An Evening with Joseph Keckler

Absolutely smashing audience’s expectations of what defines operatic entertainment comes part man, part crow, Joseph Keckler. All dressed in black, this pale troubadour owns the Studio Series performance space from the moment he enters. He’s focussed and poised for an evening unlike any other that’s been seen or heard by Opera Queensland audiences before now.

Enhancing the artist’s look, Opera Queensland has flickering candles on every table in the dimly lit studio space, stage lighting in hues of purple and rose, and sumptuous curtains dotted with warm hanging lights. The atmosphere is on point for Joseph Keckler to regale us with his unique performance art – a mixture of storytelling, music, and videography.

Keckler seems like a character drawn directly from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles as he regales us with spooky, supernatural, twisted tales. Some are surreal, others romantic and forlorn, and many infused with a delightfully quirky sense of humour. Several of the works are supported by entertaining filmmaking starring Keckler in a range of odd and amusing scenarios.

Keckler has a humble, yet comfortable charm on stage as he boldly explores every facet of his amazing voice’s range. He constantly plays with pitch, volume, vibrato, and characterisation. It’s completely captivating as he deftly employs a range of technologies to further distort his voice and enhance the multimedia performance. His scope is vast, and he makes difficult transitions appear easy, moving from his deepest operatic notes to high falsetto, whisper quiet to roaring, ghostly moans to human croons.

This is not like opera as you know it. Yes, Keckler’s voice has stunning operatic range and quality, but this is something different and new - a divine mash up of musical styles throughout the ages. Keckler often sings in traditional operatic languages of German, Italian, and French (subtitled on screen for those who need it) with the subject matter exploring very modern problems and tales. This brilliant juxtaposition of the traditional with the modern is aurally exciting while also delivering many laugh-out-loud moments.