Fa la la la Fabulous

December 17, 2007 - Well friends, the holiday cabaret was a fantastic success. The singers were fantastic, the food and drink was delicious and festive, and the audience was large and enthusiastic. Looks like it will be an annual thing. And here are a few photos of the party as fond memories for those who did attend and to entice those who didn't so that you'll be sure not to miss it next year.



On other fronts, I'm working on finalizing the rehearsal schedule for Orpheus in the Underworld, coordinating some small logistical details for Tobias and the Angel, working on blocking for my production of Pirates of Penzance at Opera AACC, as well as trying to get to all the holiday parties, open houses, etc and to finish my shopping. Ah, 'tis the season indeed. -

Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum

December 11, 2007 - Just a quick post to say that the cabaret folks and I had another rehearsal last night, and the show is fantastic! Funny, poignant, nostalgic, and inspiring by turns, I really feel that the show reflects this complex season in all its wonder. Throw in some tasty holiday treats and it's a great bargain at only $20 per person. So, "what good is sitting alone in your room, come hear the music play" on Friday, December 14th at 8pm. Call 410.547.7997 to get your tickets now! See you at the cabaret - John Bowen

'Tis the Season

November 25, 2007 - So I've been getting a lot of questions about our upcoming Holiday Cabaret ("It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?" on December 14th at 8pm) so I thought I'd tell you a little more about what you can expect at this festive event. The evening is going to informal with plenty of opportunity to chat with the other guests as well as the artists and to enjoy delicious holiday nibbles and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The musical element will consist of five themed sets of songs and will conclude with a carol sing-along. Don't worry, I'm not nearly as critical of audience participation as I am of auditioners so in the words of Mama Rose "Sing out, Louise!"

Here's a brief summary of the sets:

Set 1 ("Signs of the Season") will include such classics as "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" and "Silver Bells" as well as a rewrite of "My Favorite Things" entitle "These are a few of my Holiday gigs" and the nostalgic "Christmastime is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Set 2 ("Holiday Blues") ranges from the timeless "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to rarities such as "I remember" noteworthy as being the only Christmas lyric to have yet emerged from the brilliant pen of Stephen Sondheim.

Set 3 ("Christmas Traditions") sails through a broad swath of holiday repertoire from musical theatre ("We need a little Christmas") to holiday pop ("Santa Claus is coming to town") to cutting edge ("The Better Tree" a duet between a traditional live tree and a shiny aluminum one which gets a wee bit argumentative).

Set 4 ("Holiday Wishes and Dreams") is sure to elicit a big "awwwww" from the audience ("I'll be home for Christmas", "White Christmas") but might also elicit some naughty giggles with "My Simple Christmas Wish". Believe me, the wish is not for world peace.

Set 5 ("Holiday Romance") keeps the temperature rising with perennial snuggling favorites such as "Sleigh Ride" and "Baby, It's Cold Outside" as well as every Material Girl's favorite holiday song, "Santa Baby".

So, hope that all is not only informative but enticing. To purchase tickets give the box office a call at 410.547.7997. Life is a cabaret, old chum, so come to the cabaret. - John Bowen

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

November 11, 2007 - So now that Alcina is behind me, I've turned my attention to our upcoming holiday cabaret show, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?, which is happening on December 14th at 8pm. Working on this show, I'm reminded of 1) how crazy and hectic this season can be, particularly for performing artists (BTW There's actually a number in the show called "These are a few of my holiday gigs") and 2) how much I love this time of year. Yes, I admit it, I'm a sucker for holiday music (every year I buy at least one new CD of seasonal numbers), and I enjoy all the hustle and bustle of preparing the various and sundry performances that I'm in charge of during the holidays. I'm also aware that the holidays can also be a time of intense emotions, both positive and negative, and that music can often serve to give voice to the sadness or to lift the soul to a child-like sense of wonderment and joy. Therefore, our holiday cabaret is going to try to run the gamut from poignant tunes like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to uplifting carols like "The Christmas Waltz" to just plain fun romps like "Santa Baby". So I invite you to make Opera Vivente part of your holiday hustle and bustle. Come have some delicious holiday goodies, sip a warming beverage, and bask in wonderful music performed by fantastic artists. See you at the cabaret. - John Bowen

Twin Tyrants and Frail Beauty: Life after Alcina

November 6, 2007 - Well friends, it's over. Alcina closed to a packed house of enthusiastic patrons on Saturday, and now many of us are experiencing the inevitable post-production blues. Towards the end of Act II, Ruggiero sings a reflective aria on the ephemeral nature of Alcina's beautiful island. "Verdant meadows, charming forests, your frail beauty shall soon die." As I listened to that aria for the last time on Saturday night, it struck me that people who work in theatre really experience the elegiac emotion of this aria at the end of every show. After all the hard work preparing for opening night and the joy of performing the show (a joy that is often very brief in the opera world with its average runs of 4 or 6 performances), suddenly one is presented with a sea-change that is truly astounding. In a matter of hours, chairs are stacked and concessions tables broken down; where a curvilinear psychodelic set once stood there is now a pile of lumber, torn paper, and discarded gels. The singers who so recently stood on this stage singing some of the most brilliant and powerful music ever written for the stage are on to other projects, often in very distant parts of the world. Theatre is indeed a frail beauty.

On the other hand, we have the charge to keep creating this ephemeral beauty because the legacy of the performing arts demands it. Handel's notes and his unknown librettist's words are merely an inanimate, historical document until someone performs them. We feel the great artists of history calling us from the page to make them live again eventhough we know that we can only animate their creation for a brief and irreproduceable period of time. And that's why I include the words "twin tyrants" from Bradamante's Act I aria in the title of this post. Performing artists are constantly being pulled between the tangible, permanent legacy of the past and the inherent transience of making that legacy live and communicate to our audiences.

Alright, that's enough philosophy for one post. Luckily, the tension between the abovementioned "tyrants" is also the cure for the malady. It's what drives most of us on to the next project. And I'm fortunate that I have another project looming on the horizon, namely "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?", our holiday cabaret on December 14th at 8pm. Featuring some favorite OV artists, Joy Greene, Jennifer Blades, Frederic Rey, and Will Heim, singing holiday selections from classic to cutting-edge the show will also have holiday goodies to eat and festive beverages for purchase. To reserve seats call the box office at 410.547.7997. Hope to see you there.

John Bowen