A GEM FINDS ITS VOICE

A charming, rarely staged Orff opera
gets a smart, scrappy revival

Did you know that composer Carl Orff wrote more than Carmina Burana? It’s true. While most audiences know “O Fortuna” and its bombastic spectacle, Orff also composed lighter fare such as Die Kluge, a fairy-tale opera that Independent Opera Company staged as The Wise Woman for two performances at Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Center, using a new English adaptation by director Rae Shrum.

Based on “The Peasant’s Wise Daughter” from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, the story begins with a peasant in jail, regretting that he ignored his daughter’s advice. After discovering a golden mortar, he tried to impress the king by presenting it—only to be asked for the matching pestle he didn’t have, landing him in prison as a suspected thief. When the king hears of the daughter’s foresight, he summons her and challenges her with riddles under threat of death. She solves them, marries him, and later outwits a group of schemers trying to manipulate the king, restoring order through intelligence and wit.

Elise Walters as The Clever Maiden, Omar Alejandro as The King

Premiering in Germany in 1943, the opera is often breezy and playful, mixing speech and song. Orff also wrote the libretto, which carries more than a hint of criticism toward leaders who defy logic and common sense. Shrum’s translation preserves Orff’s rhyming text—well suited to opera’s declamatory style—while allowing for flexibility where needed. Her English feels natural to the music and is easy to follow, with some genuinely funny moments, especially in the bribery scene involving the vagabonds.

Shrum’s direction is refreshingly restrained, avoiding stereotypical operatic posing and trusting the audience’s imagination to fill in what the modest production resources cannot. At times, she allows the performers to remain still, letting the music carry the moment without unnecessary stage business. The blocking is clear and makes smart use of the small playing space.

Artistic Director Galina Barskaya accompanies on piano (a real piano), with minimal but effective percussion by Jamie Sanderson. The reduction works beautifully, preserving Orff’s musical clarity and interplay between text and melody—something many reductions fail to achieve.

Jamie Sanderson as the Mule Owner, Kirk Garner as the Donkey Owner

Production design is minimal, but The Wise Woman doesn’t demand elaborate scenery; suggestion is enough, and that’s what we get. Costumes by Salette Corpuz, however, are a standout—colorful, detailed, and impressively well-crafted for such a small-scale production.

Most importantly, IOC assembled a strong cast of singers, a mix of professionals and graduate students, all with excellent diction and a clear commitment to the material. Elise Walters brings intelligence and charm to the title role, clearly enjoying the character’s cleverness. Her performance of the lullaby “Schuh-schuhu” is a highlight. Omar Alejandro’s king avoids caricature, while Michael Payne makes the peasant a convincingly frantic and comic figure.

The three vagabonds—traditionally male roles—are here played by Chandler E. Cummings, Britta Sterling, and Kristin McGinnis, in a gender swap that feels entirely natural rather than gimmicky. Their comic timing is sharp, and their ensemble work, particularly in the drinking song, is a pleasure. Supporting roles are well handled by Jamie Sanderson (mule owner), Kirk Garner (donkey owner), and Ethan Miller (The Jailer).

With only a handful of U.S. productions over the past two decades, Die Kluge remains a rarity. That such an engaging and accessible opera is so infrequently staged feels like a missed opportunity. Independent Opera Company proves that opera can thrive in intimate spaces, with imagination and musical integrity compensating for limited resources. We could use more of it.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

photos by Rae Shrum

Die Kluge (The Wise Woman)
Independent Opera Company
Whitmore-Lindley Theatre, 11006 Magnolia Blvd
played March 20 & 21, 2026
next up: L’elisir D’Amore by G. Donizetti
June 26 & 27 at 7:30
La Cañada Congregational Church, 1200 Foothill Blvd, La Cañada Flintridge
for tickets, visit IOC

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦