Time

October 2, 2007 - Well, well, well, time certainly does fly when you're doing a dozen different things simultaneously. So as you've probably figured out, in spite of my stated good intentions of posting more frequent, but shorter blogs, more than a week has elapsed since my last one. Oh well, the best laid plans of mice and men. So, here's a quick update on where everything is right now.

The piano/vocal scores of Orpheus in the Underworld have been completed and most of the singers have either picked them up or sent instructions where to send them. Can't for the life of me figure out what's going on with the ones that haven't responded in any way, shape, or form, STILL, but haven't had time to really worry about them. As Scarlett O'Hara once said, "I'll that about that tomorrow, after all, tomorrow is another day".

Everything is pretty much on schedule for the frame of the Alcina set to be loaded in this coming Saturday. Many thanks in advance to the volunteers who are generously giving of their time to help "tote that barge and lift that bale" (oh sorry, that's another show).

Audition packets continue to come in, although the spate of perfectly completed packets that followed on the heals of my audition post seems to have come to an end. Note to prospective auditioners: Please take the time to read the listing completely and to make sure that your packet is complete.

I took a brief jaunt to New Hampshire last week to meet the production team at Granite State Opera where I will be directing Cosi fan tutte next May. They are a great group of people, and I had a very enjoyable and productive time.

Time has been running out for ads and other items to make it into our season program, and so much of my week has been spent chasing down facts, personnel, ad copy, etc. As you can probably guess, not my favorite activity to be engaged in the week before the deluge which is the Alcina rehearsal schedule begins. But it has to be done, and I must say that our program looks absolutely fantastic. Kudos to graphic designer par excellence Dave Cooper.

The board has had a great deal of difficulty picking a date and time for our big celebratory fundraiser gala bashapalooza, but it looks like May 10, 2008 will be the date. Center Stage is having theirs the same night but hey, I think there's enough party spirit to support two parties in Baltimore on the same night. Call me crazy.

Let's see, there must be more otherwise I'm in a quandry as to why the past ten days seems to be just one big blur. Oh yes, I've begun preliminary design/concept discussions for The Pirates of Penzance that I'm directing at Opera AACC, trained a wonderful office temp named Emily Tobias, run an OV board meeting while simultaneously supervising an Alcina chorus rehearsal, and have been getting up around 6:30am every other morning to give my garden a good watering during this dry time of year. You're welcome, chrysanthemums.

Time for bed. If you have time, I hope to see you at the opera, and I hope you have the time of your life. - John Bowen

PS. I'm still looking for a stage manager who has the time to run Alcina. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact me.

Multi-tasking or Why I Really, Really Want a Clone

September 18, 2007 - Okay kids, this is going to have to be a quick one, because as you can probably tell from the title, I'M SWAMPED! But hopefully a quickie will be sufficient to let all you wonderful people out there in the blogosphere know that we are, in fact, not moribund. Indeed, I was recently told by an avid blogger that, while she found the content of my posts quite interesting, they were a little on the long side for blogs. So. . .here goes! A brief synopsis of the several balls that I'm currently keeping in the air.

Ball #1 - Orpheus translation. All musical numbers are now translated and transcribed into the PV (that's short for Piano/Vocal) scores. I have also complete all the Act I dialogue translation. Goal: Have this all done and to the printer by the end of this week.

Ball #2 - Ongoing managing of the production crew for Alcina. This seems to be going well for the most part, although the set designer has gone a bit incommunicado. I think she may have had a baby, since the last time I saw her, she was literally "great with child". Hmmm, should I be good or bad impresario? Anyway, construction has begun on the set, fabric for costumes is being shopped for, lighting plots have been drawn, and I'm working on my list of props to acquire, so I guess I can let the set designer be for a while. 'Cuz that's just the sort of guy I am.

Ball #3 - Planning a trip to New Hampshire to visit the venues of Granite State Opera, where I will be directing Così fan tutte in May 2008. I'll also be meeting the production staff there for the first time. Good thing for me, my partner works in the travel industry.

Ball #4 - Performing I puritani with Washington Concert Opera. As some of you know, I occasionally get on the other side of the footlights (though in truth it's becoming evermore infrequent with every passing year). So some of the abovementioned balls have been in the air on I95 South this week.

Ball #5 - Discussing/crystallizing design ideas for my January production of Pirates of Penzance at Opera AACC. I'm thinking of going with a "theme park ride" idea. Pirate King as the seasoned, "seen-it-all" theme park entertainer, Frederick as the naive, fresh-faced, "I'm gonna be a star someday" kid, well you get the idea.

Ball #6 - Making housing and travel arrangements for some of the artists involved with Tobias and the Angel. I've secured a beautiful room at the 4 East Madison Inn for David Walker. I think it's a fitting accomodation for an artist of his high-caliber. Thanks Sandy!

Ball #7 - Getting the final bits of information to the graphic designer for our program book. This is much like moving. You never realize how much stuff you have until you try to give it to someone else.

Okay, so let's see. I think that accounts for all my balls. Must dash! Love you all and see you at the opera!

John Bowen