Life after Artscape
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - Well friends, Artscape has come and gone and what a fantastic experience it was! Opera Vivente's production of Trouble in Tahiti played to two very enthusiastic audiences on Sunday. The cast outdid itself, moving the audiences to respond with vociferous applause. Many patrons had not heard of Opera Vivente before but were so impressed by our work that they plan on becoming subscribers to our regular season. The staff at MICA were great and expressed their hope that we would be back AND Randy Vega of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts was very impressed as well, so hopefully this will be only the first of many visits to Artscape.
This week, I'm embroiled in crunch time for the Little Patuxent Opera Institute which will present its program of operatic scenes and arias this Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30. This intrepid band of (mostly) amateur singers is looking a little shell-shocked at the momen, but everyone is working very hard, so I have high hopes that they will all find reserves of energy that they didn't know they had. It's good for them to experience the intensity of a "production week". Like the old adage says: That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
At Opera Vivente, the design elements of Alcina are crystallizing. The production meeting last week was very exciting. Milagros Ponce de Leon has come up with a set design that blends the vibrant patterns of Op-Art with an ever-changing translucent skyscape that lighting designer A. J. Guban is chomping at the bit to fill with the psychedelic colors of the 1960s; you know - tangerine, lemon, chartreuse. Costume designer Debra Sivigny is working with a visual metaphor of sheer fabrics in vibrant colors to characterize the fluid, ephemeral, sensuous world of Alcina's island dwelling love-slaves. All in all, Alcina promises to be one "groovy trip". Put on your bell-bottoms and fringe vests, hop aboard your own personal "yellow submarine" and "drop out, tune in, turn on" at the opera.
With Alcina well in hand, I've been able to turn my attention to the next show in the season: Tobias and the Angel. This North American premier is, to quote Posh Beckham, "major". Incandescently beautiful music, incredibly moving story, and featuring the incomparable counter-tenor David Walker as the Angel, this opera incorporates singers (both professional and amateur, adult and children), dancers, instrumentalists, and audience members into an extraordinary communal experience. This is the largest thing attempted by Opera Vivente to date; consequently I alternate between extreme excitement and abject terror. Don't worry, the extreme excitement is increasingly replacing the abject terror. It will definitely be a noteworthy experience and will bring national (and possibly even international attention) to Opera Vivente, to Emmanuel Episcopal Church (the venue for the production), and to Baltimore's cultural scene. The composer of this fantastic piece, Jonathan Dove, will be in Baltimore for the final performance on Sunday, March 2, 2008 to speak about his music. Once again: "Major".
Well, that's it for now. I'm off to polish the Little Patuxent Opera Institute folks some more. I wish all our readers, patrons, and friends a relaxing, safe, and "cool" rest of July.
See you at the opera - John Bowen
This week, I'm embroiled in crunch time for the Little Patuxent Opera Institute which will present its program of operatic scenes and arias this Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30. This intrepid band of (mostly) amateur singers is looking a little shell-shocked at the momen, but everyone is working very hard, so I have high hopes that they will all find reserves of energy that they didn't know they had. It's good for them to experience the intensity of a "production week". Like the old adage says: That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
At Opera Vivente, the design elements of Alcina are crystallizing. The production meeting last week was very exciting. Milagros Ponce de Leon has come up with a set design that blends the vibrant patterns of Op-Art with an ever-changing translucent skyscape that lighting designer A. J. Guban is chomping at the bit to fill with the psychedelic colors of the 1960s; you know - tangerine, lemon, chartreuse. Costume designer Debra Sivigny is working with a visual metaphor of sheer fabrics in vibrant colors to characterize the fluid, ephemeral, sensuous world of Alcina's island dwelling love-slaves. All in all, Alcina promises to be one "groovy trip". Put on your bell-bottoms and fringe vests, hop aboard your own personal "yellow submarine" and "drop out, tune in, turn on" at the opera.
With Alcina well in hand, I've been able to turn my attention to the next show in the season: Tobias and the Angel. This North American premier is, to quote Posh Beckham, "major". Incandescently beautiful music, incredibly moving story, and featuring the incomparable counter-tenor David Walker as the Angel, this opera incorporates singers (both professional and amateur, adult and children), dancers, instrumentalists, and audience members into an extraordinary communal experience. This is the largest thing attempted by Opera Vivente to date; consequently I alternate between extreme excitement and abject terror. Don't worry, the extreme excitement is increasingly replacing the abject terror. It will definitely be a noteworthy experience and will bring national (and possibly even international attention) to Opera Vivente, to Emmanuel Episcopal Church (the venue for the production), and to Baltimore's cultural scene. The composer of this fantastic piece, Jonathan Dove, will be in Baltimore for the final performance on Sunday, March 2, 2008 to speak about his music. Once again: "Major".
Well, that's it for now. I'm off to polish the Little Patuxent Opera Institute folks some more. I wish all our readers, patrons, and friends a relaxing, safe, and "cool" rest of July.
See you at the opera - John Bowen
Labels: alcina, angel, artscape, david walker, emmanuel episcopal church, jonathan dove, major, posh beckham, production week, tobias and the angel
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