BACKSTAGE

Opera in a Trunk

2011-12-15T12:05:00.003-07:00

Meghan Benedetto recently joined the Opera Colorado team as our Manager of Education & Community Programs and has jumped in with both feet! She details her experiences with our Opera in a Trunk program, which uses props, costumes, and activities to introduce students to the performing arts.

The Opera in a Trunk program is often an overlooked education program, but it can be an essential tool in helping students understand this often complicated art form. Last month, the Hansel & Gretel Opera in a Trunk traveled to Ms. Hurd’s art class at University Park Elementary. We introduced the students to the opera by teaching them some of the arias in English, the different operatic voice types, as well as the word Bravo! Opera Colorado went back to the school the following week to perform Hansel & Gretel for over 400 students. Let me tell you that their responses were astounding! But, you could really see the difference between Ms. Hurd’s art students who had done the Trunk program and those that did not. They were singing along with the artists, and shouting “BRAVO! BRAVO!” during the final bows. You could see that they were following the opera along closely, laughing….and screaming at all the right times. As we were packing up the show behind the school, the 1st graders were having recess in the adjacent field. I saw two girls singing and doing Gretel’s dance. “Left foot first, right foot then, round about and back again!” It was adorable!

Generation OC

2011-12-15T11:55:00.002-07:00

If you were to enter an 8^th grade language arts classroom, what do you think you would see? Students reading – check. Students writing – check. Students learning about opera – (cue record scratch sound) What? Those don't go together you may say. Oh, yes they do, I say. It's all part of our program, Generation OC. We're working to teach students 21^st century workforce readiness skills through the arts. That's a mouthful, so let me boil it down. Basically, we're teaching students to use critical thinking, work as part of a team, create something unique and original – skills those of us in the workforce have to use every day and skills that occur naturally in the arts. The students we're working with right now at Rocky Heights Middle School are learning about creative and persuasive writing by creating marketing materials for The Marriage of Figaro. They have to figure out how to "sell" this opera to their peers. Being creative; being persuasive. The connections are all there. We're giving them the outlet; just wait until you see the results!

300 Donors in 24 hours!

2011-12-02T14:44:00.012-07:00

If you live in Colorado and are connected with any non-profit, you have probably already heard of Colorado Gives Day which is December 6th. Last year non-profits throughout Colorado raised almost $8 million on Colorado Gives Day. That's right, in 24 hours.

We at Opera Colorado are ecstatic about Colorado Gives Day. Our goal is to get 300 donors in 24 hours, and to raise $200,000! One might think, well that's impossible! We say to that: Not with your help!

We'll be at The Ellie Caulkins Opera House the morning of December 6th from 7am - 10am passing out free coffee and taking online donations. Then we'll move to Brio Tuscan Grille in Cherry Creek which is donating 15% of sales for the day to Opera Colorado. We'll also be taking donations throughout the day there. Your support for lunch and/or dinner would make the day even more successful! Meanwhile, board members will be making phone calls to donors from Opera Colorado headquarters in an effort to get even closer to 300.

Whew! It's going to be an amazing day!

The minimum donation is only $10.00! The more donors we get, the better chance we have of making our 2011 fundraising goals as well as getting press throughout 2012. We can hit 300 if all those who support live opera and the performing arts make even the minimum donation. Will you join us?

GivingFirst.org/OperaColorado/

By the way, donations can be made now and count towards our goal for December 6th.

Thank you!

Leave it to Opera

2010-11-04T15:24:00.000-06:00

I have fantastic news! Our final dress rehearsal for La Bohème tonight is completely sold out! What’s the final dress rehearsal, you say? It’s the last time the performers and orchestra will run through the opera before Saturday’s opening night. The performance is done in full costume, lighting, make-up, the works. And what I really like about this dress rehearsal is that we open it up to schoolchildren across the Denver metro area.

So tonight, hundreds of future opera lovers from ages 8 to 18 will converge on the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. They’ll be dressed up and excited, pointing out the chandelier, the mural, the artwork, everything that makes the Ellie such a wonderful home for opera.

For some, it’s their first experience ever hearing opera. You remember that magical moment you saw someone open their mouth and heard such amazing music come out? Some kids tonight will get that moment.

For others, it’s their second, third, even fourth experience with opera. Our Education department goes out into schools to present a variety of programs, and each time a child gets to experience opera, the more likely they are to grow up to buy tickets.

Opera’s been around for a long time. But today, it isn’t really taught in schools. It has a lot to compete with: movies, theater, concerts…so programs like our dress rehearsal for student audiences helps ensure that opera keeps going for another 500 years.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Whole Lotta Opera Goin' On

2010-11-03T15:19:00.000-06:00

Today’s Wednesday Whatever I Find Interesting was our opera luncheon, held earlier today in the Chambers Grant Salon at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. If you’ve never been, they’re a wonderful time – yummy food AND opera music in the middle of the day? It’s decadently delicious!

A good time was had by all. One of our Young Artists, soprano Christie Hageman sang “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka (coming in February) and did a terrific job. Sari Gruber, who will sing Musetta in La Bohème (beginning THIS Saturday!), talked about her opera career and was just charming. We also had raffle tickets to win a trip to Prague available (they’ll be sold in the lobby at all performances).

Plus Lyziwraps was there to sell Opera Colorado tote bags. This was what I found really interesting – they take our banners from past performances and make them into tote bags – big, small, and in-between. They also sell gift-wrap alternatives – reusable fabric that comes from non-profits like us. (Part of the proceeds even come back to us to support our Education programs.) Go green AND support the opera? Sounds like a win-win to me! (Learn more at their website...)

The next luncheon is February 9, so mark your calendars – I’ll be giving more info as we have it.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Opera

2010-11-02T10:34:00.000-06:00

So I’m flipping through a libretto of La Bohème and I notice something interesting. Mimì is referred to as a gristte and Musetta a lorette. My brain didn’t know either of those words, so I did some research.

The term gristte has been used for a while, but in early 19th century France, is referred to young women who were seamstresses or worked for hatmakers and could often be found in cafés and other bohemian venues. They often had…let’s say “arrangements”…with these artists and served as models and inspiration. The grisette was often seen in French fiction, such as Fantine in Hugo’s Les Misérables to Mimì in Murger’s Scènes de la vie de Bohème.

A lorette, on the other hand, refers to a woman is solely supported by her lovers, devoting her days to pleasure and luxury. Her lovers weren’t the highest in the city – they were usually kept by an upper class bourgeoisie or lower level aristocrat. She may have nice clothes and a well-appointed apartment, but her social standing was very, very low. She might look like highborn ladies, but was seen as public property – a thing to be acquired or admired.

I learn something new every day!

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Behold the Power of Opera

2010-11-01T10:01:00.000-06:00

It wouldn’t be a Bohème blog without mentioning RENT. I love RENT. I saw it before seeing Bohème, and it’s hard for me to separate the two in my mind.

For those of you unfamiliar with RENT, it’s a musical theater piece by Jonathan Larsen that’s based loosely on La Bohème, but set in the 1990’s. The story revolves around four artist friends who encounter love and loss in New York City (like Paris, another haven for those bohemian types.)

Rodolfo the poet becomes Roger, the songwriter/musician. He still struggles with his love for Mimì (who keeps her name but is an exotic dancer with AIDS, not tuberculosis) but knowing she doesn’t have long to live. Marcello the painter becomes Mark, an indie filmmaker whose girlfriend Maureen (Musetta becomes a bisexual performance artist) has just left him for Joanne, a lawyer (who plays a much bigger role than Alcindoro). Larsen modernizes the story further by creating a couple in Schaunard and Colline, who become Angel Dumott Schunard, a gay drag queen percussionist and Tom Collins, a gay philosophy professor. Even the landlord Benoit is represented in the character of Benjamin 'Benny' Coffin III, the bohemians’ landlord and a former roommate of Roger, Mark, Collins, and Maureen.

What is so striking about the update is how much is still the same. Both works frequently rely on recitative singing, a form of rapid dialogue exchange in song, to show people arguing or heated discussions. RENT opens with Roger and Mark burning a manuscript for heat. Much of the opera incorporates phrases from the opera, especially the meeting scene between Roger/Rodolfo and Mimì. The meeting occurs under near identical circumstances, as Mimi knocks at the door, hoping to receive a match for her burned-out candle. Some of the dialogue between the two characters is actually the same as in the opera, as they fumble to find matches and discover they like one another.

RENT premiered 100 years after La Bohème, but so many of the themes are the same: the fleeting nature of life and love, the struggle for artistic independence, the desire to find a place in this world. This is why opera is so touching and long-lasting – centuries after those stories first graced the stage, we are still inspired by the music and characters today.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Clique Claque

2010-10-29T10:00:00.001-06:00

Dear AriaGirl:

I was researching the premiere of Madama Butterfly and read that a claque was one of the main causes the opera wasn’t received well. Is that an opera term for a union strike?

Andrea C.

Dear Andrea:

After spending the entire morning not getting tired of how funny the word “claque” sounds, I got down to business. A claque (French for “clapping”), is a group of people paid to applaud (or boo, in some cases). People have been paid to appreciate the performance since Roman times, but it wasn’t until the 16th-century that the French poet Jean Daurat perfected the practice. He bought a bunch of tickets and gave them away in return for promised applause.

The concept really took off in Paris, where a company offered professional claqueurs. Soon, the practice became commonplace and developed an elaborate system of differing roles: from those paid to laugh, cry, request encores, and more. After the practice spread to Italy, singers were often contacted by the head of the claque and forced to pay a fee so they weren’t booed.

Fortunately for singers (and opera companies), the practice has largely fallen out of favor - especially after big names in opera - like Arturo Toscanini - discouraged it.

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

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

PS: Need a little Halloween fix? Try this classical music matching game from NPR!

Opera Makes the World Go Round

2010-10-28T15:29:00.001-06:00

Thursday is Education day here on the blog, and today we have an adorable story for you! Have you heard of Starkey International? The Starkey International Institute for Household Management educates and trains individuals for the private service sector in jobs like household managers, personal assistants, private chefs, and butlers. Starkey has been recognized in national media, including the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, and ABC News Money Matters.

So Starkey is a pretty discriminating school - they only accept the best. So when a recent new student had to turn in his acceptance packet, he turned to Opera Colorado for help. The student hired Christie Hageman, one of Opera Colorado's Young Artists, to deliver his acceptance packet along with arias from November's La Bohème.

Check out the video:

More video is on Starkey's YouTube channel.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Silly Rabbit, Opera's for Kids

2010-10-27T10:05:00.001-06:00

Today’s Whatever I Find Interesting Comes from Box Office Manager Katie Bulota, who brought in…wait for it…

A copy of the book Scooby-Doo and the Opera Ogre!

So I took some time to curl up on the couch and read it. In the name of the blog, of course.

The story begins with the Scooby gang heading out for a night at the opera to see the debut production of The Viking Voyage – Shaggy and Scooby are even singing enthusiastically in the back of the van. When they arrive, however, everyone is running out of the opera house, which is filled with smoke. The gang investigates, and along the way learn more about the production of opera: they see the orchestra pit, visit the dressing rooms, learn about the wings and the green room, try on costumes, and see the scenery shop.

So how does it end? Turns out the understudy wrapped the lead tenor up as a mummy so he could sing instead. (The bad guy even says the classic line: “The plan would’ve worked, too, if it weren’t for you nosy kids and your dog!”)

So all’s well that end’s well – the show goes on and everyone enjoys the opera – especially with two new additions in the form of Shaggy and Scooby, singing in the Viking chorus.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Sesame Opera

2010-10-26T09:29:00.000-06:00

Today’s Trivia Tuesday revisits a familiar subject; we’d talked about the rivalry between Leoncavallo and Puccini as both worked to bring Bohème to life on the opera house stage. But whatever happened to Leoncavallo’s version? Well, he finished the opera – he wrote the music AND the libretto! – and it premiered a little after Puccini’s version.

Unlike Puccini’s version, Leoncavallo highlights the darker, grittier aspects of the original novel. Mimì’s death is less a moment of love reunited and more the reality of poverty in 19th-century Paris.

Interestingly, when Leoncavallo’s version premiered, it was more well-known and popular than its counterpart for about ten years, when Puccini’s work rushed ahead to be “the” Bohème.

As for our Bohème, there are almost NO tickets left for the Saturday and Sunday performances and we're close to running out for Friday, too - best available tickets are for the Tuesday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 16 performances.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

All You Need is Opera

2010-10-25T09:55:00.002-06:00

It's Music Monday! Today brings you another commercial with opera, this one hailing from about twenty years ago. It features Michael J. Fox and Diet Pepsi

Got a commercial where opera was used? E-mail me the link: ariagirl@operacolorado.org.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

I Only Have Eyes For Opera

2010-10-22T09:48:00.001-06:00

The music of opera and a delicious meal in the middle of the day – it sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

We’re having a luncheon celebrating the opening of Opera Colorado's upcoming production of La Bohème and YOU’RE invited! (I’ll be there!)

La Bohème Luncheon
November 3, 2010 at noon
Chambers Grant Salon - Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Our featured artist at the luncheon will be soprano Sari Gruber, who will perform the role of Musetta in November’s La Bohème. She has been hailed as "nothing short of sensational" by Opera magazine and "a real creature of the stage" by Opera News.

This event supports Opera Colorado's Education and Community Outreach Programs, which serves over 26,000 students annually – that’s over 5,200 ears that get to hear opera – ears that might never experience the art form without these programs. Can you imagine your life without opera?

The luncheon is $45 per person and you can RSVP to 303.698.2334 or online at OperaColorado.org/get-involved.

Special thanks to Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group for their sponsorship of this event.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

You Light Up My Opera

2010-10-21T14:07:00.000-06:00

When Laurie Peterson started with Opera Colorado, she expected to fill her days with grantwriting and meetings with foundations.

She didn’t expect to choreograph scenes in an opera.

But the staff of Opera Colorado have many hidden talents. When we did The Pearl Fishers, Group Sales Coordinator Ben Davis served as a super. And this year, Peterson worked with the Young Artists as they learned the music and staging for our touring production of Hansel & Gretel.

“One of the scenes I worked with them on takes place very early in the opera,” explained Peterson. “Hansel and Gretel are supposed to be mending socks, but Hansel doesn’t want to. Gretel decides to teach him to dance, and the two end up making a mess of the room."

Peterson and Cherity Koepke, the Young Artists Director, discussed the choreography and what Koepke hoped to accomplish. Koepke, along with Assistant Director Emilie Elmore, both agreed they wanted a scene that was funny and entertaining, but ultimately ended with a messy room.

Peterson worked with soprano Christie Hageman (Gretel) and mezzo-soprano Julia Tobiska (Hansel), who were very flexible and willing to try something new. She asked accompanist Steven Aguiló-Arbues to play the music, then had the singers sing along a second time.

“I didn’t want to create a lot of choreography without working with the singers first. You have to take people and their ability levels into account, as well as the size of the set and any props that might be around.”

Peterson, who was a principal dancer for Concert Ballet of Virginia, danced all through college and choreographed for American College Dance Festival. She has taught dance at many levels and styles, including classical ballet, modern, lyrical jazz, and musical theatre.

“Dance is my true passion,” said Peterson. “I’ve been dancing and choreographing in my head for years, even as a little girl. There have been times while driving that a great song comes on and I miss my exit because I’m thinking about dance.”

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

The Secret Life of Opera

2010-10-20T10:34:00.000-06:00

Today’s Wednesday Whatevever I Find Interesting: that opera singers are people, too.

No, really! Take tenor Richard Troxell, for example. Earlier this month, he participated in the I Hate Cancer Bike Ride, traveling one hundred miles from Pennsylvania to Maryland as a fundraiser for his cousin Tracy and for his friend Sheri.

Troxell has been riding for many years and uses it as a way to stay in good physical shape as well as to train for upcoming roles. Troxell said riding and singing have a lot in common: "you ride, hit hills, and see how fast you can recoup. [Opera] is the same. You have a long solo, and then you have to be ready for the next one right away."

Troxell makes his Opera Colorado debut in the role of Rodolfo in November’s production of La Bohème. He was recently at Portland Opera, singing the role of the Duke in Rigoletto. He was also in the Sony Pictures release in the role of Lieutenant Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, a film that was widely acclaimed by music and film critics alike.

Tickets are still available for the five performances, but call soon…the phones in our box office have been busy with all the people excited to see the opera!

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

As the Opera Turns

2010-10-19T09:31:00.000-06:00

It’s Trivia Tuesday at Opera Colorado, and a group of us were talking about Bohème (as we do). We talked about how the ending – much like Butterfly – is very intense, but we wondered what happened to the bohemians after Mimì dies.

So I did a little research, and according to the original book by Henri Murger, they all live happily ever after.

No, really! Schaunard, the musician, becomes a successful song writer and makes a lot of money. Colline, the philosopher, marries a rich society lady and spends the rest of this life in luxury. Marcello, the painter, exhibits his paintings and sells one to a man whose mistress is Musetta. Rodolfo, the poet, receives critical acclaim for his first book and is on his way to a successful writing career.

(Thanks to Alexis Hamilton / Portland Opera.)

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

I Left My Opera in San Francisco

2010-10-18T09:45:00.000-06:00

Can you think of a better way to start out the week than with a little Puccini and Pavarotti? (I didn’t think so.) Watch "Che gelida manina” from San Francisco Opera’s 1990 production of La Bohème starring Luciano Pavarotti as Rodolfo and Mirella Freni as Mimì.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

America’s Next Top Opera

2010-10-15T11:23:00.001-06:00

Dear AriaGirl:

What does verismo opera mean? Are those operas performed at a much faster tempo?
Manon L.

Dear Manon:

Not quite, as entertaining as that sounds. (Can you imagine a version of the Ring Cycle at twice the tempo?) Verismo opera refers to a style of opera that became popular in the late 19th century. Composers began looking for stories of ordinary people, rather than the heroic tales from myth and history that had previously occupied the stages. Puccini called them “little souls,” and some argue that Madama Butterfy, Tosca and La Bohème are all stories of ordinary people in ordinary situations. These stories were often inspired by midnineteenth century French literature and frequently depicted the darker, more sordid or violent aspects of lower-class life. Today, you might compare them to reality TV; both verismo and reality TV are certainly melodramatic versions of these “little souls.” I’d certainly argue, however, that Puccini especially treated his characters with much more dignity and respect than their present-day counterparts.

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

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

The People’s Opera

2010-10-14T09:23:00.000-06:00

Meet the Librettists

From Opera Colorado’s La Bohème Guidebook

Luigi Illica was born the small town of Castell'Arquato, Italy in 1857. His personal life sometimes imitated his libretti. The reason he is always photographed with his head slightly turned is because he lost his right ear in a duel over a woman. When silent films based on Illica's operas were made, his name appeared in large letters on advertisements because distributors could not guarantee that his stories would be accompanied by the music of the appropriate composer. Illica had a very clear division of work when working with Puccini and Giacosa; he would plan the scenario and draft the dialogue of each opera. Illica died in the December of 1919 and is now buried in his hometown of Castell’Arquato.

Giuseppe Giacosa was born in Colleretto Parella (now Colleretto Giacosa), near Turin, Italy in 1847. Giacosa began his professional life as a lawyer, not a writer. He graduated in law from Turin University and immediately joined his father’s firm in Milan. Giacosa made the switch to writing permanently after his first one-act comedy, Una partita a scacchi, was a popular success. Puccini’s publisher organized the Puccini/Illica/Giacosa partnership in 1893. Giacosa too, had a clear division of work when it came to writing operas with Puccini and Illica. Giacosa transformed Illica’s prose into polished verse. The partnership between the three ended in 1906 with Giacosa’s death.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Old McDonald Had An Opera

2010-10-13T09:29:00.000-06:00

So I’m working on our Bohème program when lighting guru and friend of the blog Mark Gabriel DeBell drops by our office. He’d come by to check out some photos from last February’s The Barber of Seville – he did the lighting design for that and is getting ready to teach a class on lighting design and wanted some examples.

We get to talking, and I decide I should definitely interview him for the blog.

But not today. Today I’m sharing a really interesting video he told me about. It’s called “Sing Faster: The Stagehand's Ring Cycle.” Directed by John Else, the film tells the story of San Francisco Opera’s Ring Cycle – from the point of view of the stagehands. Here’s a clip.

The idea for the film was first pitched in 1988 and was originally going to be a four-minute film about a scene in La Traviata. Like most films, the concept evolved and nine years later, the documentary was complete. All that hard work paid off – the film won the 1999 Sundance Filmmakers Trophy! Learn more about the film here.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Joan Sutherland, 83

2010-10-12T09:25:00.000-06:00

Here at Opera Colorado, we were greatly saddened by the news of Joan Sutherland's passing. Opera was made that much more beautiful by her voice. In her honor, we'd like to share some great Sutherland moments...

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Opera Superheroes

2010-10-08T09:35:00.001-06:00

Dear AriaGirl:

I was flipping through a program for Turandot and noticed a listing for “supernumeraries.” Is that a voice type I’ve never heard of?
Harvey M.

Dear Harvey:

Look - up in the air! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s the supernumeraries! (I’m sorry – I couldn’t resist!) Think movie extras, but on stage - supernumeraries are the non-singing extras of the opera world. They’re sometimes referred to as “spear-carriers” – an affectionate joke that has its roots in classical Greek plays.

If you love opera but can’t sing worth a nickel, your local opera company likely has a spot for you as a villager, pearl fisher, soldier, or servant. Far from being extra, supernumeraries - or supers – are an integral part of setting the scene for an opera. The bustling streets of Paris in La Bohème would not seem nearly as authentic with only a few other singers wandering around! So next time you’re clapping at the end of the opera, give some extra applause for the supers.

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

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Lucy in the Sky with Opera

2010-10-07T11:28:00.001-06:00

Are you a teacher? Do you know a teacher? They might be interested in a workshop we have coming up at the end of the month…

Deciphering and Implementing the New Academic Standards
October 23, 2010, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

It has always been top priority to align Opera Colorado education programs with the Colorado Department of Education’s Academic Standards. As new and significant changes are made and implemented, we will continue to do so. It is our goal to assist public school teachers in this time of transition and to provide support and expertise in the realm of Music & Theater Arts. Our Guidebooks and other standardized programs will be updated to reflect the changes.

Opera Colorado, the Denver Art Museum, the Colorado Symphony and other community groups want to help you make sense of the new academic standards, so we are holding a teacher workshop to do just that. This workshop will assist you in deciphering the new standards, implementing them in your classroom, and connect you with the many resources at your disposal.

LIMIT: 50 people
COST: $25 per person

To register, e-mail Emilie Elmore at eelmore@operacolorado.org or call 303.778.7350.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Home is Where the Opera Is

2010-10-06T12:18:00.001-06:00

An opera is like a car. There are about a trillion different parts all working together to make it go. If one or more of those parts don’t work right, it can all come crashing down. Today we had our production meeting for Bohème, kicking off an intense four weeks that will culminate in an amazing production. But there’s so much work before that!

The meeting is always interesting because we have a production staff that doesn’t work for us all year – assistant directors, wardrobe directors, chorus masters – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’ve ever flipped through the program, you’ve seen the long lists of people who work on the opera. So the production meeting is a good time to sit down, go over the schedule, and any important issues.

There’s the normal tasks that come up with every opera: the press photo shoot, the Meet the Artists event, chorus costumes, singer schedules, the student dress rehearsal donor events, and more. Then there are things to coordinate with the specific opera. This year Colorado Public Radio is broadcasting the operas live. (Exciting!) Bohème will have members of the Colorado Children’s Chorale, so we want to make sure those kids aren’t up too late. Act II also has the banda, the military band that marches through the square – gotta make sure we have enough people for that.

As the weeks go by, the process of putting the opera together will be refined. Some of the staging may be changed. Some of the costumes may be altered. Hundreds of people will work on thousands of tasks to make sure that on Opening Night, the curtain will go up to create a magical experience for everyone in the audience.

And at the end of the night, we will all breathe deep, relax for a few minutes…and then do it all over again four more times.

But good news around here – we barely have two seats together for the Saturday performance of Bohème. Fortunately we have four other performances to choose from.

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

When a Man Loves an Opera

2010-10-05T09:27:00.000-06:00

When I think of the premiere of La Bohème, I think…well, I think, “holy cow, that was along time ago!” Puccini first saw the story come to life in 1896 - 114 years ago.

But was it really? Inspired by Portland Opera, I decided to see what else was happening in the world that year. You see, Bohème is thought of as pretty traditional, but was actually quite modern for its time, in terms of music and subject matter.

The world, too, was seeing a modern movement. Among other advances, we saw the development of the first X-rays and the first Ford vehicle (the Quadricycle). We saw the composition of John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. The New York Telephone Company was formed. The opening ceremonies of the first modern Summer Olympics were held.

In the realm of politics, Utah was admitted as the 45th U.S. state. Despite his stirring “Cross of Gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention earlier in the year, William Jennings Bryan was not chosen for the presidency in favor of Republican William McKinley. The U.S. Supreme Court introduced the "separate but equal" doctrine and upheld segregation in the court case Plessy v. Ferguson. The New York State Legislature passed the Raines Law, restricting Sunday alcoholic beverage sales to hotels.

While the play itself was written only about 50 years prior to the opera, it’s hard to believe that Puccini wasn’t inspired by the changing world around him.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Mister Roger’s Opera

2010-10-04T10:44:00.000-06:00

Today’s going to be a great day! Do you know why? Because I have a chocolate croissant and a video of Inna Dukach, our Mimì for November’s Bohème. I can’t figure out which I’m happier about...

The video comes from New York City Opera and features Inna Dukach (Mimì) and Dinyar Vania (Rodolfo) singing “Sono andati” from Act IV of Bohème.

The New York Times said of her performance: “Inna Dukach was a Mimì capable of singing that was so artless as to be understated, with warm corners to a voice that moved smoothly up and down the staff and was enlisted in the service of the acting."

Ciao for now!
ArialGirl

Prima Donna Does Not Mean “Before Material Girl”

2010-10-01T09:03:00.000-06:00

Dear AriaGirl:
I’ve heard people use the term prima donna for female opera singers. Is this just another term for sopranos?
Albert H.

Dear Albert:

Not at all! The term is Italian for “first lady.” For guys, it’d be primo uomo. The term was always given to the leading lady, who was usually a soprano. Now, we all know there are nice sopranos (and mezzo-sopranos) out there. But over the years, the opera world has seen its share of temperamental singers (male and female!). So today, the term is usually used to describe someone who’s vain or difficult. Personally, I’d love to reclaim the term, and make it mean “amazing, down-to-earth female opera singer.” Who’s with me?

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

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

There's No Place Like Opera

2010-09-30T09:16:00.003-06:00

Here at the blog, Thursday is usually the day we talk about our Education & Community programs. But this week, I want to educate you!

Do you love to sing? The Opera Colorado Chorus needs new members in all voice types. If you love to sing and can read music, WE WANT YOU! Rehearsals and performances are held evenings and weekends, so this is the perfect activity to go along with your day job. Previous chorus experience is helpful, but not required.

Chorus Auditions
Saturday, December 11
The Newman Center for Theatre Education
1101 13th Street | Denver, CO 80204
2 - 6 pm
Please plan to sing one operatic aria or a showtune.

For more information or to schedule an audition time, please contact George Twombly at gtwombly@operacolorado.org or 303.778.0319.

Join us onstage and sing with the stars!

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

Photo credit Matthew Staver / Opera Colorado.

Opera, Take Me Away

2010-09-29T09:52:00.000-06:00

This week's Wednesday Whatever I Find Interesting indulges my love of opera, cats, and pictures of cats with cute captions:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Blue Suede Opera

2010-09-28T09:29:00.000-06:00

It’s Trivia Tuesday and I’m shocked and appalled that I have not yet written about Puccini! Thankfully, Cherity Koepke - Director of Education & Community Programs – came to my rescue with a fantastic bio for the man we have to thank for La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and other great works.

About the Composer

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (yes, that is his real name!) was born into a musical family in an Italian town called Lucca on December 22nd, 1858. The family had five generations of musical history behind them, including composer Domencio Puccini. Puccini learned the “family business” quickly, and became the organist at the San Martino church after his father died. To supplement his income and help support his mother, Puccini played piano in local taverns. To bring in some extra cash, he had his younger brother and some friends, who operated the bellows of church organ, steal some of the organ pipes so that he could sell them. This may have helped him to decide that he wanted to compose—he had to improvise new melodies and harmonies so that the notes would not be discovered!

Puccini also became the choir master in Lucca, but things were about to change. Puccini’s new dream was to become an opera composer, after he and his brother walked 18.5 miles to see a performance of Verdi’s Aida, that is. After some assistance from a relative and a large grant, Puccini went on to study music at Milan Conservatory of Music.

Puccini’s first attempt at opera, Le Villi, had little success, but nonetheless, the music publisher, Giulio Ricordi, offered him a generous contract after the first performance. (In those days, publishers were like sponsors, and Ricordi continued to encourage Puccini, despite the fact that his next show, Edgar, was also a flop.) Puccini went on to write a string of masterpieces, including La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La Fanciulla del West, Gianni Schicchi and Turandot. He is now considered one of the great composers in the history of opera.

Now you know a bit more about the composer, learn more about the opera at our website.

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

Behold the Power of Opera

2010-09-27T10:54:00.002-06:00

It's Music Monday!

I love opera. I love commercials. I love when they use opera in commercials! Check out this ad from Nike featuring Charles Barkley...

Got a commercial where opera was used? E-mail me the link: ariagirl@operacolorado.org.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

Opera in Slow Motion

2010-09-24T12:16:00.001-06:00

Dear AriaGirl:

Why do opera characters take so long to die? Nobody sings right after they’ve been stabbed, right?

Jack R.

Dear Jack:

I get this question a lot, and the truth is that a lot of operas write beautiful arias for the main character to sing after they’ve been stabbed (or shot, or poisoned, or whatever). This is the singer’s moment to shine – to show off not only their amazing voice, but to show the audience all the emotion the character is feeling. Think of a scene in a movie that’s in slow-motion. It’s kind of like that. So enjoy that final aria – let the emotions wash over you. That’s what opera’s all about.

Plus, there are several operas where this isn’t the case. When the titular leading lady of Carmen dies, for example, there is no final aria. Likewise, when Tosca stabs Scarpia, he collapses and dies with just a scream.

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

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

Photo credit: Matthew Staver / Opera Colorado.

Two Scoops of Opera

2010-09-23T12:12:00.001-06:00

I am an expert. So say the folks over in our Education Department (talk about experts, those smarties!) who have asked me to help out with a really cool project.

It’s called Generation OC (that’s Opera Colorado, not Orange County), and it’s a multi-week course in a local junior high all about opera. (No, you can’t audit the class.) The project teaches a select group of eighth graders the ins and outs of an opera company: marketing, budgets, grantwriting…all the behind-the-scenes stuff that gets the opera onto the stage itself.

So they asked Yours Truly to talk to these kids about marketing and opera, and Monday of this week I set out to enlighten – and talk about fun! These kids were so excited about the project. I even heard one say happily, “That’s right, It’s Gen OC day!"

I broke marketing down as “giving information to get a desired result” and explained that marketers think about four elements when creating any kind of message: Audience, Information, Emotion and Action. I used a lot of real-world examples, and understanding how messages are created and interpreted is something that’ll help these kids far past this class. And that’s the goal of this project: using opera to teach real-world skills.

I really enjoyed working with the kids. As part of their final project, they’re going to come up with a marketing message for La Bohème. Some are doing TV commercials, some are doing magazine ads, and they can’t wait to get started. It was incredibly inspiring to see younger people get excited about opera. Maybe in ten years, I’ll see them again…buying tickets and remembering their first exposure to opera. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

Operas Wanted

2010-09-22T10:31:00.000-06:00

Wednesday = Whatever I Find Interesting!

What do you get when you cross baseball and opera? Washington National Opera knows. They just offered their third year of free opera simulcast to the Jumbotron at Nationals Stadium. They even came up with a baseball-themed contest to promote it! Read more…

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

Rebel Without an Opera

2010-09-21T11:17:00.000-06:00

It’s Trivia Tuesday! Yesterday I was out teaching marketing to eighth graders for our Generation OC project (more on that Thursday), but today I’m back and ready to bring you delicious opera trivia!

Speaking of delicious, I just learned that scapigliatura is, in fact, NOT a flavor of gelato. It means “the disheveled ones” and it was an avant-garde movement originating in twentieth-century Milan.

Thought of as the Italian version of the French bohemians, they rebelled against what they saw as “traditional” – and in the opera world, they worked to modernize Italian opera – more Wagner, less Verdi. (Verdi was actually personally criticized by the group for being too old-fashioned.) This group was critical in the movement toward verismo opera, which included such works as Pagliacci and Tosca.

And do you know which rebellious composer joined their ranks? Giacomo Puccini, himself! I find this particularly interesting since opera is often seen as pretty traditional, and La Bohème is considered about as traditional as it gets.

But a lot of people don’t know that in their day, opera composers were considered avant-garde and nonconformist. Verdi himself (despite what the scapigliatura had to say) was considered pretty wild; when he wrote Un ballo in maschera, the censors objected to not only his portrayal of the assassination of a monarch, but also forced him to change the setting from Sweden to Boston.

Opera composers: the rebels of their day, pushing against societal boundaries. Bravo!

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

Who Wears the Pants Around Here?

2010-09-17T09:17:00.001-06:00

Dear AriaGirl:
I just went to see The Marriage of Figaro and loved it! But I was confused by the character of Cherubino. It’s a male part played by a woman – why didn’t Mozart cast a man, or make him a her?

John F.

Dear John:

Because opera is supposed to be confusing! (I kid.) Seriously, you see this in quite a few operas. It’s called a trouser role (or pants role, or breeches role) and it’s when a woman plays the part of a man.

Unlike in Shakespeare’s time, when men played female parts because women weren’t allowed on stage, there were plenty of female opera singers. Some of these roles, however, were written for a castrato. As the practice faded, those roles began to be sung by mezzo-sopranos and some sopranos.

Now there are starting to be more male opera singers training their voices to go higher, so we may see some trouser roles actually being filled by men. But until then, the smaller parts of pages, servants, sprites and muses will probably continue to be sung by women.

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

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

Opera is the Best Medicine

2010-09-16T09:48:00.001-06:00

I know you remember our 20102-2011 Young Artists. That good-lookin’ bunch of guys and gals with fantastic voices. And I know you’re excited to meet them in person. And I know you can’t wait to welcome them with a champagne and dessert reception and hear them sing for the first time.

Yes, dear readers. For the low price of $10, you get delicious desserts, champagne, AND a concert.

Sunday, September 26 at 2 pm
Sponsored by The Ritz-Carlton, Denver
$10 (adult), $5 (student)
RSVP online | 303.468.2021

Live opera on a Sunday afternoon…does it get any better than that?

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

The Spy Who Loved Opera

2010-09-15T11:17:00.000-06:00

Every now and then, a story comes along that makes you say, "Huh. Truth IS stranger than fiction."

An opera singer who led a double life as a British spy - it certainly sounds like a movie, but it's the true story of Margery Booth, a mezzo-soprano who was invited to sing at the Berlin Opera House during World War II. Unbeknownst to the Nazis - at least for a time - Booth was smuggling information to the British government. Read the full story here.

All Roads Lead to Opera

2010-09-14T11:03:00.001-06:00

Feel like a cup of coffee and some stimulating conversation? Get yourself over to Café Momus, the Act II setting for La Bohème. The spot where Marcello and Musetta reignite their love is one of the most well-known settings in all opera. But did you know there was a real Café Momus?

It’s true! You couldn’t walk two feet without running into a café in Paris in the 19th century – the city was filled with artists, writers, singers and all those Bohemian types. Cafés were a place where you could share and explore ideas and also helped form the Bohemian identity. And one of those cafés was the Café Momus, located on the Right Bank of the River Seine in Paris near the church of Saint-Germaine-l'Auxerrois.

The café was frequented by such well-known authors as Voltaire and Victor Hugo and was named after the ancient Greek god of mockery, satire, censure, writers, and poets. Café Momus became known as the café of artists, which gave it a certain cache.

With those artists, of course, came some…interesting personalities. There’s a story of one Bohemian patron who kept trying to order a cup of coffee, despite the fact that he had no more credit at the café. The patron eventually went to the counter and complained, "I have ordered a cup of coffee half-a-dozen times; either serve it at once or lend me five sous, and I'll go and get it elsewhere."

Ah, those wacky Bohemians.

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

From Opera to Eternity

2010-09-13T10:39:00.000-06:00

Today’s Music Monday comes from San Diego Opera. In addition to putting on some fantastic operas (our recent production of The Pearl Fishers came from there), they have an amazing education program. They regularly broadcast their “San Diego OperaTalk! with Nick Reveles,” educational videos that give all sorts of interesting factoids about any given opera.

Including Bohème. Watch, enjoy, repeat.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

There's Something About Opera

2010-09-10T11:08:00.000-06:00

Where will YOU be this Saturday and Sunday? Hopefully at the Belmar Italian Festival with me! Opera Colorado will be at the Festival on both days; we’ll have a booth and are providing some of the entertainment!

No, not me. Our Young Artists will be singing at noon and 3 pm on both days on the Torino Stage. So swing by Belmar and check it out! We'll be at the booth near Upham and Alaska.

If you’ve never been, you’re missing out. Wine. Pasta. Gelato. Pizza. Ceramics. Flowers. Pastries. Gelato. Jewelry. Bocce. Flag throwers. Chef demonstrations. Live music. Gelato. Children’s grape stomp.

Did I mention gelato?

It’s always a fun (and free) time, so be sure to come by and say hi!

Festival Italiano: Food & Wine Festival

Saturday and Sunday, 10am - 7pm

Belmar, Alameda Ave and Wadsworth Blvd

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

101 Operas

2010-09-09T09:43:00.000-06:00

Here at Opera Colorado, we’re big on enrichment and educational opportunities. And this season, our cup runneth over with all the ways you can get your learn on.

Meet the Artists
Books and opera singers at lunchtime – it doesn’t get any better than this. Come down to Tattered Cover bookstore in LoDo for a free chat with the principal artists and artistic team of La Bohème. Mark your calendar for Wed, October 27 at noon! More info...

University of Denver
The Three Tenors and Beyond: Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras
Join classical music appreciation instructor and former KVOD radio announcer/producer Betsy Schwarm to survey the careers of The Three Tenors. Class runs November 4, 11 and 18 and includes a ticket to the November 9 performance of La Bohème. Course is $165 (subscribers receive a 10% discount!). More info…

Academy of Lifelong Learning
Opera Colorado Takes the Stage
Get the inside story from the artistic and professional leadership of Opera Colorado about what it takes to get an opera ready for opening night. From planning a season to educational programs to young artist programs, this course will whet your appetite for La Bohème. Class runs 9 Tuesdays beginning September 14 and course fee is $60. More info…

OPERA America
Learn about La Bohème and Cinderella (La Cenerentola) with Online Learning!
OPERA America’s multimedia online courses offer an opportunity to explore the many dimensions of opera while providing context with musical analysis, historical background and information on the composer and librettist. Participants listen to first-hand interviews with singers, composers, directors, designers and other artists. The La Bohème course runs from Wed, September 29 to Wed, November 3. The Cinderella (La Cenerentola) course runs Wed, March 16 to Wed, April 27. Both courses are free. More info…

I’ll keep you posted if we get any more educational opportunities – you guys are really into learning about opera! (Which makes me happy.)

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

All the President's Operas

2010-09-08T10:26:00.000-06:00

You've seen them - the photos of cats with weirdly-misspelled captions. Here at Opera Colorado, we find them a wonderful way to start the day with a chuckle. So you can imagine our delight when we ran across this one for this week's Wednesday Whatever I Find Interesting:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

My Opera Will Go On

2010-09-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

Like so many operas, Bohème had a rough opening night. The critics hated it and said the music was too simplistic and there wasn’t enough action. Here are a few choice words…

“Even the Finale of the opera, so intensely dramatic in situation, seems to me deficient in musical form and color…La Bohème, even as it leaves little impression on the minds of the audience, will leave no great trace upon the history of our lyric theater…”

-La Stampa

We wonder what could have started Puccini toward the degradation of this Bohème. The question is a bitter one, and we do not ask it without a pang, we who applauded and shall continue to applaud [his last opera], in which was revealed a composer who could combine masterly orchestration with a conception in keeping with the best spirit of Italy.

-Gazzetta del Popolo

Thanks to the Columbia University/New York City Opera Project for the quotes. Interesting side note: fifty years after the opera premiered, the NBC Symphony Orchestra recorded a performance of it with conductor Arthur Toscanini – who had conducted the opera when it premiered in Turin, Italy.

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

The Sound of One Hand Clapping

2010-09-03T10:54:00.000-06:00

Dear AriaGirl:
I’m about to attend my first opera, but I’m a little nervous about when I’m supposed to applaud. Is it true that applause is considered rude?

Charles G.

Dear Charles:

Congratulations! I hope you have an amazing experience. First, I want you to take a deep breath. You should enjoy your first opera, not worry about what other people are thinking. But there are some general rules of thumb. For example, some people consider it rude to clap until the end of the act. (In fact, Wagner didn’t want the audience to clap at all until the end of his opera Parsifal.) However, most people will clap after the “big numbers” – those show-stopping tunes that made the opera famous. I recommend waiting until the people around you start to clap, and then you can join them.

And if you really enjoyed the performance, you can yell “bravo” or “brava” (for men and women, respectively). Just don’t whistle – in Italian, a whistle is the equivalent of booing!

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

Ciao for now!

AriaGirl

Opera abhors a vacuum

2010-09-02T09:40:00.000-06:00

Our Education Department has the best stuff. With their swords and crowns and DVDs and lollipops, they are some of my favorite people in this office. And today they showed me their newest prop, a gingerbread house for the upcoming touring opera Hansel & Gretel.

You see, every year the Opera Colorado Young Artists perform two one-act, English-language operas for audiences across Colorado. This season, we'll be remounting last season’s popular Romeo & Juliet and Humperdinck’s classic story.

I'm really excited for how the sets and costumes will look - and not just because of my love for sets and costumes. The Education Department spent a lot of time detailing how the opera should look. Director of Education & Community Programs Cherity Koepke (who also directs the Young Artists), wanted something like the recent film versions of Alice in Wonderland and Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: a mix of bright colors and hints of darkness. I'll keep you posted on the opera, especially once the singers get here and start rehearsing.

Programs like this one help show younger audiences and those new to opera that opera is just like movies, books or music. Whether you've ever fallen in love, loved and lost, or traded places with your friend to woo his girlfriend (maybe not that last one), opera is about life. And passion. And family. And friends. And everyone can relate to that. If you're curious what other programs we have, check out our Education section on our website.

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

When Harry Met Opera

2010-09-01T11:20:00.001-06:00

It's a beautiful Wednesday, and Whatever I Found Interesting was...a lack of opera novelty products. I mean, sure there are composer finger puppets and clothes for toddlers and opera board games...but I find myself yearning for more.

So today I proudly premiere "Opera Products I Wish Existed." Today, I present to you: Magnetic Opera. You've seen them on fridges - the small black and white magnets with words on them. You visit your friends' houses (or even our own offices) and you can't help but rearrange the words.

I took the liberty of creating my own version of these appliance-decorating toys.

I think we could create quite an opera, don't you?

Ciao for now!
AriaGirl

If I Had a Million Operas

2010-08-31T09:27:00.001-06:00

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

The Silent Treatment

2010-08-30T11:24:00.002-06:00

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

Czech It Out!

2010-08-27T10:03:00.000-06:00

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

Leave it to Opera

2010-08-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

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

Happiness is a Warm Opera

2010-08-25T09:55:00.001-06:00

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

Opera Is a Many-Splendored Thing

2010-08-24T09:50:00.000-06:00

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

One Waltz, Four Versions

2010-08-23T10:29:00.000-06:00

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

Dear Ariagirl: A Cadenza is Not a Piece of Furniture

2010-08-20T10:18:00.000-06:00

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

Rock Around the Opera

2010-08-19T09:36:00.000-06:00

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

Can't Help Falling in Love With Opera

2010-08-18T11:57:00.000-06:00

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

Little Opera on the Prairie

2010-08-17T09:50:00.000-06:00

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

Addicted to Opera

2010-08-16T09:48:00.000-06:00

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.

La Bohème

Decca – 1999 (CD)

Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna

Riccardo Chailly

Performed at La Scala

La Bohème

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

Opera Fields Forever

2010-08-13T09:25:00.000-06:00

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

I Get a Kick Out of Opera

2010-08-12T09:29:00.000-06:00

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

Have You Had Your Opera Today?

2010-08-11T09:23:00.000-06:00

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

Love and Opera

2010-08-10T09:31:00.002-06:00

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

I Can’t Stop Loving Opera

2010-08-09T10:26:00.002-06:00

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

She Works Hard For the Opera

2010-08-06T10:35:00.000-06:00

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

Ice Cream, You Scream, We All Scream for Opera

2010-08-05T15:36:00.001-06:00

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

OPERA

2010-02-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

Have you read it yet? The Denver Post review of David Gately's The Barber of Seville? It glows brighter than radioactive lightbulb - and as well it should!

Lucas Meachem as Figaro "proved himself a master of physical comedy." Isabel Leonard's "lilting mezzo-soprano voice and fluid, natural acting ability brought to the role of Rosina all the sweetness and cunning of this central character." Brian Stucki as Almaviva was applauded for the "humorous naivety he brings to the role of Rosina's devoted lover." Thomas Hammons was "spot-on in his characterization of the controlling, yet hapless Doctor Bartolo."

There are a few - very, very few - single tickets left for Friday the 12th and Sunday the 14th. And after that? No more Barber. The cast and crew will leave Denver for other engagements, but hopefully to return again.

Click here to read the full review.
Click here to check for tickets - Friday the 12th and Sunday the 14th. You can also call 303.468.2030.

See you next week for the final post of this production!

-AriaGirl

The Man From O.P.E.R.A

2010-02-09T11:27:00.001-07:00

Earlier in the month, I sat down to have a chat with the man behind The Barber of Seville. No, not Rossini. I may be talented, but I’m not THAT talented. I’m talking about David Gately, director of the comic opera coming soon to the Ellie. David is intelligent, well-spoken and passionate. Read more...

Why is opera still important and relevant?
It lifts people’s spirits. Barber doesn’t have the most weight or impact, but that doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant. People often turn to art in times of tragedy or uncertainty, and art gets them out of their lives for a little while. Opera is a dynamic art form. You never know what’s going to happen because every performance is a little bit different.

What are some of the myths about opera that you still come across?

There are a lot of misconceptions still floating out there. I believe that opera is an acquired taste, but it’s not hard to acquire. I encourage people to go and see what it’s like. They’re sometimes surprised to find it’s like a play and they can follow the story. They find it interesting and it becomes less scary. A lot of people think operas are so long, but there are plenty of movies out there that run 2 ½ or 3 hours. If the story is engaging, time doesn’t matter. People also think it’s a bunch of fat people singing and not acting, but that’s become the exception and not the rule.

What book do you think would make a good opera?
John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces. It’s a very funny and moving work and the fact that it was published at all is a kind of miracle. The author’s mother found it after he committed suicide and she convinced a local professor to read it. He thought it was amazing, and the rest is history. The story itself is about a man who lives in New Orleans and doesn’t fit into society, which is a pretty common theme in opera. You look at Peter Grimes or even Don Pasquale and you see characters who don’t quite mesh with their surroundings.

Do you have any pets?

I do have a cat back in Seattle. I love cats, but my partner hated them, so I never thought we’d have one. But one day I got a call while working at Central City Opera. My partner says, “What does this sound like?” I said, “It sounds like a cat purring.” He had found a cat under a bush and brought her in. She utterly adores and dotes on him, and I think it was her karmic responsibility to turn my partner into a cat lover. She doesn’t seem to care for me that much, which I find funny. She even waits by the door until her “real dad” shows up after work.

If you could live anywhere for a year, where would it be?

London. It’s one of my favorite cities. I love the lifestyle and think it’s beautiful. It has such a strong cultural focus with so many opportunities for opera and the theater. I think it seems so civilized and there’s an incredible amount of history. I’m really quite an Anglophile. I want to travel more, which people think is odd since I travel for a living. I tell them that I don’t think of traveling to direct as real traveling, it’s just sort of a really long commute.

Just in case you don't have your tickets to Barber, we are SOLD OUT for Friday and Sunday's performances. Better buy your tickets for tonight! See you on Thursday!

-AriaGirl

Opera, She Wrote

2010-02-04T12:36:00.004-07:00

Are you a woman? Do you like lunch? Do you enjoy or are curious about opera? If you said “yes,” to all of these, I bet you’d enjoy our Opera Colorado Women’s Luncheons – which is where I was yesterday! A group of approximately 100 women sat down to a lunch catered by Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House to listen to Isabel Leonard, our Rosina in The Barber of Seville, speak about her career in opera with General Director Greg Carpenter.

Isabel was charming and funny. She’s very down to earth and I loved watching how animated she got telling stories of her life on the stage. She talked about how she got into opera and how her parents encouraged her to be active in the arts. After attending Julliard and receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Isabel’s big break came when she sang the pants role of Stephano in Romeo and Juliet. At the Met. Alongside Anna Netrebko. And Nathan Gunn.Conducted by Placido Domingo. That may be the biggest break I’ve ever seen! Isabel also talked about her process preparing for a new role, some mishaps she’s encountered on stage, as well as her perspective on where she wants her career to go.

After the talk, about twenty ladies took a tour of the set, costumes, dressing rooms and the rest of the backstage area. Women also had an opportunity to purchase adorable vintage handmade bags from Sweet Pea Pockets. Kate Adams, the owner, donated 20% of her proceeds that day to Opera Colorado. Isabel even bought one!

Sound like fun? I thought so. Fortunately, you can still sign up for the Tosca luncheon on Wednesday, April 21st. You’ll get to hear from Sondra Radvanovsky, also known as she who has been burning up the stage at the Met.

And just in case you forgot: The Barber of Seville opens THIS Saturday. You don’t want to be the one left out when all your friends are talking about how amazing it is. Need tickets? Click here.

See you next week!

-AriaGirl

The Dukes of Opera

2010-02-02T11:47:00.004-07:00

Thomas Hammons has performed at the Met more than 350 times. He’s performed the role of Bartolo in The Barber of Seville countless times. To say he’s a veteran of the stage is putting it mildly. But don’t think for a minute that means he’s full of himself. He took the time to meet with me, a lowly little blogger! And in that meeting, I found him to be an intelligent and engaging man with a wide base of knowledge that encompassed history, art and literature. Read on…

What’s the biggest challenge in playing the role of Bartolo?

I’ve performed the role more than 400 times. The first time was in 1973 and I learned the role with Italo Tajo, who was a mentor of mine. So the biggest challenge has been to adapt to each new cast and work with their own interpretations of what they’re doing. You pick up on the personalities of other singers and so you can’t insist on performing the role in such a rigid way each time. Another challenge is his portrayal. I don’t perform him as this lecherous old man or a stupid fool. He is smart and he is a doctor and does indeed draw sympathy from the audience.

What actor would you want to play you in the movie of your life?
Peter O’Toole. I’ve always admired him as an actor. He was known as a bit of a wild man and was often compared to the title character of J.P. Donleavy’s novel, The Ginger Man, for his wild Irish nature, something I can definitely relate to. But I think Peter also has a sensitive side that he can showcase, as in the film Becket about King Henry II and his relationship with his close friend and advisor, Thomas Becket.

Where in the world would you like to visit that you haven’t yet been?

The pyramids of Egypt. I’d love to see the Sphinx. The whole area – the Middle East and the Holy Land. I want to go to the Wailing Wall and the Fortress of the Knights Templar.

What would you do if you didn’t have to work?

I’d collect art and have the best surrealist collection in the Midwest, with works by Max Ernst, Dali, and Picasso. When I was a young child, I went to the Chicago Art Institute and saw Picasso’s Blue Guitar, which was a life-changing experience. Since then, I’ve always enjoyed the early surrealist period, those works created around the 1930’s. There’s an enigmatic quality to surrealism that speaks to me. As in life, these works provide no easy answers or interpretations.

Is there a food that you really dislike?
I cannot stand raw onions. They’re fine cooked, but I will never have onions on my hot dog or hamburger. The flavor’s just too strong. I’ve also never been fond of anchovies.

If you owned a boat, what would you name it?

My father was actually a sailor and named his boat Tomatlen after his three children. I think I would follow in his footsteps and do the same, so my boat would be named Marmad after my daughters Margo and Madeline.

What opera do you think would translate well to a series on HBO?

I would like to see Beaumarchais’ original plays – The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Guilty Mother – made into a miniseries. The characters are so interesting and I think they’d translate well to screen even in play form. You’d have to translate them into English, but they could be done in a period setting and it would be very interesting, I think.

Stay tuned for more Barber entries and don’t forget – the opera opens February 6. (The countdown begins!) I'll also be at the Opera Colorado Women's Luncheon tomorrow - say hi if you see me.

See you on Thursday!

-AriaGirl

Everybody Loves Opera

2010-01-28T15:01:00.005-07:00

At the end of January, there’s always an extra-special belated holiday gift – the announcement of the next season! And what a season…it's like a delicious cupcake mixed with decadent ice cream and made the perfect flavor, er, season.

La Bohème
November 6 – 14, 2010

Everyone’s favorite opera! It’s like a late nineteenth-century version of a sitcom following the lives and loves of close friends. Soaring, beautiful melodies? Check. Best bohemian buds struggling to find their way in the world? Check. A saucy soprano and a sweet seamstress with cold hands? Double check!

Rusalka
February 12 – 20, 2011

Think The Little Mermaid, but darker. A beautiful little water sprite longs to be human, and finds out she should be careful what she wishes for. BONUS: Opera Colorado’s putting on a Czech festival of the arts called Czech Point Denver. Details will be announced in the coming months, so stay tuned.

Cinderella (La Cenerentola)
April 30 – May 8, 2011

Another classic story of love, only Rossini’s version has a few twists that make it extra special. Filled with engaging characters and some of Rossini’s greatest ensemble pieces, it’s a family-friendly opera in which the power of goodness triumphs.

Current subscribers can start renewing their seats now – and a ton already have. If you’re a season ticket holder, you can call 303.468.2030 or go online to renew. As for me, I’ll be getting back to Barber soon. See you then!

-AriaGirl

Check Back Tomorrow!

2010-01-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight is our Season Announcement Party! The blog will be moved to tomorrow to report on the 2010-2011 Season. Can you handle the anticipation?

Petticoat Opera

2010-01-21T11:45:00.004-07:00

Anna Björnsdotter is living the dream. Even on the most stressful of days, the costume designer for The Barber of Seville is able to stop and say: “This is really great!” For a woman who is infatuated with clothes, becoming a costume designer seemed inevitable.

I chatted with Anna to learn a little bit more about what she does. (And you know me, readers – I love costumes and all things associated with them!) So it was like someone handed me a free cupcake when she said she’d be happy to answer all my costuming questions.

How did you get started?
I was born and raised in Sweden, and my mother was on the board of a theater company. There was never any question for me – from the time I was 5 years old I knew I’d be working in the performing arts. I moved to America when I was older and became a costume supervisor at San Francisco Opera. I then started designing on the side and eventually started doing it full-time.

How is designing costumes for opera different than for other art forms?
The number one difference is that they have to be worn by people who do incredibly strenuous things – singing in opera is like running a marathon. It’s really physically intense. Also, a lot of period clothes are not cut the way modern people would wear them. People back then were smaller and shaped differently, so you have to adapt the design for singers.

Can you tell me about the design process?

The design process for Barber was a little different than I’ve had in the past. I wasn’t in the same city as the director and we worked on a pretty short timeline. I also designed the chorus first and the principals second, which is the opposite of what usually happens. First I make sketches of the costumes and send them to the director. Costume drawings are kind of like a blueprint; it’s not going to look exactly the way you draw it. I also coordinate with the set designer and the lighting designer to make sure that everything comes together the way it’s supposed to.

How do you make the costumes?
It depends on the opera company and the opera’s concept. If you have a modern production, you would try to buy existing clothes. For period productions, the designer gives a sketch to the shop. The cutter will make a mock-up of the costume out of muslin or other inexpensive fabric. The designer may make changes or approve it, and then the cutter will make the actual garment. If it’s a dress, the bodice will be made a little later out of a sturdy material called cotile. Then we have the first fitting with the singer and will talk about what works, and what doesn’t. The cutter makes any changes and there’s usually one more fitting. After making any last-minute adjustments, the costume goes to the dress rehearsal, which sometimes prompts even more changes! The dress rehearsal is the first time you see everything together, so you may need to alter and adjust the picture you have of everything together.

Can you tell me about the costumes and what time period they’re set in?

The costumes, which were originally designed for Opera Pacific, are set around 1790 or so. I did some research, but by the time you’ve done this for a while, you get familiar with certain eras. Also, there are only so many examples of real clothes from a certain era that you start to see the same pictures in every book. I do feel it’s important to make sure your designs are fresh. Art is a fantastic, non-costume inspiration for colors.

Can you tell me about the look of the costumes?

Designers tend to make the chorus a little more dull in color and the principals brighter, so they stand out. Figaro essentially has one costume that’s altered with different pieces, but he wears a lot of brown, orange and yellow. He wears similar colors to the chorus, but also has a coat to make him stand out. He also wears earth tones because he is down to earth and doesn’t have these huge aspirations. Rosina’s first costume was originally white, but we had to dye it as it blended in with the white set. She wears these rich, bold colors and has a lot of pattern and texture, like stripes, in her costumes. A lot of productions have her in a pink dress, which seems sort of boring and placid to me, and Rosina is definitely willful ans has her own strong opinions. Bartolo’s clothes are styled closer to the 1750’s. He hasn’t really changed his clothes or attitude since his youth. His clothes are nicely made, but they’re definitely a dated style. Almaviva tries to wear inconspicuous clothing similar to the chorus when he pretends to be Lindoro, the poor student, but his color scheme is brighter and he wears a longer coat. His final costume as the Count is very regal and in blue and gold hues, evoking the time of Versailles.

There you have it: the ins and outs of costume design. And you thought it was easy.

See you on Tuesday!

-AriaGirl

One Opera to Live

2010-01-19T16:25:00.003-07:00

Last week you got to read about Brian Stucki and Lucas Meachem. This week I bring you all the darkest secrets (just kidding) of soprano Isabel Leonard (Rosina), who is currently causing an epidemic of jaw-dropping over at the Met. She’s been wowing them over there with her stage presence, amazing singing, and…let’s face it, she’s quite the looker. None of which has gone to her head - in interviewing Isabel, I found a soft-spoken yet strong young woman who is talented and sweet. Read on:

How would you describe Rosina?
She’s young and intelligent. She’s determined, but not completely self-confident (like any young person), despite the face she shows to the world. This is my role debut, so ask me again in a year or so!

What music is on your iPod right now?

My mother’s Argentinean, so my ear is very attuned to that style of music. I also have pretty much every song by Frank Sinatra. I love jazz - Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Etta James, Sarah Vaughn. I think they’re fabulous singers who connect to what they do on every level. They’re very honest.

Do you have any talents besides singing?

I’ve danced since I was five, but I don’t know if that’s unusual. I started with ballet and was in The Nutcracker twice and also studied tap and jazz. I still dance when I have the time. You communicate your story like in singing, but instead by moving your body to music. I love it.

What is the worst pick-up line you have ever heard?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard one that stuck in my brain. And I never heard that many pick-up lines to begin with. Nobody ever believes that, but it’s true. When my husband and I started dating, it was a very mutual thing. We were just drawn immediately to each other without much thought…or talking, even!

What books are on your “to be read” list?

A lot! I’ve been so busy preparing for Barber that the score is the only thing I’ve really read lately. I recently finished Practicing Peace in Times of War by an American Buddhist nun. I also have the complete novels of Jane Austen and Divas and Scholars by Philip Gossett, which talks about Barber. I’ve also started The Essence of Style: How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour. The title pretty much says it all, and it’s very interesting.

What opera do you think would translate well to a series on HBO?

That’s a tough one, because so many of the main characters die at the end of the opera! If we could just omit the fact that she dies, I think Carmen would be excellent in her own show. You could show love affair after love affair and it would be very torrid and exciting.

What is one of the biggest misconceptions that people have about you?

I’m actually quite shy. Because of my career, everyone thinks I’m very extroverted, but I’ve always been shy. I’ve learned to adapt, and not let my shyness stop me from communicating my thoughts and artistic ideas. I’m not shy on stage, but I’ve had to train myself to walk into a room and actually talk to people instead of hiding in the corner.

Catch Isabel as Rosina when The Barber of Seville opens February 6 at The Ellie. See you on Thursday!

-AriaGirl

The Dukes of Opera

2010-01-14T09:33:00.003-07:00

Earlier this week, I shared some tidbits about tenor Brian Stucki, who will sing the role of Almaviva. Today we’ll hear from Lucas Meachem, the baritone behind the barber. I chatted with the man who’ll play the title role in The Barber of Seville and got some interesting answers to my questions. (I like to ask unusual questions, like “What superpower would you most like to have?” It always makes for a lively conversation.)

What is the hardest part about singing Figaro?

I’ve done this role so frequently that it’s become very natural. Vocally, the entrance aria is difficult. It can be such a fast piece that you’ve got to be on top of your game. As far as the show, it’s all about feeling out the audience. The audience wants to be entertained, but you can’t work too hard at being funny. You have to make the audience come to you. You have to be authentic and not pander to the audience.

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?
We weren’t the wealthiest of families, so I always got creative with my costumes. One of my favorites was what I called “the fat farmer,” which came about because I already owned a pair of overalls. I took some pillows and stuffed them in the front, then got a piece of straw to stick in my mouth. Everyone got a kick out of it.

If you auditioned for “American Idol,” what song would you sing?

I actually did audition for them. I sang Babyface’s “One Last Cry.” I guess I wasn’t really what they were looking for, but it works out well because I really enjoy what I’m doing now. I still like to go out and sing karaoke in bars, though. I’ll have to find a place in Denver to hit up.

What opera character do you think you’re most like?
Definitely Figaro. He’s a happy-go-lucky guy who really wants to help people out. He treats everyone in the opera the way they deserve to be treated and he loves what he does. I think Figaro’s just a really cool guy.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Oh, that’s a tough one. I’m a big fan of the classic dip cones from Dairy Queen – the vanilla ones dipped in chocolate. But I also like Moose Tracks, which is vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups and fudge. I like to keep in shape, so I balance out the ice cream with yoga or playing basketball. I also just started learning to box, which has been really cool.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?
I love video games and have really gotten into online video games. I’m playing "Halo Wars" right now. It’s great to get away from the real world for a little bit, but I also use it to catch up with my friends: we can talk about what’s going on in our lives while we’re waiting for the game to load. When I was in San Francisco, one of my friends from the opera introduced me to her husband’s friend, Patrick, who played on a softball team. I started playing with him and met a bunch of people. I still stay in touch through the game, especially with Patrick. He’s one of my closest friends.

If you had to donate a million dollars to a charity, what organization would you choose?

I’d have to say the Humane Society. I’ve done concerts to raise money for them and they’re such a worthy cause. Pet ownership is a responsibility that, unfortunately, not everyone takes seriously. People have the tools to improve their own quality of life, but pets depend on us to make sure they’re happy and safe.

I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about our soon-to-be barber - I know I did. See you next Tuesday!

-AriaGirl

The Man from O.P.E.R.A.

2010-01-12T10:25:00.002-07:00

I love my job. I get to have robo-makeovers, I get to produce videos, and I get to talk with opera singers. Today we hear from tenor Brian Stucki, who will sing the role of Almaviva, the young romantic itching to capture Rosina’s heart.

Now, dear readers, these aren’t your standard opera questions. I like to put a personality to the voice and learn a little bit about who these people are when they’re not on stage. So I talked to Brian and found an interesting man with an incredibly close-knit family. Read on:

How would you describe Almaviva?
He’s an interesting character because of what we know from The Marriage of Figaro – it’s interesting to balance the two. I think Almaviva really believes in love and Rosina isn’t just a conquest for him, there’s something special about her.

What do you do when you’ve had a really bad day?
My wife and I travel with our kids, and there’s nothing better after a rough day than coming home to a hotel room full of family. It’s great to unwind and read bedtime stories…it really brings things back into perspective.

If you could spend a day living in a TV show or movie, which one would it be?
If I didn’t have to suffer the consequences, I’d like to spend the day in Arrested Development, the now-canceled FOX show about a really dysfunctional family. I think it’d be fascinating to just observe the characters. We also travel with the DVDs and the show has become comfort viewing. No matter how bad your day was, you’re likely in a better situation than the family.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was four, I joked that I wanted to be an opera singer. I didn’t know any singers and had never heard opera, but it made people laugh, so I kept saying it. Later in elementary school, I wanted to be a doctor because everyone else wanted that, too. But then the opera world came knocking at my door, and I answered.

If you could trade lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
My wife. In traveling, she sees a totally different experience of what I do. When we travel as a family, we’re on the road a lot. There’s lots of things she could be doing, but she’s made the sacrifice to keep us together and works so hard at maintaining structure for the kids. From the outside, this seems like such a glamorous life, but it’s not easy by any stretch, especially for the families of opera singers.

What superhero did you most like when you were young?
I was always drawn to Superman. I grew up in the era of the movies and was always compelled by the fantasy of discovering some hidden power. Superman has all these amazing powers and he’s always discovering new ones. What kid wouldn’t think that’s great?

What opera character would you want to go out drinking with?
The Queen of the Night – because she’s only on stage for a few minutes, and there’s clearly this huge story between her and Sarastro and I think it’d be fascinating to find out what happened. It seems like they were on the same team, and then something happened. We only hear Sarastro’s side of things and I’d love to hear her take on it.

Learn more about Brian at the Meet the Artists panel at Tattered Cover (LoDo) on January 27 at noon. You can also visit his website and hear him sing "Ecco ridente" from Barber. And stay tuned for later in the week: I talk with baritone Lucas Meachem, who will sing the role of Figaro. See you on Thursday!

-AriaGirl

I Dream of Opera

2010-01-07T10:21:00.005-07:00

I know you’re out there. I can hear you quietly humming “Largo al factotum” (aka “that Figaro Figaro Figaro” song). You pass the Ellie and wonder what it would be like to sit inside. You’ve even gone as far as to read a blog on opera.

I see you, closet opera fans. You’re out there. And I’m going to lure you out. Love. Laughter. Moustaches. We’ve got it. You want it. And in February, you’ll get your wish.

But let’s back up: it’s time for a little history lesson! Rossini created a bit of a stir when he announced his new opera, as there was already a popular Barber making the rounds (this one composed by Giovanni Paisiello). Rossini went on to compose Barber in a little under three weeks. Easy enough to do, since the overture had been written for his earlier opera Aureliano in Palmira. (It’s not plagiarism if it’s your own work, right?)

The premiere was a disaster (a running theme with popular operas). There was hissing and jeering from fans of Paisiello and numerous mishaps and accidents. When Almaviva made his entrance to serenade Rosina, the strings on his guitar broke. Later in the opera, the singer portraying Basilio tripped and broke his nose. A stray cat even found its way onstage and refused to leave, eventually hiding in Rosina’s skirts!

Despite all this, the second performance was a success and the opera’s gone on to be incredibly popular. Even those unfamiliar with the story can typically recognize the music, which has been heard and parodied in Warner Brother's cartoons, The Simpsons, Mrs. Doubtfire, the Beatles' movie Help!, Seinfeld, Our Gang and about a trillion other sources.

Now that I’ve piqued your interest, you can learn more about the opera on our website – including fun facts and details on the cast. (Click here.)

The Barber of Seville opens February 6. Memorize it. Write it on your calendar. Tattoo it on your forehead. And I will see you there.

See you on Tuesday!

-AriaGirl

PS: Want to be the first to know when the blog goes up? Follow me on Twitter!

Welcome Back, Opera

2010-01-05T11:31:00.005-07:00

The holidays are over. The decorations have been put away. The pumpkin pie is but a distant memory. Valentine’s Day merchandise is already on the shelves. (It’s crazy, I know.) But all those hearts and Cupids have got me jonesing for a little love story – comedic opera-style.

So how perfect is it that February will see one of the most famous, most loved, and most parodied operas: The Barber of Seville. It’s not about a homicidal barber. (That would be Sweeney Todd.) It’s not about a singing legend’s 5th annual “farewell” concert in Spain. (That would be The Barbra of Seville.)

Barber is wacky, it’s madcap, it’s other fancy words that mean “fun.” Because that’s what it is. It’s a stageful of funny people singing clever things to music that you can’t get out of your head.

Actually, the music is probably still in your head from when you first saw “The Rabbit of Seville,” the Looney Tunes homage to Rossini. But I digress.

So what’s the story? We open with a poor student (is there any other kind?) who’s trying to woo the lovely Rosina. Little does Rosina know that the student is actually a wealthy count named Almaviva, who doesn’t want to be loved for his money or title. Unfortunately, Almaviva’s striking out with Rosina. So he calls in reinforcements: Figaro, a barber and regular jack-of-all-trades to help him. Hilarity ensues!

I’m excited. You’ll be excited. So stick with me for the next month and learn about costumes, the cast, crazy facts and other things that start with “C.”

See you on Thursday!

-AriaGirl

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Opera

2009-11-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

Another opera closes. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: it’s bittersweet. It’s nice to return to a more normal schedule…but there are no robo-makeovers in my normal schedule (which makes me sad).

I’ve had a blast doing this blog – I hope you’ve enjoyed it, as well. I’d also love to hear your thoughts on the blog experience. What did you like? What do you want to see more of? I’m doing this for you, dear readers. I’m like your tour guide backstage. If you’re not seeing the things you want to see, then I don’t feel I’ve done the best job I can. So drop me a line at ariagirl@operacolorado.org or comment right here on the blog and let me know what you think.

Meanwhile, I’ll be taking a brief break and will be handing the blog off to some special guest bloggers – stay tuned to read what they have to say. Look for me again at the beginning of the year to report on The Barber of Seville!

Raiders of the Lost Opera

2009-11-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

Saw it. Loved it. Had to pick my eyes up from the floor when they kept popping out (sorry to the people behind me.) I’m not an opera singer…or professor of opera…I’m just a girl who enjoys a good production. Which is what The Tales of Hoffmann was.

But what about you, dear readers? I know you’re out there – people tell me they enjoy the blog. (That’s a strange experience, let me tell you.) If you’ve seen the opera, I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you haven’t but want to comment anyway, let me know what you’re excited about, or looking forward to.

You can comment anonymously, but if you’d rather send me a private note, you can drop me a line at ariagirl@operacolorado.org.

See you on Tuesday!

Singin' in the Opera

2009-11-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Opening Night. The glitz, the glamour, the inevitable mishaps that comes when putting on a production. As director Renaud Doucet said, “With everything that goes on, it’s a miracle the whole thing comes together.” But nothing major went wrong and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves.

I spent most of my time in the front of the house with Boss-Man, but snuck backstage to check out the goings-on. I ran into a couple of the Young Artists who were in the first act and went to see Ronell and Sarah of Awesome Wig and Make-up Fame. They were currently working on Pam Armstrong and Josie Noble, one of the chorus women who plays the Madam in the Giulietta act. They teased me for a bit about not having seen the whole opera yet (I’m going tonight, I promise!). And Pam proved her superhero nature once again by offering to babysit for Ronell’s little girl if needed. (Pam says anyone would have done it. Readers will note that I didn’t offer.)

Us girls giggled and laughed until the singers had to skedaddle to get ready. Then William Caulkins, one of the child supers who plays the Blind Boy, came in to get ready. If you’ve seen the show, you’ve seen William – he comes in with Coppélius in the Olympia Act. William has some of the most dramatic make-up in the show: he’s made completely bald with a small black ponytail and sunglasses. The costume is crazy, too – like the old-school bouncing clowns that you could hit and it would right itself again. I'm looking forward to seeing it all in its entirety - tonight!

See you on Thursday!

Photo credit: Matthew Staver

Star Wars: The Opera Strikes Back

2009-11-06T12:53:00.001-07:00

You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. Your eyes will pop out of your head, roll under your chair, and bump the shoes of the person behind you. This will all happen when you watch The Tales of Hoffmann. I promise.

So I was at the final dress rehearsal last night – lots of middle and high school kids and a few other folks got to experience it – and I was shooting audience reaction shots during the intermissions. And I tell you, these folks were happy campers.

I myself got to see the Olympia scene – I had no idea Pam Armstrong was such a gifted comic actress. A superhero, yes. But that girl is funny.

I didn’t get to see the Antonia and Giulietta scenes, but I’ve no doubt from what I could hear in the lobby that they’re as visually stunning as the first one. Plus those scenes are a little more intense, so if you like your opera with a side of heart-wrenching emotion, you won’t be disappointed.

What was interesting to me were the little touches in the staging. For example, at one point Olympia is doing the can-can. Little-known fact: Offenbach wrote the music most people associate with the can-can for one of his other operas. So it’s neat to have those little bits of trivia – and something I hope you guys are getting from me!

I’ll be in the lobby on Saturday – come say hi. See you next week!

Das Opera

2009-11-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been filled with so much awesomeness that you can’t stand it? Today was my Robo-Makeover – the day I got to be transformed into the Olympia doll!

I adore our wig and makeup ladies: Ronell Oliveri, our Emmy-nominated Wig and Makeup Designer and Sarah Opstad, our Associate Wig and Makeup Coordinator. (Curious about how our wigs are made? Read the entry from The Pearl Fishers blog.) Not only were they as psyched to make me over as I was, but they’re really helpful. AND they let me videotape it!

The process was both more and less complicated than I expected. First Sarah pincurled my hair and fitted me with a stocking cap. Then she put the gold makeup on the lower half of my face and painted my lips with a bronze color. (The makeup is a brand called Krylon Aqua Color – just in case anyone wants to replicate the Olympia look.) Then she put the headpiece on my head, pinned it, and Velcroed the gold mask to the headpiece.

It seems simple, but I was immediately struck by a few things. One, gold is surprisingly my color. Two, Pam Armstrong is a superhero. She must be, to wear the headpiece (which was pretty bulky and heavier than I expected) and the outrageous doll costume. Don’t get me wrong – I would steal that green dress in a heartbeat. It’s gorgeous. But the skirt is four feet wide! I didn’t even put on the dress and still had new appreciation for what Pam has to go through. The mask also has these gigantic fake eyelashes, which look really cool, but took some getting used to. I can’t imagine wearing all that AND acting AND singing. Ergo: Pam is a superhero.

Once we finished the video, Ronell helped me take the wig and mask off and I proceeded to scrub off the makeup. Since Pam will be playing four different characters, she has four different sessions in the makeup chair – in one night! So she has to get made up like Olympia, scrub it all off, get made up like Antonia, scrub it all off, get made up like Giulietta, scrub it all off, and get made up like Stella, and scrub it all off. Whew!

I found out this show has the longest run sheet of almost any opera we’ve ever done. What’s a run sheet, you say? Excellent question! A run sheet gives the production cues. A wig and makeup run sheet, for example, lets the wig and makeup gals know who needs to look like what and when. The run sheet for this show is 37 pages! To put that into perspective, the run sheet for The Pearl Fishers was only 4 pages. Not only is there a large cast, but there are several cases of multiple roles per artist, so the cast goes through a lot of makeup and time.

But it’s all worth it on Opening Night to see everyone’s jaws drop. I can’t wait.

And if you can’t wait to see my transformation, check out the video:

See you next Friday – you’ll get to hear all about the final dress rehearsal!

The Silence of the Operas

2009-10-30T11:20:00.000-06:00

Opera fans are dedicated. Especially the 30-some people who braved the snow and ice of Wednesday to come to “Meet the Artists” at Tattered Cover. In attendance were singers Julian Gavin, Pam Armstrong and Gaétan Laperrière along with stage director Renaud Doucet and conductor Emmanuel Joel-Hornak. Director of Artistic Planning Brad Trexell moderated (since General Director Greg Carpenter has been out sick.)

It was another lovely afternoon of listening to the artists – both their answers and voices. We even had a guest ask Renaud another question because “she wanted to hear more of his [French] accent.”

Highlights included:

-A discussion of just how difficult this opera is to produce (the answer: VERY difficult!) Director Renaud Doucet explained that since Offenbach died before completing the score…and pages of his original notes are still being found…and there are quite a few “alternate versions” to certain scenes…and there are different musical versions of certain pieces…not to mention that companies have to decide whether they’re going to perform the opera with the spoken dialogue or the recitative….it’s amazing that any opera company even does this opera at all. (Though I’m glad we are!)

-Learning from the Maestro and director how much of this opera isn’t from this opera at all! The Barcarolle, that heart-tugging duet between Nicklausse and Giulietta, was originally written for Offenbach’s Les fées du Rhin (The Water Nymphs). Additionally, Dapertutto’s aria “Scintille, diamant,” was based on a tune from the overture for Offenbach’s operetta Journey to the Moon.

-Pam explaining that while singing three roles (and performing the role of Stella) is vocally challenging, it’s emotionally challenging, as well. The women are so different – Olympia is an empty-headed doll, Antonia is a genuinely sweet girl, and Giulietta is a two-faced manipulator – that it’s a challenge to go to those extremes all in just three hours.

-Hearing about the importance of Stella – a main character in her own right, but who is often overlooked. Maestro Joel-Hornak even noted that in some productions Stella does not even get her few lines at the end of the opera, but that those are sometimes given to Hoffmann to say. Certainly Stella’s actual role in the opera is smaller than her counterparts. “At the end of the opera, the diva does not even get to sing,” said the Maestro. “This may have been a final joke on the part of Offenbach.”

There were so many other wonderful discussions and ideas shared by the artists. It’s always rewarding to hear from the artists their thoughts and perspectives on a work. If you’ve never been out to a Meet the Artists panel, I encourage you to come. (And if the weather prevented you from making it out, I encourage you to come to the pre-opera talk. It’s free to all ticket holders and is held one hour before curtain time in the parterre.)

See you next Tuesday!

The Maltese Opera

2009-10-27T14:35:00.003-06:00

So last week, I was a rockstar behind the videocamera. A week ago on Saturday morning, Boss-Man and I were at the warehouse for a chorus rehearsal and an interview with director Renaud Doucet. When we got there, he and set/costume designer André Barbe were going through the production with the chorus.

Normally the staging rehearsals are done downtown. But scheduling difficulties meant finding a new space. So until we load in to the Ellie, the artists are down at the warehouse, which is actually really cool. The set is partially put together so the cast can see where they need to be in relation to the set pieces. They were rehearsing the Olympia scene, so a couple of cast members – including some of our own Young Artists – were wearing robot arms to get used to the movements. All in all, it was fun to watch. Plus I got to take pictures in the costume shop - and we all know how much I love costumes!

So I took plenty of pictures and edited the video of Renaud’s interview. I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I’m no Spielberg, but I think I did all right.

See you next Thursday! I’ll report on tomorrow’s Meet the Artists (Noon. Tattered Cover LoDo. See you there!).

Mr. Smith Goes to the Opera

2009-10-22T16:08:00.000-06:00

There’s nothing like an opera company when it gets close to production. Yours truly has been busy preparing for a special event at the Alliance Française tomorrow night. We’re the featured entertainment for their semi-annual wine tasting fundraiser. It’s called “A Wine Tasting in Three Acts” and it’s going to be AWESOME.

But I know you guys need some Julian Gavin deliciousness, so I made sure to edit and post the video of his interview. Watch. Enjoy. Repeat.

Click here to watch the video.

See you next Tuesday!

The Wizard of Opera

2009-10-20T18:19:00.000-06:00

Ah, the glamorous world of opera. Friday morning Boss-Man and I headed downtown to catch Julian Gavin and Pam Armstrong before their music rehearsal for a brief video interview. Sadly, this meant I missed André Barbe's nifty talk at the OCWN luncheon – and it turns out that some of you were there! (So if you're at Meet the Artists on October 28, come up and say hi!)

So we're waiting in the rehearsal room, talking about life, love and ticket sales (they're going great – if you don't have yours, you'll be sorry!)…when in they walk. The Artists. But there's no diva, no pretention. They're just singers here, ready to work. Julian even asks if I want him to do a little blogging of his own from rehearsal. (The answer: heck, yes!)

The singers sat down with General Director Greg Carpenter and, with me behind the camera, proceeded to talk a little bit about the opera and why they love Denver.

The singers did great both on and off camera. I loved hearing Julian's accent. I loved Pam's sassy haircut. (She also has sassy, shiny shoes on, but you can't see them.) Overall, an incredibly positive experience. The opera world is rife with gossip and diva tales – I'm happy to say there's none of that with these two. And as Boss-Man and I left, I overheard Julian singing!

ME: Cool! I can post that I heard Julian Gavin rehearsing.
BOSS-MAN: He's warming up, not rehearsing. Big difference.
ME: Holy cow – that's just warming up?

This will be a fantastic show, ladies and gentleman. It'll knock your socks off, and then knock your ears off, and then knock your heart out.

Click here to watch the interview with Pam. See you on Thursday when you'll get to see the video of Julian Gavin!

The Good, the Bad, and the Opera

2009-10-15T13:44:00.002-06:00

What does an Assistant Director (AD) do? That's an excellent question for the AD for The Tales of Hoffmann, Kathleen Stakenas. Kathleen has been an assistant director for two years, and had ten years of stage managing experience before. She was the Assistant Director for this opera when it was performed both at Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Boston Lyric Opera.

"Putting on an opera is kind of like running a race. The stage manager and assistant stage managers get everyone to the starting line. I'm there to help them with the race."

Kathleen explained that her job is to help the director communicate the artistic vision of the production. In logistical terms, she helps get the show on its feet by ensuring everyone's where they need to be on stage in terms of staging and blocking. She often works with the chorus and supers while the director works with the principal artists.

It sounded just as hectic as being a stage manager, and Kathleen agreed. The artists and crew are only rehearsing for three weeks, which is actually a short time for an opera this size. This means everyone needs to be at the top of their game, since it's a longer show and they can't spend days rehearsing just one scene.

"There are so many people and costumes and props - there's no room for error. We hit the ground running and don't stop until opening night."

Hearing about this crazy backstage world, I'm always curious why people want to do this for a living. Most of the artistic and technical staff aren't part of any particular opera company; the artists, directors, assistant directors, stage managers and other staff are contracted by opera companies for a specific show. A lack of stability combined with the stress of putting on a grand production – what's the payoff?

"I love putting it all together from pages in a book to seeing it on stage. It begins with conceptualizing the show and you add in all the analytical elements – who stands where, when she sits down – and it's incredible. You get to look at something so amazing and think, 'I helped make that happen.'"

I know where she's coming from; every time I see all those patrons sitting at the Ellie, reading their programs that I helped create…well, I get a little excited every time. Ok, a lot excited. Ok, I do a little dance backstage where no one can see me.

I asked Kathleen what her favorite part of the show is. She explained that she loves how involved it is – that there were so many different components. Then she added she loves the robot and puppet costumes. And that there's dance, she loves that there's dance. And that there's two singers for the heroine and villain roles…and that Offenbach is a character…and how he and the muses pull the story together…and how colorful and vibrant the opera is…and how it has interesting staging…and plenty of comedic and dramatic elements…

"It's an amazing production. There's just so much that I think everyone will find something they love."

I asked Kathleen if there was anything about the opera she doesn't like.

"November 16," she said. "The day after the opera closes."

See you next Tuesday!

2009: An Opera Odyssey

2009-10-13T10:55:00.004-06:00

For one week before every opera, the office plays host to some very talented individuals. I sat down last week with one of these individuals, our Stage Manager for The Tales of Hoffmann, Kerry Masek.

This will be Kerry's first time stage managing this production; she has been stage managing for about 11 years and has worked with San Diego Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, and many others. She says that her favorite part of this production is the set.

"It's incredibly ingenious how it works. It's nonspecific enough to take the audience from Paris to Munich to Venice. It has a seamless feel that brings unity to a production that, in essence, is mostly taking place inside Hoffmann's mind."

So what does Kerry do? A lot! The Stage Manager (cleverly abbreviated "SM") - along with Assistant Stage Managers (ASMs) – learn every detail of the show. And I mean EVERY detail. When Stella finally makes her grand entrance? Check. When the lights focus on Olympia? Check. When Dapertutto has the diamond he promises to Giulietta? Check. The SM and ASMs are the people behind the scenes making sure everything's at the right place at the right time with the right person.

"Any time you see something happen on stage, it's because the stage manager said, 'go,'" said Kerry. That's a lot of pressure and can be an incredibly challenging job – especially with a show that has as much going on as this one. Fortunately, Kerry has Emily Murdoch and Lisa Kelly as Assistant Stage Managers to help. Emily is in charge of props and Lisa is in charge of costumes. These gals make sure everything's where it needs to be for rehearsals and performances – no easy task when you're talking about anything from a pair of spectacles to a 4-foot-wide robot's dress. The ASMs primarily work with artists and the technical crew to make sure things go smoothly.

So who wants to be a Stage Manager when they grow up?

"Anyone who loves making order out of chaos," laughed Kerry. "Seriously, it's great for someone who loves the arts. It's exciting to be the person who makes it all come together. You get to be a little creative, too – the director tells you what he wants and you figure out how to make it happen. Because each performance is different, you really have to think on your feet and make it the best possible show that you can."

Hope you enjoyed this peek backstage – see you on Thursday! (We'll talk with Assistant Director Kathleen Stakenas.)

The Day the Opera Stood Still

2009-10-08T17:39:00.002-06:00

My name is AriaGirl and I’m a Hoffmann-aholic. It started with this blog. I thought I could handle it; it was just going to be oncea week, right? So nobody thought it was odd when I started downloading songs from the opera. Nobody thought it was odd when I decorated my office with production photos and set renderings. Nobody even thought it was odd when I created quizzes for the opera: "Which Hoffmann Heroine Are You?" and "Which Hoffmann Villain Are You?"

But soon I started thinking about Hoffmann more and more. I made a calendar out of production photos and designated a day for each character. (Giulietta Day is October 5, for the day of Offenbach's death.) I created playlists for the characters. (“She Blinded Me With Science” especially apropos for Olympia, don’t you think?)

I spiraled further out of control. I started taking can-can lessons – Offenbach composed the music closely associated with the Parisian dance derived from Algeria. (It's called "Galop infernal" and is from Orpheus in the Underworld.) I started reading the original stories by Hoffmann. (The character of Olympia originates from Der Sandmann.) I started debates with co-workers on the ending of the Giulietta scene. (Should she die by drowning or sail away in a gondola?)

Before I knew it, I started pretending to be a character from the opera each day. I let co-workers know which character I was for the day and only answered to that name. I became a thrift-store junkie, searching desperately for my own sea-serpent costume and tiara. I restricted myself to using only words found in that character’s libretto.

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

Well, dear readers…I am a Hoffmann-aholic. Can you help me?

See you next week!

There Will Be Opera

2009-10-06T13:58:00.001-06:00

What is this? A blog entry…on a Tuesday? Yes, readers, today marks the beginning of BI-WEEKLY updates! There's so much going on that I can't fit all the awesomeness into one weekly entry. So stay tuned Tuesdays and Thursdays for yummy opera goodness.

Why today? Today was Production Meeting Day – the day when the production staff gathers in the Opera Colorado offices to go over all sorts of opera details. Like what? (I'm glad you asked.)

Cuts for The Tales of Hoffmann
Operas are rarely performed entirely as written. Why? Well, in this case, because the opera would be 6 hours long! So many versions of the opera have surfaced since Offenbach's death and new pieces are being found to this day. Not to mention that some opera companies perform certain sections as spoken dialogue and others as sung. The two co-producing companies, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Boston Lyric Opera, each chose different pieces of the music to cut. Likewise, we've had to made decisions about what to keep and what to cut. (Yes, the "Barcarolle" will still be there. Are you nuts? That's my favorite part!) But never fear, the cuts don't include anything major or well-known. After all, what would this opera be without the famous Doll Song?

The Artists
When they're arriving. Where they're staying. Where they're rehearsing. When they get days off. When they go for costume and wig fittings. When they attend donor events. When they go to Colorado Public Radio for an interview. When they do photo shoots. When they come to the Tattered Cover for the Meet the Artists panel (October 28 – I'll see you there!). Whew! All of this needs to be coordinated – and most of it already has been. You'd think, "opera singer," they just get on stage and sing. But there's so much more that happens.

Before the Opera Begins
Before every opera, there's a talk discussing the history and plot. For this opera, we're lucky enough to have Denver's Betsy Schwarm as a guest lecturer. This lady knows her Hoffmann – she's spent twenty years as a classical radio announcer and producer, including local stations KCFR and KVOD. She writes program notes (she wrote an article for ours!) and gives pre-opera talks at a variety of groups. I'm looking forward to hearing her.

Before the Opera REALLY Begins
There will be more pre-opera awesomeness. A few minutes before the show – after the pre-opera talk – you'll see several chorus members on stage. They're marking the anniversary of Offenbach's death (ok, he died 129 years ago yesterday) and are at the unveiling of a statue commemorating his life and works. This bit of history woven in helps set the stage for this production, which casts Offenbach as a character in his own opera – he's desperately trying to have it performed as he intended. So get there early – you won't want to miss it.

We Don't Need Pants at the Opera
"Those guys don't need to wear pants." What? A bit of silliness derailed the meeting briefly when discussing costume needs. Apparently, a few male chorus members in the Giulietta scene will in full tuxedos…but without pants! (They will have boxers on.) Remember, Giulietta IS a courtesan, and the scene takes place in a brothel. Back then, a brothel was a place a gentleman could go to sit down, relax, have a cigar, and enjoy the (ahem) company of some lovely ladies. This all reminds me that opera, for all its (mis)representation as being stuffy, is really quite sexy. And this opera is no different. I think you're going to love the places it takes you: love, passion, despair, betrayal…what more could you ask?

As the meeting adjourned, I was left with an overwhelming appreciation for the sheer magnitude of what goes into producing an opera. And hopefully you, dear readers, have a small picture of what goes on to making it all happen.

See you next week…I mean, see you on Thursday!

Requiem for an Opera

2009-09-30T11:17:00.003-06:00

You found out Pam Armstrong likes mystery novels. You learned Gaétan Laperrière was an aspiring baseball player. This week I got some time with Julian Gavin (seen here as Don José in our 2005 Carmen), who plays the title role in The Tales of Hoffmann. Unlike Pam and Gaétan, Julian sings the same character throughout the whole opera. And I do mean the WHOLE opera – it is a title role, after all. Fortunately, Julian is a giving soul who found some time to give me the scoop on some little-known factoids. Read on…

What is your favorite part about being in Denver?
I love the city itself, particularly its proximity to the mountains. That tantalising and breathtaking view is always there as I walk around the city, often catching me by surprise as I turn around a corner. Downtown is compact and very easy to get around. There are some wonderful shops and places to eat. There are a couple of restaurants which are among my all-time favourites and I look forward to renewing my acquaintance with their fine food and great service. I love the Tattered Cover, a great place to browse and to have a coffee while perusing a good book or magazine. I love hiring a car and heading into the mountains. In fact, this time I am looking forward to heading up to Loveland or A Basin after the last performance of Hoffmann in order to find some early snow. I enjoy working out at the Denver Athletic Club, particularly the yoga classes. They have some great teachers there who are very patient with my lack of flexibility! I couldn't talk about my favourite things without mentioning catching up with my dear friends, the Kafadars, for some lively conversation, great food and a few good laughs as we catch up on family, music and computers and a host of other subjects.

What is the biggest misconception that people have about you?
I would say that there are a number of clichés about tenors! One is that I must have a big head or that I am unavoidably stupid! I often hear someone say, "Oh, he can't help it because he is a tenor!" Before I became a tenor, I studied and worked as a conductor. My Romanian conducting teacher also conducted me in my first opera. When I made a silly musical error, he said in despair, "He was one of my most promising conducting students. He becomes a tenor and look what happens to him!' As for the big head, perhaps it is in actual physical size, in order to accommodate those ringing high notes! I am actually highly critical of myself but I also passionately believe in collegiality.

Do you have any quirky habits?
I am not sure if this qualifies as a quirky habit but I am addicted to cryptic crosswords. Recently at a sitzprobe for Fidelio, as Beethoven's extraordinary music surged around me, a colleague incredulously asked, "How can you do a crossword with all that racket going on?" Ignoring the fact that I would never describe Beethoven's music as racket, I said that it helped me to concentrate!

That's all from Julian for now - see you next week!

Dial "O" For Opera

2009-09-23T10:13:00.002-06:00

Last week you learned a few facts about Pam Armstrong, the spectacular soprano who performs all four female roles from The Tales of Hoffmann (I'm out of breath just thinking about it.) This week I got some time with Gaétan Laperrière, the baritone who continually foils Hoffmann's chances at love (seen here in Boston Lyric Opera's production of the opera). Like Pam, Gaétan portrays four different roles: Coppelius, Dr. Miracle, Dapertutto and Lindorf. He also has four costume changes and has to convince the audience that while this is the same actor, the characters are still somewhat separate. Despite all these challenges and a busy schedule, Gaétan shared some trivia about himself with me that I now share with you…

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was young, I always wanted to be a singer just like my uncle, who was an opera singer all through his life. Actually, that's too easy. I really wanted to be a pitcher in the major leagues. I played baseball for ten years. I also played hockey for ten years and would have loved to be a hockey player, too.

What was your worst subject in school?
Algebra.

If you could spend a day living in a TV show or movie, which one would it be?
I would enjoy being in the TV series "Monk." I find the presence of Tony Shaloub very entertaining and I love every actor in the show. My wife and I actually just bought the DVDs of seasons 3 through 5 and 7.

What's your comfort food on a really bad day?
On a bad day, I would probably eat a hamburger and onion rings with a Diet Coke.

That's all from Gaétan - don't forget to head to the Tattered Cover on October 28 for our Meet the Artists panel. I'll be there - come say hi!

See you next week!

[Photo credit: Jeffrey Dunn / Boston Lyric Opera]

Gone With the Opera

2009-09-16T10:20:00.000-06:00

One of the perks of my job is getting to know the artists as people, not just as pretty faces/voices. This week I sat down with the prettiest face from The Tales of Hoffmann, soprano Pam Armstrong (seen here in our 2007 La traviata). She's got her work cut out for her, what with portraying all four of Hoffmann's loves: Olympia, Antonia, Giulietta and Stella. You thought it would be difficult playing one character – imagine four different characters, in four different vocal ranges, with four different costume changes, all in one opera. But Pam's a superstar AND a sweetheart and took time out of her busy schedule to answer some of my questions.

What's the most recent movie that you've seen?
The last movie I actually attended was Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian with Ben Stiller. I was joined by my 10 year old nephew for his first IMAX experience - it was so fun to see his reactions!

What actress would you want to play you in the movie of your life?
Kate Winslet.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
My favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip. When I was a little girl, my older brother's first job was at the local Baskin Robbin's – and since then, I've always loved it. Although coffee does come in as a close second.

What would you do with a free hour?
I'd most likely pick up my latest book and try to read. I'm really enjoying the Janet Evanovich series right now. They're light and funny with a long list of crazy characters!

That's all from Pam for now - check in next time for another artist interview. See you next week!

(Photo credit: Matthew Staver)

Happily Ever Opera

2009-09-09T10:48:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what an opera with a happy ending would look like? I look at the synopses of all the great works – Madama Butterfly, Tosca, La bohème – and more often than not, the main character is denied that "happily ever after."

Take The Tales of Hoffmann, for example. The whole opera is Hoffmann relating the tragic stories of his lost loves. Why didn't Offenbach give the guy a break and let him find a nice girl and settle down in the suburbs? Maybe it's because he thought great artists can't find lasting love. Maybe he knew that opera fans prefer sad endings to happy ones.

So in a fit of pity and creativity, I took a few liberties with Offenbach's work, played fairy godmother and rewrote the endings…all three of them. (Special thanks to Box Office guru Katie for coming up with the idea in between phone calls from ticket buyers!)

Olympia
Hoffmann, inspired by his love for the robotic doll, finds a better spring-and-coil set to keep Olympia going through the golden years (or at least the rusty years). Hoffmann goes into business with Olympia's inventor, Spalanzani, and the couple settle down in a quiet neighborhood with a good school system. Through the miracle of robotics, the lovers soon find themselves proud parents of robotic triplet girls. Hoffmann is the doting father, helping them with their homework and visiting their school on Career Day. (He warns their classmates away from the dangers of alcohol.)

Antonia
After a visit from a real doctor, Antonia and Hoffmann move to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a world-famous singer. With Hoffmann as her diligent manager, Antonia soon gets booked at the Élysée Montmartre and her career takes off. The pair goes on a whirlwind world tour where they become enchanted by Manhattan and eventually move to a high-rise penthouse on the Upper West Side. As Antonia's voice begins to fade, she and Hoffmann open a school for voice in Greenwich Village. In the evenings, they enjoy spending time with friends at a local karaoke bar and occasionally performing duets. Antonia recently scored a small part in a Woody Allen movie; look for a character wearing a bright green, feathered hat.

Giulietta
Think Pretty Woman in Italy. Hoffmann sings an impassioned aria that sways Giulietta to give up all of her men and go for the happily ever after. They move to a wealthy and exclusive neighborhood in Rome where Giulietta becomes a diamond dealer and makes enough money to support Hoffmann's dream of settling down to write an opera: the story of a composer who works night and day to write a tragically beautiful opera but dies before it's finished.

Stella
Hoffmann decides, "What the hey?" and attends her performance in Don Giovanni. He is so incredibly moved that he decides to give up drinking and make a fresh start. The pair move into a lovely apartment in Venice overlooking the canal and, despite the odd screaming match fueled by the artistic temperament, find a fulfilling life together.

So there are Hoffmann's happily-ever-afters…but none of them would make a very interesting opera. So I suppose it's a good thing Hoffmann never found true happiness. Otherwise, the audience would be snoozing in the aisles.

See you next week!

Million Dollar Opera

2009-08-25T16:22:00.006-06:00

You know me. I love costumes. (I think we covered this with The Pearl Fishers.) This production is sending me into "pretty!" overdrive. And because I'm an extra special kind of dork, I love seeing the costume renderings (and how close – or not – they are to the end product.) I'm posting some costume renderings and production photos on the slideshow to your right for you all to also drool over – just watch the keyboard.

Production photos and renderings courtesy Boston Lyric Opera; renderings created by set and costume designer Andre Barbe, photos by Jeffrey Dunn.

See you next week!

A Clockwork Opera

2009-08-25T15:17:00.004-06:00

This week on the AriaGirl blog, it's all things Hoffmann. For those of you unfamiliar with the opera, this week will get you up to speed.

The story starts, like most good stories, in a bar. Hoffmann is a poet trying desperately to get over his former female obsession: the opera singer Stella. Hoffmann gets persuaded to tell a few tales and begins recalling the three great loves of his life – who are really just Stella in disguise. The first one is a real doll (no, seriously) named Olympia, the second one is a diva-in-training named Antonia, and the third is a full-blown you-know-what named Giulietta. Each lady love gets her own act and we see Hoffmann's attempts at happiness dashed against the rocky shores of reality. You see, Hoffmann knows this guy, Lindorf – a local bigwig in politics – and is convinced that Lindorf is trying to destroy his life. So, in each act, there's an Evil Villain who ruins Hoffmann's chance for true love.

What's so great – although a little confusing – about this opera is that the composer wanted all the villains played by one baritone and all the women played by one soprano. Talk about a workout! Come November, Gaetan Laperriere and Pamela Armstrong will take the stage to sing those respective roles. (There won't be any flies on Julian Gavin as he's singing the extensive title role, either.) And if that doesn't get your opera motor running, take a gander at the crazy-beautiful production photos on the slideshow to your right.

THAT'S what I'm talking about. And I'm not the only one:

“Whimsical…highly imaginative”
-The Boston Globe

“A rare operatic production that combines a sophisticated story with excellent acting and top-flight music. Don’t miss it.”
-The Boston Herald

“A feast for the eyes…an incredibly fun and unique night of theater, and you'll never see its like again.”
-River Front Times

Ever since we announced the opera last January, people have been drooling over these sets and costumes. (I still want Leila's costume from The Pearl Fishers, but I wouldn't mind Giulietta's tiara!) Out of the whole production, they costumes and sets are probably What I'm Looking Forward to Most.

And what about you guys out there reading? I want to know what you're looking forward to. You can comment here, e-mail me, send a smoke signal, or whatever your heart desires.

See you next week!

An Opera Named Desire

2009-08-19T11:25:00.003-06:00

Welcome back, readers! After a long and relaxing summer, it's time to gear up for The Tales of Hoffmann. I'll be back blogging about costumes, singers, events and more as we get closer to the opening night performance of the opera. November 7…it seems so close and yet so far. (As I sit typing, our intrepid Box Office staff is juggling phone calls from people wanting season tickets. We're going to run out of places to put these people, soon…)

If you didn't catch me last time – blogging for The Pearl Fishers – this is an informal, behind-the-scenes blog. No long treatises on the convention of ballet in French opera. No analysis of Offenbach's historical and musical influences. What we will have are updates on how the production is going…profiles of the singers…plenty of production photos…and maybe a few surprises!

It's going to be a lot of fun, and I look forward to comments from you guys. I'd love to hear what you want to know or see, and I'll do my best to make it happen.

See you next week!

PS: Temporarily satisfy your appetite for all things Hoffmann with our two preview videos. The Tales of Hoffmann preview talks about the production as a whole. The Behind the Scenes preview takes place at our warehouse and previews the sets and costumes (guess who's behind the camera!).

Got Opera?

2009-02-26T12:27:00.003-07:00

After a fantastic day off on Monday, I returned to my computer to contemplate this whole blogging experience and the opera itself. The end of an opera's run with a company is always bittersweet. While it's nice to return to a less-crazy schedule, it's sad to say goodbye to the cast and crew. There's no fun rehearsals, wig fittings, photo shoots, or interviews to look forward to.

Getting to go behind the scenes was a great experience – something I wish I got to do more often. It made seeing the opera on Friday extra-special, and I hope those of you who watched the opera felt as though you got some special insight into the production, as well. I know there was so much I would have liked to do but couldn't find the time.

Fortunately, I did find the time to watch the opera on Friday – which was also our Fashion Night at the Opera. (Check out partner group Fashion Denver to learn more about the fashion scene in Denver.)

After some time in the lobby with the fashionistas, it was time to finally see the opera! And it lived up to everything I'd heard and seen. The production simply popped – the color, the staging, the singing – it was all larger than life, which is exactly the way opera should be. I sat about 10 feet away from the stage and really felt like an insider. I'd seen the singers without the wigs and makeup. I'd seen what goes into rehearsing the chorus parts. I even knew that one of the supers (our own Ben Davis) was wearing a shell necklace because he won a push-up contest. And all that made the opera experience richer. I would've been blown away by the production regardless – but getting to go behind the scenes gave this opera a special place in my heart. And I hope it did for you, as well.

So let me know what you thought of this experience – and would you like to see something similar for Così fan tutte? And if you'd like information on future performances, be sure to sign up for our e-mail club – you can join quickly and easily by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

Opera. It's What's For Dinner.

2009-02-16T16:31:00.003-07:00

Ah, Opening Night. I love the gowns, the glamour, the excitement that builds in the air. If you've ever been in the lobby for the first performance, you know what I mean. But chances are you've never been backstage – or performed in an opera yourself! That's why in this entry we're checking in with Ben Davis, super and ticket-seller extraordinaire to see how it all went.

AG: You can officially say you've been in an opera now. How does that feel?
Ben: It's awesome. My mom and sister even flew out to see me make my opera debut. I took them backstage and they got to see the dancers warming up and the chorus rehearsing, which was cool.
AG: Did they get to stay for your transformation into a pearl diver?
Ben: No, they went back to the lobby. I wish they could've seen it – I start by putting on this thick foundation on my face and put on black eyeliner and eyebrows and this black bindi in the middle of my forehead. Then I get into costume – throw on the blue diaper/loincloth – and go to the wig and make-up room to sponge on the body make-up. Then I wait while it dries and they call me on stage.
AG: That's really elaborate – how long does that all take?
Ben: About 30 minutes. But then I've got two other costume changes in the show, so after Zurga becomes chief, I run off the stage and have about 8 and a half minutes to get ready. I hand my props to one of the stagehands and get help getting the wig off and putting the new costume on. There's bands that go around my wrist and upper arm and ankles, so I need help tying those on. Add a pink bindi, mustache, orange pants and a bright pink turban and I'm a litter-bearer. After that I have about 10 or 15 minutes to change to become a guard.
AG: Is that your favorite scene – where you're a guard?
Ben: Sort of – my favorite scene is when I shoot the gun. But I'm so impressed by the storm scene – where we carry the cages off with the singers inside. You've got to time it to the music and it's a little intimidating because their lives are kind of in your hands. It has to be intense for them, too, because they're being carried off and the chorus is yelling and beating on the cages.
AG: So what do you do when the show's over?
Ben: Well, we do the bow thing. The supers take the first bow with the chorus and then stay on stage and take one last bow. Then it's time to run back to the dressing rooms. There was the after party, so I showered and got all the body make-up off.
AG: I bet the opera goes really fast when you're on stage – were you nervous?
Ben: No – nobody was really nervous. We've been rehearsing for three weeks, so we all know what to expect and we're in the flow of things. We ran through the opera about five times in full before it opened, including three times on the main stage.
AG: Despite all that preparation, there can be glitches.
Ben: [groans] Yeah. Everything was perfect – except the gun didn't go off like it was supposed to.
AG: But that's your big scene!
Ben: I know! I aimed, got the signal, pulled the trigger, and – click. Nothing.
AG: So what'd you do?
Ben: Nothing - I didn't know what to do. About 2 seconds later the backup gunshot sound went off – props to Mike who saved the day with that. I have to mention Dave, too – he's the stagehand who's in charge of the gun and always hands it to me.
AG: It really does take a lot of people to make this whole thing come together, doesn't it?
Ben: It does – and that's my favorite part of this whole experience. The people I've been working with. I became friends with some of the other supers – Jim, Randy, Michael, Adam, Bill – they play divers, litter bearers and guards, too.
AG: So you guys all got along? There was no rivalry?
Ben: Well, maybe a little. Before the first orchestra tech, the Assistant Director Diane Lin came out and gave me a seashell necklace to wear. I told everyone I was the head pearl diver. One of the other divers, Adam, and I even had a push-up contest to see who would get to wear it.
AG: You're kidding.
Ben: No. I won, but we're cool. Like I said, it's the people that made this such a great experience. I loved getting to watch Andrew [Sinclair] direct and Sebastian [Lang-Lessing] conduct – it was a thrill to meet Zandra [Rhodes]. What's great is everyone is there because they want to be there.
AG: It sounds like it was a really great experience. So you'd do it again?
Ben: I think I would. It really gave me a greater appreciation for all the technical aspects of a production. And I was really lucky to be so involved in this one – I have three roles and a part in every act – so I'd definitely do it again if I was as involved.

Well, based on the audience's reaction on Saturday, they enjoyed watching Ben and everyone else – I heard the words "magnificent," "superb" and "incredible." I'll be going on Friday, which is also Fashion Night at the Opera. So if you're wearing something by a Denver fashion designer, stop by the fashion table and get your picture taken. And if you're attending on Sunday, drop by The Pearl Fishers Bazaar and say hi!

BACKSTAGE

Opera in a Trunk

Generation OC

300 Donors in 24 hours!

Leave it to Opera

Whole Lotta Opera Goin' On

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Opera

Behold the Power of Opera

Clique Claque

Opera Makes the World Go Round

Silly Rabbit, Opera's for Kids

Sesame Opera

All You Need is Opera

I Only Have Eyes For Opera

You Light Up My Opera

The Secret Life of Opera

As the Opera Turns

I Left My Opera in San Francisco

America’s Next Top Opera

The People’s Opera

Old McDonald Had An Opera

Joan Sutherland, 83

Opera Superheroes

Lucy in the Sky with Opera

Home is Where the Opera Is

When a Man Loves an Opera

Mister Roger’s Opera

Prima Donna Does Not Mean “Before Material Girl”

There's No Place Like Opera

Opera, Take Me Away

Blue Suede Opera

Behold the Power of Opera

Opera in Slow Motion

Two Scoops of Opera

Operas Wanted

Rebel Without an Opera

Who Wears the Pants Around Here?

Opera is the Best Medicine

The Spy Who Loved Opera

All Roads Lead to Opera

From Opera to Eternity

There's Something About Opera

101 Operas

All the President's Operas

My Opera Will Go On

The Sound of One Hand Clapping

Opera abhors a vacuum

When Harry Met Opera

If I Had a Million Operas

The Silent Treatment

Czech It Out!

Leave it to Opera

Happiness is a Warm Opera

Opera Is a Many-Splendored Thing

One Waltz, Four Versions

Dear Ariagirl: A Cadenza is Not a Piece of Furniture

Rock Around the Opera

Can't Help Falling in Love With Opera

Little Opera on the Prairie

Addicted to Opera

Opera Fields Forever

I Get a Kick Out of Opera

Have You Had Your Opera Today?

Love and Opera

I Can’t Stop Loving Opera

She Works Hard For the Opera

Ice Cream, You Scream, We All Scream for Opera

O*P*E*R*A

The Man From O.P.E.R.A

Opera, She Wrote

The Dukes of Opera

Everybody Loves Opera

Check Back Tomorrow!

Petticoat Opera

One Opera to Live

The Dukes of Opera

The Man from O.P.E.R.A.

I Dream of Opera

Welcome Back, Opera

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Opera

OPERA