The American-born Greek soprano, described by opera impresario Rudolph Bing as difficult to work with because she was “so much more intelligent (than other artists)… and knew exactly what she wanted,” suffered greatly when Aristotle Onassis, a man whom she had a highly publicized affair with and someday hoped to marry, left her for Jacqueline Kennedy.

These moments come to life in East West Players’ production of Terrence McNally’s “Master Class,” a play based on the master classes Callas taught at Julliard towards the end of her career in 1971 and 1972. Directed by Jules Aaron, “Master Class” opened on Feb. 7 and runs through Sunday, March 4 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts.

Callas, played by Jeanne Sakata, is glamorous, poised and witty as she steps out on stage and addresses the audi­ence, spectators in her master class.

While lecturing about the importance of “having a look,” she pauses and points to an unwitting subject in the front row, saying, “You. Don’t take this personally, but you don’t have a look. Get one as soon as possible.”

Laughter ensues.

It is a role Sakata never imagined she would be cast in as an Asian actress.

“I saw the play years ago in New York, starring Dixie Carter. I was so moved by the play and her performance,” Sakata said. “I can remember coming out of that play thinking, ‘What an amazing role,’ and feeling so uplifted by it; but also thinking, ‘Being who I am, that’s a role I’ll never get to play.’”

As Callas’ first student—or “victim,” as she refers to them—enters the room, Callas is intimidating; all things about her are loud and demanding. She is the epitome of a prima donna as she controls all space around her.

We see as each of Callas’ students tries to sing for her: an aria from “La Sonnambula” here and an attempt at “MacBeth” there.

Each time they try, Callas interrupts them, encouraging them to feel the music and berating them for not under­standing the meaning of what they are singing.

And all the while, emotions and tempers flare. The audi­ence is exposed to a wide spectrum of emotional displays: anxiousness, frustration, anger and sometimes happiness, all of which are believably portrayed.

But this is not all the play is about. There is so much more to it than the experience of sitting in on one of Callas’ master classes. When her students are finally able to make their way through an entire piece without her interjecting criticisms or anecdotes about her own career, it is because Callas has let her mind wander back in time to the days when she was the star of the show.

These flashbacks are intimate retrospectives on Callas’ life that expose viewers to the glories and disappointments of a once spectacular career.
Before viewers’ eyes, Callas relives prepping for a show in her dressing
room; the satisfaction of finishing an aria to thunderous applause; and the
heartbreak of losing Onassis to another woman. Intermingled with these flashbacks are monologues by Sakata that actually represent conversations Callas had with Onassis and her ex-husband, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, whom she left for Onassis.

Sakata navigates seamlessly between these character voices, being sweet and pleading one moment as Callas and rough and crass the next as Onassis. The differences are clear enough, though at first the change is startling, running the risk of leaving the audience temporarily confused. But that doesn’t last very long since the play is relatively easy to follow.

It all makes for a remarkable production, one that is worth seeing—whether you like opera or not. All of the research Sakata did to learn Callas’ idiosyncrasies by listening to her CDs, watching her videos, reading multiple biographies, translating lyrics from Italian and basically immersing herself in all things Callas, shine through in her stellar performance as La Divina. The students, played by Isabella Way (Sophie), Timothy Ford Murphy (Tony) and Linda Igarashi (Sharon), sing beautifully, making a night at this theater a real treat. And Marc Macalintal, who plays Manny the accompanist, is both talented as a pianist and as an actor portraying a young musician eager to please Callas.

Although it helps to know some of the background behind Callas’ life
before going into the show, it isn’t essential to understanding and appreciating the play.

“McNally was smart. The flashbacks (he included) help us an enormous
amount,” said director Jules Aaron. “They help the audience know what
they need to know, and at the end, if you didn’t already, you get a picture of the pros and cons of who this artist was.”

“Master Class” runs now through Sunday, March 4 at the David Henry
Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts in Little Tokyo, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets and info: (213) 625-7000 or www.eastwestplayer.org