Tuesday, August 31, 2010

If I Had a Million Operas

While Puccini’s Bohème may be well-known, did you know there’s another Bohème? It’s true! And not just because Wikipedia says so.

We all know the plot of La Bohème was inspired by the story in Henri Murger’s novel. And if you didn’t know that, you can pretend you did. (I won’t tell.) What you may not know is around the time Puccini was working on his bohemian tale, another Italian composer, Ruggero Leoncavallo, was slaving away on his own adaptation.

Leoncavallo, of course, is best known for his hit song “Send in the Clowns.” Wait, no. That’s Stephen Sondheim. Leoncavallo is best known for I Pagliacci, an opera about clowns.

So Leoncavallo is minding his own business, doing his composer thing, and runs into Puccini at a Milan café in 1895. Puccini casually mentions that he’s working on this amazing opera about young Parisians in love.

Leoncavallo is ticked. After all, he offered the libretto to Puccini first, who said he didn’t want to work on it! So Leoncavallo is pouring his heart out into this story and now he has competition!

The story gets better – two newspapers (thought to be supporters of each composer, respectively), announce that Leoncavallo and Puccini are both working on a version of La Bohème. Puccini even goes on record to say that time would tell which was the better opera. (You can guess whose opera Puccini thought would be the better.)

Puccini’s opera may be better according to some, though I hope Leoncavallo has some fans out there. I do know that despite it all, the opera world is blessed to have not one, but two beautiful operas about those crazy Parisian lovers. (And you can see Puccini’s in November.)

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Monday, August 30, 2010

The Silent Treatment

It’s Music Monday, with a twist - Bossman found out what happened when someone turned La Bohème into a silent movie. (Yes, you read that right.) While this Bohème has none of Puccini's original music, it's still a really interesting story...

The Silent Treatment
Rex Fuller, Opera Colorado Director of Marketing

There have been so many innovations in opera over the centuries, but here’s one you might not have seen coming: silent opera.

During the golden age of silent pictures, there weren’t many stars in Hollywood bigger than Lillian Gish. A serious actress, Gish specialized in portraying innocent young women who broke your heart in sad tales of tragic love. By 1925, she’s been signed to a six-picture deal with MGM worth a million dollars. Gish was one of those rare stars who was granted complete artistic control. She was able to choose the pictures she wanted to work on, name the director and her co-stars.

One of her first projects was a silent film version of the Puccini classic La Bohème.

Some critics say that Miss Gish had just returned from a European publicity tour and the chance to tell a story set in Paris gave her one more opportunity to connect with fans on the continent. Studio head Irving Thalberg reviewed possible directors with her, including a special private screening of King Vidor’s unfinished The Big Parade. Miss Gish was thrilled with what she saw and the director was chosen.

However, La Bohème was a problematic concept for other reasons, aside from the fact that this was a silent film and the topic was…um, an opera. Giacomo Puccini had died in 1924 and his estate remained in dispute, so the rights to the music and the story of the opera were not available. So instead, screenwriters turned to Henri Murger’s original novel Scènes de la vie de la bohème. They also used studio musicians to compose a new score for the film, one that did not include opera singers. (The original film score, never regarded as a masterpiece in the first place, is now lost.)

Miss Gish would star as the tragic heroine Mimi. For the male lead, Rodolphe, Gish selected matinee idol John Gilbert to be her co-star. During the silent era, Gilbert was known as “the great lover” and rivaled Rudolph Valentino as a top draw at the box office. As Musette, Gish cast French film sensation Renée Adorée.

The film follows a very similar story to the opera. Mimi is a poor, humble seamstress. Her neighbor, the artist Rodolphe, falls madly in love with her. They have a stormy relationship and wait to break up until spring. She dies tragically of tuberculosis.

Reports vary on filming. Many say that Gish was treated like a queen when she arrived at the studio, but others regarded her as arrogant and difficult to work with. It’s said that she didn’t want to give Gilbert the time of day but that he was infatuated with her. Some reported that he would intentionally flub scenes during filming so they would have to be re-shot and Gilbert would be forced to kiss his beautiful co-star again. And again.

While far from a masterpiece of the silent era, there are fascinating elements to the film, one of them being Lillian Gish herself. When you watch the film, you get a sense of her depth as an actress. Long before anyone had coined the phrase “method acting,” Gish was employing its techniques. She spent weeks at the hospital observing TB patients. She taught herself to breath with minimal visible movement. Three days before filming, she quit taking liquids so that she appeared drawn and exhausted. The result was a death scene of astounding realism.

John Gilbert himself can be a revelation to the movie fan. One doesn’t necessarily think of silent film stars as sex symbols, but some people might think that Gilbert could give Johnny Depp a run for his money in this film. (Well, that might be stretching it, but you get the point.)


The film has been released on DVD and can be ordered online. For a small sample, we can thank YouTube for this brief clip:



You learn something new every day. If you're looking for a not-so-silent version of La Bohème, tickets are still available for Puccini's classic premiering November 6 and playing November 9, 12, 14 & 16.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Friday, August 27, 2010

Czech It Out!

I know, I know - it's a terrible pun. But I just can't help myself - I'm so excited! You see, today's the day we're launching the Czech Point Denver website! (Along with an extra-awesome blog called Czech Mix.)

And what is Czech Point Denver, you ask? (An excellent question.) See, it all started when Opera Colorado decided to perform its first Czech opera, Rusalka. We thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if the whole city was as excited as we were?"

So we thought and planned and created and we came up with: Czech Point Denver. A city-wide celebration of the Czech cultural arts. And do you know who's playing? The Denver Art Museum. The Colorado Symphony. Rocky Mountain PBS. Buntport Theatre. The Mizel Center. And they're just a few of the many culturals who're participating. We've got preview events, Czech-themed cultural programs, films, kid-friendly entertainment, concerts, costumes, kolaches, ice cream...

...ok, we don't have ice cream. Yet. But you get the idea. This is gonna be an amazing festival with so much to do, you'll be dreaming in Czech. I'll be keeping you updated with what's going on, but you'll definitely want to check out the website and blog for events, interesting Czech trivia, and a whole section just for Rusalka.

Na shledanou!
AriaGirl

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Leave it to Opera

Do you know what I found in our offices? Guess. Come on, guess! It’s the most amazing thing ever!

I found...a steamer trunk full of costumes and props. (And if you’re new to the blog, let me tell you…I love costumes. I love dressing up.) So you can imagine my delight at finding a big box of wigs and capes and other assorted awesomeness.

But before I got too in-depth pretending to be an opera singer, I was discovered by Emilie Elmore, our Manager of Education & Community Programs. (I probably shouldn’t have hid in her office.)

Emilie explained that we’ve got these big steamer trunks that get taken to schools to introduce kids to opera. I had found our new “Opera for Beginner” trunk, which features La Bohème, Rusalka, and The Barber of Seville. (It almost matches our season, except Cinderella has its own trunk.)

So Emilie shows me everything in the trunk. (There were more than just costumes, apparently.) There were several books on opera, composers, specific operas and music. There are also DVD performances of the three operas. Emilie also explained that this opera trunk helps introduce kids to opera by including activities on acting and theater. So the kids get to dress up and act out scenes from the operas. There are also theater exercises that teach kids about staging and emotion.

So what’s going to happen to this trunk? The Education & Community Programs department will take it to different schools around the state, where students of all ages will get to play and explore. (Lucky kids!) You can find more information on our Education website.

Me, I’m going to see if I can’t try on a few more costume pieces…I think I make a rather fetching Musetta, don't you?


Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Happiness is a Warm Opera

It’s Wednesday, which means Whatever I Find Interesting. And this week I found something very funny, almost by chance.

See, the opera service organization, OPERA America, is wonderful at helping opera companies keep in touch with each other. So when someone from Utah Opera wanted to create a better, more interactive atmosphere in their lobby, they sent the call out to almost every opera company in the world for their ideas.

But that’s not the only neat part. Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR for The Dallas Opera, sent this:

Several years ago, when Bohème came around again, I decided to “Onion-up” Puccini’s rather torrid life story into a fake tabloid newspaper. Working with local graphics designers who set my tongue-in-cheek text with appropriately over-the-top headlines and actual photographs, we created a giant-sized newspaper mounted around the lobby area. It drew patrons like a magnet. Some got it, some didn’t, non-readers passed it by. However, it definitely sparked a lot of comments from patrons and visiting media types. And it was great fun to produce!

I got in touch with Suzanne, who cheerfully sent me their final version, which I give to you here. (It's kind of big, but well worth the wait.) A big kudos to the folks at The Matchbox Studio in Dallas, who made it look as great as it does. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did!

Speaking of La Bohème, we open Puccini's work on November 6 and tickets are on sale now.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Opera Is a Many-Splendored Thing

It's Tuesday, and Tuesday means Trivia! Have you ever heard of the song “Don’t You Know?” It was a hit song in 1959 and was performed by Della Reese. Here – take a listen:



Sound familiar? Songwriter Bobby Worth took the theme from “Musetta’s Waltz” and integrated it into the music of the song. Of course, Bobby’s version is a little bit more romantic than Puccini’s. Della’s first lines are “Don't you know / I have fallen in love with you / For the rest of my whole life through”…compare that to Musetta belting out “When I walk alone in the street / People stop and stare at me / And everyone looks at my beauty.”

Opera influences our culture in unusual ways, doesn’t it?

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Monday, August 23, 2010

One Waltz, Four Versions

Occasionally, AriaGirl takes a break from blogging to catch up on her sleep, her "Oprah," or to work on other amazing projects. Today, I'd like to present Bossman aka Rex Fuller, Director of Marketing, as he takes on one of Bohème's most popular arias: "Musetta's Waltz."

One Waltz, Four Versions
Rex Fuller

One of the most popular melodies in the opera La Bohème is Musetta’s second act aria “Quando me’n vo.” If you don’t recognize the title immediately, just give it a listen and you will instantly know if from the hundreds of appearances the song has made throughout pop culture, frequently in spaghetti and olive oil commercials.


The aria is a real show stopper for whoever sings it. In Opera Colorado’s upcoming production, the role of Musetta will be sung by Sari Gruber. “The Act II Café scene bustles with wit and excitement,” wrote one online critic. “That’s where soprano Sari Gruber, as the spoiled party girl Musetta, makes her appearance – and steals the show. Paris Hilton wishes she could command such attention when she opens her mouth!”

To set the scene, Musetta enters the Café Momus on the arm of a rich gentleman named Alcindoro. Musetta is well aware that her erstwhile lover Marcello is there. “When I walk alone in the street, people stop and stare at me…everyone looks at my beauty,” Musetta sings in order to make Marcello jealous. Her message to Marcello is simple: “You know you want me.” It has the desired effect; by the end of the aria, Musetta has ditched Alcindoro and she is in Marcello’s arms once again.

The melody has enchanted opera lovers for generations. Many singers have made it their own. You can find a lot of examples on YouTube. Here are a few of the more unusual selections.

Have you ever heard a Theremin playing Puccini?
If not, here’s your big chance. Actually, it might be better to first ask “What’s a Theremin?”

Thanks to our friends at Wikipedia, we have an easy answer: A Theremin is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928. The controlling section usually consists of two metal antennas which sense the position of the player's hands and control oscillators for frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other. The electric signals from the Theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker. It creates weird, otherworldly sounds you most likely will recognize from old sci-fi films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still.

That should translate nicely to a romantic, 19th century Italian aria, don’cha think?

Famous faded glory sings Musetta, part the first
Born Edna Mae Durbin in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1921, the talented young singer moved to Southern California with her family and became an international superstar named Deanna Durbin. The huge success of her films helped save Universal Studios from bankruptcy during the Great Depression. Durbin became the teenage ideal for thousands of young women, including a young Anne Frank who kept a photo of Durbin with her movie memorabilia while her family hid from the Nazis. In addition to being a captivating actress, Durbin was an accomplished singer who performed both popular tunes and operatic repertoire. Here, from the 1940 film It’s a Date, she sings Musetta’s most popular aria.


Famous faded glory, part the second

Conchita Supervia was a Spanish singer who performed all over the U.S. and Europe. Adored by millions for her stage appearances, she made one film, the 1934 British drama Evensong, directed by Victor Saville. This charming clip gives a great flavor of backstage life, early British talkies and of a style of singing and performing that is now lost.

Famous faded glory, the final chapterAs one friend of a certain age once said to me, “There didn’t always used to be all these divisions in music. Music was just music.” During the early days of television before the rock and roll revolution, the barrier between popular music and classical music was not as rigid as it seems to be today. Performers frequently crossed over from one style of music to another and audiences were open to embracing the music, no matter what style it was performed in. A diverse career was a true key to success.

Take for example, this clip from “Your Show of Shows” from March, 1950. American-born mezzo-soprano Marguerite Piazza grew up in Louisiana. After graduating from college, she appeared in the first season of the newly-formed New York City Opera where one of her signature roles became Musetta. Soon she made her Broadway debut opposite Burgess Meredith in Happy as Larry. From there, she went on to be a regular on “Your Show of Shows” from 1950 to 1954. During this time, she also made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera and became a paid spokesperson for Camel cigarettes. She also had a very successful career entertaining in nightclubs and supper clubs of the era.


I think it's really interesting how one aria can be sung so many different ways...and it makes me excited for how Sari Gruber will sing it when she comes here in November!

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Friday, August 20, 2010

Dear Ariagirl: A Cadenza is Not a Piece of Furniture

So...most Fridays I like to let you know what’s coming up for us here at Opera Colorado – any events or performances or such. But sometimes we don’t have anything happening, so today I’d like to introduce my new Friday series: “Dear AriaGirl.”

Dear AriaGirl:
How come there’re always a lot of fancy notes at the end of the soprano’s aria? Did the composer actually write something so complicated for her to sing?
Mario C.

Dear Mario:
I always wondered this myself! A lot of arias – for all voice types – do have a spot at the end for the performer to showcase their talent. It’s called a cadenza, and it’s Italian for “cadence.”

This used to be a point in the opera where the orchestra would stop playing and the singer would improvise a series of notes toward the end of the song. In the 19th century, composers started to give suggestions, or write it out entirely. There were even composers who’d write cadenzas for works that weren’t even their own! (Some of those pieces have become frequently used by some of the best singers.) Today, most singers practice their cadenzas in advance, and some may even write their own.

It’s not just limited to opera; the cadenza can be found in classical music pieces and is often associated with jazz.

Got a question about opera? Send it in to ariagirl@operacolorado.org.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Rock Around the Opera

Hello, dear readers. There’re some people I’d like you to meet. I think you’re really going to like them. They are…our Young Artists.

If you haven’t heard of our Young Artist program, it’s how a lot of opera singers start their career. (We can’t all be discovered on a reality TV show!) The Young Artists sing at schools and community venues throughout Colorado and sometimes even perform in the mainstage roles. For more details on that program, click here. For now…meet the Young Artists!

Christie Hageman, our resident soprano AND former Miss Montana. She recently won first place in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild competition and has sung all over the country and at the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy.
Julia Tobiska, mezzo-soprano, who you might remember was one of our Young Artists from last year. She performed the Music Muse in The Tales of Hoffmann last season and just spent this past summer as an Apprentice Artists at Central City.
Adam Ulrich, our tenor, comes to us from New York and has visited 48 of the 50 states (he’s missing Alaska and Hawaii). He is a recent graduate of the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute at the UNC School of the Arts with a Masters of Music degree.
Benjamin Moore, our baritone, has a big voice and a big heart: he works with Winds of Hope, Winds of Healing – a national organization that uses music to raise awareness and funds for mental health services and spiritual care in underserved areas in the U.S..
Ryan Green, bass-baritone, hails from Florida and his middle name is Speedo. Why Speedo? His mom named him after his dad’s favorite bathing suit, he says. He was recently seen as Don Basilio in Rossini's The Barber of Seville with Florida State Opera.


They’ll be arriving soon and we’re very excited to have them here. We’ll definitely be keeping you updated with any free concerts they have (I know some will be coming up!)

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Can't Help Falling in Love With Opera

This week’s Wednesday Whatever I Find Interesting is…are you ready? Are you ready for the cuteness?

It’s a Puccini doll! It’s a stuffed Puccini that actually sings “O Mio Babbino Caro.”

I want one. (Everyone within listening distance of me says no, because I’d play with it all day.)

You can order it from Amazon for about $15 – check it out.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Little Opera on the Prairie

Today’s Tuesday, and Tuesday means Trivia. Specifically, Bohème trivia!

What’s a Bohemian? I’ve been wondering that myself. So I did a little research to find out. The word comes from the French bohémien, which used to refer to gypsies. (Gypsies were thought to come from Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic.) The gypsies were thought to be artsy and wild and free, and the word became associated with the young artists of the counter-culture movement in 19th-century Paris. It was so common that Henry Murger used it as the title for his stories that would inspire the opera.

Interesting side note: the opera has sometimes been translated as “The Bohemian Girl,” which is technically not correct; it would be La bohémienne.

We’re full of random trivia here at Opera Colorado.

And for some not-so-random trivia, single tickets for La Bohème went on sale yesterday. We sold almost 400 tickets! So get your tickets to La Bohème (and Rusalka and Cinderella) before we have to tell you (with sad faces) that there aren't any left.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Monday, August 16, 2010

Addicted to Opera

There are a lot of recordings of La Bohème. I mean, A LOT. (Almost 100 complete recordings.) So how do you know which one to buy? I called upon Opera Colorado’s General Director Greg Carpenter to pick out a few of his favorites.


La Bohème
Deutsche Grammophon – 2008 (CD)
This CD features Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon as the doomed lovers Mimì and Rodolfo. Conducted by Bertrand De Billy.



Decca – 1999 (CD)
Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna
Riccardo Chailly
Performed at La Scala

Deutsche Grammophon – 2005 (DVD)
Renata Scotto, Luciano Pavarotti
Italian with subtitles
Conducted by James Levine (1977 Met production)


What are some of your favorites? Comment here, or e-mail me at ariagirl@operacolorado.org.  

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Friday, August 13, 2010

Opera Fields Forever

Despite the fact that it's Friday the 13th, today is certainly your lucky day! Why? Because I'm about to tell you about a special opportunity.

What's this opportunity, you say? Only our single ticket presale down at the Ellie! That’s right…tomorrow, for one day only, you can buy single tickets to La Bohème, Rusalka and Cinderella…WITHOUT paying service fees.

Yes, you heard me correctly. No service fees. I’ll see you there!

Saturday, August 14
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis
10 am – 2 pm

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Thursday, August 12, 2010

I Get a Kick Out of Opera

I love education. I love opera education. I especially love our Education Department, the part of our office that comes up with opera education programs and gets them out there for people to see. Now, a lot of people don’t know what our Education Department does, or why. So today I’m here to break it down for you.

Ok, the “why” is easy...we want people of all ages to hear opera. We want people to listen to a beautiful aria and fall in love. We want them to see opera isn’t necessarily about dressing up, or ladies with horned helmets. We want to create generation after generation of opera lovers.

We’re doing that by performing in elementary schools, churches, learning annexes, nursing homes, libraries…anywhere people curious about opera, that’s where we go. From performing one-act operas to giving a workshop on stage combat, the Education Department gets out there to introduce people to opera.

I can hear you thinking about opera education now, readers. I can hear you wondering if you can see one of these programs. And the answer is yes…yes, you can. Some of the programs are free and open to the public, and we have those on our events page – plus I’ll announce them as they come up. It doesn’t matter whether you’re young or young at heart, or an opera expert or an opera novice. So I encourage you to check them out…how can you resist?

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Have You Had Your Opera Today?

It’s Wednesday. And you may have noticed I’m doing themes for my days (see also Music Monday and Trivia Tuesday). But what to do for Wednesday? Wagner Wednesday? Website Wednesday? Whipped Cream Wednesday?

Despite my love of whipped cream (yummy on strawberries), I decided to go with “Wednesday Whatevs” – today’s the day I share with you the random information, videos, pictures or “whatevers” I happen to find.

And this is a great one to start off with! Apparently, an opera company staged an updated version of La Bohème in a crowded pub in northwest London...check it out:



Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Love and Opera

Today’s Tuesday, and Tuesday means Trivia. Specifically, Bohème trivia!

Have you ever watched a movie and one of the characters made a reference you didn’t quite get, as though you had missed a few minutes? That’s exactly what happens in Bohème. When Rodolfo complains to Marcello about Mimì in Act III, he mentions a “moscardino di Viscontino" (“young fop of a Viscount.”) So who is this Viscount?

Well, there’s an entire missing act. Apparently, when the widow of one of the librettists for La Bohème died, a full libretto for the opera was discovered. The libretto describes an act that never made it into the final opera…except for that brief mention in Act III.

So in the opera as it’s performed, Musetta leaves her wealthy lover with the check at Café Momus. In the missing act, we find out that her lover has become jealous and decides to pay Musetta back by not paying her rent. The curtain comes up on Musetta’s place, and all her furniture is outside to be auctioned off the next morning. She had originally planned a party, and in true Parisian style, the Bohemians decide to just move the party outside. Musetta gives Mimì a gown to wear and introduces her to the Viscount mentioned in Act III. Mimì and the Viscount dance and flirt, and naturally Rodolfo becomes jealous. The party continues until dawn, when furniture dealers come to take the pieces to auction.

And interestingly, a moscardino is also a small octopus-like creature with a shell. And a small rodent. Here at the Backstage blog, we’re all about education.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Monday, August 9, 2010

I Can’t Stop Loving Opera

It’s Music Monday! And since we’re performing La Bohème in November, I thought I’d kick off the week by telling the story of four artsy boys in Paris determined to live la vie Bohème, or the Bohemian life.

In Act I, we meet the boys: Rodolfo, Marcello, and Colline. They’re broke, they’re cold, and they’re hungry…but along comes their friend Schaunard with money from an odd job to lift their spirits. Instead of giving the money to their landlord, Benoit, the boys decide to go out to a local café to drink and celebrate. Not Rodolfo, however. He stays in to write, but gets distracted when Mimì, the pretty seamstress next door, comes in to get a light for her candle. Rodolfo is instantly smitten and the two sing passionately.

Act II takes us to Café Momus and the bustling Christmas crowd, where the boys are enjoying food and drink. We meet Musetta, Marcello’s high-maintenance ex-girlfriend and her wealthy (and elderly) gentleman friend. She makes a fuss flirting with Marcello, they decide to reconcile, and Musetta leaves the bill for her gentleman friend.

Act III finds the crew more than a little unhappy; Rodolfo and Mimì’s relationship is on the rocks as Marcello and Musetta’s love affair is also going cold. The four lovers ultimately break up. (Though Mimi and Rodolfo hang on until spring.)

Act IV brings hope and tragedy in one fell swoop. The boys miss their girls, but are reunited when Musetta bursts in to announce she’s found Mimì collapsed on the stairs. Though the gang springs into action to help Mimì, it’s too late – she opens her eyes long enough to tell Rodolfo she loves him, then dies.

Are you all choked up yet? You will be – this is the second most-popular opera after Madama Butterfly. Great music, great characters…what more could you ask for? (If you say ice cream at intermission, I'm right there with you.)

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Friday, August 6, 2010

She Works Hard For the Opera

Ready for the weekend? I know I am! Next week marks the launch of our Czech Point Denver website, a project Yours Truly has been really involved with. (You'll be well-informed on that project in the coming weeks.) So I’m ready to kick back and relax, and Fridays I’ve decided to let you know what events are coming up.

And next Saturday, August 14 (in one week and one day!), Opera Colorado is having their annual ticket pre-sale – that’s right, for one day only, you can come downtown to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and snag single tickets to our season.

Did I mention this is the only chance to buy opera tickets without service fees?

That’s right. WITHOUT service fees.

Saturday, August 14
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis
10:00 am – 2 pm

We’ll be selling tickets to La Bohème, Rusalka and Cinderella. And is this offer available over the phone? Nope. Is this offer available on any other day besides August 14? Nuh-uh! Is this special presale available on the Internet? No way, José! So take advantage of this truly limited opportunity in just 8 days!

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Ice Cream, You Scream, We All Scream for Opera

Welcome back, readers! Are you excited? I’m excited. Wanna know why? Because it’s a whole new season and I’m now going to be blogging five days a week! Weren’t you just saying you couldn’t get enough of me and opera? I thought so.

So what will I be talking about? La Bohème. Rusalka. Czech Point Denver. Cinderella. Singers. Opera education. Arias. Opera terms. Pop culture. You Tube. Events. Composers. Operas in Legoland. Flash mobs. Ice cream.
You’re excited now. I can tell. (I get excited about ice cream, too.) It’s going to be an amazing and spectacularly full season, and you’ll get all sorts of information, trivia and all things opera right here. And if there’s something you want to see or know, e-mail me at ariagirl@operacolorado.org.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl