Arizona Opera’s ‘Scalia/Ginsburg’ makes case for unity

Composer Derrick Wang infused flashes of Mozart and Haydn sprinkled with jazz and pop references, soulful gospel and a little “Star Spangled Banner” in his comic opera “Scalia/Ginsburg.”

The only thing missing from Arizona Opera’s performance Saturday at Leo Rich Theater was snippets of Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For.”

That sentiment is a central theme of “Scalia/Ginsburg,” a buddy opera that celebrates the true-life friendship of Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

But more than that, “Scalia/Ginsburg” offers a hopeful message of unity in a time when the country is more divided than ever.

Wang, who composed the music and penned the libretto based largely on court documents and other historical references, was influenced by Mozart’s comic opera “Magic Flute,” in which Prince Tamino must pass a series of tests if he wants to rescue Princess Pamina.

Wang gives Scalia (tenor Ben Werley) a series of tests, administered by the mystical and mysterious Commentator (baritone Jesús Vincente Murillo) to challenge his longstanding propensity to dissent.

“Pure vendetta!” Werley’s Scalia railed following his delicious rage aria that had humorous musical nods to Mozart, Haydn, Christmas carols and “The Star Spangled Banner. “

Ginsburg (the versatile mezzo Rachel Policar) comes to her friend’s rescue, much to the surprise of the Commentator, who has locked down the courthouse. “It’s not the first time that I’ve had to break through a ceiling,” Policar’s Ginsburg quipped in one of the opera’s many funny scenes.

Wang gives the audience a civics lesson wrapped in an opera as the two characters debate their differences on landmark cases involving civil rights and women’s rights. In “Living Constitutionalism,” Ginsburg’s counter to Scalia’s strict stance on Originalism, Policar showcased the range of her vocal prowess, seamlessly going from singing operatic style to jazz, gospel and pop.

Werley and Policar’s terrifically inspiring duet “We are different, we are one" is the closing argument to Wang’s final verdict: When we work through our differences, we find we are one.

Werley channeled Scalia with dour humor and a bright, ringing tenor. Murillo’s Commentator stole nearly every scene with perfectly timed humor and a wonderfully spright baritone.

The orchestra, under the baton of Arizona Opera President and General Director Brian DeMaris, brought out the nuances of the references to Mozart, popular Christmas carols and snippets of jazz and Broadway-style pop that Wang wove into his score.

Saturday’s performance to open Arizona Opera’s 55th season was the first time the Tucson-born company had mounted an opera at Leo Rich. DeMaris, who has conducted the work a couple of times, led the orchestra from behind a large on-stage screen because the Leo Rich stage has no pit.