Many opera lovers sing in the shower, but the ones featured in Anne Davis O'Neal's genial documentary find fulfillment performing before an audience, even if it is a small one of likeminded enthusiasts. Sing Your Own Song focuses on a Los Angeles group that met at Café 322, a restaurant in Sierra Madre, on Sunday nights for half a century in order to serenade one another to piano accompaniment. Some are older folk who have enjoyed operatic careers; others are singers currently performing in professional or amateur companies; and a few simply love to sing. O'Neal interviews amiable and loquacious representatives from each subgroup: a small number say they have loved opera since childhood, while many admit to an intense dislike early in their lives that only evolved into appreciation over time. Many of the interviewees thought of opera in terms of Wagner (O'Neal inserts excerpts from the famous Bugs Bunny cartoon “What's Opera, Doc?” to make their point) rather than the Italian tradition of Rossini and Verdi (and their predecessor, Mozart). While most of the singers exhibit more enthusiasm than vocal beauty (the performance clips are predominantly from Italian works), the point is less about achieving perfect execution than experiencing the sheer joy of reaching for the notes. The documentary adds an element of suspense when Café 322 closes and the group's continued existence is threatened. DVD extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. A pleasant documentary likely to appeal to opera fans, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Sing Your Own Song: An Opera Love Story
(2014) 54 min. DVD: $24.99 ($100 w/PPR). Anne O’Neal Films. Volume 32, Issue 5
Sing Your Own Song: An Opera Love Story
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