I’m a mother. Of two grown children. And although I work consciously to keep that part of my identity separate from my work, there is the inevitable overlap. I unfortunately have little patience for educators/administrators/mentors who take their roles to a maternal (or paternal) extreme, treating students and other younger people on their watch as
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Lazy July Weekend
Prepare preshow talk for Turk… manage last-minute ticket requests for sold-out shows… plan to write a blog post… kick off the Vocal Colors recital series… get ready for first Blier residency… think about writing a blog post… set up rehearsals for concert with NSO this Friday… gather notes for meeting with Midsummer Night’s Dream stage
Read More“Lose preconceptions about opera as something big, grand and overblown”
Part Two of Anne Midgette’s survey of new American opera ran in the Post yesterday, and we got some nice ink for our recent and future commissioning activity. (Do click through – it’s a good read.) Part One ran last Sunday, on the day of our WTOC Artist Welcome Reception, and quite a few donors
Read MoreItalian Holiday
We’re spending Independence Day weekend in our own Italian piazza, with the quirky denizens of Rossini’s Turk in Italy. It’s not exactly barbecues and fireworks, but it has its own charm. In the spirit of the holiday weekend, some irreverent Turk pseudo-facts and observations: “I’m thinking about hanging out next to the docks in my
Read MoreThe Turk Has Left the Building
Final room run-through for Turk in Italy tonight. Into the theatre tomorrow. And since I am too scattered to string together actual words (largely because we’re trying to put the finishing touches on the 2011 season audition schedule and because Rahree and I wrestled the first draft of the 2011 budget to the ground!), it’s
Read MoreBlier Recital Tickets Still Available!
We just learned that there was a glitch in the ticketing system last week that showed that tickets for Latin Days, American Nights and Invitation to the Dance were unavailable. Happily for you, that is not true! There are some seats available for both – and to tempt you, here’s a sampling of the musical
Read MoreLunch Music for Dignitaries
This week’s lunchtime concert was graced by the presence of special guests. Earle C. Williams, Director Emeritus of the Wolf Trap Foundation, was in attendance with his wife June. The atrium area in which these concerts are presented is named the Earle C. Williams Learning Center, for Earle was a huge catalyst in the campaign
Read MoreThe Polls Have Closed
Each of our four Zaide audiences chose their own ending to Mozart’s unfinished opera. By the Numbers For the statisticians out there, overall voter turnout was 90%. And of the three available endings, audiences chose: ENLIGHTENMENT (simple, happy ending) won twice and received 35% of the total vote over all performances. FINALITY (tragic ending) won
Read MoreLife Can Be Cruel. Should Art Be?
Over the last week I’ve had more honest and provocative conversations with our patrons than I’ve had in years. Some are intrigued and others are outraged. Although I’d prefer to avoid the latter, it’s the flip side of the same coin as the excitement that’s been present in the theatre during Zaide. We debate the
Read More“Happy ending or sad? Status quo or unexpected plot twist?”
Anne Midgette previews Zaide in today’s Washington Post: Wolf Trap Lets Audience Choose the Ending to Mozart’s Unfinished Opera Zaide. Completely with amazing photo by WTOC conductor and Wolf Trap Opera Studio Manager Eric Melear! 4 shows, starting tomorrow night. Sunday 6/13 is sold out, but some tickets are available for tomorrow’s opening night, and
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