So, I don’t want to be cocky or anything. Because I’m almost never even optimistic, let alone cocky. And I don’t want to offend the weather gods. We all know what Neptune and Jupiter did to Ulysses. But… See Friday, August 7. Yessssss. I’m just sayin’…
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Catching Up
There’s a point each summer when folks – patrons, colleagues, friends – say, “What’s wrong? You haven’t updated the blog in OVER A WEEK!” It’s like the crazy Christmas season years ago when my husband and I decided we didn’t have time to put the requisite tens of thousands of lights on the house. A
Read MoreJuly 26 – In All Its Infinite Variety!
11:30 am Lifting Weights A lovely late start, affording a long night’s sleep after a 90-hour week. (Yes, I did the math. Not to qualify for martyrdom, but to justify feeling like I’d been run over by a truck.) The day started with a touch of weights and aerobics, setting up 150 chairs in the
Read MoreBeing Selfish
It’s difficult but necessary to distance myself from the music I love – to be fair and impartial when approaching possible rep for the company, and not to steer us exclusively toward things that speak to me. For no one’s taste is truly catholic, and there are plenty of operas that I can barely abide
Read MoreWhy I Got Nothing Done Today
Prepare the Ulysses preshow talk… proof the Bohème program… no, digitize the Smokey Robinson arrangement… oops, finish writing the code for the fall audition tour application… er, put the final push on the Bohème marketing plan… first, solve the impossible Instant Opera scheduling puzzle… kick off the singer YAP roundtable discussion… no, finalize the Twitter
Read MoreComing Full Circle
Over the weekend, the Studio Artists had the great privilege of coaching with Nathan and Julie Gunn. Nathan was here as a Filene Young Artist in the mid-1990’s, and Julie did a brief stint on our music staff, preparing the Genii for the 1994 production of Magic Flute. (She reminded us this weekend that the
Read MorePre-Tech Ulysses
Ulysses finishes up its time in the rehearsal room. At left, a composite from this week’s artist panel. Costume shop supervisor Sue Chiang shared sketches and fabrics for this show’s amazing range of everything from leather to gauze. (Can’t wait to share production photos with you…) Conductor Gary Wedow talked about the quasi-democracy that is
Read MoreLuxury Casting
My first time through Ulysses tonight, in the rehearsal room, 5 days before we move into the theatre. An embarrassment of riches. The entire roster – 15 superbly gifted singers – throw themselves into roles big and small. Studio singers make brief finely-etched appearances, and the core orchestra of keyboards, lutes, viol and cello coaxes
Read MoreInterlude: Country, Video Games & Marvin
This is an “NSO Triple” weekend, and because of the Ampersand Part of my Job, I’m surrounded by music of the nonoperatic type. And even though it’s tough to multitask during the busy summer season, there are always new perspectives gained by taking a step away across the toll road. Country Hospitality Thursday night was
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