All Those Christmas Clichés

November 20, 2008 - Getting ready to go hear the first day of auditions for our 2009-2010 season, but thought I'd grab a quick moment to say that the repertoire for OV's 2nd Annual Holiday Cabaret (Friday, December 12th at 8pm in the Great Hall of Emmanuel Episcopal Church) has been finalized and it's gonna be fab! Here's what Joy Greene, Jennifer Blades, Frederic Rey, Will Heim, Dana Scott, and moiself have planned for all you holiday revelers!

Opening number is a little re-write of "We Need a Little Christmas" called "We Need a Christmas Cabaret". This leads seamlessly into a sparkly set of Snow and Winter themed songs including "White Christmas", "Here Comes Suzy Snowflake", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride" and "Winter Wonderland". Some witty patter will then lead to

The Christmas Tree Set!!!! - Those of you who enjoyed "The Better Tree" last year can breathe easy. It's in this set along with some other great songs about that ancient pagan symbol which Christians appropriated for their own purposes during the Christianization of Great Britain.

We then have a festive tribute to everyone's favorite fat guy in a red suit: SATAN! I mean SANTA! The usual suspects ("Santa Claus is coming to town", "Jolly Old St. Nicholas", etc.) rub elbows in this set with some songs showing some of the lesser known sides of the "jolly old elf" and even Mrs. Claus gets a word in.

After a libation break (holiday treats and a cash bar will once again be in evidence), we turn our attention to the holiday "hustle and bustle" with "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas", "Silver Bells" and a medley of great shopping mall Christmas tunes of the ages. Just when you're on sensory overload, we bring on the warm fuzzies with a medley of songs about spending the holidays with loved ones.

But we don't want you to go home all weepy so we're gonna put you to work in an upbeat carol sing-a-long to close the evening. Have no fear, all you lyrically challenged audience members! Word sheets will be provided on your table.

Fun, huh? Seating is exremely limited, so get your tickets today! Call 410.547.7997 to make a reservation.

So what good is sitting alone in your room? Come to the cabaret! - John Bowen

$25 Makes OV Thrive

November 17, 2008 - Amid all the economic doom and gloom, I'd like to share a bit of math that actually made me optimistic. Looking over the past season's figures, I realized that if everyone who had contact with OV over the past twelve months (mainstage production, Artscape performances, Holiday Cabaret, OV11, as a singer or instrumentalist, etc.) were to donate $25, we would end the 2008-2009 season not only in the black but with a small surplus towards next season. One of the great hope-inspiring lessons of recent months for me was realizing that lots of people making a small but heartfelt contribution to something they believe in can create powerful change. If you'd like to vote for the economic health of OV click here and make your $25 donation today. If you can give more, that's great. We appreciate your generosity. If you can't give $25, give what you can. Rest assured that whatever the size of the gift, it is both needed and appreciated. Together we can keep high-quality chamber opera going in the Baltimore/Washington area. Many thanks in advance for your generous support. - John Bowen

Audition Repertoire

November 13, 2008 - Well it seems that an innocuous Facebook status report has once again provoked a firestorm of reaction both on my Wall and in my Inbox. So, here's a few thoughts with regards to some of the feedback that I've gotten from singers.

1) No time to learn new audition repertoire - something that should be addressed, because no company (mine included) wants to hear you audition with the same 5 arias year after year after year.

2) I don't sing anything from the repertoire - okay, so I know that I said last year that my preference is for hearing something from the actual show being cast (and indeed I still think that's the ideal situation). However, let me flesh that out a little bit by saying that if you don't sing an aria from the actual show being cast, you should still consider singing if you sing something that shows off relatively the same vocal demands as those of the role for which you hope to be considered. As an example: If you sing "Una voce poco fa" but not "Non piu mesta", chill out. The vocal demands for both are very similar. If, however, the most florid thing in your repertoire is "Donde lieta" than Rossini is probably not for you. You might laugh at this last statement, but I did last season indeed have several sopranos who specifically said they were interested in Donna Anna and yet presented nothing remotely florid. Have you looked at "Non mi dir"? That being said, before deciding that you don't have anything to offer, take a look at the repertoire being cast more in depth and then see if anything you have in your audition list relates to that in terms of vocal demands, historical period, national style, etc. For instance, all you baritones that sing "Avant de quitter" should take a look at Golaud. I think you'll find it illuminating.

3) No money for auditions, travel, etc. - This is a toughy, I'll admit. But, with companies cancelling auditions left and right, the singer who can figure out how to cost-effectively make it to the most auditions is going to have a far better chance of securing the coveted contract. Explore car-pooling ideas. If 4 or 5 singers in NYC all decide to come to Baltimore to audition for OV, the cost of gas and tolls becomes quite reasonable. Also, DC, Philly, NYC, etc. are all doable drives in one day so you don't have to worry about accomodations.

Okay, back to planning the Holiday Cabaret.

Audition Slots Still Available

November 11, 2008 - Happy Veteran's Day everyone. Don't forget to thank your friends who are or have been in the armed services for their dedication and sacrifice. On another note, I'm now back an Baltimore and see that there are still audition slots available. So if you were thinking about auditioning for either OV or Little Patuxent Opera Institute, it's not too late. In the current climate when opera companies are cancelling their auditions outside of their home towns and sometimes cancelling productions, don't ignore the opportunities that smaller companies are offering. Opera Vivente is committed to continuing its inventive programming and provocative production style even in the new economic climate. So, send your materials today. I look forward to hearing you.