Chicken Scratch

GOING UNDERGROUND

2010-05-13T14:38:00.002-04:00

Today I went underground.

Thankfully it had nothing to do with entering the witness protection program and everything to do with visiting our wardrobe department. They are comfortably ensconced in the basement of the theater, basking in the fluorescent effulgence glinting off beige cinder block walls. Ah, the glamor of costuming.

Tesia is our Costume Coordinator. Pity her, she thought she had to school me in ways of the seam ripper. Oh, I've ripped some seams, lady. Oh, yes.

Our Lucia is set in the 1930s, so our costume designer Carol Bailey, along with Tesia and crew, pulled appropriate costumes from vintage stores in Cleveland, The Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theater Festival and other sources. There's lots of fedoras, and guns--lots of guns, fitting a mafioso bent to the production. (I don't need to be threatened: I will take the cannoli.)

Pop quiz: What is in the above photo?
A. Hair bound to be stuffed into pantyhose sausages and sent to the Gulf to soak up oil
B. A Pantene commercial gone horribly wrong
C. Wigs for Lucia

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A LITTLE MADNESS IN THE SPRING

2010-05-11T15:24:00.003-04:00

We are 9 days away from opening night, people. Pretty soon, we'll be out of the rehearsal hall and on stage. But not before I got some snapshots...

Suck it, Edgardo! Lucia is mine now--and we have the marriage certificate to prove it. (The empty champagne glasses, too.)

Honestly, I'm not sure if all these umbrellas are props or if it's just because it's Cleveland in the springtime.

Bloody hell! They make me do all the dirty work.

They're not bored stage managers! They're somber stage managers! (Who says backstage crew can't act?)
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WE'RE ALL MAD HERE

2010-05-06T19:39:00.000-04:00

At rehearsal of the "mad scene"...

Sometimes opera rehearsals just look like really awkward meetings--where there's guns and knifes.

Nili: Oh, Tomer, you're the best director EVER!
Tomer: All I'm doing is subbing in as Edgardo for Scott.
Kris (in background): Why doesn't Tomer hold me like that? Baritones have needs, too.

My gal ~~Val~~ Valerie, doing her best stage manager stare.

This chicken chose the wrong place to roost.

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FOR NEWBIES

2010-05-05T15:36:00.003-04:00

I like to think I'm the inspiration for this event (even though they maligned my species as afraid of opera, which clearly I'm not.) Nonetheless, I will be there, and if you haven't tried opera before or have friends who are hesitant, this is the perfect introduction.

Email Paul at jarrett@operacleveland.org if you want to come!
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THE ONLY TIME YOU'LL HEAR OUR OPERA SINGERS ON MICROPHONES

2010-04-29T13:12:00.002-04:00

You would think opera singers would be the loudest talkers ever. I mean, their singing voice can powerfully carry through a huge theater. But, no. Maybe they just save their voices for all the singing, but they can be some soft talkers.

Fortunately, we have learned to provide a mic at our Meet the Cast events. What did we learn about our singers last night?

In addition to raising chickens, Scott likes to totally disconnect for two weeks each year--and take off on his motorcycle.

Both Tomer (on the left) and Nili (standing) were born in Israel, though Nili doesn't have an accent because she was raised partly in America. She admits to being a politics nerd--if she wasn't an opera singer, she'd probably pursue international relations and Middle East policy.

Jordan discussed the challenge of life of the road--for him it's being away from his wife, who is also an opera singer. But technology makes keeping in touch a lot easier; he says he is on Skype everyday with her.

Technology can help singers in other ways, too. It's become way easier to record oneself, and Nili noted that if she really needed to, she could Skype a lesson with her voice teacher.
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THE MADNESS BEGINS

2010-04-27T14:17:00.002-04:00

Rehearsals for Lucia di Lammermoor have begun! Here's a few of the peeps I will be hanging out with for the next few weeks, as they prepare for the stage:

Don't let the smile fool you--Jordan Shanahan plays the bad guy in this opera.

Here's our Edgardo--tenor Scott Piper. If he appears to know how to handle a chicken, ahem, it's because he owns a chicken farm! In addition to singing, he raises Araucana chickens for their eggs, which happen to be blue-green. (Told you chickens and opera were a natural match.)

Director Tomer Zvulun has directed in Cleveland before--our La boheme in 2008. But that was before my time, so does it count? He likes to hang around cemeteries in his spare time.

Kristopher Irmiter has also performed in Cleveland before--in the aforementioned La boheme as well as Tosca. He's all about me. (Who ISN'T, Kris? Who isn't?)

I neglected to get any pix with Nili Riemer (Lucia); Nicole Birkland (Alisa); Philippe Pierce (Normanno); and Timothy Culver (Arturo). But don't worry--they will surely get their chance to hang with me.
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OPERA,, LITERALLY

2010-04-23T16:18:00.002-04:00

Opera...Literature...some of the finer things in life. (And by finer, I mean "good," not snootier.) We get to combine the two often at Opera Cleveland. For instance, our Meet the Cast events are held at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village.

And, we just happen to have a Meet the Cast event coming up--Wednesday, April 28 at 7:30 pm. Not only can you enjoy learning about our singers (boxers or briefs?...j/k) for FREE, you can take 20% off your bookstore purchases that night from 4-9 pm. Click here for a coupon. The coupon is also good for 10% off your meal at Bronte Bistro.

(Our Meet the Cast event from Don Giovanni)

But, wait...THAT'S NOT ALL! We're mixing literature with another one of my favorite things: wine. On Wednesday, May 27, there's "For the Love of Music: Wine in the Courtyard." This casual wine tasting takes place in the courtyard of Visible Voice Books in Tremont. For $20, you'll support the music and community outreach programs of Opera Cleveland--and enjoy wine, appetizers and music.

LUCIA, MINI-ME STYLE

2010-04-20T09:50:00.005-04:00

It's rare that I get to do a big reveal on this here blog, but today...today is different. (And not because it's 4/20.) It happens to be exactly one month from opening night of Lucia di Lammermoor, and I get to share some of our set designs with you.

As you may recall from prior blogs, we bought a Macbeth set from Lyric Opera of Kansas City. It was a set that they were done with and ready to trash for space in their warehouse, but our set designer Erhard Rom (who designed the Macbeth set, natch) saw its potential.

Erhard, Director Tomer Zvulun, along with Dean and Lighting Designer Robert Wierzel have been conspiring for about a year on the design.

When creating a new production, as this one is, the designer usually creates a miniature-scale version of the set.

Here, Lucia meets her love Edgardo in secret. (Smooch, smooch, smooch.)

This scene shows Enrico's study--with a ginormous photo of his and Lucia's mother lording over the space.

In this great hall scene, Lucia is forced into a marriage arranged by her brother Enrico. But she loves Edgardo! Enrico says pshaw to that. (Actually, he says he will kill him.)

What you can't really tell in these photos is the awesome projections we'll be using on the set. (In the scene above, for instance, the hall will appear to be huge--something we couldn't do in reality. The stage is only so big, yo.)

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DEAR BLOG

2010-04-14T16:13:00.001-04:00

I miss you. I hope we can be together soon.

Lurve,
Carl

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A CHORUS LINE

2010-04-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

I'm a 9-5 kind of chicken. (And it's always 5 o'clock somewhere.) So I'm often not around when our chorus rehearses for a production, which is typically in the evenings. Thus, they are derived of the pleasure of my company and I of theirs. 'Tis a shame.

Because they rock. (In operatic fashion, of course.)

So I'm excited they have a performance of their own coming up. On Wednesday, April 14 at 7 pm, the Opera Cleveland Chorus is performing a 20-minute set at the Cleveland Museum of Art, in celebration of the reopening of Gartner Auditorium. And it's FREE!

So get thee there--and catch some of these peeps:

Being in the Opera Cleveland Chorus is all glitter and Maypoles.

I had the distinct honor of directing the chorus at one rehearsal.
(Or rather they had the distinct honor of being directed by me.)

Fetch me a beer, wench(es)!

PIMP MY PEEP

2010-04-01T12:37:00.002-04:00

Finally, someone brought me a new Peep. Sure, I have Giacomo here, but--what do they say?--make new friends and keep the old.

This Peep is pimped out--with a suit of chocolate armor.

Yeah, the chocolate kinda obscures any features, but we'll take his company anyway.

Everyone... meet Wolfgang.
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ECO-CARL: WOOD'NT THAT BE NICE

2010-03-30T09:56:00.001-04:00

A drizzly, gray day in Cleveland? Why it's perfect for hauling giant slabs of wood!

I have mentioned before that we have a partnership with Philips Healthcare. They produce huge CAT and PET scanners, among other health care machines. Huge machines require huge boxes for shipping. Huge boxes require huge pieces of wood.

What happens to this wood after they are done shipping? That's where we come in. Our partnership saves some of this wood from hitting the landfill, and it provides us with great raw materials for building up stage sets. It also saves us money, and how can you go wrong with that?

So I accompanied the two Lisas and Sarah to Philips to pick up a load of wood. (And I mean, a load--I could build a VERY large chicken coop with it.)

Sarah is smiling because this pick up saved us over $3,000!!

Teaching the next generation how to be eco-friendly.

Kish should always drive with a chicken on her shoulder. Everyone should.

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A LITERAL MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

2010-03-26T09:42:00.004-04:00

Opera Cleveland: entertainer, educator... INADVERTENT MATCHMAKER!

I just got word that singers Jason Hardy and Carrie Kahl are getting married, which is awesome. Even better: they met during our production of The Marriage of Figaro in September 2008. Jason played Figaro and Carrie donned the pants as Cherubino.

Jason recently proposed onstage in front of 2,000 people on opening night of another production of The Marriage of Figaro, in which they shared the stage. (see above)

If you think their story is as cute as I do, you can vote for them in Crate and Barrell's Ultimate Wedding contest here.

I feel warm and squishy inside.

(Ed.: Jason just called ME directly to give me the low-down. Turns out his proposal was just a week ago, so they are freshly minted fiances. And he was pretty sly about the proposal, arranging for Carrie to play the role of Barbarina at the last minute. She usually plays Cherubino. They don't have a date set yet, but are hoping the Ultimate Wedding contest can help two "starving artists" with that. There's only five days left to vote!)
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SEPARATED AT BIRTH?

2010-03-23T16:39:00.002-04:00

Renee Fleming as Thais

and

The Celtic Woman?
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SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT

2010-03-22T15:29:00.003-04:00

Please excuse this interruption to my irregularly scheduled opera prattle for a glimpse at my little trip to lovely Milwaukee. Ok, ok, the only glimpse you actually get is of the Harley-Davidson Museum, but, really, what more do you need?

Our Board President Pauline giving me the what-for.

Will has found a new mode of commuting to the office. (I believe the correct term is "crotch rocket.")

Ha--chickens are everywhere! The opera...Harley-Davidson museums. (Watch out, we're coming for your children next.)
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FROM THE ARCHIVES

2010-03-19T09:30:00.000-04:00

Ah, more relics from operas of yore. In our Great Warehouse Clean-out 2010, we snagged a box of old Cleveland Opera posters. (One of our predecessor companies.) Thought I'd share some:

Look! Hell's fiery hand has arthritis!

The opera has a vast prop collection of daggers, but I'm fairly certain we don't have a dagger adorned with a clown. It's like those pencils with cumbersome toppers, such as trolls, feathers and pom-poms. I like my pencils and daggers plain and simple, thank you very much.

I love this poster--but when was the opera? Sometimes you have to sacrifice art for content.
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ITCHING FOR OPERA

2010-03-17T13:26:00.002-04:00

I have got an itch. The sort of itch Gold Bond just can't handle. (And, no, it's not from the wanton company I keep.) It's the itch for the opera season to begin. Perhaps it's the glimpses of spring we have been privy to lately, but I'm just like "c'mon, already! Get this show going!"

Alas, we've got two more months until Lucia di Lammermoor opens. So I must busy myself with other operatic goings-on in the area. Here's the scoop:

Tonight & this weekend: Oberlin Opera Theatre presents Candide.
Sunday, March 21: GO!, Generation Opera, heads to the Cedar Lee to see the HD broadcast of Il Trovatore.
Monday, March 22: Cleveland Institute of Music Opera Theater reprises highlights from its production of Ariadne auf Naxos through the Operatic Adventures program at 7 pm at Beachwood Library.
Saturday, March 27: Check your local movie theaters for showing of The Met's HD broadcast of Hamlet, featuring Simon Keenlyside.

ECO-CARL:

2010-03-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

It pays to be an eavesdropper. I'd do it just for the gossip, but occasionally I learn things. (Imagine that.) Such was the case a few weeks ago when I overheard the meeting between Lisa and Beau, the Business Recycling Specialist from the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District.

While the office is fairly hip to recycling (as I mentioned in a previous post), there's always more we can do. And Beau gave us the what's what.

First of all, the county website has a bevy of information to help with your solid waste needs. (Don't go there--you know what I mean.) But here's some tidbits I overheard that are helpful for businesses and individuals:

In the city of Cleveland, you can recycle plastics #1-7. Unless you are a business with a recycling program, you do have to drop off recyclables.
There is no company in the region that recycles incandescent light bulbs. But you can--and should--recycle fluorescent bulbs because they contain mercury. You can bring them to Home Depot to do so.
There's also no company in Cuyahoga county that recycles styrofoam--because there's no end market for the material. Avoid it! (And, hence, avoid that awful sound styrofoam makes when it brushes against something. Eek.)
Aveda stores take bottle caps (from any bottles) to recycle. (These are a #5 plastic that many cities don't collect.)
Compost! So much of what gets trashed can easily go back into the earth--a win-win situation.
Before you considering tossing something you don't think can be recycled, think again. There may indeed be a business that accepts it in Cuyahoga County. Check out the numerous publications, detailing all of the options. We used the Recycling Directory for Business and Industry to find a company that would pick up a literal ton of paper at our warehouse to recycle.

It should go without saying--but I'm a verbose little chicken, so I'm going to say it anyway--that recycling is the last step in the life cycle of an item. Reduce your consumption first!
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PUNTING TO THE LUCIAS

2010-03-08T15:02:00.003-05:00

So much opera, so little time. Lately, that's been my mantra. And by "opera," I don't just mean the music, I mean all the work that goes into opera--which we're in thick of here.

So forgive me as I punt this post to some madness on YouTube. Take your pick of your favorite Lucia:

I know which one I prefer.
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VINTAGE OPERA

2010-03-02T11:52:00.003-05:00

When we cleaned out the files in our old warehouse (see previous post), we found many treasures--along with a LOT of manila folders. I thought perhaps you wouldn't be so compelled by photos of said folders (don't hate on me, all you manila fetishists out there!) But I found the old issues of Opera News interesting--we found ones from the 1940s and 1950s, some of which feature cool illustrations on the covers.

I love how instead of generic headshots, the cast page features the singers in character. Cheesily in character, I might add.

Ah, patriotism--the greatest marketing tool, even for opera:

In the bowels of our warehouse, I discovered old programs from when the Met performed in Cleveland. While the company sporadically came to town since 1899, it regularly performed at Cleveland Public Auditorium starting in 1924. These programs are early on in that tenure--they're from 1925 and 1926, respectively.

One of the performances in 1926 was Lucia di Lammermoor:

(I have been inspired by The Sterling & Welch Co. ad above to create my own "Bureau of Suggestion." I think I have enough suggestions and opinions to fill a bureau, heh heh.)
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FILE AWAY, YOUNG CHICKEN

2010-02-24T16:08:00.003-05:00

What does an opera staff want to do most on a cold February day? Sort through 20-year old files in a cold warehouse, of course!

It was a requisite of Warehouse Move 2010 (aka Kish's Headache 2010) to assess all the archived files from the opera's history. The options: save, recycle or shred. LOTS will be recycled, but I made sure to keep a few interesting pieces that I will share with you guys.

This photo shows only about a third of all the boxes. Why, yes, the staff looks like they are about to go camping! (We would have had plenty of kindling, let me tell you.)

William: I'm the luckiest guy in the world! I get paid to sit among empty paint cans and sift through 30 years of audit papers!

Sarah: This memo from 1983 is utterly fascinating. Should I keep it? It's such a toss up to keep it or the invoice for 35 pounds of cookies in 1994.

Either Lisa is recycling with super speed (entirely possible) or I blurred the photo because she made a naughty gesture at me (also, entirely possible).

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DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA

2010-02-22T16:33:00.001-05:00

There's perfectly good reasons why the opera office has a gallon of vegetable oil, a box of knee pads, a bunch of stethoscopes, a bevy of undergarments and a boar's head. But you'll just have to figure it out yourself. Thoughts?
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GOODNESS GRATIS!

2010-02-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

Turns out people ~~like~~ really like free theater props, costumes and stage sets. Really.

I mentioned that, in the midst of moving our warehouse, we were putting a bunch of these items up for grabs. And grabbed they were. It was so cool that we got to both recycle and help out other theater organizations and people, which include the following (not an exhaustive list--it's just what Kish could recall off the top of her pretty little head.):

Lakewood High School
Avon Lake High School
Hudson High School
St. Ignatius High School
John Adams High School
The Cap Academy
Opera Western Reserve
Youngstown Opera Guild
Youngtown Playhouse
Toledo Opera
Erie Street Theatrical
Cleveland Play House
Oberlin College
Near West Theatre
PlayhouseSquare
Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
Cleveland State University
and a weird-arse carnie guy

Awesome.
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ECO-CARL: Watch and learn

2010-02-16T12:13:00.003-05:00

People have different learning styles. Some are better at reading, some at listening, some at watching. (And some people...well, that's why there's reality television.)

To explain our Green Opera Initiative, we've written about it and now we have a video for you aural and visual learners. (Warning: you may find this video dull for the sheer fact that I do not make an appearance in it. Maybe next time.)

how YOU doin'?

2010-02-12T09:52:00.000-05:00

THERE'S A NEW KID IN TOWN

2010-02-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

With all that's going on (the warehouse move, the Green Opera Initiative, GO!, drinking, basking in the amber glow of my awesomeness...), I completely neglected to introduce a new member of the Opera Cleveland staff.

In November, we bid adieu to our Director of Development Steve (or Uncle Steve, as he was known colloquially around the office--he'd probably be that uncle you see at family gatherings who amiably slapped you on the back, handed you a glass of scotch and then crammed a $20 in your pocket). He accepted a great job, so cheers to that.

The good news for us is getting to welcome Tracy Glenn as our new Director of Development. She comes from what is ostensibly a completely different world--that of rock 'n' roll. Her last job was at House of Blues, being a one-woman show for its foundation. I would reckon she's realized that the opera world is not so different from rock 'n' roll--perhaps it's even a bit more bawdy. (Or maybe it's just my mission to make it so.)

THE JOINT IS JUMPIN'

2010-02-05T10:50:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I had a night on the town, so I was happy to head a wee bit east to The Cleveland Play House for its production of Ain't Misbehavin'. The Play House will become a neighbor when it moves to PlayhouseSquare in the next two years to present in the Allen Theatre.

Ain't Misbehavin' was fantastic! Quite simply, it was a fun, amusing show--with hints of poignancy and bawdiness. (Sounds like a description of a good, comic opera, no?)

I got to see my girl Lisa at the Play House (I have lots of Lisas in my life. Everyone should.)

And, yes, I am wearing pearls. Sometimes a guy's gotta mix it up.

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ECO-CARL: On Broadway

2010-02-03T11:21:00.000-05:00

They say the neon lights are ~~bright~~ going LED on Broadway.

Opera Cleveland is certainly not the only arts organization looking on the green side of things. The mecca for musical theater junkies everywhere--Broadway--has its own "green team." More accurately, it's the Broadway Green Alliance. They are busy identifying and promoting better (i.e. more sustainable and eco-friendly) practices in the theater community.

What's cool and oh-so-helpful (and sorta makes me forgive whoever it was that allowed Katie Holmes on Broadway) are the lists and resources for better practices for theater professionals available online.

Opera Cleveland had started to compile our own lists of everything we could possibly think to consider in improving our sustainability, and BGA's lists are a great reference.

For theater shops and warehouses, there's an excellent score card, created by Mo' Olelo Performing Arts Company. It essentially rates all varieties of materials like paints, adhesives, textiles, plastics, and woods on their respective levels of toxicity and eco-friendliness. Frankly, it's a also great resource for people who are doing home improvement sorts of projects.
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GONE TO THE DOGS

2010-01-27T11:33:00.003-05:00

It's very seldom that I get mail at the office. And I mean that kind with a postage stamp on it (how quaint!) But yesterday, something arrived that went straight into my mailbox.

This:

Can you see that track list? Classic.

Barker of Seville
Toreadog
Nessun Dogma
Donna Immobile..eh?

I have to say, I was a little bummed when I popped in the CD, because it featured actual singing, not skillfully inflected barking. It's no Pavarotti. It's not even Andrea Bocelli. BUT--and I'm clearly biased here--how wrong can you go with something that embraces both opera and animals?
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ALL THE SINGLE LADIES...and guys

2010-01-25T10:33:00.004-05:00

Valentine's Day...meh! It's just that it's so...limiting. How can I narrow it down to just one person I'd like to spend the day with? Ridiculous.

Thankfully, I don't have to choose. GO!, Generation Opera is hosting Aphrodisiac: A Rousing Evening for the Senses on Feb. 12. And I shall be ~~lording over~~ hosting the Singles Table.

A four-course dinner with three wine pairings (yes, please!), chocolate and a performance by one of the area's finest singers. All at the new restaurant Chocolate Bar in downtown.

Click here for the deets and to register.

FOR EMILY, WHEREVER I MAY FIND HER

2010-01-22T13:39:00.002-05:00

It's a Friday Salute to Interns!

Emily has joined us for January as an intern, helping with tasks like creating education materials, sending out mailings and cleaning my coop. (Just kidding...or not.)

She is a voice student at Oberlin's Conservatory, but she's originally from Florida. This is her first winter driving in snow. (She doesn't know how lucky she is that the wintry explosions from the sky have been rather modest this season...so far.)

Thanks for helping, Emily!
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ECO-CARL: I like to move it, move it

2010-01-13T16:28:00.003-05:00

Have you ever wondered what it's like to move 30 years of opera history? Short answer: NOT easy.

I'm not talking about moving piles of yellowing scrapbooks or boxes of photographs. Our 30 years of opera history includes entire sets, a huge paint deck, and an abundance of props, costumes, set pieces and tools. This is an entire warehouse. We are moving a WAREHOUSE.

This endeavor does not involve promising your burliest friends free beer and pizza in exchange for a day of lifting and transporting. This is an eight-week planned operation, my friends.

It's tempting to rely heavily on the dumpster when doing a move, and, unfortunately, there are items that just have no other destiny or way to be recycled. But we're accessing everything and finding uses and homes for things that would otherwise share the remainder of their life with dirty diapers and banana peels.

One of the things Kish is doing is inviting her theater cronies over to ~~loot~~ adopt from our prop and set pieces we no longer need. (Theater storage is like GoodWill--but with an abundance of fake food and daggers.)

As we ready our new warehouse space, we're salvaging old sets for building materials. Our walls have had former lives as pieces of Hansel and Gretel or Fidelio.

(see the outline of the stove from Hansel and Gretel?)

Reusing sets is really nothing new in the theater world, but it was a great starting point for our Green Opera Initiative. With the philosophy or re-use already in place, it's easier to expand it to other areas and see how creative we can get.

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FROM POP STAR TO TRAIN WRECK

2010-01-11T12:21:00.002-05:00

We love a good train wreck, don't we? If we didn't, reality television would not have us so in its thrall. I admit that I am itching, just itching to see the new British reality show Pop Star to Opera Star.

Of course, there's the opera component. "No doubt the usual tosh about 'bringing opera to the masses' will be wheeled out in justification of this exercise," writes Rupert Christiansen of the Telegraph. I really don't mind that, but Christiansen makes a valid point: "All the programme offers (as I understand it) is the rehearsal of a few familiar arias, removed from the dramatic context which makes opera the theatrical art-form that it fundamentally is. Real opera singers don’t just sing the highlights, they have to get through the whole show, in character."

An ad for the show:

We all really know that the show has less to do with opera than with eliciting grimaces, unrestrained OMGs and loyal viewing from TV watchers.
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ECO-CARL: Office Space

2010-01-07T11:48:00.000-05:00

Forget spring cleaning. The advent of the new year always seems to inspire the staff to clean out the office. And there's always stuff to clean out. (Theater seating charts from 1995, um, yeah.)

Now here's where I get all After School Special-y on you. (Much as Scott Baio does in The Boy Who Drank Too Much.)

[Cue swelling instrumental music] I've learned that when you're purging your office of files of head shots from 1980s opera singers and such, you can do so responsibly. Unbelievable!

First, of course, there's paper recycling. Don't send 1980s head shots to the landfill--let them live a second life as toilet paper! Hopefully, your office or building has at least paper recycling. I really can't understand that some cities or businesses don't offer this basic service. Recycling should be as ubiquitous as trash pick up.

But if it's not, paper recycling--and aluminum and glass recycling--should not be difficult to find in your city. There's drop off sites and scrap yards. I found out about Earth 911, which is a great resource to use to find out where to recycle various items near your zipcode.

The digital age may reduce our reliance on paper, but its accessories can be a pain in the arse to recycle. Thankfully, as the nation is seeming to catch on to the idea that we got to take care of this planet we call home, recycling options are growing. In Cleveland, for instance, I found out about E-Scrap Solutions, where residents and businesses can recycle computers, computer parts, office machines, etc.

Perhaps more convenient, Best Buy accepts used CDs, batteries and inkjet cartridges at their stores.

What did people do before plastic, seriously? Not sayin' it's a good thing; it's just...everywhere, including in the office. If you're not using cloth bags (and WHY AREN'T YOU?!!), there are recycling options for all those plastic bags. Northeast Ohio grocery store chain Giant Eagle collects them, as does *whispering* Wal-Mart. I heard someone say that ~~Tar-jay~~ Target collects them as well.

These are just some of the little things we're doing, but you know what they say about little things. [Insert proverb. I'm too lazy to google one.]

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Introducing ECO-CARL

2010-01-05T10:57:00.002-05:00

How did you spend your holiday break? Lolling in front of the TV's reruns of Gilmore Girls? Avoiding toxic family gatherings? Imbibing and then imbibing some more? Nice. Go tell it to your blog because this chicken was not so lucky.

Half of the office was gone, so Sarah and Lisa (our resident "green team") thought it would be a good time for Eco Boot Camp for me. (And, really?! What do calisthenics have to do with the environment?)

The ladies were none too happy with my indiscriminate tossing of beer cans into the trash instead of the recycling bin, especially in light of our announcing the Green Opera Initiative. (See, I thought this initiative was for the company, not ME personally. Wrong.) I was schooled, son.

Now I know more about carbon calculators and LED lights and bisphenol A than you can shake an organic stick of butter at. Hence, they have also assigned me to write a periodic Eco Carl column here to share our progress with the Green Opera Initiative and about sustainability in the arts in general.

Dare I say I'm sorta excited about imparting my newly acquired green wisdom with you? Later this week: my titillating adventures in recycling at the office. (Hold onto your hats, kids.)

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JUMPING ON THE END-OF-YEAR CLICHE BANDWAGON

2009-12-29T10:06:00.002-05:00

At this time of year, you really don't expect to visit a blog and read new content, do you? Late December is all about recycling. (Or, if you want to be quixotic, it's all about reflection and meditation on another year past.) I hate to disappoint by not posting a review fo 2009, so here, dear readers, it is:

January

- Major drama in the office: Who will do the dishes now that Angela no longer works here?

- I introduce the What DODAD? feature, exploring what each Opera Cleveland employee does.

February
- I got to go to Florida in winter! To help oversee the installation of our Turandot set at Opera Jacksonville

-The stage managers arrive for The Barber of Seville!

March

-Lots of behind-the-scenes goodness about The Barber of Seville.

- Great reviews of Barber: "Sheer joy." - Opera Now; "The production...grabs ear and funny bone with equal vibrancy." - Plain Dealer

April

-An operatic ending for Peeps

May

-We announce our 2010-11 season!

- The Falstaff cast arrives for rehearsals!

June

- I get to wear a Falstaff fat suit, complete with moobs.

- We feel the love for Falstaff, with great reviews--critics and audience alike.

July

- In homage to tabloid magazines and entertainment shows everywhere, we post a few "Where Are They Now" on some recent Opera Cleveland singers.

August

- It was a somewhat slow month, okay?!

September

- We announce our new affiliate group for those age 25-50 called GO! Generation Opera

- Oh, and I travel to Branson, Missouri. For fun--or something like that.

October

- Yay! Lots to do and talk about with the arrival of our Don Giovanni cast.

- You can't forget my tour of the classic Don Giovanni artwork in the office.

November

- We're grateful for our patrons and for their kind words on our recent online survey.

December

- I'm STILL WAITING for the gifts I asked for on my Holiday Wishlist. Hmpfh.

- Of course, there's was my whirlwind visit to Seattle with Dean. (I'm still recovering.)

I hope your 2009 was just as eventful and that 2010 proves to be marvelous, darlings.

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RESOLVE TO ADD MORE OPERA TO YOUR LIFE

2009-12-23T11:35:00.003-05:00

You can start tonight! PBS is showing a film adaptation of La boheme, starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon. In Cleveland, it's on at 9 pm on WVIZ.

What do you possibly have to do on the day after Christmas, other than laze around the house in holiday food-induced fashion wear (i.e. sweatpants)? Check out the Met's "controversial" Tosca, also on PBS, 8 pm on WVIZ.

In January, the Cedar Lee features two HD broadcast of La Scala operas . On Jan. 6 at 7 pm, see Massenet's Thais. See how La Scala's Falstaff stacks up to ours (heh heh heh) on Jan. 20 at 7 pm.

There's ample opportunity to get your Met fix this winter. EVERY Saturday, you can listen to the Met Saturday matinee broadcast on WCLV, 104.9. (The Station has run the broadcasts for 40 years!) Click here for the list of upcoming broadcasts, which include Hansel and Gretel, Carmen, Ariadne auf Naxos, and a 1958 archived broadcast of Vanessa.

Then there's The Met on the big screen, through its HD broadcasts at area movie theaters. Catch La Fleming in Der Rosenkavalier on Jan. 9. Carmen is Jan. 16 and Placido Domingo stars in Simon Boccanegra on Feb. 6. Click here for the complete list.

Of course, you will want to make sure to get your Opera Cleveland subscription to our 2010-11 season. Lucia di Lammermoor in May is only four and a half months away. (Granted, January and February will feel like FIVE LONG COLD MONTHS, but still.)

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VACATION, ALL I EVER WANTED

2009-12-16T14:57:00.003-05:00

My time in Seattle is coming to a close. *Sob*

Maestro! I want a double tall no foam extra hot macchiato! I have to admit I'm hooked now. There's no turning back.

Another Cleveland connection in Seattle! Singer Jennifer Bromagen is from the Cleve and sang with the Opera Cleveland chorus for several years. She came over to Dean's house for some coaching. (And some chicken love.)

Honestly, I had it coming. I kept calling Dean's dog Grady "Eddie," as in dog on Fraiser. Incidentally, Grady is named for the Cleveland Indians' Grady Sizemore. (A Seattle native, natch.)

A visit to Jimi Hendrix's final resting place. Peace out, dude.

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HOME AWAY FROM HOME

2009-12-14T10:48:00.002-05:00

While I enjoyed all the Pacific Northwest sightseeing, I was homesick for opera. So Dean decided to take me to visit Seattle Opera.

On my way... (I feel like I need a theme song here, maybe something with whistling.)

The venerable Speight Jenkins, General Director of Seattle Opera. My homesickness for the Opera Cleveland offices was such that I offered to fetch Speight coffee and make copies, just to feel more at home. (He took me up on those offers but not the offer to rub his feet.)

A former Clevelander! Kelly Tweeddale is the Executive Director of Seattle Opera.

And here I am outside the opera's performance hall.
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THE CAFFEINATED CITY

2009-12-10T09:57:00.004-05:00

Ah, I've realized what gives Dean so much energy--coffee. It's the Seattle way.

He literally made me bow down before this coffee shop--the very first Starbucks. The buskers let me sing second tenor with them, but I left after I found out they didn't know "Nessun Dorma." Pshaw!

Of course, what's Seattle without the iconic Space Needle. It's been there since 1962, and it's so very The Jetsons. (Ruh-roh, George!)

Like the Space Needle, the Monorail is also a relic of the '62 World's Fair.

Another coffee break, this time at Dean's favorite espresso cafe.

Hey, Clevelanders! I'm at the other end of I-90.

I thought I'd try my luck begging outside the new offices of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Because they gave out 2.8 BILLION DOLLARS in 2008, I thought perhaps there might be a spare million for Opera Cleveland. No such luck.

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SLEEPY IN SEATTLE

2009-12-09T09:59:00.003-05:00

Maybe I'm so tired because a certain Opera Cleveland Artistic Director **coughDeancough** has decided I need to see EVERY POSSIBLE LANDMARK IN SEATTLE while I visit him. I wouldn't be surprised if he moonlights as the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau as an ambassador.

Me and Ambassador Williamson at Lincoln Beach, overlooking the Puget Sound--with the Olympic Mountains in the background. (The idyllic nature of this photo just screams "Suck it, Cleveland and your measly lake!")

Dean sought out a co-ambassador for the day's sightseeing--"character tenor" Paul Gudas. (Oh, he was a character, all right.)

While cavorting on the beach, we spied the Fauntleroy Ferry--apparently Seattle has the largest ferry system in the world.

I insisted Dean take me into the foothills to reenact scenes from Twilight, which is filmed in the Pacific Northwest. (And then, later that night, I told Dean "Sometimes I watch you when you sleep.")

Team Edward all the way!
(FYI, those are vampire teeth on me, not cocaine drip.)

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Stay tuned for more photos of my Seattle adventures!
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HOLIDAY WISHLIST

2009-12-07T11:01:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year. Time for my holiday wish list:

The Met's Lucia di Lammermoor on DVD
With Anna Netrebko. (Watch out parents, this DVD is NOT RATED. And we never know what opera directors are going to do, do we?)

Karaoke machine pre-loaded with my favorite opera arias
Obviously, this item will take some coordination and savvy, but I have faith in you, readers! First, you will have to cleverly discern just what my favorite arias are. Then, you'll have to find instrumental tracks of those arias to load into a karaoke machine. (Oh, and you'll have to figure out if anyone still actually sells karaoke machines, because it's no longer 1994.)

To meet the doyenne behind Opera Chic
Opera bloggers need to stick together, yo.

This recording of Massenet's Werther
Ahh, divine!

The head of John the Baptist from Salome

I'm bored with the one I currently have. We've grown apart. It's time to move on.

--- One of my holiday wishes has already come true: I will be spending some time in Seattle with our Artistic Director Dean! Stay tuned for my dispatches from the Pac NW.

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LIGHTER FOOTSTEPS

2009-12-04T10:25:00.003-05:00

If Opera Cleveland has seemed quiet this week because I haven't been as talkative (bloggative?), that would be a faulty assumption. No, things have been bubbling at the office, as yesterday we officially announced our Green Opera Initiative.

In the past few months, Opera Cleveland has started to analyze its carbon footprint and begun to reduce it, and we decided to formalize it. While the Initiative will apply to the company as a whole, we're striving for carbon neutrality with Lucia di Lammermoor.

The Green Opera Initiative is more than a project--it's a way of thinking. (Does that not sound like benevolent corporate speak? Really, I just wrote it, and I mean it.)

Like other opera companies, we've recycled and reused stage sets, props, ~~singers~~, and set pieces for years. But now we can place those actions--and greatly expand upon them--under a philosophy of sustainability. These days, it's silly not to think green.

O is for OPERA

2009-11-25T15:17:00.002-05:00

Muppets have been very good to opera, and I offer a belated birthday wish to Sesame Street with some clips of opera on the show:

Marilyn Horne loves cookies:

Denyce Graves gets buggy:

GRATITUDE

2009-11-23T11:50:00.005-05:00

Because Thanksgiving is nigh, what better time to express our gratitude to our patrons? You're why we're here, and don't think we forget that.

A particular thanks to everyone who filled out our recent online Patron Survey (there's still a chance to fill out if you like). The comments run the gamut in such surveys, as people's opinions vary so wildly. It is IMPOSSIBLE to please everyone, though the company tries to make decisions based on the majority's recommendations. So it's encouraging and energizing for us to read the overwhelming amount of positive responses in this survey. Here's a few comments:

"I attended opera as child in New York City. Attended as patron in Milwaukee. Same in Washington DC. I found that Opera Cleveland was high enough quality, compared to NYC Opera, Milwaukee, Washington DC, to be very worthwhile to attend."

"There is a nice mix of warhorses and lesser-performed works and we realize that our subscription does not cover the cost of putting the performances on--we don't want to lose opera in Cleveland--so we do what we can to support, which is to subscribe!"

"It was a while before I could afford to be a subscriber, but now I feel a part ownership and responsibility to assist in making the company go. I find it such a pleasure to introduce others to this wonderful company and this art that speaks to one's inner self."

"The quality of the OC programs has been steadily improving in the areas that really matter: voices of the soloists, direction of--and performance by--the orchestra, and overall program direction and staging. All are important and all have improved. We are hopeful that the vocalists engaged will continue to raise the bar over time."

"I am constantly amazed at the new insights that the directors and designers bring to each production, even to works we think we know. This and the opportunity to experience works in the flesh we have just read about makes this company exciting."

Thank you!
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MOMENTS OF ZEN

2009-11-19T09:33:00.002-05:00

Although our last production has been over for almost two weeks now, the office has still been crazy. There's been chorus auditions, Music! Words! Opera! teacher trainings, year-end mailings and all that important financial stuff William does.

So I think it's a fine time for some moments of zen.
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Watch a clip of our Falstaff production Benny Hill-ified. Hil-frickin'-arious. Trust me, it won't let you down. (Unless you try to watch it in Internet Explorer, in which case it probably won't work.)

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Eric from Opera Columbus was in the office this week. Look what a snappy dresser he is!

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On a sad note, the creepy baby figurines in the office witnessed a massacre the other night. Fortunately, the only victim was a bottle of Charles Shaw wine. (This is what happens when wine is opened with a pair of scissors. Children, don't try this at home.)
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?TURANDOT EDITION

2009-11-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, The Met opened a Zeffirelli production of Puccini's Turandot, and just who stepped in at the last minute to sing the role of the princess? Lise Lindstrom, who sang the role in Cleveland in 2005. (Seen in the photo to the left.) She also sang Salome for Opera Cleveland in 2007.) She was scheduled to sing the role a couple weeks later, but her Met debut came early.

Not only did she sing it, sister, she received a standing ovation.

Tonight theaters across the nation are re-broadcasting Turandot, with Maria Guleghina (the soprano Lindstrom stepped in for). Check out info about the Met HD broadcast.

TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY THINK

2009-11-13T13:57:00.002-05:00

With the 2009 season concluded, it's a good time to get organized, clean out the coop...and survey our patrons.

We have a quick, anonymous survey online here. So let us know what you think--and feel free (I repeat: FEEL FREE) to tell Opera Cleveland you want more Chicken with your opera. ;)

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Don Giovanni went to hell and all I got was a lousy tee-shirt.

2009-11-10T15:55:00.004-05:00

Another show done and gone. But not before I had to get up early on Sunday and help strike the set.

Thankfully, I had company. (Like Production Intern Extraordinaire Andrew in the background there, likely doing something extraordinary.)

Assistant Stage Manager Erin, who is not, btw, rolling up toilet paper here. This is the ribbon from the may pole in Don Giovanni.

Set, schmet. I came to think of this platform as my personal dance floor. Recits are always good for crumping.
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DECONSTRUCTING GIOVANNI

2009-11-05T10:34:00.002-05:00

I was starting to write a post today when my handler Lisa literally pushed me aside. With the pent-up angst that could only belong to a former English major, she declared, "I'm writing the post today; I've been doing some thinking." (Translation: I don't have enough minutiae in my life to analyze, so I'm going to extend it Don Giovanni.) I'm indulging her, so here ya go:

Don Giovanni is One Bad Dude. That much is clear. But unlike other Bad Dudes central to a story (i.e. Don Draper of Mad Men), the opera Don Giovanni doesn't ask us to delve into why he is so bad. It's not because his parents abandoned him or a love lost permanently scarred his heart. No, he is just bad--and he has no compunction whatsoever about it.

This opera is not about Don Giovanni. It is about the characters and world around him. Director John Hoomes meant for the production to offer up Don Giovanni as a mirror to those around him. His blatant sexuality serves to liberate the other characters' true feelings.

I feel the production challenges us to consider the validity of the superficial moral parable. Is he dragged to hell because he will not repent his sins? Or does his descent represent the other characters' inability to accept the true feelings Don Giovanni elicits from them, and they must bury him in defense?

We can add to our interpretation(s) by considering the context in which Don Giovanni was written. Mozart wrote the opera during the Enlightenment, which advanced the rejection of convention and church, valuing the primacy of the individual. Don Giovanni stands up for himself, but society cannot handle it.

Don Giovanni opens the door not just to hell but to our minds.

Ok, that's enough out of her. But some interesting points to ponder, I admit. Do some deconstructing of your own--we've got one more performance this Saturday night.
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MONDAY MISCELLANY

2009-11-02T15:56:00.002-05:00

*yawn*
I'm still recovering from a weekend of opera--and the celebrating that ensued. But it's nice to wake up to a good review, and that's just what I did on Sunday.

Among other kind words about Don Giovanni, Plain Dealer reporter Don Rosenberg writes:

"Hoomes’ observations often are so intriguing and funny, the stage pictures so enchanting – the contrast between modern designs and period costumes works well – and the musical values so strong that the splendor of Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte’s achievement comes leaping from stage and pit."

Read the full review here.

....

It's Monday, and I know what you do on Mondays. You take ample YouTube and FaceBook breaks. We've got some YouTube-esque videos up at Fox8. We gave our Don Giovanni cast a camera, and, surprisingly, they didn't give it back to us with anything above a PG rating. (They call themselves opera singers! Pshaw!) Between what they captured and some footage from our Meet the Cast event, the videos give you a glimpse at the singers' lives.

Check out the videos here. (They are along the right-hand side of the page.)

....

Singer and Oberlin student Cree Carrico came to our opening night. She's still busy blogging here. I daresay I chuckled at the title of her most recent blog: The most terrifying two words in the English language: musical theatre.

....

Reminder to Wagner fans: There's a Wagner Symposium this coming weekend in Canton. Learn more here.
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EYE AND EAR CANDY

2009-10-29T17:30:00.004-04:00

Settle down. I'm not belittling our singers' immense talent by referring to them as "eye candy." (Though they are all attractive people.) I mean that our production of Don Giovanni is a visual snack. It's intriguing, at times stark but more often vivid. But the striking visuals also leave ample room for your imagination to wander.

Here's some photos by Eric Mull that offer you a glimpse into Don Giovanni:

Let's call a spade a spade: Don Giovanni is a slut.

Yes, Alyson Cambridge (our Donna Elvira) knows that she looks like Vanessa Williams. But Alyson sure as heck sings better.

Leporello ascends the stairs to nowhere--or is it somewhere? Oh, the potential for interpretation in this opera!

(They really wanted to get the Stair Car from Arrested Development, but it wasn't available. Apparently it had an appearance to make at Ron Howard's birthday party.)

Does our production feature women encased in giant pantyhose? Yes, yes it does. That's all I'm going to say about that.

I told you he was a tramp.

See more photos here.
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WAKE UP AND SMELL THE OPERA

2009-10-27T20:37:00.000-04:00

We have been rocking the morning airwaves this week (or digital transmissions--whatever.)

First, Dean and Director John Hoomes were on WKYC's Good Company yesterday. Then Alyson Cambridge was featured on the show today. (Click the links to watch!)

This morning, I got up with the chickens (people wake up when it's still dark??!) and went with Dean to WDOK, where he helped judge wannabe opera singers on air. Here he is hanging out with Terry, Jim and Trapper Jack.

Wednesday, tune into Around Noon on WCPN. Janinah Burnett (Donna Anna) and Jonathan Boyd (Don Ottavio) will be singing and Dan Polletta will interview them, along with Dean.
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BACKSTAGE PASS

2009-10-27T09:57:00.002-04:00

I know, I know. You want scrumptious photos of our cast on stage, fully costumed and fully in thrall of Mozart. Well, don't get your panties in a bunch--I will show you some shots of our production. LATER.

Now, I expose the gritty underbelly of opera--BACKSTAGE. (insert ghoulish gasps here.)

Stage Managers should strike up a deal with Crayola or Pantone. Their work boxes are filled with rainbows of products--Post-its, tape, highlighters. In theater, everything has a place--and a color.

The requisite singer-getting-made-up-before-the-show photo. Here is Scott Conner, aging from 25 to 60 in under an hour!

How you doin'?

Note: these hors d'oeuvres are not edible. (No matter how long you've been at rehearsal.)

The natural habitat of the Great Googly Moogly, a pet of the venerable Kish. GGM accompanies her to the theater for each production.
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HERE WE GO, BROWNIES!

2009-10-23T13:53:00.000-04:00

I think what the Browns need is a little opera.

Let's hope some of the Opera Cleveland chorus can inspire them to victory this Sunday, Oct. 25, when they sing the national anthem at the start of the game.

We can hope, can't we?!
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SPEAKING EASY

2009-10-22T20:56:00.000-04:00

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little hungover still from last night's GO!, Generation Opera, Launch Party at SpeakEasy bar. Eh, I'm probably in good company.

I was certainly in good company last night.

Doug Collier and Susan Wagner--obviously delighted by my appearance. (Or awfully good actors.)

Nikki DiFilippo is the gal that made it all happen, helped by Kimberly Hist.

I enjoyed chatting with Amy, Jennifer and Dennis (actually I had the most fun listening to the verbal ping pong match between Amy and Dennis.)

There's some more photos that I'll post later on. 'Til then, it's not too late to get up and GO! (heh, see what I did there?) There's a Taste of the Season luncheon Thursday, Oct. 29 at the Club at Key Center. Check it out. I'll be making a special guest appearance.
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OOT WOOT

2009-10-22T11:12:00.002-04:00

There's a new kid on the NE Ohio opera blogging block (uh, so now there's two of us?).

Oberlin Opera Theater, or OOT as I like to say, has turned out many a great singer (including Alyson Cambridge, our Donna Elvira), and now they've turned out a great blogger, too. Cree Carrico--a singer who is starring in OOT's upcoming Cosi fan tutte--has begun blogging here.

So far, she's provided vivid and eloquent descriptions of meeting and watching singer Denyce Graves and a whirlwind trip to New York City, where she saw Aida and Tosca at the Met.

She writes: "Controversial Tosca? Stay on the edge of your seats and check back later this week to read my review, "'If only they had Tosca on the team!'"

I'm definitely gonna check back to see what that is all about.

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OPERA SMACKDOWN: GIOVANNI vs LEPORELLO

2009-10-19T15:36:00.000-04:00

At the Meet the Cast event Saturday, I found out tons about our Don Giovanni cast (e.g. one of our singers, without fail, eats a tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat bread along with a banana before every performance.)

Robert Gierlach, our Don Giovanni, has played the role about 85 times, but he's also played his fair share of Leporellos. Matthew Burns, our Leporello, has likewise sung both roles.

Matthew mentioned a New York Times article that compared the two bass roles. So, of course, I looked it up first thing this morning. It asks the question 'which is the better role?'

There's definitely some psychological probing going on. Could Leporello just be Giovanni's alter ego--the manifestation of what Giovanni could be if his id didn't get in the way so much?

“Don Giovanni isn’t Casanova but a superman,” singer Marco Vinco says. “He exists on a different plane from ordinary people. His element is mystery. He lives to conquer God, feeling neither love nor pity nor guilt. Leporello is exactly the opposite: a simpleton, a nice guy who feels all the human feelings.”

Director Peter Sellars gives his take: “In the end the transformation of Leporello is what the opera is about. Giovanni is static. He never learns a thing. Leporello goes through the whole range of emotions Giovanni is cut off from. He’s a feeling, thinking person.”

Ok, so maybe the article doesn't answer the question it poses, but it does offer great insights into these characters. One thing is clear about the opera: Leporello and Don Giovanni cannot exist without each other.
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ENTRAPMENT

2009-10-16T11:01:00.002-04:00

A little Don Giovanni anecdote to start the weekend right. (I mean, I know opera anecdotes always start my weekend right!)

At the end of the opera, Giovanni descends into hell. Often the director and set designer render that descent by use of a trap door. Well, variations of the story say that the singer was too overweight and got stuck or that the elevator that takes him below stage gets stuck. Regardless, Giovanni is trapped, half in view to the audience. A quick-witted voice from the balcony cries "Hooray! Hell's full!"

See you tomorrow at the Meet the Cast event. Perhaps the singers have some fun stories like this.

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MEETING OF THE MINDS

2009-10-13T12:19:00.000-04:00

Even though they haven't taken me out to the bar yet (ahem!), the Don Giovanni cast has wormed its way into my fowl heart.

Give them a chance to charm you--our Meet the Cast event is this Saturday, Oct. 17. Same time: 7:30 pm. Same place: Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Legacy Village.

Here's the leader of the pack (vroom, vroom), Johnny Rocket. Or Director John Hoomes, for you professional types. (And that's Hoomes, not Holmes, you perverts.)

It's like Red Rover, with opera singers. This was Alyson Cambridge's idea. Jonathan Boyd and I just played along.

Straight outta Warsaw...Robert Gierlach, our Don Giovanni. (Don't worry; he did NOT try to seduce me.)

Assistant Stage Manager Erin is back (aka Curls McGirl)! I finagled a ride on the rickshaw that's featured in the production. (And on which Will keeps trying to get someone to courier him to E. 4th Street.)

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DON GIOVANNI, CURATED

2009-10-12T15:06:00.003-04:00

I covered this before: Art begets art. And opera has long inspired artists of all stripes (and polka dots).

Don Giovanni is no exception, and, surprisingly, I haven't even seen that much Don Giovanni artwork that is very salacious. (Or perhaps I am not looking in the right places. If so, please tell me where those right places are.)

Turns out, Opera Cleveland houses its own collection of Don Giovanni artwork. (And by collection, I mean two pieces...but there's room to grow.)

There's nothing salacious about this poster, unless you consider giant, disproportionate arms to be the apex of smut. (And perhaps some of you do. Please avert your eyes, then.) Maybe it's the large arms, but this Giovanni is rather cute.

This is my absolute favorite piece in the office:

Because nothing says "hell-bound lothario" like cross-stitch. Actually, I am not so sure that the crafter didn't just appropriate a "Moses and the Burning Bush" cross stitch pattern. No matter: I love it.

Artists and crafters out there, please feel free to send me your Don Giovanni paint-by-numbers, clay figurine, Etch-a-Sketch rendering, diorama or other piece of art to add to our collection.
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THAT'S OPERA

2009-10-08T09:51:00.002-04:00

You know opera is my true love, but, dang, if I don't love myself some television. Ah, its pixelly confections provide me comfort and fleeting sustenance.

So I am super psyched that Dean (i.e. our artistic director, conductor, and proprietor of the best laugh ever) is going to be on That's Life with Robin Swoboda tomorrow morning. That's on Fox8 during the ten o'clock hour.

I'm not quite sure why I wasn't asked to be the guest, but I'll overlook the slight this time. I will certainly be there at the taping, you can bet on it.

Later today, I'm heading over to the Don Giovanni music "read through"--which is actually, um, a "sing-through."
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DOESN'T OPERA HAVE A BOOK CLUB AND TALK SHOW?

2009-10-06T09:36:00.002-04:00

I'm weeping into my morning frappuccino here. Via this article in the Telegraph, I learned that more than half the population of Blackpool in England think opera is a popular talk show host.

Perhaps this extends to Americans, as well, as per the label on our newspaper each week (or at least a lack of spelling skills). Maybe Clevelanders are thinking we're up in our offices "Living our Best Lives" and chatting with Dr. Oz and listening to Mackenzie Phillips talk about "consensual incest." But let's hope not.

In the poll of 3,000 Brits by operamadesimple, only 25% had even seen a live opera. (Someone please get me a paper bag to breathe into!) The good news is the existence of operamadesimple--it provides easy explanations, history and insights into opera. Perfect for novices or opera scaredy cats.

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OK, GO!

2009-09-29T20:32:00.003-04:00

I like to think I spend a lot of my time busting myths about opera (and, oh, there are many). Important work. One of those myths is that opera is the domain of the geriatric set.

KA-BOOM! Did you hear that? That's the the exploding of that myth. And there's a new group that's helping dismantle it--GO!: Generation Opera. This fresh-faced group is all about connecting people in the 25-50 age range (50 is the new 40, yo) through opera.

What I love is that its launch party on Oct. 21 is going to be at the bar Speakeasy--and it's free! Oh, and GO! members receive 25% off tickets to Opera Cleveland performances. Sign up and find out more here.
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HEY BABY!

2009-09-28T11:38:00.002-04:00

Eggplant Baby has a friend!

Yet another creepy, absurd baby figurine mysteriously showed up in our office this morning:

May I present to you: Self-Loving Baby.

I'm getting suspicious. I think this may be an inside job. I am leaning toward William as the culprit. He's so demure that no one would think he has a collection of creepy, absurd baby figurines.
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FIELD TRIP FRIDAY: Branson, Missouri

2009-09-25T10:16:00.004-04:00

What's a summer without a vacation? It would have been just fine, imho, because my summer vacation was to Branson, Missouri. Indeed.

I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-feathers sort of chicken, so when Kish asked if I wanted to accompany her and her travel companions to Missouri, I said "sure."

First stop was St. Louis. Respectable. They have a giant arch. How can you argue with a city that has a giant arch?

Onward to Branson, where we went on a tour of Table Rock Lake. (I was polite and refrained from saying "Ummm, but we have a lake in Cleveland, and it's a lot bigger.")

And then there were the shows. Oh, were there shows. There are more than 40 theaters in Branson, and keep in mind that the town's population is only about 6,000.

We saw Shepherd of the Hills: A Musical History of Branson, Missouri (Above, I am pictured with some strapping lads from said show.)

We also saw Noah: The Musical (aka, Two Hours of My Life I Will Never Get Back.)

My favorite was probably Island Fire:

(Starring Jon Gosslein! J/K.)

Most of the performers were from Samoa, and they were awesome (as well as hot).

Shucks, we did miss these theaters: Andy Williams Moon River Theatre, The Baldknobbers Jamboree, the Osmond Family Theatre, and the Welk Theatre at the Welk Resort. (And to think I brought my petticoat for nought.)

This was my favorite part of the trip! Oh, and also when I told people I was from Opera Cleveland, they were, like, 'Cleveland, Tennessee has an opera company?!'

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A LEGEND LIVES ON

2009-09-23T11:19:00.007-04:00

The opera world lost Beverly Sills over two years ago, and she leaves behind a tremendous legacy--and an estate that is up for auction.

You, too, can be the owner of one of Bubbles' many pieces of artwork...or chairs. Like these:

Or perhaps an evening bag:
In all seriousness, I would give up a year of Schlitz (and that's a real sacrifice, here) for a piece of memorabilia like one of the drawings of the costumes designs for her:

Oh, I could just see these hanging in my coop!
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THE WEEK LINKS

2009-09-18T14:21:00.002-04:00

I'm having some issues here with my job description. See, I'm primarily supposed to blog. But the staff has been taking advantages of that little clause "other duties as assigned," so I've been neglectful of this blog, in my estimation. (Someday I will work up the courage to tell Will to screw the budget numbers I owe him, there's Twittering to be done!)

While my wit and whimsy is currently being shelved in favor of things like replenishing the copier paper (honestly) and refilling Paul's flask of vodka (j/k!), I want to continue to entertain and educate my loyal readers. So, here's some links I have been enjoying this week (yes, there's still time for web surfing, if not blogging.)

TimeOut NY offers a pop culture-to-opera conversion guide:
"If you love that Amy Winehouse is no good, don’t miss opera’s ultimate bad girl, Carmen. Bizet’s Gypsy could totally give the Wine-o a run for her money."

More pop culture comparisons: La Cieca at Parterre compares soprano Danielle de Niese to Family Guy's Meg.

The Met season opens on Monday! With Puccini's Tosca. Here's a Q&A with Conductor James Levine, Director Luc Bondy and lead Karita Matilla

Kentucky Opera BLOGGED FROM THE FUTURE (tomorrow), showing a pic from the load-in of its Traviata set.

happy weekending.
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SEASON PREP

2009-09-15T11:27:00.004-04:00

While we're generally in the thrall of preparing for Don Giovanni (opens Oct. 30, kids!), there's always other stuff to be done in the office.

A couple of months ago, I announced our 2010-11 season, and I have been dutifully ~~hovering~~ consulting on its preparations. For instance, I made the helpful recommendation to Will that perhaps Renee Fleming would be a nice addition to one of our casts. His reply: "Bish Plz. Unless you've got rolls of Benjamins underneath those feathers of yours." Hmph.

Nonetheless, I'm truly, truly excited for next year and have been boning up on the rep. I found some video clips for you to get a feel, too:

This is the cool set we're using! (Nathan Gunn not included)

This intense opera "monologue" will be paired with I Pagliacci.

Domingo sings in concert from Werther.

Remember, Werther is pronounced ver-TARE. Not like the brand of butterscotch candies that mix with the lint in pockets of the over-70 set.

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NEOPHYTES

2009-09-08T11:12:00.002-04:00

The Midge recently opened up the comments on her blog, asking for advice for the opera newcomer. How do you successfully introduce someone to opera?

A thoroughly interesting subject to ponder. Indeed, the comments were just as interesting...and entertaining:

"Going to the opera is a sacred ritual, it is not like taking out the garbage, or doing aerobics, or going to a therapy group. It has to do with the salvation of your soul."(gauthier310)

"The ready availability of opera on DVD makes it possible to screen bleeding chunks of a bunch of works to see what appeals. It might be Handel, it might be Verdi, it might be Berg." (LisaHirsch1)

"DVDs and books and learning about opera are fine tools...but they can make you think you've been to an opera when in fact you haven't...The whole thing is canned and you can fast forward to the end. At a live performance, you will have the magical experience of hearing a human voice directly, unmediated by electronic amplification...Going to an opera is like falling in love: you don't feel the earth move by reading about it."(gauthier310)

"Opera is not everyone's cup of tea, but I think that it is important that newcomers understand that it is a hugely varied art form that can be approached from several possible vantage points, including one's headphones."(newbie2 )

The Midge feels that going to a live opera performance makes a difference, and I have to agree. She backs up her opinion citing a paper by a sociologist that studied how people become opera fans. It established that people who love opera had an "aha" moment--a love at first sight (or, listen, as the case may be.)

I can definitely believe this, but I also believe people can become opera fans in many ways--just as people can fall in love immediately or slowly. Sometimes repetition and education can cultivate the appreciation and love of opera.

And, as commenters noted, there may not be one perfect "orientation" opera. The logical choices might be The Magic Flute, The Barber of Seville, or Carmen. But there are those who first fall for opera after seeing Das Rheingold or Peter Grimes.

I think the challenge, more so, is getting many people to be open-minded enough to try opera. And, by try, I mean if they have one negative experience, try another before writing off the genre.

Give opera a chance!
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WHAT A DRAG

2009-09-03T09:56:00.001-04:00

Opera and drag go together like peanut butter and jelly, like Schlitz and Cheetos.

We've got Trouser Roles. We've got Philip Langridge as the Witch in the Met's recent Hansel and Gretel. We've got La Cieca at Parterre Box.

And we've got Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh, the Traumatic Soprano.

The semi-retired founder of all-male drag opera troupe La Gran Scena performed recently in May in NYC. She was in Cleveland four years ago performing a "One Night Stand"--perhaps you saw it. (Dang it all for not being born yet and missing it!)

The Advocate recently spoke with Ira Siff, Madame's alter ego. He has "become a player in the legitmate operatic scene," (Drag opera isn't legit?!?!) directing operas and becoming a commentator for the Met's radio broadcasts.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"I switched teams to Callas very fast!"

"I now sort of feel like the Jesus Christ of opera, going around and spreading the gospel to 10 million people a week on the radio."

"I used to sing soprano in the basement of my parents' home in Brooklyn"

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Click here to hear and see the dame in action.

BABA GANOUSH

2009-09-01T15:11:00.002-04:00

We have a new addition to the office, and we haven't the faintest idea how it got here.

Behold, Eggplant Baby:

One day last week, it just appeared. No one on staff has confessed to adding Eggplant Baby to our motley crew. And trust me, we all have comic egos enough to want to claim this bizarre knick-knack as our sublime joke.

I mean, it's a cherub overjoyed to be bouncing atop a pile of eggplants! WTF?!

Of course, this meant we immediately bestowed premonitory power upon the figurine and all engaged in a Magic 8 Ball-type game of "Spin the Eggplant Baby."

Just another day at the office.

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OPERA HERO

2009-08-27T09:59:00.004-04:00

Another music-loving bird??!!??

Yes, but this one is in a pixelated, interactive format. (Ha! At least I'm real.)

I found out via Opera Chic that a Parisian video game developer has created Maestro: Jump in Music*. In the Nintendo DS game, you control Presto (the aforementioned "bird" above, which looks more like a Pac Man enemy with wings to me.

No?)

Anyway, the game is similar to Guitar Hero (which I have never played because SOMEONE *coughPaulcough* doesn't think it's in his marketing budget). Your goal is to get Presto through different levels by playing music with a stylus--the more you know the classical and operatic compositions in the game, the better you'll be.

You can try out the game here.

*Did they mean Jump Into Music??
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PUPPET REGIME

2009-08-25T12:03:00.002-04:00

You know, Don Giovanni is always getting a bad rap. Sure, he's one shady guy, but he's merely a puppet...literally:

This is from the National Marionette Theater in Prague. (Oh, those Europeans.)
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KNOW YOUR STATE HISTORY

2009-08-19T14:28:00.002-04:00

I was strolling about the OpCleve offices today, clucking my best version of "Sister Christian," when my handler Lisa grabbed me. "Shut your beak and make yourself useful. It's your penance for getting 'Motoring! What's your price for flight?' in my head."

That's how I came to proofread stories for the next edition of our newsletter Bravo! (Don't tell, but I actually don't mind proofreading...I love red pens.) One article particularly interested me. In his column, Dean mentions the acoustic quirks of the State Theatre, where we present our operas. The theater was originally built for vaudeville, so, obviously, it wasn't optimized for orchestral playing. But, brilliant lad that he is, Dean has rearranged our orchestra in the pit to improve the audience's aural experience.

It had me wondering more about the PlayhouseSquare theaters and their history. Here's the skinny (per PlayhouseSquare itself):

Between 1921 and 1922, all five theaters opened to show silent movies and vaudeville. The State, with its footprint behind the Palace, has the longest theater lobby in the world at 320 feet. Movies became more popular during the Great Depression, but when WW II was over, theater patronage started to decline. (Blame the suburbs and TV.) All the theaters, except the Hanna, closed between 1968 and 1969.

The threatened razing of the Ohio and State Theatres in 1972 created a public outcry. (As it should! Can you imagine a bulldozer having its way with those beauties?!) Preservationists staved off demoliton and some renovations allowed for periodic performances as money was gradually raised for full-scale repairs.

Notably, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris opened in the State Theatre lobby (well, it's certainly big enough!) in 1973 and ran for two years. Restorations on the Ohio, State and Palace were completed in the '80s and the Allen in 1998.

Call Cleveland what you will (but don't you dare say "Mistake on the Lake"), but it is frickin' awesome to have these great theaters here. Everytime I sit in one of those velvety, red seats, I feel lucky.

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LOL

2009-08-18T10:01:00.002-04:00

My friend @jukebox65 (otherwise known as Stacy) sent this to me on Twitter:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Not as good as the LOL Chikn, of course. ;P

HIGH AND LOW

2009-08-14T10:16:00.005-04:00

Because we're between operas, some of the staff have been luring me out of my coop with activities around NE Ohio. Sometimes these activities are fun. Sometimes they are not. (i.e. "Will's Day o' Moving" or "Rally Around the Woodpile in Paul's Backyard...and Haul it to the Curb.)

The last two weekends have been an interesting juxtaposition of activities.

Kish took me to Norwalk Raceway Park's Night Under Fire. Yes, drag racing, folks. And fire, lots of fire. And drunk people, lots of them, too. It's always wise to mix cars, fire and alcohol.

John Force was there, who is sorta a bigwig in this arena. (He even has his own TV show!)

To balance things out, Kish took me to see Gone with the Wind at PlayhouseSquare's Cinema on the Square series. (I'm soooo there for The Muppets Take Manhattan on Aug. 23!)

I would have more photos, but, um, it's sorta dark during a movie.

I did get to see the organ at the theatre! They played it before the movie (actually, before the cartoons that preceded the movie. Classic!)

PS: Only 77 days until Don Giovanni opens! (Yes, I counted.)

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STREET SCENE

2009-08-10T09:42:00.003-04:00

We're all about opera for everyone here at OpCleve. So I was intrigued when I learned about Streetwise Opera in the UK.

This organization reaches out to homeless people through weekly programs in homeless centers (rather, centres) and staging a yearly production.

“Once people have increase self-esteem and confidence they achieve many things in their lives that they didn't think were possible,” says singer Rowan Fenner, who leads one of these groups. “Often it's the big issues come up straight away and we get stuck into and opera is perfect for that with huge themes of all the big things in life that we face.” (via this BBC article)

Streetwise Opera says "We have seen over the years how raising confidence levels in participants can have positive, transformational effects in their lives through a kaleidoscope of impacts such as engagement with employment, education, agency services, more independent living, increased contact with family and friends and a better relationship with homeless centre staff."

This is so very cool. It's so weird to have a warm, fuzzy feeling that isn't caused by alcohol!

Check out this video at the BBC.
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TV ON THE OPERA

2009-08-05T10:17:00.003-04:00

TV shows I wouldn't mind seeing turned into operas:

Saved by the Bell
Talk of the Bell reunion got me thinking. I have no doubt Jessie Spano's caffeine-addled, anguished "I'm So Excited" scene would rival Lucia's mad scene. I'm thinking Angela Gheorghiu.

Arrested Development
Can't you just imagine Tobias' Never-Nude Aria?

Gomer Pyle
There's a lot more to this show than a wide-eyed hayseed. I think a good librettist could really plumb its depths. Interestingly, Jim Nabors once seriously considered a career in opera (But trust me, we're better off with him as Gomer.)

Lost
This would clearly be a choose-your-own-adventure opera, specially written for the tech-savvy ~~nerds~~ people who obsess over Lost. It would be required to have an iPhone for entry into the opera--not just for a status symbol but to navigate the opera and follow and direct the intricate plot. Jack would be played by Jonas Kaufmann and Nathan Gunn would be Sawyer.

American Idol
It just writes itself, even the title: American Opera. Shame Paula Abdul won't be back next season--would make for some good opera buffa.
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AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER

2009-08-03T10:16:00.002-04:00

Dean sent this to me this morning with this note:
"This is incredible....89 years old and sings 'Nessun dorma' better than guys half his age!"

True dat.
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BE A GROUPIE

2009-07-31T13:16:00.002-04:00

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you've likely been wondering when someone was going to start a Carl fan club. I AM STILL WONDERING THAT MYSELF!!

Nonetheless, Opera Cleveland is starting a new group: A Professional Friends group for those ages 25-50. Mission: Connect these peeps* in the Greater Cleveland area through artistic, cultural and social networking means by experiencing and exploring opera.

Sound cool to you? We're looking to get a better idea of what potential group members are interested in and what their demographics are. So there's a brief, 10-question survey for y'all. Take it here.

*not official mission statement terminology

BOOK 'EM

2009-07-30T13:40:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, our technical director Lisa Kish promised me she had something to do that would pull me out of my summer lassitude. And I agreed.

Then she took me to jail with her.

Before I could muster an adamant "ummm, NOT what I had in mind!," I realized this imprisonment was for a good cause. (Other than the dubious cause of keeping my corrupting influence away from small children.)

The Muscular Dystrophy Association organized this Lock-Up; participants had to "make bail" by raising donations. (Note: snarky witticisms are not sufficient bail; I tried.)

Thankfully, Kish raised enough bail for both of us, and this prison was more Camp Cupcake than St. Quentin.

We even met the Lake Erie Monsters mascot. (And, no, we did not see Jerry Lewis.)

See more pics here.
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POD PEOPLE

2009-07-27T11:50:00.003-04:00

It's summer--well, sorta, if you live in NE Ohio. Nonetheless, the languidness of the season (and our break between operas) has set in. My extent of my ambition is sitting on the veranda drinking a mojito. (And by veranda, I mean window ledge; and by mojito, I mean Parrot Bay rum flavored with melted Tic Tacs--I'm ever-so resourceful.)

Still, I can't stay away from opera, but I have found a lazy way to enjoy it. While I can't muster the strength to walk down the hallway to peruse our collection of opera CDs, I can sit on my arse at the computer and browse opera podcasts.

Many opera companies offer podcasts that provide insights and previews into operas they are currently producing. There's interviews with singers or directors, historical background,some music, and more. Some of the companies with podcasts include: San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Seattle Opera.

I'm partial to a few podcast resources I have found because, while they do have some commentary, they feature entire opera acts--or even full operas.

There's Unnatural Acts of Opera podcasts, hosted by La Cieca of the delicious opera blog Parterre Box. You can listen to classic and contemporary recordings, featuring Renata Scotto, Natalie Dessay, Placido Domingo, Joan Sutherland, to name a few. (These may take a little time to download, though.)

Of particular interest to Wagner fans is a page of podcasts of or about Wagner operas.

I'm excited to have found Nikki Boxer's "Opera in the Afternoon" podcasts from Aspen Public Radio. Each month, she hosts a three-hour show with full opera, synopsis and commentary. It's currently a short list, which will hopefully grow, but it does include Werther--which Opera Cleveland is producing in 2011.

Podcasts sure beat schlepping to the library. I like to save my schlepping for trips to the bar, thankyouverymuch.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?PART II

2009-07-22T09:26:00.000-04:00

I was wondering what Michael Todd Simpson (Marcello in our Boheme), so I did a little Googling and one of the first hits was a post about him on Barihunks. Yes, indeed, a blog about the sexiest baritones in opera.

Besides being deemed "smoking hot," this season he sang the title role of Don Giovanni with Nashville Opera and Eugene Opera. Next season, he's making his Met debut as Hermann in Les Contes d'Hoffmann.

...

It's not just our singers who are up to cool things. Michael Boll, our Lighting Supervisor for this season and last, did the lighting design for the play The Aperture, which premiered at Cleveland Public Theatre in March. Now, that's cool enough, but New York City's well-known Fringe Festival picked up the play. I wouldn't mind heading to NYC in August to see it there, along with other plays at the festival...like Abraham Lincoln's Big, Gay Dance Party.

...

We at OpCleve are pretty excited to have Tomer Zvulun back next year to direct our Lucia. (If you recall, he directed our "slam dunk hit" (as decreed by Opera News) La boheme.) Before he comes back to Cleveland, though, he'll be hanging out at The Met, where he is Assistant Director for Tosca, Der Rosenkavalier, Carmen and La Fille du Regiment. He will also be directing a new production of Die Zauberflote at Atlanta Opera in April.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

2009-07-20T07:03:00.001-04:00

I so wish I had embarrassing "before they were stars" photos to go along with this post. Something like this pic (via sexypeople):

Alas, you will just have to settle for the news of what some past Opera Cleveland artists are up to (and just always have to wonder if Elaine Alvarez used to have an '80s perm.)

Speaking of Ms. Alvarez, who was here last September as Countess Almaviva in Figaro...

In June Elaine made her Munich debut as Violetta (above), alongside Jonas Kaufmann, in La traviatawith Bayerische Staatsoper. At the last minute, she replaced Anja Harteros. Dost ich gut!

Maureen McKay (Susanna in our Figaro) recently wrote to Dean, updating us on her whereabouts.

Maureen as Susanna in our Figaro. Pic by Eric Mull.

"At the moment I am singing the Sandman and Dewfairy in the Seiji Ozawa Ongaku-juko Project tour of Hänsel und Gretel throughout Japan," she writes. Next season, she will be a part-time "fest" singer with the Komische Oper Berlin and covering Gretel at The Met.

Stay tuned this week for more Where are they Now...Opera Edition.

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BABY GOT OPERA

2009-07-15T14:23:00.002-04:00

It's not unusual for opera singers to sing the National Anthem at athletic events. Opera Cleveland singers gave performed it at Browns games for the last few years, at least.

This clip showing opera singers at a sporting event is not usual, but it is awesome. Orlando Opera singers performed the Libiamo from La traviata at an Orlando Magic game's half-time. BUT (and you'll get the pun there after you watch it), the encore is, well...booty-ful.

SmARTy Pants

2009-07-10T10:20:00.002-04:00

Once again this summer, Opera Cleveland is part of The Cleveland Foundation's SmART in the City program.

We're leading a site for the 6-week arts day camp for 5th and 6th grade students from the Cleveland Municipal School District. I'll no doubt be stopping by and hanging out with the campers this summer (if just to escape my menial office tasks...cleaning the fridge, really, guys???)

We also have three Opera Cleveland artists that will be visiting each SmART site with a educational (but fun!) performance.

I can personally vouch for the fun aspect, as the staff sat in on their final rehearsal yesterday.

Singers Adele Karam and Michael Ryan showed us how to write a song. (I'm sure this will be useful for the kids, but I'm quite familiar with musical construction, given the work I've done on my original opera Il Pollo.)

Actor Sean Booker is the animated narrator.

His cutie-pie daughter filled in as a camper, as Adele sang.

What's opera without a love song?
(Nixon in China, perhaps? We'll give the 5th and 6th graders a few years before we introduce them to that one.)

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ON WITH THE SHOW

2009-07-07T11:17:00.002-04:00

Headline writers love a story that is ripe for potential puns. I'm sure they were all over this story about soprano Joyce DiDonato breaking her leg during a performance of The Barber of Seville. (Hence, the title of the article: All-star cast: Opera fans to see DiDonato perform with plaster.)

"DiDonato, who sings the lead female role of Rosina in the Covent Garden performances, slipped on stage during a scene change towards the end of the first act on Saturday night.

She completed the performance with the aid of a stick and a crutch. An announcement was made after the interval that she had sprained her ankle, but was determined to complete the performance. When she reappeared singing Rosina's line 'I've a cramp in my foot', the audience's applause briefly halted the show."

My sympathies to Joyce and her broken fibula, but you know how I love stage anecdotes like these. It made me think of the interview with Falstaff's Production Stage Manager Valerie Wheeler. She shared some opera follies:

"A singer portraying a nun accidentally got her wimple caught in the door as she entered because I called the cue to close the door too soon. The wimple actually jammed the door. After several attempts at discretely getting her wimple free, she gave up and simply sang the entire scene with her head caught in the door. What else was a nun to do?

In another production, the main curtain got stuck on the way out (read, not my fault). It only got as high as the singers waists before snagging. The music had started, the singers were singing, but all the audience could see were the singers legs. Some of the singers actually squatted down to sing under the curtain. We had to stop the show, fix the curtain, and start over."

I feel like this post deserves a hearty ba-dum-ching.

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MEET GIACOMO

2009-07-02T11:27:00.002-04:00

Someone from my (admittedly, large) fan base thought I might be a little lonely now that Falstaff is done and Don Giovanni doesn't start until the fall. (Is the pile of empty Jack Daniels bottles and Schlitz cans in my coop some sort of indication??)

So he brought me a peep to hang out with. (A peep that is not constructed of corn syrup and gelatin, thus preventing any more peep tragedies.)

His name is Giacomo. (Actually, his name is Ron, but I think it's clear by the photo here just who is alpha friend in this relationship. So I shall call him whatever I choose, and I choose Giacomo.)

G and I will be painting the Cleve red, white and blue this weekend; Happy Fourth of July!

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THE SWEET LIFE OF AN OPERA-LOVING CHICKEN

2009-06-30T11:41:00.002-04:00

There is a documentary all about ME! (Well, about my people anyway, and by people, I mean chickens.)

The Natural History of the Chicken is a PBS program and it is utterly fascinating. I am particularly fond of the segment about Cotton, the opera-loving chicken, who is gratuitously pampered. (I really don't understand why I don't get that sort of treatment.)

You can see Cotton starting at minute 5 in this part of the video:

See him watching Pavarotti around minute 8:30.

That's the life.
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GREAT SHAKES

2009-06-24T15:00:00.009-04:00

(photo by: Eric Mull)

All the Shakespeare fans in the house, say "Heyyyy!"

Where would we be without Bill? Not only would legions of students be deprived of learning just what the heck iambic pentameter is. Our cultural lexicon would be devoid of "to be or not to be..." and "out damn spot!" And the millions of other artistic works that appropriated and purloined plots, characters and inspiration from Shakespearean writing would not be.*

Alas, Leo DiCaprio would have never debased the character Romeo and Kenneth Branagh's filmography would be decidedly shorter.

And there would be no Falstaff!

Falstaff was not based on just one Shakespearean work. The character Falstaff appears in different forms in three works: Henry IV (part 1), Henry IV (part 2), and The Merry Wives of Windsor. While the opera's plot stems mostly from The Merry Wives, elements from Henry IV are also incorporated. (Interestingly, Henry IV is set in medieval England, while The Merry Wives is set in the Elizabethan era when Shakespeare wrote--his only contemporary play.)

I think you'll agree--if you've seen the opera--that there's much more to Falstaff than his belly and his ribaldry. In this chicken's humble opinion (okay, so none of my opinions are really humble, per se), he is one of Shakespeare's most interesting and deep characters.

I'm actually a little surprised and disappointed that Falstaff hasn't been appropriated more often in the arts. But he DID get a [now-defunct] beer named after him. Oh, the glory.

*Of course, there is speculation that Shakespeare was a purloiner himself...

THEY LOVE US, THEY REALLY LOVE US!

2009-06-22T16:42:00.002-04:00

Apparently I'm not the only one who is gushing about Falstaff. Our opening weekend audiences loved it, too!

We got the critical validation, in Don Rosenberg at the PD: " On both dramatic and musical levels, this is a 'Falstaff' of fine imagination, grace and vibrancy."

And at ClevelandClassical.com: "Falstaff was memorable for the general vocal excellence of its singers and their tight interaction as an ensemble. This show was well cast, well rehearsed and well executed."

Then there's comments from patrons like:

"Your orchestra was splendid. I could hear the gold clanking, the wine coursing throughout Falstaff's body and so much more magic that Verdi created."

and more to the point:
"THE BEST PRODUCTION OF "FALSTAFF" I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A great way to start the week!

BLOGGING ABOUT BLOGGING

2009-06-18T11:33:00.004-04:00

We are getting so meta around here.

Last night's dress rehearsal was a pioneering social media experience for Opera Cleveland. A few handfuls of area bloggers/Twitter users came out to enjoy and comment on the opera. We gave them full access to the house and to backstage, (where they hopefully met me!)

I spent the morning reading their Twitter updates and blog posts about their experience, and it was so fun to see everything through different eyes.

If you have a Twitter account, you can read the updates here.

Adam Harvey at Organic Mechanic posted a cool blog post about the evening, along with photos, including a sketch by Debbie Gill that she did while watching the opera:

John Heaney at Orange Envelopes tweeted with this backstage image:

Kevin Cronin over at RealNeo posted this and noted "a great opportunity, to see the behind the scenes wrangling and appreciate both the backstage and on stage professionalism."

John Farina was the prolific Twitter-er of the evening, whose tweets included: "I was very excited to actually see Carl the Opera Chicken tonight!" (duh, who wasn't?) and "This feels like I'm doing a 'pop-up video' on VH1." (oooh, great idea--Pop-Up Opera!)

Scott Piepho and his daughter hiked up from Akron. (Click here to read perhaps the only blog post to reference both opera and Chumbawumba.)

We also had Eric Purcell, Tech Czar Michael DeAloia, Alexa Marinos at Cleveland's a Plum (no, you are!), Stacy "I told you no Pantone colors!" Mallardi-Stajcar and Rick Pollack--and their guests--hanging out.

Thanks to everyone who came!
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LIVE FROM THE STATE THEATRE...

2009-06-14T20:29:00.002-04:00

Falstaff bullies Bardolph.

The Merry Wives. (I want some of whatever makes them so merry.)

LIVE FROM THE STATE THEATRE...BACKSTAGE

2009-06-14T19:55:00.000-04:00

My dear Valerie, working at the Stage Manager Booth, with the ever-present stopwatch.

Hmmmm...props or singers' everyday accessories?

Milena's stage right booth and her cues. (Stage managers keep Post-Its in business.)

LIVE FROM THE STATE THEATRE...

2009-06-14T19:21:00.002-04:00

This is what rehearsals are for, troubleshooting things like backward surtitles.

LIVE FROM THE STATE THEATRE...IT'S FALSTAFF!

2009-06-14T18:25:00.004-04:00

Before the downbeat of the production, we have a "Pre-show," in which all the cast gradually comes onto stage--as themselves.

It helps establish the blurring of reality and fiction that underlies Falstaff.

In the pre-show, the singers even interact with the audience.

A really cool way to start the show, eh?

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AROUND NOON WITH CARLSTAFF

2009-06-12T15:18:00.002-04:00

Today I joined Dean, Anya, Gaetan and Victor at 90.3 WCPN (go NPR!) for their interview on Around Noon. I met a fellow opera fan, Dan Polletta, who interviewed the singers.

If you tune in on Monday at noon (natch), you'll get a sneak ~~peek~~ listen at Anya's and Victor's fan-frickin'-tastic voices and hear an interesting interview.

If you miss it, you are clearly a slanderous, dread-bolted, mildewed ear, but you can catch it at your leisure online.

Are you wondering why I look a little...different in the group photo? Take a closer look:

I'm Carlstaff!! Anya made me my own fat suit and antler hat. (Doesn't this mean I'm officially his understudy now??)

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COME BLOG WITH ME

2009-06-10T12:10:00.004-04:00

Ok, so we've got a blog and Twitter and FaceBook accounts. We have live video streams of Falstaff rehearsals. What else can we possibly do to make opera more accessible, to continue to dust off the perceptions of opera?

I know! Let's invite other bloggers and Twitter-ers (tweeters?) to experience an opera, perhaps people who aren't familiar with the art form, and see what their impressions are.

We are opening our final dress rehearsal on the evening of June 17 to the blogging/tweeting community. If you are a Cleveland-area blogger/Twitter-er and would like to join us, send me an email!

I'm going to get the ball rolling by live blogging and tweeting our Sunday evening rehearsal, so look for my posts then.

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TWO DEGREES OF SEPARATION

2009-06-08T15:06:00.005-04:00

For a chicken, I certainly get around. (Texas, Florida, Colorado, Canada...) Nonetheless, I still live vicariously through others, and I am not ashamed.

So I was a little a-flutter when I learned of some celebrity connections our Falstaff cast has.

David Won (who plays Ford) has been a regular at The Met, thus rubbing elbows with some of the opera elite. He debuted there as Gregorio in Romeo et Juliette, which starred Natalie Dessay. He later reprised the role opposite Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna. [insert wistfulness]

(I'm not worthy, David, I'm not worthy!)

Steven Goldstein, who plays Bardolph, has also shared the stage with some notables--in both his opera and theater careers. It runs the gamut from Wagnerian diva Jane Eaglen to Ed Begley, Junior.

(Hey, Ed, remember me?!)

Steven has also appeared in several movies and TV shows, including House of Games, directed by David Mamet:

(Forgive him, it was the '80s.)