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Irish Tenor Anthony Kearns USA Opera Debut a Huge Success

A lovely lady came to live in Naples. She had a dream and now just a few
years later, her dream has almost been fulfilled.

Her name is Steffanie Pearce and she is the founder of Opera Naples.
She had no permanent home for her incredible productions so undaunted,
she held performances Under the Stars, in a local park and sometimes at
a High School. She and her non profit company have recently purchased
a building in Linwood Ave. very close to the beautiful 5th. Ave. and
downtown Naples.

Their mission is to enrich the Southwest Florida community by producing
opera performances and educational programs which engage internationally
renowned performers and directors while nurturing regionally-based
talent through the creation of a permanent local opera company

As she began her fundraising efforts a few years ago, I contacted her
and hoped she would put on an Anthony Kearns concert. I told her
Opera was his first love plus there was a selfish motive, I could not
travel too much outside the State because of my heavy workload and
could not attend any of his solo concerts.

I had been helping Anthony with his publicity for many years so I felt
sure he would come to Naples and do a fundraising concert for her.
She was very busy at the time and putting on a concert was more
than she could cope with.

She did say it would be exciting to have Patrick Healy in Naples to
discuss Gilbert and Sullivan with her pupils. She was given the
telephone number of their manager, Vincent Mitchell.

Shortly after that the developer of The Naples Big Cypress Market Place
asked me to help him 'build' the place.

I had just secured my dream job at the Serano at Hammock Bay, so I told
him that I would work part time on this project on condition that the first
concert there would be given by my favorite tenor, Anthony Kearns.

The job interview for my Serano Job was conducted outside amongst
the rubble and concrete, mud and muck of a building site where the
developers were building none other than The International Design Center.
I did not know then that Anthony Kearns would make his American
Operatic debut in that magnificant building after it was built.

I again contacted Steffanie Pearce. The Children of Opera Naples
sang with Anthony at The Naples Big Cypress Market Place and until
then Opera Naples had no idea how great our Irish Tenor was.

Steffanie had to be out of town that week end and did not hear him sing.
Her colleagues left the Naples Big Cypress Market Place in total awe
and I got a phone call requesting the telephone number of Vincent Mitchell.

It was a very difficult decision for Anthony to make as the Opera was
very difficult. It would take a lot of time to learn and rehearse at his
most busy time, in the month of February.

On my birthday in July, I met Anthony in Dublin. He had not yet made
up his mind to do it. I reminded him that Opera was his first love,
he would get to spend some time in the sunshine at his home in
Florida where he could rehearse by the pool, and that he needed to
do something that made HIM happy for a change. The next day I heard
he had decided to do it.

Unfortunately, the Florida weather was never so cold as it had been
during his rehearsal time here. I had been discussing the staircase
at the Naples Big Market Place with Steffanie which led directly to
the stage area and would be fabulous for an Opera. She found an
even larger and nicer staircase, three stories high at the International
Design Center, an incredible stage for Romeo and Juliet.

The Orchestra was to the side, the singers were on the second balcony.
Part of the production was staged on the third floor balcony to great
effect. It was a truly spectacular production.

On Saturday night, the lady who sat beside me was a patron of the New
York Metropolitan Opera. She was delighted to meet somebody who
knew Anthony and could direct her to his websites to learn more about
him. Her first name was Sheridan but her Surname I have forgotten.

I arrived just as the Opera was about to begin and saw that almost
everyone was seated. There they were from every corner
of the USA seated in anticipation as Mary from down the road
just arrived.

The moment Anthony appeared in costume and wearing a mask,
I recognized his hair. Others have described his performance
on both nights and that of Heather Buck as spectacular and
magnificent. What a beautiful couple they were.

The death scene was very amusing for me. Just after he died on
the first night, Anthony's left leg moved just one tiny bit but I said,
sure it just the auld rigor mortis setting in.

It would have been so great to have a child's water pistol or
some sneezing power to perform a miracle and raise those two
from the dead, but I guess I would never be allowed back to Opera
Naples again if I did that or shout out FIRE. It was amazing, Heather
and Anthony lay there for so long, dead and one could not even
see one tiny movement, Incredible acting. Heather Buck will become
a major international Star and meeting her later, I found her to be
as nice as she is beautiful and talented.

On Sunday afternoon I sat beside Sharon O Neill in the very front
row and shared with her my evil thoughts about sneezing powder.
The good Lord had punished me with a most dreadful flu that
surfaced on Sunday and on this visit with Sharon, it was I who was very ill.

On my way to the concert in Boolavogue in Ireland, I had just recovered
from a very bad flu. The woman behind me was just dying from the flu,
and I thought I would love to ask the pilot to turn around and get this one
off the plane who was going to make us all sick.

I had cast one or two scathing glances back at her but all was forgiven
when she told the passenger next to her that she was on her way
to an Anthony Kearns concert in Boolavogue. I had often read her
reviews and met Sharon O Neill for the first time.

At the airport I met the other ladies who were joining her from other
parts of the States coming to Ireland on the same mission.

It was such a great pleasure to meet them all again in Naples. This
was a great night in the life of this tenor, but all of us ladies had
been present at the most important concert of his entire life, when
he sang at the Church where his ancestor had been a curate in
Boolavogue and later died a martyr.

What a great and wonderful collection of fans they are. I so wish I
could bring them all out to an Island where they could hear Anthony
sing for an entire week and get to spend time with him without being
surrounded by autograph seekers.

Karen Randall reminded me of the day she was in the middle of
Yellowstone Park where there is very little cell phone signals but
somehow she got my call for help.

An Editor had fallen in love with one photo of Anthony for the cover
of Cape Cod Online magazine. After several trips to Kinkos in North
Naples, I could not bring the photo to the resolution the editor
required. If he did not get that particular picture, he just was not
putting Anthony on the cover and there was just two hours to deadline.

Karen had her laptop at her hotel so she rushed back and called
the Editor and told him there was a copyright on that photo he
wanted, but she had a collection of equally nice photos which
she immediately sent to him.

The result was fabulous and we were all amused at how phone calls
from one side of the States to the other secured a fabulous photo
from a woman out walking in Yellowstone Park. I met Mary Jo Kittle
and Fay Loux and the Lynette with the one "N" in her name for
the first time.

At the reception. I made sure the fans from far away places would
all meet the wonderful lady who made the night possible, Steffanie
Pearce herself. I just could not remember all the names and States
they came from, and as each lady called out her State, Steffanie
looked so pleased.

Her dream will be talked about in many States and perhaps some
wealthy patrons of the Opera will support Opera Naples and finalize
this great dream for her.

Thanks to her vision, the young man from Wexford who once sang
down the phone from his humble employment in the hope of winning
a singing completion, triumphed in his first Operatic Role as Romeo
in Naples, Florida.

His powerful voice soared higher and higher and the audience
knew they were listening to one of the greatest tenors on earth.

Later at the Reception, the plans for Opera Naples new home were
unveiled. Some diamond neclaces and other items were auctioned
at both performances, raising several thousand dollars. In these times
of doom and gloom, attending the Opera is a very uplifting experience
and all residents of Naples and visitors who can, should support Opera Naples.