple axel legacy!
Describe this show in three words:
Joni: Story on steroids.
When did you learn to skate?
Joni: Story on steroids
What else should we know about the show experience?
I encourage the audience to get rowdy and pick a side, or be vocally neutral! There are "team Tonya" and "team Nancy" buttons for purchase to support the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women. Get a button, get a drink, and get ready to have fun!\
Are you watching the current olympics? If so, does that effect your feelings about the work?
Joni: I really haven't had much time to catch the olympics this year, but I have checked in every now and then with the figure skating world (how could I not?). There is something about seeing these rather glamorous people making feats of insane athleticism look effortless that really gets people excited! I saw Mirai Nagasu become the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics! That was definitely exciting, especially with Tonya Harding's triple axel legacy!
Describe this show in three words:
Joni: Story on steroids.
When did you learn to skate?
Joni: Story on steroids
What else should we know about the show experience?
I encourage the audience to get rowdy and pick a side, or be vocally neutral! There are "team Tonya" and "team Nancy" buttons for purchase to support the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women. Get a button, get a drink, and get ready to have fun!\
Mini-Interview with Meredith Cain-Nielsen
 Meredith Cain-Nielsen | How you identify as an artist: Meredith: Former professional musician, currently much more happily working for a tech startup Role in “Tony and Nancy: The Opera: Tonya Harding What’s been the best part about being in this show? Meredith: We've done this project three times including this run of performances, the previous performances were during the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014. Both the (amazing!) singer who plays Nancy Kerrigan, Leah Reddy, and I have played our roles as Nancy and Tonya in all three productions. Performing something over that span of time - we've gone from our 20s into our 30s with these roles, and gained lots of performing and life experience along the way - gives you a chance to think deeply and explore the many facets of these characters. |
Both of the past productions were great, though this time has been particularly special. The ensemble, director, and musicians have all been wonderful and things have come together particularly awesomely.
Are you watching the current Olympics?
Meredith: I am a diehard Olympics fan and have watched as much as I can of the 2018 games. Watching the figure skating in particular, well, and really all the sports in the games, I have a deep appreciation for the levels of dedication these athletes have to have to reach competition on an international level. It makes you think about the things athletes can and I am sure do justify to themselves and the people around them in the quest for professional success, that next championship, that next medal.
I've had so many people ask me if I've seen "I, Tonya" yet - I haven't! I've watched many interviews with Tonya Harding, but I'm saving the movie for after we are done with our performances of the opera. We actually had no idea that there was going to be a movie coming out about Tonya Harding when we decided to do the opera again. In part because of the movie, and in part because of the moment that we are living in here in 2018, there is a heightened awareness of the circumstances of Tonya's life and how that helped shape who she became.
It seems like there are near-endless conversations in our society today about how the media, and public perception following it, can choose stock roles - villain, hero, underdog, champion - and tailor their coverage of any of us inherently complicated humans to mold someone into that stock role. I think that conversation is particularly relevant to the story of Tonya and Nancy, and I really like that the opera takes time to explore it.
Describe this show in three words:
Meredith: Fun, intense, surprising.
What's your favorite moment in the opera?
Meredith: Tonya has an aria (opera-speak for "song") about 10 minutes into the opera called "Whip her butt." It's one of my favorite things I've ever had a chance to do in an opera, because how often does someone write a chance to sing high notes at top volume on the words "whip her butt?" Definitely not often enough :)
Are you watching the current Olympics?
Meredith: I am a diehard Olympics fan and have watched as much as I can of the 2018 games. Watching the figure skating in particular, well, and really all the sports in the games, I have a deep appreciation for the levels of dedication these athletes have to have to reach competition on an international level. It makes you think about the things athletes can and I am sure do justify to themselves and the people around them in the quest for professional success, that next championship, that next medal.
I've had so many people ask me if I've seen "I, Tonya" yet - I haven't! I've watched many interviews with Tonya Harding, but I'm saving the movie for after we are done with our performances of the opera. We actually had no idea that there was going to be a movie coming out about Tonya Harding when we decided to do the opera again. In part because of the movie, and in part because of the moment that we are living in here in 2018, there is a heightened awareness of the circumstances of Tonya's life and how that helped shape who she became.
It seems like there are near-endless conversations in our society today about how the media, and public perception following it, can choose stock roles - villain, hero, underdog, champion - and tailor their coverage of any of us inherently complicated humans to mold someone into that stock role. I think that conversation is particularly relevant to the story of Tonya and Nancy, and I really like that the opera takes time to explore it.
Describe this show in three words:
Meredith: Fun, intense, surprising.
What's your favorite moment in the opera?
Meredith: Tonya has an aria (opera-speak for "song") about 10 minutes into the opera called "Whip her butt." It's one of my favorite things I've ever had a chance to do in an opera, because how often does someone write a chance to sing high notes at top volume on the words "whip her butt?" Definitely not often enough :)
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