Shaw Sings at Encompass

This weekend I got to see a double bill of operas by Philip Hagemann. Both operas were based on plays by George Bernard Shaw--The Dark Lady of the Sonnets, and Passion, Poison, and Putrefaction. Encompass Music Theatre gave the shows a sprightly production, well directed, well designed, and very well sung. Philip is a kind of outsider artist--he came to composing after having been a junior high choral director. In addition to being an accomplished theatre composer, he has written a lot of choral music, including a big hit--a holiday piece called Fruitcake.