tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86401167965392932312023-11-16T13:39:05.599-05:00The Atlanta OperaThe Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-22312845349493350882017-04-11T09:22:00.000-04:002017-04-11T09:22:02.757-04:00Pick Up your Q: Marcy Stonikas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8uFrLGaSzxDZy0yWkSt21BY8rs96KmpOUCeM7R9s-acI_sca0Ok-d6vbqY-P1carSPH6B0XAovJxMz8ByfNYNwhGvOYVykfVtscoxFJtT_x7l_ReNlASQx7h4ZcOyjDvlesPOMr2R_E/s1600/Stonikas_Marcy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8uFrLGaSzxDZy0yWkSt21BY8rs96KmpOUCeM7R9s-acI_sca0Ok-d6vbqY-P1carSPH6B0XAovJxMz8ByfNYNwhGvOYVykfVtscoxFJtT_x7l_ReNlASQx7h4ZcOyjDvlesPOMr2R_E/s320/Stonikas_Marcy.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Marcy Stonikas has performed Turandot three times, and each
time she is able to breathe new life into a truly challenging role. We chatted
with her about the complexities of Turandot, what makes the character relevant today, and
her favorite musical moments.</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Where did you grow up, and when did you start singing?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I grew up in
Elmhurst, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. I was singing as soon as I could
make noise, I'm fairly certain. I started piano lessons with my next-door
neighbor at five, and was singing in church choir around the age of six or so. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I started community theatre in middle school,
and did musicals, choir, madrigals and jazz choir throughout high school (all
while also in band and orchestra), which is all what lead me to audition for
various music programs for college.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b>Who or what are your greatest influences?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I would say that my
greatest influences are a diverse bunch, ranging from my family to my favorite
singers of the past, present and future (and from all genres of music). I find
my performances are greatly informed by the love I have for my husband, and
more recently, for my son. Being a mother has changed the way I view the world
and how I interpret music, hopefully for the better.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>What drew you to opera?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I started studying
classical voice privately around the age of 15 or 16, and I was singing art
songs and the occasional aria, but had never actually seen one until I
auditioned for colleges. Symphonic music was probably a major gateway to opera,
however, and I had been going to the symphony throughout high school with my
friends, which probably seems strange to some people, but it was such a
wonderful experience! I got to take the train from our little quiet suburb to
the city, and then go hear phenomenally talented musicians (the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra is still amazing!) play the music of Hayden, Mozart,
Beethoven, Verdi, Mahler, etc. - I couldn't get enough! Then my senior year I
saw a double bill of </span><i style="font-size: 11pt;">The Old Maid and the
Thief</i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> (Menotti) and the RARELY seen/performed </span><i style="font-size: 11pt;">Slow Dusk</i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> (Floyd) at Oberlin College's Conservatory of Music, which
is where I ended up attending. It was a perfect juxtaposition for me because I
got to see one very charming, comical story and one very dramatic, lyrical one
and they both struck a major chord with me. It probably didn't hurt that I also
related very much to the soprano lead of </span><i style="font-size: 11pt;">Slow
Dusk</i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">; she became a very early operatic idol/mentor to me later on in
school. I think the combination of my beloved classical music with singing was
the lynch pin for me, and everything finally made sense!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>What is challenging about the role of Turandot?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The biggest
challenge I faced before first performing the role of Turandot was how to make
her someone that I didn't hate. I have always made it a top priority to find a
way to make every character that I play 3-dimensional, sympathetic and
unavoidably, a bit of me. This was something that continued to plague me as I
walked into my first day of rehearsal with Renaud Doucet. After a relatively
short conversation with him, I nearly started crying out of relief because his
objective of turning her into a real person, and not the typical "black
widow spider princess," was so in line with my own thinking. That
collaboration made my process so much easier because our end goals were the
same.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>What are some of your favorite musical moments?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of my absolute favorite moments in ALL opera is the Act
I finale (which I don't get to sing, lol!). It has amazing orchestration and
everyone is wailing away on their own individual lines; so cool, so beautiful.
Another favorite moment is actually the Ping/Pang/Pong trio at the beginning of
Act II. I never tire of the charm of these characters, and I love when I can
watch the fun choreography from the wings and in rehearsal! And to not seem
strange to exclude any of Turandot's music, I absolutely adore the end of Act 2
as well on many levels. Again, it's such an amazing moment in music with the
chorus singing loudly and together; I always feel enveloped by their sound and
it's such a cool experience. And then to get to "break free" from
their demands by soaring above them all on a couple of high C's - that's pretty
darn fun!</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b>Having performed Turandot before, has anything changed or evolved in your interpretation?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My interpretation
of the role of Turandot after performing as her several times now, has
absolutely evolved. I think one of the most fundamental changes that has
occurred is that I am more comfortable in my role as a princess. I initially
found it difficult to play someone of such a position, as it's so foreign to
anything that I know, really in any way. We don't have a royal family in this
country at all, and I wasn't even sure how to move, let alone how to get around
in the costumes on the challenging stage design. The other thing that's
probably evolved over the years has been that I am more comfortable letting the
music guide me, motivate me, inform me. It's all there: Puccini was the master
of putting every little nuance into the score.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Do you see yourself, or women in general, in her?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, hearkening back
to a couple of questions ago, this was something that I needed to imbue into my
first Turandot - a real person, a woman, MYSELF. My goal is to break down the
perception of the commoners (chorus) so that the audience doesn't just see me
as a merciless princess but a woman who carries a lot of baggage. She has major
shoes to fill, a lot of obligations to live up to, and she simply doesn't feel
that she needs a man in order to do her job well. These are all things to which
I, along with other modern women, can relate. She doesn't lure any men to come
and court her - the suitors that perish have done so completely of their own
volition, knowing full well of the danger in their failure.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>How is the story of <i>Turandot</i> relevant today?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you can strip
away the title of princess and make Turandot's problems more basic, everyone
can relate to her on some level. Additionally, the reoccurring theme of someone
willing to sacrifice themselves for the love of another person (both Liù and
Calaf do this) is still very current. Sure, it may not be a matter of life and
death, but we all make sacrifices for our loved ones regularly and would do
anything in our power to prevent them from harm.</span></span><br />
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Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-6168992526390981592017-02-08T09:45:00.001-05:002017-03-17T09:54:36.536-04:00Don Pasquale Director's Notes: Chuck Hudson<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rGUnVdbyQCxqDxmF9fiFMiY-jIL_KMI8vPYMnuR1pSEdCWo6XYqjASl7FCLjLrRaV_rjuxdWYiG9MJONZOklo6qtf4j3YNmPtuRumUzfinMFDIO431EgTTyeMpaUAMUwaVGOm_rAaJ0/s1600/pasq_336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rGUnVdbyQCxqDxmF9fiFMiY-jIL_KMI8vPYMnuR1pSEdCWo6XYqjASl7FCLjLrRaV_rjuxdWYiG9MJONZOklo6qtf4j3YNmPtuRumUzfinMFDIO431EgTTyeMpaUAMUwaVGOm_rAaJ0/s320/pasq_336.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Photo: Philip Groshong for Cincinnati Opera</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With DON PASQUALE, Donizetti gives us champagne for music
and so the comedic style in the acting must match this excellence or it would
be like mixing bubbles with beer! I had the privilege of working with a master
of comedy, Marcel Marceau. At his school in Paris, Marceau had us study the
various styles of comedy from the Italian Commedia dell’Arte to his own comic
inspirations: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and other actors of
<i>le Cinéma Muet</i>. It was their virtuosity,
their “musicality” in style that struck Marceau. Their comic dignity represented
the champagne of Comedy as opposed to the stylistic beer of Slapstick or
Vaudeville. Marceau also drilled us in the details of his own comic masterpieces,
working the specificity, style, and that elusive skill, Comic Timing. Highlights
of touring with Marceau came on the off-nights in a studio improvising
together. He’d put me on stage and toss out a theme and I would “play.” He gave
me specific stylistic directions: “make the same action tragic, now comic, now
dark comedy, now Baroque comedy, now Melodrama….” To increase the subtlety he
would say, “Now find the tragic in the comic” or “find the comic in the
tragic.” I learned that I could change the context or even the meaning simply
by changing where and when to “take” to the audience. These silent asides would
make or break the comedy and could generate cascades of laughter. I love
honoring his influence by inserting flowers from his bouquet into a show now
and then, so we have inserted a few into this production—rifffing on <i>Bip Commits Suicide, The Mask Maker,</i> and
<i>The Pickpocket’s Nightmare</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We wanted to create an environment that would allow the comic
virtuosity to work hand in hand with the vocal virtuosity of Opera. When the
design team and I settled on SUNSET BOULEVARD as the inspiration for this
production, the collaboration and creativity flowed. Having singers play Hollywood
actors who are playing roles opened up a world of comic possibilities. I have
always been amazed with the “theatre magic” of the costume changes during a
Japanese Kabuki performance—a Samurai Warrior turns into a Fox right before
your eyes, which is not only part of the fun, it is a playful way for us to
portray in a theatre the special effects we expect in a movie. Like a Busby
Berkeley chorus becoming a kaleidoscope of human action, even our set
transforms one large element into a completely different object in another
scene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the trickiest things about this opera is that there
is only one female character, Norina. When we meet her, we are not introduced
to a girl but to a woman. She is neither innocent of the ways of men nor innocent
of the ways of the world. In her introductory aria, Norina revisits the Fairy
Tale Romance that she and all young girls are taught to believe, and she knows
from experience that this is not what real love is. In our own Post-Romantic
world where Disney Princesses have more chutzpah than their Barbie Doll
predecessors, Norina is an intelligent and educated young woman who has
experienced life, and yet is not so jaded by her experience that she no longer
believes in love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Similar to the relationship between Rosina and Figaro in
Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, Dr. Malatesta never tells Norina what to do.
Like Figaro, he is Socratic in his instruction. He values and supports the
cleverness and intelligence of his protégée, leading Norina to discover her own
solutions by thinking them out logically. He even trusts her to improvise her
own text and actions disguised as the shrewish Sofronia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If Norina is the Only Woman, she must therefore represent Every
Woman. If the real Norina is in any way shrewish then she is not in disguise as
the shrew Sofronia, and what a two-dimensional stereotype of women that would be.
No, Norina is written as a three-dimensional woman possessing flaws as well as
talents. We may not agree with some of her choices—restoring our faith in a
woman who has just slapped an old man to the ground is quite a challenge! Perhaps
Norina goes too far, and she must recognize this, too. Restoring the comedy
from that dark situation is a pivotal moment in the show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the first day of rehearsal I presented the singers with
Marceau’s Comic Timing Exercise—a specific and yet simple sequence of movements
that allows comedy to flourish. Armed with this technique, we got to work!
Although he is no longer with us, Marceau’s style and his love of style live on
in those of us who worked with him directly. I am privileged to pass it along
to the next generation of performers including actors, movement artists, and
opera singers. As with all of them, so with you, I share the eulogy for <i>Chuckles the Clown</i> on <u>The Mary Tyler
Moore Show</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your
pants.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Learn more about Chuck Hudson: <a href="http://chdirector.com/" target="_blank">http://chdirector.com/</a><br />
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Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-19218435524284676682017-01-17T10:55:00.000-05:002017-01-17T10:58:31.630-05:00Pick up Your Q: Catalina Cuervo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78V7vYbEngoTdgAHYcyrxy_cbSYdx4DMfDbjNMCf0tKVwVATVhWUnpySbMTS7oeq0ebeMVa_a5gcE0B3ZOMXsWTN7ErDcGhl8dqEPNHQpRIsUJ6lFunlg9sWOPN8b3Kf4_bveW18jHG8/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78V7vYbEngoTdgAHYcyrxy_cbSYdx4DMfDbjNMCf0tKVwVATVhWUnpySbMTS7oeq0ebeMVa_a5gcE0B3ZOMXsWTN7ErDcGhl8dqEPNHQpRIsUJ6lFunlg9sWOPN8b3Kf4_bveW18jHG8/s320/Capture.JPG" width="264" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Soprano Catalina Cuervo knows <i>Maria de Buenos Aires </i>well. She has performed the role of Maria more than anyone else, and continues to perform it yearly to critical acclaim. We sat down with the "Fiery Soprano" to chat about the music, words, and tango influence of Piazzolla's <i>Maria de Buenos Aires</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Where did you grow up, and when did you first start singing?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was born in Medellín, Colombia. I grew up there and moved to Miami when I was 18. I've been a musician all my life. I started playing piano at age 5 and electric guitar at 13, but I didn't start singing until the age of 18, when I had my first voice lesson with Eileen Duffy Brown at Miami Dade College. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>You're on record for doing the most performances of <i>Maria de Buenos Aires</i> as Maria. Has anything changed with your interpretation of the role since your first performance?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Definitely. Maria is a very complex character and can be played in many different ways depending on the interpretation the director is giving to the story and the setting. Her relationship with the baritone role in every production is different, too, from one production to the other. Since my first <i>Maria de Buenos Aires</i> I had a pretty good idea of who she was for me. Her personalities, the way she acts, talks, walks, her energy, it was all pretty clear to me; I could say that from my first Maria I had a pretty strong interpretation of it and I've played it over and over. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Had you ever heard Piazzolla's music before auditioning for Maria?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yes! Tango music and the tango classical music of Piazzolla is very important and known for us in Medellín. Orchestras there play his music often and his tangos are well known, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Tell us about Maria's journey in the piece.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Maria starts the opera being born, then as a little girl she is raped by someone she loves, then as a teenager she decides to leave the small town and go to Buenos Aires. When Maria is in Buenos Aires she becomes the queen of the streets and the city, until she gets killed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the second half she is a spirit wandering the streets of Buenos Aires and at the end her spirit is reborn into a new Maria.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story is not linear, which can make it difficult to understand. Another way of thinking about it is that Maria represents tango in the cycle of life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>What is the significance of tango in <i>Maria de Buenos Aires</i>, and how is it incorporated into the production? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Maria de Buenos Aires</i> is a "Tango Operita". It is composed and sung in the Tango style, and performed with tango instruments, like the bandoneon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Did you have to learn the tango for this role?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yes, and I am still learning!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>What is your favorite moment in <i>Maria de Buenos Aires</i>?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ah! I have a lot of favorite parts in this opera, but if I have to choose one, then it is for sure when I sing "Yo soy Maria" - it's the hit song! It's a powerful, "caliente" moment for the character. That aria just gets everyone on the edge of their seats and there is always a huge applause at the end of it, even yelling and shouting!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>There is so much beautiful, abstract poetry in Ferrer's libretto - do you have any favorite lines?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-"Maria nacio un dia que estaba borracho Dios" - "Maria was born on a day when God was drunken."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-"Soy rosa de un no te quiero" - "I am a rose of I don't love you"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-"Entre mis brazos dare de mamar a un botin" - "Between my arms I will breastfeed a soccer cleat."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Any plans to explore the city while you're here?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yes! It will be my first time in Atlanta and I am very excited to be there, explore the city, get to know the people, see the beuaty and the fun that everyone talks about. Super excited!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Maria de Buenos Aires</i> opens February 2, 2017 at Le Maison Rouge at Paris on Ponce. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Read more about Catalina Cuervo: <a href="http://catalinacuervo.com/en/" target="_blank">http://catalinacuervo.com/en/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span>The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-85330582520048663712016-10-25T10:37:00.005-04:002016-10-25T13:24:35.009-04:00Director's Notes: Seeking Humanity in WAR<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By Tomer Zvulun</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1mJhm_eQctPmn5M0_h_vE4c6u4dOHgB7OnuZxy5Qo0L5j8gNH1tbbnWmxSqrlLtt9XjIi9WBSTe2fy54ubzfzpCmYq3UnN-7s6-0bkxiYaotGBbkawE560k6_sDpHdm8s4Zk4oxfPoE/s1600/Silent+Night+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1mJhm_eQctPmn5M0_h_vE4c6u4dOHgB7OnuZxy5Qo0L5j8gNH1tbbnWmxSqrlLtt9XjIi9WBSTe2fy54ubzfzpCmYq3UnN-7s6-0bkxiYaotGBbkawE560k6_sDpHdm8s4Zk4oxfPoE/s400/Silent+Night+12.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From the first moment that I listened to <i>Silent Night</i>, it
deeply touched a personal side in me. Kevin Puts’ music along with Mark
Campbell’s libretto uniquely captures the dichotomy of love and WAR and creates
a world that is both specific and universal at once. It captures the humanity
of the characters and the comforts that friendship and music bring to the
bloodiest and most inexplicable of all human experiences — WAR.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">WAR, whether today in Iraq, Israel, or a century ago all over
Europe, evokes a chaotic, surreal world. The characters that inhabit this world
are completely lost in it. As often is the case in WAR. Our production was
conceived as an entangled nightmare that progresses vertically. The structure
of the opera is extremely intricate and complicated. The space is the key
to the concept: It allows for the fluidity that the storytelling requires.
Frequently, the vertical nature of the set allows for simultaneous action on
different levels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As an Israeli, I know WAR very intimately. From the Lebanon WAR in
my childhood in the 1980s through the intifada and the suicide bombings in the
streets of Tel Aviv in the 1990s to the endless battle at the Gaza Strip, WAR
is a state of being in Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the early ‘90s, I entered the most surreal situation possible
for a carefree teenager: I served in the army for three years as a medic in a
combat infantry unit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 9.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As a young 18 year old, I learned a thing or two about violence,
fear, loss, and the constant brush with death. I learned to shoot, fight, run,
hide — not only physically, but also emotionally. Hide the fear of dying
young. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What got me through that time and stayed with me forever was the
humanity that I found in every daily situation with the members of my unit. I
remember the strong friendships we formed, the coffee we would share on endless
nights, the music we listened to in sentry, and the stories I heard from my
comrades about their girlfriends, mothers, loves, lives, homes ... most of all,
we were recognizing that we all hid the same fear: that we may never see them
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That is the most fundamental aspect of being a soldier: missing
the ones you love, your family, your home, your innocence, your youth. Those
may be lost forever as soon as you put on uniforms and walk out the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That’s why I found the story of <i>Silent Night</i> so moving,
personal, and yet universal at the same time. Each one of the characters is
acutely aware of his mortality, fears, and loves. In the midst of this
unimaginable time of terror, the music, friendship, and humanity emerge to
provide a momentary solace from the horrors of that futile WAR.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tomer Zvulun Dedicates this production in memory of Avi Maimov who was killed in action on the hills of Jerusalem on September 26, 1996</span></i></div>
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The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-90127398481571324752016-10-22T20:58:00.002-04:002016-10-22T20:59:49.389-04:00They thought they'd be home by Christmas<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiNZfpll3CuZe5SglzY0UCh9uWYr1fM6paHwP5IwQRqroTugLNrU5mcu-VVKdbV7ZRYfM4031EB8HR0nP5EOJdQ9VHVeFd78PYoaWhfhSzUDzHEI_Y7FMd2sPPcn39KANctSKofGKdjo/s1600/14650158_10154849023604305_8836322734224530355_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiNZfpll3CuZe5SglzY0UCh9uWYr1fM6paHwP5IwQRqroTugLNrU5mcu-VVKdbV7ZRYfM4031EB8HR0nP5EOJdQ9VHVeFd78PYoaWhfhSzUDzHEI_Y7FMd2sPPcn39KANctSKofGKdjo/s640/14650158_10154849023604305_8836322734224530355_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Photo: Clive Barker</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By Noel Morris</span><br />
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<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“Then
Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and
builded parapets and trenches there,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span lang="IT" style="font-size: 14pt;">And stretch</span></i><i><span lang="FR" style="font-size: 14pt;">è</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">d forth the knife to slay his son.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When
lo! an angel called him out of heaven,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Saying,
Lay not thy hand upon lad,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Neither
do anything to him. Behold,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A ram,
caught in a thicket by its horns;<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Offer
the Ram of Pride instead of him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“But
the old man would not so, but slew his son,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And
half the seed of Europe, one by one.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<div class="Default">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Those
words were written by Wilfred Owen in “The Parable of the Old Man and the
Young.” Owen, an English poet and World War I soldier, was killed in action Nov.
4, 1918, one week before the Armistice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">World War I</span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">They thought they’d be home by Christmas. In
August 1914, young men from Austria-Hungary, the United Kingdom, Russia, the
German Empire, France, and other nations flooded recruitment offices. By
December, hundreds of thousands lay dead. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In four years’ time, the First World War
(1914-1918) snuffed out the lives of some 17 million people, brought down four
empires, and sowed the seeds of World War II. It was a pivotal chapter. At the
beginning of the 20th century, war’s architects deployed cavalry and rifles
with bayonets. By 1918, they used tanks and weapons of mass destruction. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">People emerged feeling betrayed by the values
of their fathers. Disillusionment displaced romantic notions of valor and
patriotism, hence Hemingway’s epigraph (via Gertrude Stein) calling them the “Lost
Generation.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Silent
Night</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
represents an ensemble of these reluctant functionaries, men trapped by the
roles assigned to them by birth and opportunity — cogs in the engine of
Europe’s destruction, and their own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The trenches</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In September 1914, some 30 miles from Paris,
Allied forces repelled German invaders, pushing them northward. There, both
sides cut trenches into the earth, forming a matched pair of impenetrable
lines. In a series of semicircular maneuvers, each side scrambled to outflank
the other. One would sweep northward, then the other — each time digging in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Known to history as “the race to the sea,”
the trenches grew like cracks in the ice until they extended more than 400
miles between the Swiss border and the North Sea (comparable to the distance
between Atlanta and St. Louis). Locked in a stalemate, the military brass
formulated plans for victory by attrition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The rat-infested trenches were incubators for
disease. Under the stench of gunpowder and decaying bodies, soldiers stood for
days in putrid water. Hospital wards swelled with cases of foot infections,
lice-borne “trench fever,” and venereal disease (more than 400,000 cases in the
British army, alone). The space between the trenches was even more deadly. A
tangle of barbed wire, corpses, and upended earth, No Man’s Land, as it was
called, offered a shooting range for enemy snipers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There was, however, a phenomenon known as
“live and let live.” Between episodes of horrific violence came periods of
boredom. Men noticed a precipitous drop in gunfire during mealtime. Troops
became proactive, with an “if we allow the other guys to eat in peace, they
will return the favor” philosophy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In this way, the two sides brokered slightly
less belligerent positions. Similar rules applied to latrines and even chance
encounters in No Man’s Land. Holding up signs, throwing stones with messages
attached, calling</span><span lang="PT" style="font-size: 14pt;"> out</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, and</span><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 14pt;"> in-person meetings</span><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">became viable methods
for negotiating terms of engagement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Confusion</span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">World War I alliances, as they existed in
August 1914, belied the tangle of relationships between peoples. Germany’s Kaiser
Wilhelm II, the Russian Czar Nicholas II, and Britain’s George V were all first
cousins, grandsons of Queen Victoria. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cross-border interactions between French,
German, and British citizens had been common in peacetime; in wartime,
antipathy between French and British soldiers — allies — was widespread. To
further confuse matters, civilian populations were bombarded with wartime
propaganda. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One British soldier wrote: “At home one
abuses the enemy and draws insulting caricatures. How tired I am of grotesque
Kaisers. Out here, one can respect a brave, skillful, and resourceful enemy.
They have people they love at home, they too have to endure mud, rain, and
steel.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Silent Night</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> throws a
cross-section of society into the trenches: a general’s son, a singer, farm
boys, and members of the working class. It’s the people we cannot see, the
heads of state, the “fat old men … swigging their champagne,” according to the
character named Nikolas Sprink, who are the real villains.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sprink, a professional opera singer, is the
first to show symptoms of Gertrude Stein’s “Lost Generation.” He sings:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“My Anna,<br />
I cannot go back<br />
to my life before.<br />
</span></i><i><span lang="IT" style="font-size: 14pt;">I cannot.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
I have seen too much.<br />
I know too much. Everything is useless. All of it:<br />
Opera, singing, useless.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The Christmas Truce</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Silent
Night</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">,
which won a 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Kevin Puts’ music, is based on real-life
accounts of spontaneous ceasefires along the front lines at Christmastime 1914.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story, commissioned by the Minnesota
Opera, came to librettist Mark Campbell via Christian Carion’s Academy
Award-nominated film <i>Joyeux Noël</i>. In
the opera, composer Puts uses the relationship between dissonance and tonality
as an allegory for war and peace. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the opening scenes, the armies sing their
national songs at one another, creating a cacophony that advances the fighting
where stage combat leaves off. In Act 2, as the enemies begin to come together,
so does their music.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Silent
Night’s</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
story pivots around an act of pure madness: Sprink climbs upon the parapet to
sing Christmas carols with the enemy. A laying down of arms follows, with
soldiers exchanging cigars, whiskey, champagne, and chocolate. Together, they
share family photos, kneel in worship, and bury their dead side-by-side. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Like <i>Amadeus</i>
or <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>, <i>Silent Night</i> is a tale that teases the
audience with hope. We look for a different outcome, even though we know better.
The generous spirit that silences guns on Christmas Eve cannot overcome the
weight of history. By opera’s end, the “fat old men” restore order among the
ranks, and the warriors fight on.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-21292178503250454602016-10-13T11:29:00.004-04:002016-10-13T11:29:34.287-04:00Pick Up Your Q: Craig Irvin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz2pfjknCiuty2JtrITOL9GJ5I0Q3UFnbnSLo2csitPUL40hs4wgIp2jVya3Ycatifx2dxJ3f7SBJ3vntAYXeThUkLKIPu3kq6uCvujcKE39e_wKAvZ3c5urCtbepIZZnlLgpg1jR1FE/s1600/Irvin_Craig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz2pfjknCiuty2JtrITOL9GJ5I0Q3UFnbnSLo2csitPUL40hs4wgIp2jVya3Ycatifx2dxJ3f7SBJ3vntAYXeThUkLKIPu3kq6uCvujcKE39e_wKAvZ3c5urCtbepIZZnlLgpg1jR1FE/s320/Irvin_Craig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Baritone Craig Irvin comes to the Atlanta Opera to revive his role in Silent Night as Lt. Horstmayer. We chatted with him about the complex character, his favorite moments in the music, and cold brew coffee.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>ATLANTA OPERA:</b> <b>Tell us about your role, Lt. Horstmayer</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CRAIG IRVIN:</b> Lt. Horstmayer is a man. He's the German lieutenant. He's a husband. I don't think he's a father, but I think he wants to be. He's a Jew. He wants to be a good man. He wants to serve his country and do what he thinks is right. He wants to protect his soldiers. He wants to keep them alive. He wants to go home to his wife. He's a man.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO: You're reviving this role after performing it at several companies, including the premiere at Minnesota Opera. What have you discovered about this character?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CI:</b> I have loved every time I've worked on this piece. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I feel it's the most beautiful and important work of art that I've ever had the pleasure to be a part of. I'm always trying to refine the character and improve my performance of him, but if I had to pick the most important thing, it's making sure the character has an arc. Horstmayer is the last major character that's introduced in the show. He comes in angry and yelling. I've realized that I want the audience to think he's the villain. It's almost 30 minutes into the show when Horstmayer enters, and there hasn't been a villain yet. He's angry, he's yelling, and he's German, so it doesn't take much to make the audience think he's the bad guy. And if I can get the audience to think he's the villain and then have them some to the realization that he's just a man who is trying to serve his country and keep his soldiers alive, that just a few months earlier he would have happily sat down and had a beer with the other lieutenants, that he has so much in common with the men on the other side of no-man's land, then I think the impact of the show is more powerful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO:</b> <b>What are your favorite musical moments in <i>Silent Night</i>?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CI:</b> I would say the sunrise after the men's chorus in the first act. I remember the first time I heard it played by an orchestra. I was at the orchestral workshop and everything sounded so great. There was a beautiful men's chorus that drifted into a short solo by Sprink. As Sprink ended his lines, the orchestra took over. You can hear the rays of the sun breaking through the night and stretching over the frost covered grass. You can hear the birds chirping as they wake to a new day to take flight. I literally just stared at the orchestra and my jaw dropped. Then, as the sunrise orchestration ended a fugue began. A wave of terror came over me as I realized my first line in the show was coming up in about 10 measures and I had no idea where we were in the music! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO:</b> <b>Where do the challenges lie in this piece, both in the music and drama?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CI: It takes a lot of energy to express the frustration, fear, and anger that Horstmayer is experiencing. it's even harder to do that and not let it negatively interfere with the singing. Vocally, the character has a large range and often has to sing over some of the larger orchestration in the show.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO:</b> <b>What do you think is the most powerful message in this story?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CI: Enemies are often more alike than they are different. We may not be able to fix all problems with just talking and time, but we solve even fewer with violence. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO:</b> <b>Where did you grow up, and when did you start singing?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CI:</b> I grew up in Waukee, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines. I guess I would say I started singing in elementary school. You can tell I loved it, because I chose to give up one recess a week to be in a special choir. Outside of school, I started singing in my church choir when I was around 13 or so. I was easily the youngest person in the choir by about 30 years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO:</b> <b>You travel a lot. What do you listen to when you're on the road?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CI: I mostly listen to podcasts, really. "Nerdist," "The Moth," "Risk," "Fresh Air," "More Perfect," "Radio Lab," "This American Life," "Hidden Brain," "Serial," "Filmspotting," "Star Talk," "Invisibilia," "A Way with Words," "Snap Jugment," "You Made it Weird," "WTF," "Planet Money," "Hardcore History," Girl on Guy," "Rachel and Miles X-Plain the X-Men." That covers most of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO:</b> <b>What is your next dream role?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CI:</b> It's hard, but if I have to pick just one, it's Scarpia in <i>Tosca</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO:</b> <b>Any advice for young singers?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CI:</b> Work your languages. Make sure you know the character you're performing, not just the notes and words. Enjoy the process, not just the performance. Be prepared. Go to a coach at least two more times than you think you need to. Know your music well enough that you can make little mistakes while exploring the character. It's hard to get hired for the first time at a company; it's even harder to get hired back. Be a good colleague. You didn't build the set, make the costumes, apply the makeup, hang the lights, call the show, or play in the pit; even when you are along onstage it's not just you. Be honest with yourself and what you want out of life. This career is hard, it's amazing, fulfilling, draining, painful, joyous, and it's constant even when you have no work. Be aware of all the good and all the bad, because you get to experience both.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>AO:</b> <b>Finally, cold brew coffee: underrated or overrated?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CI:</b> We finally get to an important question. I love coffee. I have three kids (A 6-year-old and 3-year-old twins), so I'm not sure I could make it through the day without coffee. I also love the taste of good coffee. There is a big difference between iced coffee and real cold brew coffee, so I will take cold brew any day. However, it needs to be coffee. Cold brew can get a bit bitter, so I can allow just a touch of cream in it to smooth out some of the bitterness, but that's it. I want coffee, not a candy bar in a cup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.craigirvinbaritone.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Craig Irvin</a></span></div>
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The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-29159652968401923402016-10-10T21:06:00.000-04:002016-10-10T21:09:03.134-04:00Tom Goes to the Opera: immersion<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOluEJD3LLt5CIu9fRDqFK0MBDRj0_pJwhOUqZyfOJqKfA6hD9qpNOnCtF3Jf5WyjrcBNMbc9OrWklb07LuDKELfVYgLPvwI6zIr1OooRE8zuJYdJa_3jy0ZKDByP-QWIZVQ4zUUQN7ms/s1600/Finale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOluEJD3LLt5CIu9fRDqFK0MBDRj0_pJwhOUqZyfOJqKfA6hD9qpNOnCtF3Jf5WyjrcBNMbc9OrWklb07LuDKELfVYgLPvwI6zIr1OooRE8zuJYdJa_3jy0ZKDByP-QWIZVQ4zUUQN7ms/s400/Finale.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Jeff Roffman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In my first blog post in this series, I referred to the
Opera as “The Wow Art Form." We opened <i>The Abduction from the Seraglio</i> on Saturday night, and now I realize I need a word
stronger than “Wow." “The Boom Art
Form?" “The Nuclear Art Form?" “The OMG Art Form?" Or, maybe the word “immersive” gets best at
what being in an opera does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That’s the word my son, Stephen (who is illustrating these
posts) used last Saturday night in an excited phone conversation we had after
opening. Watching from the front row, he
said, “I’ve never seen you so immersed in a role.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Part of the reason for that “immersion” may be that after Melanie
Steele’s crack staff applies wig, make-up, tattoos and a lot of Pasha-bling, I
return to my dressing room and look in the mirror and I can no longer see
myself. This means something important for
the actor’s process and for the audience’s catharsis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76en7fr2C7pK5llMPYuHSjvjVOBRvvAInNE6hLb-3DisSjpo93CUQu60o0cKxBsynCm9rxtYXnC_x8VJLn_P2OH6fXPilBGYiawfIXtTDu2jwMf8iA7pEkJqHimGUVBbtlVfs-aYtX7U/s1600/TomRose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76en7fr2C7pK5llMPYuHSjvjVOBRvvAInNE6hLb-3DisSjpo93CUQu60o0cKxBsynCm9rxtYXnC_x8VJLn_P2OH6fXPilBGYiawfIXtTDu2jwMf8iA7pEkJqHimGUVBbtlVfs-aYtX7U/s320/TomRose.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Jeff Roffman</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I first encountered this kind of phenomenon early in my
career when at auditions, I would often hear the director say, “That was great,
you can sing, you can act, but this time do it again and just be
yourself.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This really drove me crazy. At that time, I believed that
the entire purpose of an actor was to portray someone I’m not. But, I also knew that every time I took the
director’s advice and just did the character as myself, it worked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Later, when I went for a Masters in Theatre at the
University of Tennessee, a visiting professor, Bernie Engles, helped enormously
with this paradox by offering the following theory of acting: revealing who you
are as appropriate to the character and script. It worked. It ignited an energy
of performance that, decades later, still sustains and propels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Maybe it is the sheer imaginative ambition of opera, super
exceeding the natural self, the realistic self, the self recognizable in the
mirror, that presents the actor and the audience, the surest way to discover
what we most want to <i>know </i>about
ourselves--immersion in the <i>unknown</i>. Who knew there was a way to find our inner
Pasha? Wow! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-13876708544033387702016-10-04T09:40:00.002-04:002016-10-04T09:40:38.256-04:00Tom Goes to the Opera: mingle-mangle<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stephen Key</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There’s one intermission in our <i>Seraglio. </i>I discovered where this takes place last Friday in the
rehearsal hall, when we ran through the opera in front of an invited
audience. A theatrical production with
an intermission-- opera or theatre, tragedy or comedy--has to end the first
part with enough dramatic intensity to compel the audience back for part two. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Imagine my surprise, to realize the end of Act I <i>-</i> before the curtain crashes down<i> </i>and the music pounds to a finish--is actually
Sarah and me alone onstage as Konstanze and Pasha Selim. The audience let out a big sound, a shouted
“Oh my God!”, Brian August, our stage manager, called, “Fifteen minute break!”
and I exercised what self control I had left just to walk to my backpack, put on
my shoes and get some water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All of us were experiencing what our director, Chris
Alexander, set us up for on the first day of rehearsal: mingle-mangle. It’s the nature of Mozart, Shakespeare, and,
most importantly, life itself. It’s the
relationship of opposites: shadow/light, silence/sound, fear/love. Friday, Chris affirmed we were succeeding
with the mingle-mangle. He noted we instantly swerved between the serious and
the comic, the dark and the light, even death and life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On stage with world class singers, driven by Mozart, guided
by a master director of opera and theatre, I realize that the more we embrace life
as tragedy at the end of Act I, the better we can know life as a divine comedy
by opera’s end. Isn’t that what we want to know of life itself? For anyone seeking hope in the mingle-mangle
of humanity October, 2016, <i>The Abduction
from the Seraglio </i>should be required viewing.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-75454391378573793662016-09-29T13:11:00.000-04:002016-09-29T13:11:15.181-04:00The 'why' behind Seraglio and Mozart's stew of Turks, sex and farce<div class="Body">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2DycatWxJ_V3za-y2ywmG1Jr08iOucBorVn5gte38OiA7qsNEotyyqwC9gTpZQEdnpyBsgmJmDds-itgd3UQddSVYrP1fRDu0PIwWecTAC3G7kpEpXeF0thgp0OQtJdKDGAK5fqFoXU/s1600/Abduction+164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2DycatWxJ_V3za-y2ywmG1Jr08iOucBorVn5gte38OiA7qsNEotyyqwC9gTpZQEdnpyBsgmJmDds-itgd3UQddSVYrP1fRDu0PIwWecTAC3G7kpEpXeF0thgp0OQtJdKDGAK5fqFoXU/s400/Abduction+164.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Michael Rollands</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By Noel Morris</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Islam, kidnapping, sex, and slavery — these are risky
conversation topics for holiday gatherings. But not in 1782. Mozart’s <i>The
Abduction From the Seraglio</i> places the action outside<i> </i>a Turkish
harem. It isn’t a probing exploration of religion or human rights, however, it’s
farce. Based on <i>Belmont und Constanze</i> by <span lang="DE">Christoph Friedrich Bretzner</span>, the Turkish palace is but a backdrop
to the drama of two women, their lovers, and the powerful Muslim men who seek
the women’s affections. It’s worth considering why Mozart chose this story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For nearly 500 years, the Ottoman Empire had expanded its range,
conquering and plundering whole civilizations. Twice, Turkish forces attempted
(and failed) to take Vienna — the second siege lasted two months and ended in
September 1683. Mozart’s father would have known people who lived through it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Even as European slavers were shipping Africans to the Americas,
North African pirates were selling Europeans to the Turks. Mozart knew of
charities that paid ransoms to bring people home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One might expect Mozart’s Vienna, then, to despise the empire
to the south — but no—all things Turkish were in vogue. Tales of European
ladies serving as sex slaves in exotic lands became popular fiction. People
commissioned portraits of themselves clothed in fabrics from Istanbul. And
merchants opened establishments serving a beverage called coffee. (Legend has
it that the Viennese coffee craze began after the siege of 1683 when the
fleeing army left behind bags of strange-smelling beans.) Mozart’s nod to <i>Turquerie</i> offers a lovesick Pasha and an
extraordinary act of mercy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ears in the 21st century might strain to hear exotic sounds in
Mozart’s score. In 1782, the Viennese recognized echoes of the Ottoman Empire.
The bass drum and the jingling of cymbals, triangles and piccolos conjured the
military bands that had terrorized their city in 1683. In <i>Abduction</i>,
they spin a musical costume around Turkish characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Turning travel
into music<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Composing <i>The Abduction </i>came at a major intersection in
Mozart’s life. At 25, the former child prodigy had just left home for good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">His father, Leopold, was a stage parent. A respected musician, he
cultivated his son’s genius from an early age and touted him in courts across
Europe. British scholar Daines Barrington presented an eyewitness account of
meeting with the 8-year-old Wolfgang in 1764. Barrington selected a complex
score in five parts and presented it to the boy seated at the harpsichord.
Barrington wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“The
score was no sooner put upon his desk, than he began to play the symphony in a
most masterly manner, as well as in the time and style which corresponded with
the intention of the composer.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Body" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Barrington’s account reveals something elemental about Mozart: He
could instantly comprehend and master new musical styles. From his travels, he
absorbed everything from Italian opera to the sacred music of J.S. Bach. As we
see in <i>The Abduction From the Seraglio</i> and the operas to come, he throws
that experience into his scores, giving opposing characters opposing musical
styles.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although Mozart remained deeply devoted to his father, he defied
him twice in the year or so surrounding this opera’s composition<i>.</i> In
1773, Leopold had procured for Wolfgang a position in the court of his own
employer, the Archbishop of Salzburg. While Leopold knew his place in the
world, Wolfgang resented it. As a low-ranking servant, Mozart suffered many
humiliations at the hands of his boss. By spring 1781, he begged for release. He
succeeded in June, getting himself booted out of Salzburg — literally “with a
kick in the arse.” He left for Vienna, seeking fame and fortune.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Creating a
‘singspiel’<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By July, Mozart had secured a commission for an opera. Vienna’s
Burgtheater, sponsored by Emperor Joseph II, offered him Bretzner’s libretto to
<i>The Abduction From the Seraglio</i>, reworked by Gottlieb Stephanie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The new opera was to be a “singspiel,” taken from the German
words singen (to sing) and spiel (play). Singspiel juxtaposes dialogue and
music, similar to the Broadway musical. Treating the job like an audition,
Mozart wrote to his father:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“As
we have given the part of Osmin to Herr Fischer, who certainly has an excellent
bass voice (in spite of the fact that the Archbishop told me that he sang too
low for a bass and that I assured him he would sing higher next time), we must
take advantage of it, particularly as he has the whole Viennese public on his
side. But in the original libretto Osmin has only this short song and nothing
else to sing.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mozart changed the story to fit the singer. The Turkish overseer
became a major comic character: stupid, surly, malicious. And the music fits
the character, lacking the elegance and harmonic complexity of his European
captives — which is not to say it’s easier to sing. Osmin’s Act 3 aria <span lang="DE">"O, wie will ich triumphieren</span>”
is famously difficult and showcases Fischer’s ability to sing a low D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While composing <i>Abduction</i>, Mozart ponders the conundrum of
writing beautiful music about anger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Passions,
whether violent or not, must never be expressed to the point of exciting
disgust, and as music, even in the most terrible situation, must never offend
the ear, but must please the listener.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Body" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mozart’s solution is to give the singer more notes. When his
noble heroine Konstanze is confronted by a fate worse than death, she lets it
fly, singing a flurry of runs, trills and leaps. Her feisty servant, Blonde,
defies Osmin in similar virtuosic fashion, singing, <span lang="DE">“</span>I am an Englishwoman, born for freedom.”
(It’s
interesting that Mozart’s egalitarian-minded servant is English, a safe
distance from Austria, given that he was composing at the command of the Austrian
Emperor).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The Abduction From the Seraglio</i>, which opened July 16, 1782, was a hit. Profits poured into the
Burgtheater, from which Mozart received a modest flat fee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Less than a month later Mozart defied his father once more and
married Constanza Weber. That he courted Constanza while creating the operatic
heroine Konstanze was purely coincidence; that he delighted in the irony was
pure Mozart.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-49329682798207585352016-09-27T11:21:00.000-04:002016-09-27T11:21:20.756-04:00Tom Goes to the Opera: letting go<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_4OmLzW0A7G7L7cAm7HUGZwtT_3EZtcflY1RB2Yg1GT-bmzipKbytVdpcAkUtsxRnulgecr5g5AWQI54jT_tlOp52dODBcnj2xX6NwHBcX7_-NbdBrCRg1JxX_52NbdufgfDv2TI4xY/s1600/singing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_4OmLzW0A7G7L7cAm7HUGZwtT_3EZtcflY1RB2Yg1GT-bmzipKbytVdpcAkUtsxRnulgecr5g5AWQI54jT_tlOp52dODBcnj2xX6NwHBcX7_-NbdBrCRg1JxX_52NbdufgfDv2TI4xY/s320/singing.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stephen Key, 2016</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><i>In week two, Tom dives deeper into his role as the Pasha, and experiences rehearsals a little differently than what he's used to. Illustrations provided by his son, Stephen Key.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">OK, one week in to rehearsal for </span><i id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1474895310746_5992" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">The Abduction from the
Seraglio, </i><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">and the attitude of “Just-do-it!”, “Go-for-it”, “Grow-or-go!” is
absolutely necessary.</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1474895310746_5993" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">It’s like preparation for a sporting
event.</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1474895310746_5994" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">We have now been guided through
Mozart’s entire opera by our Director, Chris Alexander, and we cover seduction,
betrayal, capture, escape, exile, love offered, love refused, love embraced -
with life or death consequences – to mention a few plot points – and it’s a
comedy!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Without trying to give any spoilers, I will just say that we did
have to spend about ten minutes figuring out a bedroom scene gone really badly
so that there’s a dagger on the ready from a part of my costume that is
something I’ve never worn before onstage.<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1474895310746_5998"> </span>This all has to be exact to the
underscore of the orchestra, clear to the audience what’s happening, positioned
in such a way that the singers can breathe and project, and, most importantly,
very passionate. Of all the things opera <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII_Rfg7G6zFv9s9nTPggg-ZT9SN4haCpYqTBxEougXVQbyJx9VvXEtpza28iAykuNHQWFOpDX59y1rE04851BbfDWd-HxEXuQ4xnYDNorluRDy_VOHfP2rTSit0Pbp0dFwFdExp3N2y4/s1600/pashajump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII_Rfg7G6zFv9s9nTPggg-ZT9SN4haCpYqTBxEougXVQbyJx9VvXEtpza28iAykuNHQWFOpDX59y1rE04851BbfDWd-HxEXuQ4xnYDNorluRDy_VOHfP2rTSit0Pbp0dFwFdExp3N2y4/s200/pashajump.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Key, 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
singers may
have to suffer, boredom is not one of them.<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1474895310746_6000"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>"If acting in this musically charged world is a sport, it's probably more like diving - the art of letting go in a beautiful way to forces much greater than self."</b></span></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">The music empowers the
actor with a quick and immediate understanding of character, plot, objective
and action.</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1474895310746_6004" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">When I make my first entrance in this
opera, about 30 people are singing for cool breezes to blow my way and I’m
being followed by a boy waving a palm frond to make sure that I’m cool
(evidently things go badly for the people if the Pasha gets overheated), and
when I raise my hand, they </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">rush out backward to leave me alone with the
beautiful Konstanze.</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1474895310746_6005" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">It doesn’t take much discussion around
the rehearsal table to understand who’s got the power in this palace.</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1474895310746_6006" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">If acting in this musically charged
world is a sport, it’s probably more like diving – the art of letting go in a
beautiful way to forces much greater than self. </span><b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">-Tom Key</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZuBabTIVz0swj5TCYU7OANz4b94I360p4nmIA9y8DDJh5CAYl-GwL6bv6zRcakdrhduaLuNLXz-l8EhZKMHSxjdZLQ4neXkFJIx3O8evki0YPsF6PMediDAjZsP4WEU-77YBFEK78K0/s1600/lettinggo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZuBabTIVz0swj5TCYU7OANz4b94I360p4nmIA9y8DDJh5CAYl-GwL6bv6zRcakdrhduaLuNLXz-l8EhZKMHSxjdZLQ4neXkFJIx3O8evki0YPsF6PMediDAjZsP4WEU-77YBFEK78K0/s400/lettinggo.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stephen Key, 2016</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-56386584082751935522016-09-17T14:14:00.000-04:002016-09-27T09:30:26.411-04:00Tom Goes to the Opera: The week of "wow"<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>As an actor, Theatrical Outfit Artistic Director <b>Tom Key</b> has appeared in over 100 </i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFgBypnrEj9yIl2UpUQGBcWRgnvGZOhWcApjAZipm32T1Mvo5pmjhPIKsXHPcsOYUo0NBjQLLQQx46c73VLU0zWwsIXV-fEt7L7PTanUjK_6tObgHGIxt4I4fuXHzQJnTr_3f1N9ZRwY/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFgBypnrEj9yIl2UpUQGBcWRgnvGZOhWcApjAZipm32T1Mvo5pmjhPIKsXHPcsOYUo0NBjQLLQQx46c73VLU0zWwsIXV-fEt7L7PTanUjK_6tObgHGIxt4I4fuXHzQJnTr_3f1N9ZRwY/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>productions from off-Broadway to Los Angeles. He also co-authored the hit off-Broadway musical, Cotton Patch Gospel, with the late Harry Chapin. Suffice to say, it seems like he's done and seen it all...except opera!</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Every week, Tom will share his inner monologue as he experiences the process of rehearsing and performing in an opera for the first time, as Pasha Selim in <b>The Abduction from the Seraglio</b>. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u><b>Week #1</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Wow. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My first day of
rehearsal, for my first role in an opera, and the word of the day is
“wow." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #e06666; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">"I have a blinding flash of the obvious:</i> <i style="background-color: white; color: #e06666; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I’m going from the </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #e06666; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">audience into the very same </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #e06666; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">room with these artists who </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #e06666; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">make the 'wow' art form."</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The first opera I ever saw was in
NYC when I was 14-years-old and it was </span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Aida</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> in the </span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">old </i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Metropolitan Opera House. When I realized that those were real elephants on the stage and when I
heard the first voices fill, not only the auditorium, but my very soul, that
was a “wow” day too. Now, today, in a
brightly lit Atlanta Opera rehearsal hall at 11 a.m.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZVNdzoxeSd82QQUmA2mQ-GSz63-AGBb0IyEpm23eMdQBt05rOwN1bPRieQu_pITKpzqAVnP2Cy8Al4TxOaxeXwtW8VWlIR6txe_1Em0k3eapNqIV2wZPzssJrebZwl6-7WEvn2zm5Ug/s1600/IMG_8327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZVNdzoxeSd82QQUmA2mQ-GSz63-AGBb0IyEpm23eMdQBt05rOwN1bPRieQu_pITKpzqAVnP2Cy8Al4TxOaxeXwtW8VWlIR6txe_1Em0k3eapNqIV2wZPzssJrebZwl6-7WEvn2zm5Ug/s320/IMG_8327.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Key at a fitting for his Pasha costume</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
when we are assembling for
the first time in a “meet and greet” with the staff and one another, I have a
blinding flash of the obvious: I’m going
from the audience into the very same room with these artists who make the “wow”
art form. There won’t be a football field’s distance and
an orchestra between us. We’ll all be
wearing contemporary clothes. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then, it
begins and I’m actually face to face meeting opera singers, our opera director,
Chris Alexander, shaking their hands, and talking with them. There’s my friend
and colleague, Tomer Zvulun, who wildly invited me to this party, and there’s
an absolutely fascinating presentation by Chris of his vision for this Mozart
comedy, and I have to keep checking to make sure that my jaw is not dropped and
that my eyes aren’t open four centimeters wider like they probably were at </span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Aida. </i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My running inner dialogue is something like, “this is so great— I
can’t believe I’m here—when they start to sing right next to me will I explode?” Three things anchor me into behaving like a
reasonably cohesive professional: Tomer’s welcoming joy for all of us, Chris’s absolute
mastery for storytelling, and the fact that the refreshments for this first day
morning reception included chocolate cake. Opera people have great priorities. Wow.</span></div>
</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.theatricaloutfit.org/staff/tom-key/" target="_blank">Read Tom's bio</a><br />
<br />
<br />The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-3515827756890872542016-09-13T10:13:00.000-04:002016-09-17T17:09:54.256-04:00Pick Up Your Q: Soprano Sarah Coburn<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1ZlchlGzbydRpMAs-pIr5quAehCrGsY70lsRC_Wx4qYsaOEFKWwtHiTd8pkpecBHqnCyVaCg0qgpLGHclYcYmFEKTSvdnINU38EerwKT3zItauuCZgrqIYk1jn3VmRy-mxgL-75uCQs/s1600/Coburn_Sarah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1ZlchlGzbydRpMAs-pIr5quAehCrGsY70lsRC_Wx4qYsaOEFKWwtHiTd8pkpecBHqnCyVaCg0qgpLGHclYcYmFEKTSvdnINU38EerwKT3zItauuCZgrqIYk1jn3VmRy-mxgL-75uCQs/s320/Coburn_Sarah.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Before heading to Atlanta to perform in <i>The Abduction from the Seraglio</i>, soprano Sarah Coburn took some time out
of her busy singing schedule to chat with us about her life as a singer
and learning the difficult role of Konstanze.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">THE ATLANTA OPERA: </span><b>Did you grow up in a
musical family?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">SARAH COBURN:</span> Yes, my mother’s side of the family
is very musical. My grandmother was a jazz singer and my aunt is a fabulous
pianist. My sisters have amazing voices. Every holiday we sang and played. It
was mostly barbershop quartets or country music, like the Judds or Vince Gill.
Not a bit of opera, though!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">AO: </span><b>Who or what influenced you to become a singer?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">SB:</span> I didn’t plan on becoming a singer, although I always planned on
majoring in music in college. I studied music education and was encouraged by
my voice teachers to think about pursuing performance instead of teaching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">AO:</span> <b>You’ve mentioned in past interviews that Konstanze is one of your
favorite roles to sing. What is it about this part that interests you? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">SB: </span>I have? I have never sung this role, so that comes as a shock to
me! This is my role debut and it is quite daunting. Konstanze is a role that
commands great respect and even fear! Ha! Seriously, it is a great challenge,
and one I am thrilled to accept. The role requires a great deal of stamina and
virtuosity. I have sung Blondchen in the past, and I always hoped I would have
the opportunity to sing Konstanze.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">AO: </span><b>Indeed! This is considered by some to be Mozart’s most vocally
challenging music for soprano. Where do the challenges lie in this role, and
how do you deal with them?</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">SB: </span>The challenges lie in the lengthy arias, and the fact the two of
them are back to back. The arias are exercises in breath control, dynamic
control, and support in a difficult tessitura. I love them, though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">AO: </span><b>What’s your regimen for staying healthy when you’re on the road?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">SB: </span>Sleep, water, exercise, and I must warm up properly every day
before singing. I am not too stressed about everything being in perfect
condition in order to sing well; I can’t be — I have three little kids! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">AO: </span><b>Is this your first time in Atlanta? Do you have any plans to
explore the city while you’re here?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ab3e7c;">SB: </span>I have never spent time in Atlanta. Right now, my goal is to sing
the role well and take care of my kids. Exploring the city will come after
opening night! <span style="mso-text-raise: 1.0pt; position: relative; top: -1.0pt;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-text-raise: 1.0pt; position: relative; top: -1.0pt;"><a href="http://sarahcoburn.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Sarah</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="widows: auto;"></span>The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-20917205605624907632016-06-14T14:59:00.000-04:002016-06-14T15:00:06.279-04:00Pick Up Your Q: High School Opera Institute Student (And all-around awesome kid) Khamary Grant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Khamary Grant is probably more put together than most adults. The young actor and singer is working hard at the Atlanta Opera's High School Opera Institute, a one week intensive for rising 10th-12th graders at Emory University. Find out how he became interested in opera, and what he's got planned for an exciting summer.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What grade are you in and where do you got to school?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm a rising senior, and I go to Veritas Classical School. It's part home schooling, part public school so that we can interact with other kids. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How did you get interested in voice?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I came out of the womb singing, let's just say that. I've always been singing. When I was 14 years old, I was exposed to musical theater at Atlanta Workshop Players. Since then, I've just been going on this journey, discovering new things, now classical music. I've been performing musical theater for about three years now. I didn't have a lot of training, but I did just sing and have fun doing different shows like <i>In the Heights</i> and <i>Hairspray</i>. I was Seaweed, which is easily my favorite role to this day. But that's how I got into voice, just being exposed to the musical theater world.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What activities are you involved in at school?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">They don't really have a lot of performing arts activities at school, so I spend a lot of time at Atlanta Workshop Players, where I'm part of their professional company, and the travel show they're about to do. I'll also be singing in a few upcoming events with them.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What are you most looking forward to learning at High School Opera Institute?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I want to learn about the different things I can do with my voice, like control and vowels. I just started my classical training, and one of our instructors told me that there's so much more to my voice that I just don't know yet. She told me I have a lot of potential. By adding classical music, there are so many possibilities for me now. That makes me super excited!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What are you favorite pieces to sing?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"The Impossible Dream" from <i>Man of La Mancha</i>. It was one of the first pieces I ever learned, and I fell in love with is the first time I heard it. I also like <i>Per la gloria d'adorarvi</i> -that's the song I'm learning right now.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Any other plans for the summer?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For the rest of the summer I'll be auditioning a lot. I do a lot of television and film acting. I have an agency here called People Store, and then one in New York called Clear Talent Group. I'll be a camp counselor for two weeks at an overnight camp at Oglethorpe with Atlanta Workshop Players. After that, I'll be traveling to Madrid with my family. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What's your plan for the future?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I definitely want two Oscars. My acting coach gave me a goal I'm trying to achieve: by the time I'm 21 years old, I no longer want to be auditioning. I want to be having meetings with people. I want to walk into a room, and have everyone know my name, but for the right reason, like my work ethic. I also want to be able to have enough power and influence to use my music and talents to create change in the world. </span><br />
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Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-65755327975164354772016-05-05T10:08:00.000-04:002016-05-05T10:10:11.404-04:00#Notachamberopera (Or Painting A Story On The Largest Canvas Possible)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJFzUhEJbVvLCdcheUsWNdepyaiemWk45xrWpu2IubTGxWEVVwZpMqrVNziF5B_Ft0ypfUOTbQdH0t2YiNodZjh4EVSoo1SpHmiLLvfI7-Gber-C7eh4o58GKkGf4bEk-Z8EDuGy784Q/s1600/TAO.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJFzUhEJbVvLCdcheUsWNdepyaiemWk45xrWpu2IubTGxWEVVwZpMqrVNziF5B_Ft0ypfUOTbQdH0t2YiNodZjh4EVSoo1SpHmiLLvfI7-Gber-C7eh4o58GKkGf4bEk-Z8EDuGy784Q/s320/TAO.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">By Tomer Zvulun </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">One of the most fascinating aspects of opera is the variations of musical styles within the art form itself. From Baroque to modern music, the art form runs the gamut of flavors, each of them uniquely defined by a different language, period, composers style, orchestra size, color, etc. As an Artistic Director, choosing the operas for a season is a little bit like selecting the perfect ice cream combination. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How do you choose the perfect mix? Do you go for the classic, always potent chocolate-vanilla or is it time to try an adventurous churro and brambleberry crisp? (Yes, that’s a flavor at <a href="https://jenis.com/" target="_blank">Jeni’s Ice Cream</a> and it is life-changing.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We are closing a uniquely diverse season at <b><a href="http://atlantaopera.org/" target="_blank">The Atlanta Opera</a></b>: from the modern and powerful chamber opera, <b><i>Soldier Songs</i></b>, to a fresh cinematic version of <i><b>La bohème</b>,</i></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> a colorful audience-pleaser in </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>The Pirates of Penzance</b>,<b> </b></i></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to a visually striking <b style="font-style: italic;">Winterreise (Winter Journey). </b>We offered our audiences many flavors and tastes this year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We chose to close the season with the grandest version of the epic love story: <b><i><a href="http://www.atlantaopera.org/calendar/view.aspx?id=43246947" target="_blank">Romeo and Juliet</a>.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>The first question is why?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Why did theaters all over the world, in every conceivable language, adapt this play? Why were the greatest artists of every period so drawn to retelling this familiar story? Why are we presenting it this weekend at the magnificent Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All around the world, the name “Romeo and Juliet” is synonymous with the idea of being young and in love. It captures the essence of romance, of discovering the powers of love, sex, danger, and the mysterious alchemy of an attraction to another person. It is desperately romantic. It deals with love and loss, power and social status; the stuff that makes us all dream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>The second question is also why. Why this version when so many other versions exist?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The answer is <b>SCALE</b>. Gounod’s version is unique in that it takes a story which is often remembered for its intimate chamber scenes (The famous balcony scene, the tomb scene) and expands it to an unapologetically grand opera in the most extravagant way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The extreme feelings that the characters experience - the ecstasy of falling in love and lust, the intensity of violence and loss, revenge, and grief - are the perfect materials for operatic tales.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Gounod takes those ingredients and propels them forward in a romantic, melodic way. He enhances the <b>SCALE</b> of the story and emotions by writing sweeping music for large choruses and orchestra.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our version at <b>The Atlanta Opera </b>strategically takes the idea of larger than life themes and finds the visual equivalent in the backdrop of the <b>Shakespearean Globe Theatre. </b>Through the use of multiple towers, staircases and levels, this grand canvas helps give this powerful story new life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Producing an opera is a complicated, exciting adventure that involves hundreds of singers, musicians, and technicians. I personally find it addictive because it allows us to <b>paint on the largest canvas available in the performing arts. </b>Producing GRAND opera, like <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>, is even more intricate and exciting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This grand opera version of the story not only brings together a thrilling cast of singers, designers, musicians and artists from all over the world, but it is also the perfect way to close our delicious, diverse season at <b>The Atlanta Opera. Hope you will join us!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Have a great summer and see you at Jeni’s Ice Cream!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Tomer Zvulun</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span>The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-21562861383362286312016-04-08T14:51:00.002-04:002016-04-08T14:52:22.953-04:00Pick up Your Q: Costume Designer/Coordinator Joanna Schmink<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Atlanta Opera Costume Coordinator Joanna Schmink spends most of her time in the costume shop sourcing, curating, altering, and piecing together costumes from other designers and productions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>, she designed and created everything from scratch for this spectacular grand opera with an equally grand cast. We talked to her about the joys and challenges of the job.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #af1a4a; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Atlanta Opera:</span><span style="color: #af1a4a; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Who
or what influenced you to get into costume design?</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">Joanna Schmink: </span>Growing up, my parents involved all
of my siblings in the arts (orchestra, choir, dance, theatre) not as a
potential career choice but to enlighten us on the importance of art in all
forms in our daily lives. I think it was a friend in college that convinced me
to take an internship in the university costume shop. I changed majors a
semester later from engineering to costume design and have her to thank or
blame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">AO:</span><i> <b>Who is your favorite artist or designer, living or dead?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">JS: </span>Léon Samoilovitch Bakst (1866-1924). He was a Russian painter,
set, and costume designer known for his rich, exotic use of color, pattern, and
texture. His work for Diaghilev Ballet Russes is some of his best work - a
visual kaleidoscope of color brought to life on stage. Bakst’s brilliant
control of color and line spilled over into fashion and interior design giving
a new richness and looser flow to the drab look of the time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">AO:</span><span style="color: #af1a4a;"> </span><i><b>Are there any misconceptions about costume designers that you’d
like to clear up?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">JS: </span>I don't think people quite understand what costume designers do on
the job. For starters, it’s not as glamorous as people would like to think.
It’s a lot of long hours and hard work. You have to love research, working with
fabric, collaborating with other creative people such as designers, directors,
producers, and performers. The payoff is definitely not notoriety, but rather
the satisfaction of creating part of a wonderful theatrical experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">AO:</span><i> <b>What does a typical day look like for you?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">JS: </span>There are no typical days, thank goodness. There are some
non-negotiables that I always keep on the early morning daily roster like
running, biking, or swimming. I like to start every day off on an active foot
to help keep me in a great frame of mind and provide an additional bump of
energy. There is nothing like a sun rise to inspire creativity. A work day is
usually a 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. start with a 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. finish.
All kinds of things could occupy a work day from organizational office work and
fabric shopping to costume fittings and production meetings. There is a mix of
practical and creative aspects to every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">AO:</span><span style="color: #af1a4a;"> </span><i><b>What kind of preparation went into the period costumes for Romeo
and Juliet?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">JS: </span>A large part of the development and preparation for this
production is in research and creative problem solving. The body of the show is
being set in the 1830’s, historically noted as part of “The Romantic Era”
(1820’s-1840’s), or early Victorian. It is complemented by aspects and costume
elements of the Elizabethan Era (1550’s-1600’s) which works well in the
presentation of a Shakespearean story line. The challenge is to make the
periods connect seamlessly so the costumes enhance the storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">AO:</span><span style="color: #af1a4a;"> </span><i><b>Were there specific challenges to creating these costumes for such
a large cast?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">JS: </span>This production is incorporating brand new built costumes,
pre-existing costume stock, and rented costumes. It’s challenging to have all
of these elements in place and create a cohesive design that will present a
beautiful visual for the audience. The work involved to move the design forward
takes additional creative thought and design flexibility so the best choices
are made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">AO:</span><span style="color: #af1a4a;"> </span><i><b>Are there any productions (opera or other) for which you have
always wanted to design the costumes?</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #af1a4a;">JS: </span>I would love to design a <i>Die Fledermaus</i> or a <i>Tristan und
Isolde</i>. Both have great opera design elements that would challenge me as a
designer. I would love to do research on both shows and have a great adventure
seeing them come to life. They both have grand opera story appeal with love,
drama, and suspense well crafted into their plots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-23596250200071964592016-03-14T14:01:00.005-04:002016-03-14T14:03:16.103-04:00Behind the Scenes: Curt Olds as Major-General Stanley<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bass Curt Olds is a world-renown singer and performer. He's covered many roles in Gilbert & Sullivan's greatest works, most recently in our mounting of</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Pirates of Penzance. </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We went backstage with Curt to watch his transformation into the Major-General and to learn more about his process, pre-performance rituals and tips for getting into character.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDhqqiEopSHNAWr7WQSu1w4o2vTmiH4NWHMLWjhrFgmFQu21pHaGcrVza9KNepTfM022oTy7yQEIrAfDpke80-ZpZDjs0jnKurG-mGSikS62RGbazZA_X9cHwSn9wxSgFvXGf1_6VpiU/s1600/DSC_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDhqqiEopSHNAWr7WQSu1w4o2vTmiH4NWHMLWjhrFgmFQu21pHaGcrVza9KNepTfM022oTy7yQEIrAfDpke80-ZpZDjs0jnKurG-mGSikS62RGbazZA_X9cHwSn9wxSgFvXGf1_6VpiU/s320/DSC_0013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I always hate the process of putting on heavy wigs and makeup for a production, but I love the look afterwards. The adhesive, spirit gum or mastix, is sticky like syrup and burns a bit upon application. I performed for a couple of years in the Broadway musical CATS, which was probably the heaviest make-up/wig show I've ever done. One trick I use as Major-General is to split the mustache into two pieces so it will allow my mouth to move without trouble. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij58sbglz1OT_nqndFvlTgPvUPCBVY5uwVQH5DCbxB56dMBgIQVv171UJFmKHMJ9jwx5qWBz_fwpqD90Bu5OCP4xGP27vFhOm7T7A-K4Y2ALA7U-zntWc5g_OCQOoOMv7jy7x26iAn2dw/s1600/DSC_0019.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij58sbglz1OT_nqndFvlTgPvUPCBVY5uwVQH5DCbxB56dMBgIQVv171UJFmKHMJ9jwx5qWBz_fwpqD90Bu5OCP4xGP27vFhOm7T7A-K4Y2ALA7U-zntWc5g_OCQOoOMv7jy7x26iAn2dw/s320/DSC_0019.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Major-General is unique because your biggest song is both your first moment on stage and extremely well known. When arias like this come right out of the gate for a character (like Figaro in <i>The Barber of Seville</i>) the performer has one shot to get things right. Patter songs (I do many of them in the repertoire I perform) are always demanding, but the Major-General's song is extra hard due to it's fame and it's location in the show.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSZJhEJQBifsaud1A7cXCy8XbWlPBNxGf1_nQDJjzCMDpbQngjwDPURnhWEVYCUrYqb3mNeEuGmypH8kZ2WkA7_uXC1kg6lBi5-LHuTr0uHFUKLzQWzCrQIgok28fD62pGGQt2rL0XQ8/s1600/DSC_0026.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSZJhEJQBifsaud1A7cXCy8XbWlPBNxGf1_nQDJjzCMDpbQngjwDPURnhWEVYCUrYqb3mNeEuGmypH8kZ2WkA7_uXC1kg6lBi5-LHuTr0uHFUKLzQWzCrQIgok28fD62pGGQt2rL0XQ8/s320/DSC_0026.jpg" /></a>No matter what role I am performing, I like to take a little time in my dressing room before I get into costume and makeup and go through the whole show at a quick pace. I usually keep all my notes together that I have been given by directors, conductors, and coaches, and I go through that list, as well. With the Major General, I usually have time to run the lyrics to the song one more time before my entrance, which I always think is a smart idea. No matter how many times I do a role, I still review using this method to make sure I am not taking anything for granted. Every time I review, there is something that I catch that might have been missed in performance.</div>
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I'm a big coffee drinker, so I usually will grab a cup of coffee as I head to the theatre. I also like to stay social, so when time allows, I like to prop my dressing room door open so I can keep in the vibe of the show, visit with colleagues and wish them well. I started out as many performers do, working in cramped-quarter theatres and I like to keep in the group frame of mind with Gilbert & Sullivan, which requires a connection from the largest role to every ensemble member for success.</div>
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This is my 15th production of <i>Pirates</i> (8 Pirate Kings and 7 Major Generals). Next up I will do my 24th production of Ko-Ko in <i>Mikado</i>, which is my favorite role of all. I love this rep so much and I am happy to see opera and theatre companies include it in standard rep. Despite it being viewed as a guilty pleasure by so many opera patrons, it usually sells out and many times companies add performances because of demand. That speaks volumes. </div>
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It's been such a pleasure to perform with Atlanta Opera and I have had a great time in this city. This cast includes some of my very close friends and I think Tomer Zvulun has assembled a brilliant group of singing actors perfectly suited for this type of show. I look forward to see what exciting things are coming for Atlanta Opera audiences and I hope I have the opportunity to return again soon.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All photos by Vicky Legaspi. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span></div>
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The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-69489880990999684872016-03-07T14:46:00.000-05:002016-03-07T14:46:09.061-05:00Production Notes: The Pirates of Penzance (by Nicholas Beard)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WZLa3EskrrmJGDeleBL13RyCc1qdnbQW0aTSje2aQtkzOnyrsoqIayh5L1IHggLyQxtSlR2j_Xt12tdYcBtLkM34RYartHInx4LI2lmHp-PX-_bzFV8YlG22xgRea4a7GdPDQcTSk28/s1600/BP5A7573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WZLa3EskrrmJGDeleBL13RyCc1qdnbQW0aTSje2aQtkzOnyrsoqIayh5L1IHggLyQxtSlR2j_Xt12tdYcBtLkM34RYartHInx4LI2lmHp-PX-_bzFV8YlG22xgRea4a7GdPDQcTSk28/s400/BP5A7573.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All photos by Jeff Roffman</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We’re
forever fascinated by pirates. It’s a child’s fantasy to battle pirates – think
Peter Pan vs. Captain Hook – but it’s also an adult metaphor elastic enough for
a range of social commentary. By our romanticized view, pirates live off their
wits, live a hedonist life. They have escaped the conventions of a society
which, as every free-spirit knows, stifles creativity. As escapist fiction, literature
(Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” from 1719) and opera (Bellini’s “Il Pirata,” 1827) are
no less enthralling than swashbuckling films starring Douglas Fairbanks and
Errol Flynn and, today, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So
it was in the 1870s, when composer Arthur Sullivan and librettist William Schwenck
Gilbert started collaborating on English-language comic operas, a cousin to
sweetly sophisticated Parisian and Viennese operettas. The British duo had a commercial
hit with the nautical-themed “HMS Pinafore” in 1878. But within months
“Pinafore” was spreading across America through – ahem – pirated productions,
earning the creators no income. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJP9Cvi1kOJJgFY41T0lgvALkrO_8l13yA1pQnz5IjpD_syVD4M-SseaWAWlJ-P5rGl52-YZJlmmd1INc9lvxgpiGbk7Lhz3tcYwPdixCM8SYImjB-d-ozI54AzPgSwTq21IsOOU_zkTE/s1600/IMG_3310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJP9Cvi1kOJJgFY41T0lgvALkrO_8l13yA1pQnz5IjpD_syVD4M-SseaWAWlJ-P5rGl52-YZJlmmd1INc9lvxgpiGbk7Lhz3tcYwPdixCM8SYImjB-d-ozI54AzPgSwTq21IsOOU_zkTE/s320/IMG_3310.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For
their next collaboration, “The Pirates of Penzance” in 1879, they followed
their familiar patterns by lampooning the police and the military, poking fun
at empty patriotism and, above all, satirizing the stupidity of a literal
devotion to duty. Our hero Frederic is “the slave of duty,” personifying the
operetta’s subtitle. In Victorian England, with an Empire stretching around the
globe, protected by the most powerful naval fleet that ever existed, “Pirates
of Penzance” was social satire with a sharp edge. That Gilbert’s lyrics and
Sullivan’s music does all this with such a light touch – tuneful, infinitely
clever, unexpectedly warm – is the stuff of genius.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp6og3PyRzdqldG6m2J5VmPwAeI8up_eHjoE3k9NlhOVSoecVo3dIBOrVg8oP0lnCuzJ6aFNnVYY0AH0b6fI4cqbMWSFl4G0V6WRVwC0IrnvurCV7nGQCFLxZc9emlCXrwCUnn_d7kGs/s1600/IMG_3359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp6og3PyRzdqldG6m2J5VmPwAeI8up_eHjoE3k9NlhOVSoecVo3dIBOrVg8oP0lnCuzJ6aFNnVYY0AH0b6fI4cqbMWSFl4G0V6WRVwC0IrnvurCV7nGQCFLxZc9emlCXrwCUnn_d7kGs/s320/IMG_3359.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Early
in their collaborations, Gilbert and Sullivan established a formal structure to
their works: two acts, the first act concluding with a complicated finale in
several sections and the second act reprising tunes heard earlier. Like other
operettas, spoken dialogue (instead of operatic recitative) moves the action
forward, although their best works, including “The Mikado,” have found a home
in opera houses across the English-speaking world. Gilbert’s political
iconoclasm matched perfectly with Sullivan’s gift for melody and his skills in
orchestration, where he could parody music by a Handel, Donizetti or Verdi and
twist it to his own comic needs. As with the best satire, the more you know the
funnier it gets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrPQuHLh78GI7LhVxk10hr4O-qnQ5Xuac-Gjd7vr6iGBt4uoNCyYhNEG36nj8cGHn7cXQlaH75y0IYBZBqxtjXUJjxMgGs-u_RwVFg9ANdJW8_GbNVCd8s76FTawm5lO60ZE704gco3k/s1600/BP5A9466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrPQuHLh78GI7LhVxk10hr4O-qnQ5Xuac-Gjd7vr6iGBt4uoNCyYhNEG36nj8cGHn7cXQlaH75y0IYBZBqxtjXUJjxMgGs-u_RwVFg9ANdJW8_GbNVCd8s76FTawm5lO60ZE704gco3k/s320/BP5A9466.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Key
points of “The Pirates of Penzance” plot are so daffy that audiences can’t help
but groan and giggle. And there’s no irony: all the characters are “naïve” to
their world, with no winks from the stage at their increasingly ridiculous
situations. For starters, the work’s title is funny: British audiences would
have known Penzance as a mild and slightly boring beach town on the English
Channel, the last place you’d expect to find blood-thirsty bandits of the high
seas. The characters are introduced by a series of wacky missteps. The nursery maid
Ruth had misheard “pirate” (instead of “pilot”) and had mistakenly apprenticed the
boy Frederic to the Pirate King – as if one trained into piracy as into any
other respectable trade. Gilbert’s lyrics emphasize the not-so-subtle difference
in pronunciation with over-the-top rhymes: “my lot/pilot” and “gyrate/pirate.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcYhkR0DV4RJ4QfCISdne88nmXQNgHAU1Ctxli0vj9a4cXsBM7twik3k_USOCzPJLv7_86NTPNV8Go5iTXOsjjYwzyumhWBPacbnVnSafqHJ4jni3nJnkrSBCc8fvQhjFY5nl75G2Bwc/s1600/BP5A9826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcYhkR0DV4RJ4QfCISdne88nmXQNgHAU1Ctxli0vj9a4cXsBM7twik3k_USOCzPJLv7_86NTPNV8Go5iTXOsjjYwzyumhWBPacbnVnSafqHJ4jni3nJnkrSBCc8fvQhjFY5nl75G2Bwc/s320/BP5A9826.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now
21, bidding farewell to his masters, Frederic had accepted his duty (despite
Ruth’s mistake) and reveals his literal mindset: “It was through an error – no
matter, the mistake was ours, not yours, and I was in honor bound to it.” When
we meet the pirate band, we soon learn they are uncommonly polite and
empathetic, and word has spread that they will release all victims who claim to
be orphans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As
in grand opera, the work thrives on its songs, and this is what makes “Pirates”
among the greatest of any operetta in the language. Mabel’s coloratura showpiece,
“Poor wand’ring one,” is set as a graceful, French-style waltz. In the ensemble
number “How beautifully blue the sky,” Sullivan sets the love duet between
Frederic and Mabel as a fresh, lilting waltz, dovetailing it into the chitter-chatter
of the women’s chorus in 2/4 time. It’s as silly, tender and brilliant as
anything in the G&S canon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_VNaaE4IbsrfAgahvNfe1-sHMa1_UDLakSlXeGNNGb1DZU4zHd2u70EFmLIZf_PXciQ9JQFg7YctMCUFoJGkx74Ph9IO-GECl6An6tjekUrC3-ZuyoVLFtAGH9v_6E6hI7CFUoNLxCg/s1600/BP5A8332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_VNaaE4IbsrfAgahvNfe1-sHMa1_UDLakSlXeGNNGb1DZU4zHd2u70EFmLIZf_PXciQ9JQFg7YctMCUFoJGkx74Ph9IO-GECl6An6tjekUrC3-ZuyoVLFtAGH9v_6E6hI7CFUoNLxCg/s320/BP5A8332.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps
the most famous number of the score is the Major-General’s charming, clueless patter-song
“I am the very model of a modern Major-General.” At top speed, he spits out ghastly
rhymes with the high-falutin’ language of educated men –
“mathematical/quadratical” and “a lot ‘o news/hypotenuse” – all delivered in a
mock-pompous style. (As a comedy technique, it was adopted by generations of British
satirists, including Monty Python in our own time.) The Major-General’s song in
the second act, “Sighing softly to the river,” features a rippling watery
accompaniment that wouldn’t be out of place in Schubert lieder. But the context
is hilarious, with the men’s choruses mocking him unseen in the background,
parodying a similar scene from Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” As with almost every
detail in “The Pirates of Penzance,” it’s easy to forget about the richness of
invention because the lyrics-music fusion seems so effortless.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span>The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-82824205983551944062016-02-05T14:47:00.001-05:002016-02-05T14:49:07.872-05:00Pick Up Your Q: Bass Kevin Burdette<div class="ecxmsolistparagraph" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 16.2pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><b> </b> </i></span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Bass<b>
Kevin Burdette</b> is currently appearing as Stobrod/Blindman in </span><i style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Cold
Mountain</i><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> at Opera Philadelphia, but he'll be with us soon to start
rehearsing his role as The Pirate King in </span><i style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">The Pirates of Penzance</i><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">,
opening March 5th. We sat down with the "Robin Williams of opera" to pick his brain about preparing for
the role, Gilbert and Sullivan's influence, and his thoughts on Queen
Victoria. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Did you grow up going to the opera?</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0u6GxYdQ1atZCOoUanClMZ0LdFzIowFMSvJ581IwkwHSK0W8clwhWVEr6wOv0ozbnDPTIA-ai4fmw5UWNYedD95l1laayXHEtyc_Z1piJNdN2FIdbR8tS2rdZo3H1b9MgFGMuKoBqZg/s1600/Burdette_Kevin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0u6GxYdQ1atZCOoUanClMZ0LdFzIowFMSvJ581IwkwHSK0W8clwhWVEr6wOv0ozbnDPTIA-ai4fmw5UWNYedD95l1laayXHEtyc_Z1piJNdN2FIdbR8tS2rdZo3H1b9MgFGMuKoBqZg/s320/Burdette_Kevin.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">
</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">I grew
up around classical music and went to a lot of orchestra concerts and musical
theater (in fact, I played viola in the Knoxville Youth Symphony Orchestra
starting in 7th grade and performed in school and church musical theater
earlier than that), but I didn’t go to the opera until I was in high school – a
performance of <i>Don Giovanni</i>, and I’m embarrassed to say that I fell
asleep in the second act! One of the singers in that show was the wonderful
Phil Cokorinos, with whom I have since sung, in <i>The Nose</i> at
the Metropolitan Opera (I never told about my dozing off…). </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">
<b>Do you remember the moment that captured your
interest in music and singing? Was there a particular artist that influenced
you?</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am not certain there
was a specific moment that captured my interest – it was more like the
confluence of a lot a separate moments: sitting backstage, while in the chorus
of <i>The Marriage of Figaro</i>, listening to the Countess singing “Dove
sono,” and being struck by opera’s unique ability and power to move a listener
in moments of a character’s vertical development and looking within; sitting in
rehearsal of <i>La</i> <i>traviata</i> and getting overwhelmed
by the beauty and sorrow of the final act (especially from “Addio del passato”
to the end). Everyone in the room that afternoon, from the director, conductor,
diction coach, on down, was bawling at the final chord, moved by a transcendent
moment only opera can provide. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">As for artists who
influenced me, I was extremely fortunate to have cut my teeth in opera at the
New York City Opera – I started there while still in grad school and performed
over 100 times with the company over the subsequent decade or so. The roster of
New York City Opera when I was there was full of the great American singing
actors of that time. I performed with, and learned from, singers like Bob Orth,
Joyce Castle, Lauren Flanigan, Mark Delevan, David Daniels, Bill Burden,
Elizabeth Futral, the list goes on and on. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">Also, I would be remiss
not to mention one other singer who shaped my career profoundly: Paolo
Montarsolo. When I was a young artist in Paris, I had the honor of working with
Paolo on a production of <i>The Elixir of Love</i>. Dulcamara was one of
Paolo’s great roles, and we worked extensively for weeks on my interpretation
of that role. That work was invaluable and laid the foundation for the work I
do now as a singing actor.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>How have you
prepared for the Pirate King, both as a vocalist and an actor?</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have had the good
fortune of being in <i>The</i> <i>Pirates of Penzance</i> multiple
times now, so I am very familiar with the piece, having been around so many
rehearsals and performances of it. My preparation, therefore, has been
relatively straight forward: diving first into the words to make sure I am
comfortable with them and where they are going, and then adding in the music.
The lyrics are extremely clever, and the musical setting varies among funny,
beautiful, moving, and rousing moments. The best thing to do, for me, is simply
to honor the source material by learning it, repeating it, trying to find every
bit of wisdom Gilbert and Sullivan added, and then doing it again.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">It helps, of course, to
know that Seán Curran will be waiting when we arrive in Atlanta. Seán is one of
the funniest and cleverest people in opera, and it is extremely comforting to know
that we, and the operetta, are in his incredibly capable hands. Basically, I am
just looking forward to having fun!</span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">You’ve
performed so many kinds of opera. How does Gilbert & Sullivan differ from
the traditional works and contemporary pieces you’ve sung?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">In some sense, Gilbert
& Sullivan does not differ much from the traditional works and contemporary
opera I have performed. Opera, to me, is all about telling the story – and
G&S write as good of a story as anyone. There are twists and turns, to be
sure, but part of telling the story is not anticipating those turns and simply
being in the moment when they occur.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of course, <i>Pirates</i> is
a comedy, so in that sense, it is different from <i>Everest</i> or <i>Cold
Mountain</i> or<i> La bohème</i>. It’s not too far removed, though,
from a <i>Daughter of the Regiment</i> or an <i>Elixir of Love</i>,
as far as I am concerned. Donizetti was a genius at writing music that allows
for the humor of a text or of a situation to come to the fore, and Sullivan was
much the same. Dulcamara’s opening patter aria in <i>Elixir</i> has a
lot in common, I think, with the Major General’s opening aria in<i> Pirates</i>.
And just like with Marie and Tonio in <i>Daughter of the Regiment</i>, the
audience connects with Frederic and Mabel and is genuinely delighted when they
find a way to be together. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">
<b>What is your favorite moment in <i>The Pirates of
Penzance</i>?</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh, it’s so difficult to
name one. Thinking of that silliness I referenced, the “ ‘often, frequently’
only once” exchange is epic – so funny. And the Major General’s opening aria is
one of the funniest pieces of music ever written.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 16.2pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps best of all,
though, are the moments of pure beauty that emerge from the topsy-turvy world.
I cannot imagine<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> a more beautiful moment than the
duet between Frederic and Mabel in the middle of “Stay, Frederic, stay”: “”Ah,
leave me not to pine alone and desolate…he loves thee, he is here,” followed by
Frederic’s “Ah, must I leave thee here in endless night to dream…he loves thee,
he is gone.” It is a heartfelt text, gorgeously set: in 3/4, with a hemiola
midphrase and a stunning top G on “loves” – as beautiful as anything in the
repertoire.</span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
finally: Queen Victoria, overrated or underrated?</span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsolistparagraph" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 16.2pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;"> The Pirate King MUST answer
that the Queen is underrated – for all our faults, I love the Queen!</span><span style="color: #444444;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></b></span></div>
The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-57825748335627682752015-11-12T14:43:00.000-05:002015-11-16T15:05:16.701-05:00Pick Up Your Q: GLMMR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The last time we spoke with David Adam Moore (<a href="http://theatlantaopera.blogspot.com/2015/08/david-adam-moore-interview.html" target="_blank">Light and Sound: David Adam Moore has Something to Say</a></b><b style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">) and Vita Tzykun (<a href="http://theatlantaopera.blogspot.com/2014/12/pick-up-your-q-costume-designer-vita.html" target="_blank">Pick Up your Q: Costume Designer Vita Tzykun</a></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>), the minds behind GLMMR were working tirelessly on previous productions with us. We're lucky to have them back again for <i>Soldier Songs</i>, where they've designed stunning and carefully crafted projections and imagery for this gripping, contemporary opera. </b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Atlanta Opera: You’re back in Atlanta! Any new finds since you were last here in September?</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Vita and David:</b> We've been working on the show 12-16 hours a day most days, so we haven't had much time to explore Atlanta, but when we got the chance, we'd sneak off to K1 Speed and race electric karts! Other favorites are Octane Coffee, Moe's Original Bar B Que, Bone Garden Cantina, and a memorable dinner at the Piedmont Driving Club.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>David - You sang the world premiere of Soldier Songs and some of your vocals are used in this production. What’s it like to hear yourself in this production? And to work with your own voice?</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJwALTy2g6kHkqbYCbGGAWdOHnSKE6wmhMP_YuFLnv1VcBc3lsevgBSz7-nk1k-9WCYwulu9YEy737SHVtlGOBH3ZB6RKUX35WLBZRG2RwQMzDRkmW5IlkwGBX0HTBmtPob_HDyqZSaM/s1600/SoldierSongs__CCC2206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJwALTy2g6kHkqbYCbGGAWdOHnSKE6wmhMP_YuFLnv1VcBc3lsevgBSz7-nk1k-9WCYwulu9YEy737SHVtlGOBH3ZB6RKUX35WLBZRG2RwQMzDRkmW5IlkwGBX0HTBmtPob_HDyqZSaM/s320/SoldierSongs__CCC2206.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Ben Raftermen</td></tr>
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David:</b> In "Steel Rain," my speaking voice is used in the live performance track, along with the voice of David T. Little and a combat veteran who is being interviewed. The piece is about the shock and disorientation a soldier experiences when under fire from incoming ordnance, so the three voices are layered in and out of one another while speaking the same text. It's a wonderful example of how pre-recorded electronics can serve as an integral component in a live drama. Soldier Songs is such a powerful piece, and I feel honored to participate in it in whatever way I can.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>GLMMR designed Winter Journey with the Opera in September. How has your design and production approach differed or remained the same with Soldier Songs?<br /> </b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Vita:</b> The main difference in our process for the two productions is that David and I directed and designed Winterreise, then David performed it, whereas in Soldier Songs, we collaborated with Tomer Zvulun (director) and Matthew Worth (baritone) to create the piece. From a design stand point, we always start with the core - the story - and develop the production from there using whichever resources are available to us for that project. During Winterreise, David stepped away from the technical side of things during the final week in order to concentrate on rehearsing and performing, while Maxwell Bowman, our lighting designer and video tech, took over both lighting and video.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>You are working many elements into Soldier Songs that are atypical to opera productions, like projections and pre-recorded audio. Can you tell us more about that?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUeWrS6iCKWv0sn_m6iUielNOopp8sgFmjdNHlguZ-Ewi4s-EIwJi7D5jrv3mITjEyPqO3IL1E6QxtZbYcjDqqolnAeqJyWvdRE0mwoqIW4gx5Hr3ZtqnoClynMxXuE9ZLMLX5rSpXX8/s1600/SoldierSongs__CCC2155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUeWrS6iCKWv0sn_m6iUielNOopp8sgFmjdNHlguZ-Ewi4s-EIwJi7D5jrv3mITjEyPqO3IL1E6QxtZbYcjDqqolnAeqJyWvdRE0mwoqIW4gx5Hr3ZtqnoClynMxXuE9ZLMLX5rSpXX8/s320/SoldierSongs__CCC2155.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: Ben Raftermen</span></td></tr>
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<br /> </b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Opera has historically been one of the richest, most versatile, and most technologically advanced performance mediums in Western culture, so it's important that we continue the tradition of enhancing this venerable art form with the newest technology available. As with many of GLMMR's other shows, we're using a video projection technique called "3D projection mapping," in which the video projector's output is conformed precisely to the scenery, as opposed to being restricted to a flat screen. For Soldier Songs, though, we decided to incorporate a new, more complex 3D projection mapping technique that we're not even sure has been used in opera before. In this method, the set is modeled in 3D architectural software, then a "skin" of video is placed over that model in 3D video software - this allows us to introduce elements such as virtual lighting/shadow effects and geometrically precise mapping effects before the video files even reach the projector. We also used a new technique of scenic projection surfacing that allowed us to coat the set with </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">a dark grey paint mixture that is almost as reflective as a white surface, but with superior contrast. This required a lot of research and experimentation on our part, but we found a formula that works, and we look forward to keeping it in our bag of tricks for future productions.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9LR4arT7Gb15tQgfc8i__qwUMctTxrgr76tJ7PHhZGdw3jfJwH05G4FSz1-jNIiNQ6l0yLEd2EgEGjmOsGbtQb2sbusFq2tXrSsrfYEJHNrBRQ9InN9gjejOg7ZIRHzg65YcNMJ2KVM/s1600/SoldierSongs__CCC2417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9LR4arT7Gb15tQgfc8i__qwUMctTxrgr76tJ7PHhZGdw3jfJwH05G4FSz1-jNIiNQ6l0yLEd2EgEGjmOsGbtQb2sbusFq2tXrSsrfYEJHNrBRQ9InN9gjejOg7ZIRHzg65YcNMJ2KVM/s320/SoldierSongs__CCC2417.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Ben Raftermen</td></tr>
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</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pre-recorded audio is a component of the published score for Soldier Songs, and is used in all of its productions. Aside from David's narration, we didn't have a hand in creating the soundscapes - they were created by David T. Little, but we created video sequences to go along with them and developed a way for the audio clips to be synchronized with the video clips during live performance.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>One part of the performance includes actual footage shot from an Abrams tank. How do you curate this (mountain of) content to add to the story being shared on stage?<br /> </b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We work a lot in the filmmaking and photography worlds, so we prefer to shoot as much of our content as we can. However, this wasn't an option with military and wartime footage, so we spent months sourcing imagery, carefully going through it, curating and editing it, then distilling what will be shown on stage to only the most essential elements that will drive the story forward. It's not easy, as we go to great lengths to avoid using copyrighted material or altering and presenting it to abide by Fair Use guidelines. The pre-show photo sequence in Soldier Songs is comprised of photos submitted by Atlanta area Vietnam veterans. This was Tomer's idea, and we were honored and thrilled that the veterans were willing to participate in that way.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>David T. Little (composer) was inspired by the compositions of Danny Elfman. Who or What inspires your work?<br /> </b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this case, our biggest inspiration came from the combat veterans of all nations who have risked, offered, or gave their lives in service to their country. <a href="http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/">www.woundedwarriorproject.org</a> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Are you able to improvise in these types of productions? </b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not in opera, for the most part - there are too many elements that must be in lock-step with one another so that the drama can move forward. The use of video is more flexible than conventional scenery, as it can be manipulated to a great degree during technical rehearsals. However, complex video sequences take a lot of time to plan, produce, and render, so while the flexibility is there, it isn't infinite. While the creative process includes some improvisation, everything you see in the performance has been created, organized, programmed, timed, and logged well in advance of opening night. For some of GLMMR's other projects, such as live concert visuals, dance, or performance art installations, we've used video and audio as a performative element - manipulating and triggering content live. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Usage of any</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span></span></div>
The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-16186267986536683422015-11-11T14:24:00.000-05:002015-11-11T14:24:16.524-05:00Pick Up Your Q with Alan Higgs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlDUHHqh50VR5b45nC4H6S0xFLWpo0qm6RjNs4RT_nWIEigQYoSPRMPhhLzHR_qzNfbcCAOzz1gBR1R7pCS7yOcBnP0I4lnTdhdjQ7tMRs_KNdmEs_jYupExXX7QNkPWKPo5KmjZKPNY/s1600/Higgs%252C+Alan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlDUHHqh50VR5b45nC4H6S0xFLWpo0qm6RjNs4RT_nWIEigQYoSPRMPhhLzHR_qzNfbcCAOzz1gBR1R7pCS7yOcBnP0I4lnTdhdjQ7tMRs_KNdmEs_jYupExXX7QNkPWKPo5KmjZKPNY/s200/Higgs%252C+Alan.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You may know Alan Higgs from his role in <i>The Marriage of Figaro</i> as Antonio, or his dual role in <i>La b</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">ohème</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">as Alcindoro and Benoit. This season, he will sing the iconic role of the Pirate King in Gilbert & Sullivan's classic operetta, <i>The Pirates of Penzance</i>. As part of the Studio Tour, Higgs will perform in front of hundreds of students in schools across Atlanta and the greater metropolitan area. We caught up with Alan to learn more about his background, how he gets into his pirate character, and to hear his advice for young, aspiring performers.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Atlanta Opera: Did you grow up in an opera household?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Alan Higgs: </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was very lucky as a child and my parents supported me
in everything that I wanted to do. I was always encouraged to follow my dreams.
I began singing in my church choir as a little one and it took off from there.
I joined chorus and did all of the school musicals from Elementary through High
School. It wasn't until I went to Interlochen Arts Academy, a boarding school
for arts students in Michigan for my senior year of high school that I was
introduced to the opera world. It was there that I did my first operetta,
<i>Ruddigore, </i>also by Gilbert and Sullivan. From then on I was hooked!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiqCv_e_VrpGDYC1GtYuTLBWh71xPDI7BMZqMR6Kcv6PDlJ-BtabFqG1bZWg0aK2IXybl4ipE41HkU4xn1Zai2QItiKzmrmRSo2HCeFAHH5D7n1S_f4Z4Oy2AXjd87yVs8YKieA8tqJ4/s1600/BP5A5411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiqCv_e_VrpGDYC1GtYuTLBWh71xPDI7BMZqMR6Kcv6PDlJ-BtabFqG1bZWg0aK2IXybl4ipE41HkU4xn1Zai2QItiKzmrmRSo2HCeFAHH5D7n1S_f4Z4Oy2AXjd87yVs8YKieA8tqJ4/s400/BP5A5411.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Higgs as Benoit in <i>La </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i>b</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">ohème</span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Photo: Jeff Roffman)</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How does the Studio Tour, which brings opera into schools, differ from your mainstage work?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Studio Tour has a few differences from mainstage
work. First off they are much shorter productions. They usually run 45 minutes
to an hour depending on the production and age of the students. There is far
less pressure in a production for students then in mainstage work in my
opinion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From my experiences, I have found that students are usually fascinated
by anything you do as long as you stay engaged and focus on the storytelling.
They aren't as concerned as much about whether your high note was perfect or if
you mess up. It's live theater mistakes are bound to happen once in awhile! Studio tours are usually also geared more towards the younger generation and
either picked because the plot is relevant to kids or is updated in a way that
they can relate to. For example, at Florida State University where I did my
Masters Degree, we did an updated version of <i>L'elisir d'amore</i> called
<i>"Glee"lixir of Love</i>. This was during a time that the show Glee was
very popular and they students were able to relate more to the show because of
the references to Glee that we used in our Studio Tour. it was a blast and was
very well received. For most of these kids it is one of the first times they
are seeing an opera production and I have found that they are just very appreciative
of the new musical experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I really think that the Studio tours are crucial
to the preservation of our art form. Reaching out to our youth and sparking a
new interest in them whether it is performing or just the enjoyment of watching
the productions will help secure a future for our art form.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLNJUJV7tVai97hDBZt9OSK-rnCxlZ5zUQWPQpifp7Y1xi5Ks53eMfA3mInugrp5Ji6l8k0jOpqgmiXpv8CwCs2QO_Q05xZpOlqJLCsH-0wxP34O0Eiggi5mM2dQoQbDt8NmrnFTW70g/s1600/Figaro_JeffRoffman_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLNJUJV7tVai97hDBZt9OSK-rnCxlZ5zUQWPQpifp7Y1xi5Ks53eMfA3mInugrp5Ji6l8k0jOpqgmiXpv8CwCs2QO_Q05xZpOlqJLCsH-0wxP34O0Eiggi5mM2dQoQbDt8NmrnFTW70g/s400/Figaro_JeffRoffman_9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Higgs as Antonio (rear) in <i>The Marriage of Figaro</i> (Photo: Roffman)</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Pirate King is a fairly over the top role. How do you go about getting into that character?<u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Pirate King is indeed a very "over the top"
role. While this type of role can be very challenging it can also end up being
one of the most fun. One of the best parts about singing opera for me is getting
to be someone totally different than myself. Getting into the character is a
huge process both physically and mentally. Development of a backstory for the
character, specific physicalities, character relations, and costumes and make
up are all a big part of the preparation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What can an audience member expect from <i>The Pirates of Penzance</i>?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The audience can expect to laugh and enjoy a timeless
Gilbert and Sullivan work that has been entertaining audiences around the globe
for years and will continue to do so for years to come. The Atlanta Opera has put
together an All-Star cast of young professional singers residing here in our
city that are eager to showcase their talents in this brilliant piece! Of
course they can also expect a few ARGHH's in there as well. ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP50yIz5iLjt9XTBhIAGnB3kFUOO1CZST-uh04k-i_EANH1RnCg6QqACkjbJzdS6Xj0kdwu8ya7y79T5CcFmC863PCrDyUmYDcnHHgnq-kNY0IvgcOtjEGJ1nUu0WzNRvEIZ4CaI0KaVQ/s1600/BP5A6335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP50yIz5iLjt9XTBhIAGnB3kFUOO1CZST-uh04k-i_EANH1RnCg6QqACkjbJzdS6Xj0kdwu8ya7y79T5CcFmC863PCrDyUmYDcnHHgnq-kNY0IvgcOtjEGJ1nUu0WzNRvEIZ4CaI0KaVQ/s400/BP5A6335.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Higgs as Alcindoro in <i>La boheme</i> (Photo: Roffman)</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Any advice for young kids and students who want to get into opera and theater?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My advice for kids wanting to get into opera and theater
is to go for it! Join a choir, take voice and acting lessons, take up a musical
instrument, audition for the school and community productions, basically do
everything you can to immerse yourself in the art form and see if this is
something you really enjoy doing. One thing I have learned is that natural
talent will only get you so far. You really have to be driven, work hard and be
passionate about music to succeed in this industry, and know that if one door
closes another right around the corner could be opening for you - so don't ever
give up!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span>The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-5425238943721870702015-11-06T17:35:00.002-05:002015-11-06T17:35:18.309-05:00Behind the Scenes with Matthew Worth<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Baritone Matthew Worth</b> (who sings the role of the Soldier in "Soldier Songs") opens up about his biggest influences, his real connection with </span><span style="font-size: large;">Lieutenant Audebert (<i>Silent Night</i>)</span><span style="font-size: large;">, and his love for live theater. He also shares four words of sage advice for up-and-coming artists.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Atlanta Opera: Did you grow up around opera?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Matthew Worth: Nope. We were more of a folk & rock music house. There
was a lot of Paul Simon, Peter Paul & Mary, Billy Joel, and James Taylor on
LP. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Who or what has been the biggest influence
on your career?</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My parents for the work ethic they instilled in me. There
have always been people out there with more talent, but a lot of times my
dogged preparation and passion win out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Soldier Songs" rehearsal in Atlanta, November 3, 2015</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>This time last year, you sang the role of
Lieutenant Audebert in <i>Silent Night</i> at Wexford Festival. Can you tell us
what you remember most about that production and the role?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lieutenant Audebert is introduced to the audience as he leaves his pregnant wife for the battlefield. For this production of Silent Night, I had to leave my pregnant wife back home for close to two months. Being apart from her was absolute torture, but it fueled my connection to Audebert.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What was the experience like playing a
soldier last fall and playing one in <i>Soldier Songs</i> this year?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They're very different characters for innumerable reasons,
and yet war binds them in countless ways, as well.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Soldier Songs" rehearsal in Atlanta, November 3, 2015</span></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What is the experience like working with
Tomer Zvulun, a veteran?</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love working with Tomer. We're both strong willed in our
takes on characters. We're both willing to hear each others arguments and to
see them play out. We always come out on the other side with an honest and true
portrayal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /><b>What’s it like to be in Opera – and the live performing arts – in this “iPod era”?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />The thrill of live performance - whether it be the theater, the symphony, the opera, and others - has yet to be matched by recording. People are struck by the sight and feel of our soul-bearing humanity (when it's done well, I mean).<br /><br /><b>Any advice for young people who want to become Opera singers?</b><br />Live first. Then decide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Read more about Matthew Worth, including his upcoming role in David T. Little's <i>JFK</i>, at </b><a href="http://www.matthewworthbaritone.com/">www.matthewworthbaritone.com</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photos by Kristin Hoebermann</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span></div>
The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-31782767567386081422015-10-19T16:24:00.002-04:002015-10-19T16:24:52.287-04:00The Atlanta Opera Ball<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">The 2015 Opera Ball was a masked affair held at the St. Regis Atlanta. Ball Chair Mary Calhoun hosted the fabuluous evening with The Opera, which honored Martha Thompson Dinos. The night was filled with dancing, dining, live & silent auctions, and performances by Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and Tenor Russell Thomas. Photos by Ninh Chau.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span>The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-87346601828777893532015-10-08T17:00:00.000-04:002015-10-08T17:02:23.215-04:00On the Road with Nicholas Brownlee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Atlanta Opera: How do you balance getting into character in each production while making yourself comfortable in a new city? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>Nicholas Brownlee: I actually think this could be the hardest part of the career: Getting settled in a new city. I always find the closet Target, subway and pharmacy immediately, that always helps me feel acquainted with the area I am in and…it’s TARGET.<br /><br /><b>What do you think of Atlanta? Any particular place, meal, or adventure stick out so far?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>This trip to Atlanta has been different than most gigs for me as I was born and raised in Mobile, AL and frequented Atlanta often. However, I have discovered some wonderful different places this trip. There was the best brunch of my life at Rise and Dine (across the street from emory). If you don't go there and get the quinoa grits (I know, I know I had the same reaction but trust me!) you’re missing out! In addition to the great eats, I am fairly confident I could happily live in the Lenox mall. <br /><br /><b>One would imagine that constant travel could strain your voice, as well as your mental and physical fortitude. Any thoughts on keeping in good health on the road?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b> As my colleagues like to often remind me, I am still quite young so it physically doesn't really hit me that hard, however, mentally it can be tough. Being away from loved ones and your own bed takes its toll. To get through that, my motto is “sprout where you are planted.” I always try to get out into the city I am in and really take in the culture - it helps tremendously in feeling like you're not in a new place every six weeks and doesn't allow you to lament the people and places you miss. <br /><br /><b>What’s the first thing you do when you go home?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>Crash into my bed like its a pool in August.<br /><br /><b>What is your craziest travel story?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh boy, what a question. There have been many but the wildest was when I traveled to China, which was first trip out of the country…ever. I landed and wasn't able to speak English to anyone for two days, somehow managed it and ended up having a great time there! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><b>What are the 5 things you must have when you travel?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don’t think I have any “must haves”. I HATE packing and I always tell myself: “I’ll just buy it there if I forget something.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span></span></div>
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The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-50146825342343645122015-10-05T16:10:00.002-04:002015-10-05T16:10:53.209-04:00A Life of Travel with Leah Partridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Atlanta Opera: How do you balance getting into character in each production while making yourself comfortable in a new city? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leah Partridge: I find it easy now because I have been doing this for 13 years. Being on the road gives me time to be alone and that is when my creativity and ideas have space to flow. However, I am singing at home now and I find that because I am not struggling with trying to find the grocery store or my way around town that I am equally relaxed and using my time differently.<br /> <br /><b>What do you think of Atlanta? Any particular place, meal, or adventure stick out? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Atlanta is awesome! There are so many wonderful things to do here. I am thrilled to have moved back here three years ago. I really love all the restaurants. I live in the Midtown Westside and my particular favorites are JCT Kitchen and Bone Garden. Oh, and I love Bocado for a burger. I took the guys in the cast here for lunch one day and they agreed it was AMAZING! You can't go wrong with the other arts organizations around here. I encourage everyone to check out the High Museum, the Botanical Gardens, the Symphony and drive up to Kennesaw State and see the new Zuckerman Art Museum, as well. If they want an adventure out of town to really see the south, I encouraged my colleagues to take a drive to Macon, GA to see all the Antebellum homes Sherman missed in his march.<br /> <br /><b>One would imagine that constant travel could strain your voice, as well as your mental and physical fortitude. Any thoughts on keeping in good health on the road? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Good health is the key! I maintain exercise at all times. It keeps me in shape so that I can fall on the floor countless times during the rehearsal process if I am playing a character who is dying. It also helps me maintain cardiovascular strength which is a must these days in opera. There is so much running around happening now in opera. You must practice not running out of breath. So, I like to run on a treadmill and practice singing if I know the production demands it of me. For mental health, I stay connected to friends and family. Facebook is so useful to me on the road.<br /> <br /><b>What’s the first thing you do when you go home? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See family! Enjoy my soft comfy bed and head to the country outside of Athens or to Lincolnton, GA.<br /> <br /><b>What is your craziest travel story? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I once slept for fours hours on the floor of the Madrid airport. It had been a very long delayed trip and I was exhausted. I didn't even care. People were stepping around me.<br /> <br /><b>What are the 5 things you must have when you travel?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>1. Internet<br />2. Running shoes<br />3. Yoga mat<br />4. Electric toothbrush<br />5. Did I mention Internet? It's made everything easier...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, please contact The Atlanta Opera at 404.881.8801.</span>The Atlanta Operahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02886371826625385165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640116796539293231.post-88345641602061512682015-09-30T09:38:00.000-04:002015-09-30T09:38:48.779-04:00The Traveling Performer's Life: Maria Luigia Borsi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Atlanta Opera: How do you balance getting into
character in each production while making yourself comfortable in a new city?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Maria Luigia Borsi: In general, I can say that I am a
person that has trouble dealing with change, maybe because I come from a
country where there are unchanged monuments and traditions that have been
around for thousands of years. </span><span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand, the life I live
is a non-stop adventure, full of new people, new places and different languages. I have to admit, it’s not always easy to integrate myself into new
situations. Basically, I can sum this up by saying, you can take the country
girl out of the country but nobody can take the country out of the country girl
;-). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The characters that I interpret
cannot have jet lag. Theatre, anywhere in the world, is a sacred place,
magical and timeless; where everything takes shape and life in a natural way. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Fundamentally, it’s the characters
themselves that help make me feel more comfortable wherever I am.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>One would imagine that constant travel could strain your voice, as well as your
mental and physical fortitude. Any thoughts on keeping in good health on the
road?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The voice is a very delicate
instrument, it is affected by many factors: weather changes, jet lag, mood
swings, hormonal factors and personal problems. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I try to have a healthy lifestyle:
eating well, a bit of physical activity, sleep well...but it isn’t as simple as
it seems because a singer's life is irregular and full of adrenaline. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The first thing I do in the
morning is drink fresh squeezed lemon juice (no sugar), it' s a natural
antibiotic. I normally drink a lot of water and I often have propolis caramel
in my mouth in order to humidify and pamper my instrument. </span><span style="font-size: large;">In my opinion, it's important to
try to be in contact with the needs of the body, be calm and have confidence.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What
is your craziest travel story?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately I don't have a crazy
travel story, but I could tell many stories about crazy tenors ! ;-)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What’s
the first thing you do when you go home?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I kiss my husband Brad, my
daughter Ambra, il mio babbino caro (my dear father), I hug my dog Mixy and my
three cats: Alfredo, Merci, Danke. After that, I gaze upon and contemplate
about our beautiful garden, I observe the progress that the plants have made
during my absence.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What
do you think of Atlanta? Any particular place, meal, or adventure stick out so
far?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I live in Tuscany, in the
countryside, in a house in the middle of fields, without television. Atlanta
is a huge city. Every time I walk down the street I feel so small. Every day is
an adventure while driving a car here! </span><span style="font-size: large;">But, there are some lovely places
in Atlanta, houses and gardens as beautiful as a fairy tale where I could surely
feel like a gnome in an enchanted world.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What
are the 5 things you must have when you travel?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I need my cell phone to keep in
touch with my family, the score, my daughter's photos and drawings, a
humidifier, a coffee mocha, olive oil (because good olive oil is nearly
impossible to find outside Italy), some pasta, a bottle of wine (or two) and
Parmigiano cheese. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Pavarotti traveled</span><span style="font-size: large;"> with his
entire kitchen, so why can’t I? ;-))))</span></span></div>
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TheAtlantaOperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04581493297758331003noreply@blogger.com0