What Can Opera Do For You?

A few weeks ago, my boss sat me down and told me I would be writing a blog on The Pearl Fishers. After a few seconds of being thrilled that opera is joining the 21st century – face it, the art form does have a stodgy reputation – I questioned the wisdom of having me do it. After all, I'm no opera expert. I've seen seven in my life. I've learned more about opera itself, but I don't know anything about what it takes to put one on. And I realized that's why I'm doing this. I want to learn how an opera goes from designs on a page to players on a stage. I want to get to know the artists and the crew. I want to see what a staging rehearsal is like. And I want you to get that, too.

I remember being a young girl and watching a television special on "The Making of The Lion King." (To this day, one of my favorite movies.) My crush on one of the actors not withstanding, I loved feeling like I 'got' the movie more because I watched clips of how it was put together. To this day, I remember watching the animators try to sketch an enormous full-grown lion that had been brought into the studio. While there are no lions in The Pearl Fishers, I hope I can give you that same feeling of wonder and involvement I felt. So stay tuned – it's gonna be a fun ride. See you next week!