Last night’s final technical rehearsal was a true delight. Slide shows below. The double bill is not to be missed; if you don’t have your tickets, you should really do something about that. Seriously. It’s 35 minutes of dark Cocteau drama with jazz-infused Milhaud, followed by an hour of eye-popping surrealism and fizzy Poulenc. And
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Au revoir, Carmen
Well, that happened. Personal bests from our singers, an unbelievably beautiful summer night, and 6,000 souls in the audience. Hundreds of people onstage and off pulled our little company through its biggest project of the year, and it was a night to remember. We got a lot of press (good, bad, rarely indifferent…) for the technological
Read MoreCarmen, 3:54am
Producing opera is rarely a quiet endeavor. Except in overnight lighting cue sessions in outdoor theatres. White noise from backstage fans. Modulated voices over headsets. Night sounds from the wildlife. Quiet conversations from the light-walking Assistant Stage Managers. Tomorrow, the music continues, but for now, this is enough.
Read MoreCarmen: Leaving the Room
We now leave the rehearsal room, that place that saw this production come to life and is now too small to hold it. It’s on to the Kennedy Center (orchestra rehearsals Tuesday and Wednesday) and the Filene Center stage (tech rehearsals Wednesday and Thursday night.) I’ve been busier than usual in recent weeks and haven’t witnessed as many rehearsals
Read MoreAnd the House was Full of Song
We had some food for the soul as we prepared for Carmen tech week: two afternoons of A Houseful of Song with Steven Blier, Ying Fang, Renée Rapier, Eric Jurenas, Robert Watson and Tobias Greenhalgh. Ably assisted by David Hanlon, staged by Alison Moritz, lit by Robert H. Grimes and stage managed by Madeline Levy. A slideshow for your
Read MoreCarmen 2.0 – Part Three
… in which Google Glasses meet Opera Glasses. In Part Two of this series, I mentioned that after I followed up on a Google Glass Explorer invitation last year, a bunch of us sat around Wolf Trap and brainstormed ways in which we could take advantage of wearable tech in the performing arts world. Those
Read MoreCarmen 2.0 – Part Two
David Pogue is going to be in my opera!!! OMG!!! Sorry. Had to get the fangirl reaction out of the way. I know there are opera lovers out there who toil away providing valuable science and engineering services to society, many of whom wish they had continued with piano lessons and become musicians. I sit here on the
Read MoreCarmen 2.0 – Part One
I have been facing inward these last few weeks, preparing the Great Ship Carmen for its sailing. Battening down the hatches, clearing the decks, all those things. But now it’s time to bring all of you into the excitement as we head toward this one-night-only event in Wolf Trap’s beautiful amphitheater, the Filene Center. (photo from last year’s performance
Read MoreJukebox Update: Sunday a.m.
Good morning, opera friends! Our young artists enjoyed an amazing panel discussion yesterday with Eric Owens and four of his colleagues. (A longer update to come when there’s time.) Unfortunately, Eric was feeling ill last night, and he’s doing a bit worse this morning and will not be able to sing on today’s Aria Jukebox concert. Just a
Read MoreOwens & the Jukebox
I’m happily at the piano this week, preparing for Sunday’s Aria Jukebox. My days are once again filled with Verdi, Rossini, Wagner, Puccini, Donizetti, Massenet, Mozart and more. Jukebox is always a wonderful time for both performers and audience, but this year it will be even more amazing thanks to the participation of Artist in Residence Eric Owens. Take
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