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A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Jenny LeDoux said she cherishes the concert at the Scott House each year for the setting and audience response.
Scores of people attended the concert next to the water on Lac La Belle in rural Carlton County Tuesday.
Wesley Frye plays keyboard with the lake as background Tuesday.
The setting sun shimmering across Lac La Belle on Tuesday evening at the Historic Scott House created a perfect backdrop for the Summer Sparkler event presented by the Lyric Opera of the North.
The annual event is essentially a casual garden party with food, beverages, conversation, and an outdoor concert performance on the lawn near the shore of the lake in Twin Lakes Township south of Carlton. About 125 people attended the 2024 Summer Sparkler.
"It's always great to host Lyric Opera of the North here at the Historic Scott House," said Scott House owner James Sheetz. "The first time was in 2012. Being a musician and a supporter of the arts, it's just great to get people out here to experience the beauty of the lake and share the history of the property."
The Lyric Opera of the North is based in Duluth and recognized throughout Minnesota. Founded in 2004, the arts organization has a mission to provide world-class opera performance and education for all ages in a diversity of venues and formats. Andrea Kuzel, opera board chairwoman, loves the trip to the Scott House.
"We somehow magically always get one of the most beautiful nights of the summer," Kuzel said. "Guests get to come and enjoy a beautiful concert with a whole variety of music that is fun to listen to and sing along to and enjoy the opera. It's just the perfect summer night."
Kuzel said the Summer Sparkler is the opera's final fundraiser of the year. "We have the most exciting season coming up, and this event sets us up for success and to have confidence for our 20th anniversary year," he said. "It's an opportunity to enjoy beautiful music with the Lyric Opera of the North on a beautiful day."
The Summer Sparkler event is designed to reach the audience through a range of musical genres.
"It's not just opera, but it celebrates summer," Kuzel said. "It's a summer garden party, more casual and appeals to all. It's an event for everyone."
The concert featured vocalists Jenny LeDoux, Wesley Frye and accompanist Bill Munson, along with several other local performers including Calland Metts and Jeff Madison. Musical selections covered a huge range of genres from opera classics and librettos, Broadway show tunes, popular music, and, of course, an audience sing-along.
Described in her bio as a true "vocal chameleon," LeDoux, a soprano from the Twin Cities area. is known for cultivating a career of various musical genres, and enjoys performing operatic works, musical theater, pop, jazz and rock.
"What's special about companies like Loon is that they are known for programming very well-known, beloved classic works as well as programming new works, operatic, musical theater, and they really encourage intersecting with a variety of art forms," LeDoux said before the show. "We're bringing the audience a fun, fresh palette of colors tonight. Loon is not just opera, it's stories, first and foremost. It's also all about moving the art to accessible places such as out here at Summer Sparkler and elementary school gymnasiums for their Little Loon tours, which is such a rare and special treat."
They thrill Carton County children with their stops.
People in the region have always been enthusiastic about opera, Loon states on its publicity materials, and Duluth was home to several bona fide opera house auditoriums, of which only one remains intact: the Denfeld High School auditorium.
Mother Nature provided the perfect setting Tuesday.
"I'm really grateful for this opportunity to bring music into a gorgeous, natural setting," LeDoux said. "Nature is what inspires many composers and artists to write poetry, paint paintings, write operas ... and very infrequently do we get to come out here and perform. It's very special."
Based on audience reaction and applause, attendees agreed.
"It's really nice to welcome all kinds of new folks and it really is a celebration for all of the people who have enjoyed (the opera) over the past 20 years," said Jeff Madison, who has been connected to the opera as a performer, stage director and supporter for more than 10 years. "We closed with a song called 'Old Friends' and the Summer Sparkler does feel like a celebration of old friends. I look forward to it every summer."
