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18 WWW. UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, КВІТЕНЬ 2014 THIS IS FOR YOU, MAMO! by Olia Rudyk He looked at the picture in the palm of his hand and whispered, “Mamo, tonight is for you!” Then, quickly placing the photo of his mother back into a pocket close to his heart, he opened the dressing room door and stepped out. The stage manager was yelling, “Show time! Places please!” He hurried to position himself for his stage entrance. Was this a dream? Should he pinch himself? He was in L ’ viv at the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theat er named after Solomiya Krushelnytska, ready to step onto the stage and play the most important role of his life: Zaccaria, the high priest in the three-act opera Nabucco by Verdi. This was a grand opera house, and L ’viv was his mother’s birthplace. She had loved this city passionately. Her family — his rel a- tives — were in the audience. Not only was it their first time inside this majestic theater, but also the first time they would be seeing an opera, and he had the lead bass role! Again he pinched himself. It was real. It was a true success. Today he achieved more than his mother had ever hoped and prayed for him. He was walking out onto an opera stage in Ukraine! How does one define success? The defin i- tion varies from person to person. Is it the amount of money we have or the material things we possess that determine our success? Perhaps many of us use these things as barometers and feel accomplished because of our wealth and the assets we own. A performer defines success quite differently. His success can only be measured by audience approval. On December 21, 2013, as the last musical note of Nabucco filled the air of the L ’ viv Opera House, Bass Stefan Szkafarowsky watched the audience rise to the ir feet with ap- plause, request countless curtain calls and present him with bouquets of flowers. At that moment, Stefan Szkafarowsky knew his performance was indeed a triumphant success. Stefan Szkafarowsky began singing at a very young age. His lifelong career has taken him on many journeys performing in opera houses and theaters throughout the United States, Can a- da, the Caribbean, South America, the Far East, and now to Ukraine’s most elegant and cultural city, L ’ viv. The L ’ viv Opera Theater is a very im- pressive and dramatic structure. It was erected in the late 1890s in a classical style with forms and details characteristic of Neo-Renaissance and B a- roque architecture. The interior of the theater is exquisite with lavish décor of colored marble, o r- namental paintings, moldings, sculptures, and gilding. The entrance hall showcases a majestic marble staircase which leads to the upper circle. The sight of the interior is breathtaking, especially to those who are first-time visitors. As they read the numerous Nabucco Opera posters strategically placed throughout the city, the citizens of L ’ viv, along with Mr. Szkafa- rowsky’s family members, waited in anticipation for the arrival of one of the New York Metropol i- tan Opera’s soloists. They had never heard him perform in a live production and were naturally curious to learn more about him. The opera was conducted by renowned Maestro Myron Yusypo- vych and the role of Fenena was performed by Ivanna Taratula-Filipenko of San Francisco, CA. The hall was packed on the evening of December 21, 2013, and in attendance was Roman Yarema, opera singer Oksana Krovystka’s father. He later wrote to his daughter expressing his delight and astonishment upon hearing Stefan Szkafarowsky sing for the first time. “I have lived 78 years and have had the opportunity to attend many opera performances in Ukraine as well as other cou n- tries. In all those years, I have never heard such an amazing voice as the one I heard on December 21, 2013.” He went on to write , “Stefan Szkafa - rowsky’s voice dominated the stage with his pre s- ence and evoked the chanting of ‘bravo’ from the The poster announcing Stefan Szkafarowsky’s performance in Nabucco.
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