Downtime? What Downtime?

January 19, 2009 - Because opera companies (particularly opera companies in geographic locations prone to that cold white stuff falling from the sky) rarely produce shows during January, the general public has the idea that this must be "downtime" for us. Well, here's a little snapshot of what OV has been engaged in since the start of 2009.

1) Working out final details of the design, construction, and load-in of the set for The Coronation of Poppea. This is a more complicated process than you might think (and it has not really been made easier by the economy) involving bringing artistic sensibilities, budgetary realities, and space usage logistics all into one harmonious whole. Here's a sketch of what audiences can expect when they attend.

2) Auditioning children for the roles of Emmie, Cis, and Harry in our upcoming production of Albert Herring. So far I've heard kids from The Handel Choir of Baltimore Children's Chorus, The Children's Chorus of Maryland, and The Peabody Children's Chorus. Final casting decisions will be made by the end of this week. This piece is a delightful comedy for families. Britten wrote very well for children's voices but expects a high degree of musicianship from the kids so auditions are taken just as seriously as those for the adults.

3) Setting repertoire for 2010-2011. More of that in later posts, but yes, we do actually plan that far in advance and there are many companies that plan even further ahead.

4) Writing proposals for Artscape 2009, grants for funding, blurbs for press releases, etc., etc., etc. Well at least that undergraduate English major of mine is coming in handy.

5) Planning all things of an orchestral nature for the 2009-2010 season. Thanks Jed, JoAnn, and Michelle for your valuable input.

6) Auditioning singers for the 2009-2010 season. For some reason, this is not as time-consuming as it has been in the past since singers are inexplicably not auditioning as much as in the past. I say inexplicably because my instinct would have been that, with companies cancelling auditions, productions, and seasons, more singers would be going after the opportunities that still exist. Oh well, guess it's good to be reminded that none of us have a crystal ball.

The list actually goes on, but I hate to belabor points. So back to the "to-do" list.

Stay warm and see you at the opera!