They Liked Us, They Really Liked Us

March 4, 2008 - Well Tobias and the Angel is over, but those of use who had the privilege and pleasure of performing it are still in a euphoric bubble brought on by the audiences' overwhelming ovations, the critics' compliments (check out Charles Downey's review on Ionarts), and particularly by the composer's vociferous approval of the production. Jonathan Dove was present at both the Saturday and Sunday performances, and he was very, very pleased with our take on this stunning work. Opera Vivente honored him at a reception after the final performance. I'll be posting some pics from the event shortly. - John Bowen

First Two Shows a Great Success

March 1, 2008 - Just a quick note to say that the first two performances of Tobias and the Angel have been a great success. Check out Tim Smith's review in today's Baltimore Sun. There are a few tickets left for this evening and even fewer for tomorrow's matinee so don't wait; order now.

See you at the opera! - John Bowen

Angel Blessings

February 29, 2008 - Well Tobias and the Angel opened last night to stunning effect and was greeted with a standing ovation. Many patrons at last night's performance have now purchased tickets to the remaining performances. I feel blessed and privileged to have had the opportunity to work on this amazing piece with such a large group of talented, committed artists in the vocal, instrumental, dance, and design realms. Everyone of the over 75 individuals involved in this production has been a joy. I hope that those of you who have not yet purchased a ticket will do so before we sell out. This is truly a show not to be missed.

Finally, to the anonymous commenter who took offence at the mention of singers learning their music by ear in Tim Smith's preview article, I know for a fact that some members of all the choruses do in fact learn by ear. And I never intended this to be a derogatory statement. I don't really care how one learns their music, so long as they learn it well. And all the singers in this production whether amateur or professional have certainly done that. The glorious sounds of last night's performance are irrefutable proof of that.

See you at the opera! - John Bowen

The Angel Has Landed: Thoughts and Pics from the Piano Dress

February 27, 2008 - Hello all.

Really too swamped to do a proper post, but I'm so eager to share some of the excitement of last night's rehearsal that I just had to pop on and post a few pics with comments.

So first of all we have our makeup artists Monica Cooke and Jennifer Connell turning David Walker into an angel and John Dooley into a husband killing demon.

And here are some tantalizing shots from the show itself. Don't miss this life-altering piece.

See you at the opera,

John Bowen

The Most Beautiful Girl in Ecbatana

February 20, 2008 - Tobias and the stranger encounter Raguel's henchman who not only direct them to Ecbatana but tell them the story of Sara and her seven husbands who have all died on the wedding night. The stranger informs Tobias that he's to be her next husband. Raguel and Edna see Tobias approaching and immediately decide to marry Sara to Tobias in order to avoid paying Raguel's debt to Tobit. Over an agitated figure in the winds, accordion, and harp, Raguel sings to his ledger, realizing that he's "drowning in zeros" and that hey would have to give Tobit all of his money.

Luckily for the plan, Tobias falls instantly in love with Sara and, more importantly experiences the sort of extra-sensory hearing that the stranger has been encouraging during the journey. Over a lush accompaniment of strings, harp, flute, and clarinet, Tobias sings a rhapsodic narrative "Did you hear her? Did you hear her singing? And her eyes? Did you hear them? They were singing. The duet her breasts sang?" The stranger however has other concerns. Tobias and Sara are married. While the guests sing a raucous drinking song in the courtyard, Tobias and Sara enter the bedchamber and participate in a mysteriously erotic quartet with Ashmodeus and the stranger. Outside in the orchard, Raguel and his men dig a fresh grave in anticipation of Tobias' death. But Tobias has powers that even he is unaware of. . .

Tickets are flying out the door. Order yours today in order to not miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. - John Bowen

How to End the Life of a Carp

February 17, 2008 - Before I continue the story, check out Tim Smith's article in today's Baltimore Sun. This is the first of the press articles to appear regarding this production. Look for features in the Jewish Times and the Afro-American in the next week.

Tobias and the stranger encounter a river. Unable to hear the river's warning that "In depth is danger" (unison women's chorus over a rippling woodwind and harp accompaniment) Tobias falls into the river. As he struggles, he is attacked by a giant fish (children's voices over swirling scale passages throughout the orchestra). The stranger refuses to help Tobias, insisting that the fish is telling him how to defeat it ("My scales are hard, my teeth are sharp. A tug on its tail ends the life of a carp.") Finally, Tobias pulls the fish's tail, and it dies. Mysteriously, the stranger councils Tobias to cut out the fish's heart and gall and put them in his pocket. Tobias obeys. Next stop Ecbatana. . . See you at the opera! - John Bowen

The Sound of Silence: A Mountaintop Experience

February 13, 2008 - Tobias and the stranger arrive at the top of a mountain. Over widely spaced string harmonies, the stranger once again asks Tobias what he hears. Tobias says "Nothing", a word which is taken up by the echoing voice of the mountain (unison men's voices divided into three widely space groups). The stranger asks again, and Tobias says "I think I heard Nothing". "Which is what's at the top of a mountain. Stone. Air. We're there", responds the stranger. Tobias' inner hearing has begun to awaken eventhough he doesn't realize it. Although Tobias says he does not need to rest, the travelers pause for a bit in the great nothingness of the mountaintop.

Meanwhile in Ecbatana, Sara grieves and Ashmodeus lusts. In Nineveh, Anna accuses Tobit costing them the life of their son through his greed.

Next stop on the journey - a river which hides a perilous secret.

Tickets are going fast so get yours today! - John Bowen

The Journey Begins

February 6, 2008 - Well, rehearsals have started for Tobias and the Angel, and we all continue to be overwhelmed by the beauty and emotional power of this piece. David Walker sounds truly heavenly in the role of the angel and has also proven to be one of the nicest colleagues I have ever had the privilege of working with. It's also very nice to have Ken Gayle and John Dooley back lending their fabulous voices and wonderful acting to the roles of Tobias and Ashmodeus respectively. Indeed the entire cast sounds phenomenal and are all enjoying working not only with each other but with the talented dancers from Baltimore School for the Arts. We saw Tony Wilson's stunning choreography for the trees and angels last night: truly breathtaking.

And speaking of trees, I should continue the story of Tobias and the Angel that I left off a couple of posts ago. Over a jaunty accompaniment of percussion, strings, and accordion punctuated by long soaring wind lines, Tobias and the stranger from the marketplace set off on their journey to Ecbatana. The come to a grove of trees, and the stranger asks Tobias what he hears. Tobias hears nothing but through the inspired music of Dove, we hear the voice of the trees loving Lord Sky and receiving the salutation of Lord Sun. Long sustained organ chords and gently rippling wind and string figurations accompany the luscious harmonies of an SATB chorus. Although the stranger offers to stop and eat, Tobias says he doesn't need to, so the journey continues . . .

See you at the opera. - John Bowen

What OV's Angel is Doing Now

January 29, 2008 - For those of you who might want to know more about David Walker and his artistry, here is a review of his current performances of another Jonathan Dove opera called Flight at Pittsburgh Opera. The critics are wild about him and Dove's work so don't miss your opportunity to hear both right here in Baltimore. Call or go online for tickets now. - John Bowen

In Their Own Words: BBC4 Interview with Jonathan Dove and the cast

January 25, 2008 - Wow! So my ongoing search for promotional materials unearthed this BBC4 interview from 2004 with Jonathan Dove and cast of one of the UK productions. Absolutely fascinating and compelling. Follow the link above, scroll down about half-way on the page and then click on Listen Again. And don't miss out on your opportunity to hear this phenomenal work for the first time on this side of the Atlantic. Order your tickets today! - John Bowen

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

What I Did on my Summer Vacation

September 8, 2007 - Okay, so first off, I didn't really have a summer vacation. Unlike when I was the child of not one, but two educators, summer was indeed a blissful, unscheduled sequence of days. Even when I did my brief stint in the special kind of hell known as a "9 to 5" job, there was still the sense of vacation being a set aside (and predictable) period of time that one was guaranteed by contract. If you had cleared it with your boss or supervisor it didn't matter what happened during the agreed upon time of your vacation, you were not expected to fix it. Ah, who would have thought that one day I would be nostalgic for a "9 to 5" job? I'm not really all that nostalgic for it, but the one element that increasingly gets lost in the life of people involved in the arts (particularly those involved in any kind of executive capacity) is the idea that you can actually a) take the attitude that no matter what happens during your vacation, you're off the hook or b) find a time in which your organization is actually not in any way in need of you. So, during this time of "back to school" which was almost genetically ingrained in me by those two aformentioned educators, I'm often left wondering where the summer went and if it actually has any impact on me any more. I think that most artist reach a point in their lives where they realize that our basic modus operandi is "We work when there's work". And we all hope that there will always be work, and consistent work at that, or otherwise we wouldn't be able to actually support ourselves as artists. And don't even get me started on the idea of retirement. That will be fodder for a later blog, a much, much later blog.

But enough of these philosophical musings. I'm sure you're all just on the edge of your seats wondering what's been happening here at Opera Vivente since the last post. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but if you're reading this, you're probably at least mildly curious. So. . .here's the scoop:

Design work for Alcina is virtually complete at this point. The carpenter has been given his first installment so that he can begin work on the set, the costume designer is in the process of getting measurements for everyone, the lighting designer is pondering options for creating light boxes (BTW as a sidebar you might be interested to know that a big part of being a lighting designer is sitting observing the wonderful world of light. I know a fantastic husband and husband team of lighting and set designer, and the set designer has often remarked that it appears his partner is not working at all until production week. But I digress), and I'm working my thoughts about blocking out in evermore detail. The conductor has already had individual coachings with several of the singers, and the chorus will have its first rehearsal on Monday. Speaking of the chorus, we're still in need of one more soprano, so if you're a soprano reading this and you're interested, send me an email.

The first production meeting for Tobias and the Angel has also taken place. This piece continues to challenge us all to think outside the box so be prepared for many things which you may not have seen at OV before: puppetry, abstract choreography, surreal lighting, self-illuminating fabric, well the list goes on. But more on that in ensuing months.

AND - here's my own personal point of pride at the moment - this morning I finished translating the last musical number of Orpheus in the Underworld. WOOHOO! Now to whip through the dialogue, a task so much easier since dialogue doesn't have a rhyme scheme, a meter, or any of those other annoying things mentioned in my previous post about translation. So things look good for the October 1st deadline that was put in all the singers' contracts.

Finally, singers continue to send in their materials to be considered for an audition. Since my blog about that whole ball of wax, the packets have been complete and professionally appropriate. Behold, the power of the blog! Just kidding, it might just be complete coincidence, but whatever the cause, it's very nice.

So that's about it on the OV front. I hope that all of you are transitioning into the "back to school" mode with a minimum of melancholy and regret. Perhaps a trip to the local 5 and dime (now there's a phrase that certainly dates me) to buy a new notebook, some colored pencils, a fresh tub of paste and a protractor will take the edge off. It always worked for me, but then again, I was kind of a "learning geek". Anyway, I hope this post finds everyone reading it engaged in something energizing, empowering, and enjoyable, and, as always, See you at the opera!

John Bowen

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