Blog

Piano Tech Rehearsal The initial rehearsal onstage during “tech week,” Piano Tech gets its first name from the fact that the orchestra isn’t there yet, and accompaniment comes from the keyboard. (In this case, the mighty Yamaha Zauberklavier, tuned down to A-415:) It gets its second name from the fact that singers are grappling with

I was not born in sunny Hispania, My father came from Rovno Gubernya. But now I’m here, I’m dancing a tang0! Di dee di! Dee di dee di! I am easily assimilated. I am so easily assimilated. (Candide: The Old Lady) And, as if rehearsals for Candide and Alcina weren’t enough, we’re thick into preparations

Alcina love triangles decoded: Acts I and II come together in the rehearsal room. View from the harpsichord Morgana and Bradamante Ruggiero and Melisso Alcina’s servants Ruggiero and Alcina Oronte and Morgana Alcina’s kingdom is littered with the men she has discarded. Oronte seems to be one of the few men left standing, and his

Friends who are more disciplined and creative than I embark on 30-day projects. I haven’t yet had the nerve to start my own, but I am hopping on the bandwagon for this month of July. July 2008: A Blog Post Each Day I’m not promising scintillating commentary. But I am pledging a daily snapshot (in

Since we have a Filene Center performance at the end of this week, I’m re-addicted to the Weather Channel. We’ve had a steamy week here at the end of June, but a “cold” front is poised to help usher in July. The only thing I know for sure is that I’ll be poring over radar

I swung by the Barns midday just to check on StageMan, our intrepid Lighting Design/Production Manager. He wasn’t there, but the empty stage was. Everyone needs an empty stage stage. A pause to clear it all out and clean it all up. And start fresh. Just last week, it looked like this. And next week

This evening we kicked off the summer’s improv festivities with a “blue” version of Instant Opera for Wolf Trap’s new Young Professionals patron group. Members of the 2007 cast improvised operas on adult themes (well, it wasn’t terribly “adult” – just a few steps removed from the typical SpongeBob plots), and a good time was

I am surprised how many people introduce themselves at the King for a Day performances by telling me about their lifelong quest to see all of Verdi’s operas. I’m so glad that these folks found us at The Barns, and even though we’re unlikely to have more Giuseppe on our season any time soon, I

Photos by Carol Pratt King for a Day opening night. Lots of laughs, spectacular singing, and a full house. You could do far worse. It’s been an encouraging start to a challenging season, and all I can do is be grateful. Thanks to everyone who built scenery and costumes, made rehearsals run smoothly, created and

I’m not a superstitious woman. Therefore, I am saying out loud that this path to King for a Day has been blessedly and somewhat surprisingly devoid of drama. A handful of minor challenges (crazy allergies, a heat wave that has stressed out the old AC unit), but far fewer than we had any right to