Opera Tampa offers open Aida rehearsals

Opera Tampa offers open Aida rehearsals

April 10, 12 and 15

These are FREE events

* * *

TAMPA, Fla. — On April 10, 12 and 15, Opera Tampa will offer a limited number of people the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of Aida, Giuseppe Verdi’s grandest of grand operas. A series of FREE open rehearsals is planned in the coming week.

Attendees will have the opportunity to get a “fly-on-the-wall” view of the company as they rehearse Verdi’s famous “Triumphal March” scenes from Act 2 of Aida, under the direction of Maestro Anton Coppola. The busy and energetic rehearsal will include principle singers, chorus members and dancers.

Reservations may be made by calling 813.222.6409. Space is strictly limited to 10 people at each rehearsal. Attendees are asked to arrive at the Straz Center Stage Door on MacInnes Place, 10 minutes before their reservation and should plan to stay for the duration of the rehearsal. Photography or recording of any kind are prohibited. The available time slots are as follows:

April 10	Tuesday	7 to 8:30 p.m.
April 10	Tuesday	8:30 to 10 p.m.
April 12	Thursday	7 to 8:30 p.m.
April 12	Thursday	8:30 to 10 p.m.
April 15	Sunday	2 to 3:30 p.m.
April 15	Sunday	3:30 to 5 p.m.

Aida will be presented in the Straz Center’s Carol Morsani Hall, Friday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 2 p.m., as part of the Opera Tampa season presented by Homes by Helen. The opera tells the story of Aida, princess of Ethiopia, captured and brought into slavery in Egypt. Radames, a high ranking military commander, is torn by his love for Aida and his duty to the Pharaoh, with tragic consequences for both. Regularly priced tickets for the performances of Opera Tampa’s Aida start at $29.50 and may be purchased by calling 813.229.STAR (7827) or 800.955.1045 outside Tampa Bay, in person at the Straz Center Ticket Office or online at www.strazcenter.org.

For more information about Opera Tampa and its upcoming events, please visit www.operatampa.org.

Events, days, dates, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice.

PAC2012-128

Aida is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Happy Friday!

In honor of the fifth day of the work week, count to five with opera diva Renee Fleming. I love muppets. I love opera. I love opera muppets. Renee Fleming comes to TBPAC on Jan. 26. Her concert will be incredible. But sorry, there will be no muppets.

-Kari G.

Coming soon to Britain's citadel of high culture: Anna Nicole Smith, the opera

I’m just going to post the link and go sit quietly and rock back and forth until the madness stops.

-Kari G.

The Fly – the opera – the hits – just keep on coming ...

I don’t know what is worse out of this preview for The Fly which will open in Paris – the fact that it’s an opera or the fact that the article incorrectly credits the 1986 Jeff Goldblum film as “the original.”

On behalf of Vincent Price and the 1958 cast of The Fly, “Help Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

I guess ripping off the rip-off is the new rip-off. Somewhere in a dark room, creativity just died.
-Kari G.

Kari G. likens opera stories to News of the Weird – News of the Weird covers opera – Kari G. declares herself a pop culture goddess

10 days ago I concluded that my posts about opera were beginning to sound like Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird.

Guess what? Guess what’s in this weeks News of the Weird?

Behold this nugget:

Great Art!

Austrian director Johann Kresnik's re-interpretation of the classic Verdi opera "A Masked Ball" opened for a limited engagement in Berlin in April, aimed at America's "war and the excesses of American society today," he said. In one scene, against a backdrop of the ruins of the World Trade Center, 35 naked senior citizens danced, wearing Mickey Mouse masks. [Agence France-Presse, 4-10-08]

/I got nothing.

-Kari G.

The revenge of the little black dress

With the Tonys over, another year of gossip, intrigue and speculation has passed. Where or where can we find our snarky theater fix?

How about the opera? In this hilarious YouTube video, our favorite diva, Deborah Voigt (who wowed audiences in a concert performance for Opera Tampa in 2007) takes on the Little Black Dress that caused her so much pain.



If you don’t remember why the Little Black Dress haunts this amazing diva – see this blog post from last year.

She’s bringing the sass to Covent Garden tonight singing the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos! In bocca al lupo Deborah – you strong and sexy thang!

- Kari G.

I wish I could quit – ripping off Hollywood

My opera updates are starting to sound more like Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird. Last week we explored the idea of a lonely polar bear singing a heartbreaking aria on a melting icecap in An Inconvenient Truth – The Opera.

Today we get to decide who the baritone is and who is the tenor? In the new announcement that the New York City Opera will be staging Brokeback Mountain – The Opera.

Really? Really? Well Ennis and Jack – I’m really looking forward to the aria by Alma,”Don't try and fool me no more, Ennis; I know what it means! Jack Twist. Jack Nasty! You didn't go up there to fish!”

-Kari G.

That’s why I love being a girl

I was listening to WUSF this morning, because I’m an NPR junkie. Carson Cooper was doing the toss to Russell Gant to go from Morning Edition to the classical programming. They began to talk about the world famous composer Marin Alsop who recently became the first woman to conduct at La Scala in Milan.

Marin Alsop referred to the honor in her blog, “The first woman thing does get a bit old - it seems like such a ridiculous reason to garner attention - but I must confess that my experience at La Scala was truly thrilling.”

Lately I’ve noticed that the first woman thing is getting a bit old for me too – and I’m a woman. As a woman, born in the 70’s at the height of the women’s liberation movement, I wore teeny tiny shirts that promoted ERA. I had a sign in my room (that still hangs in my office) that read, “Girls Can Do Anything!” I was the only girl on my soccer team growing up, I was the only girl climbing trees growing up, and I was the only girl in many of the sketch comedy groups and improvisation troupes I have been a part of over the years. I was never upset at the boys that I was the only girl. I was upset with the girls for not joining me.

My life in sketch comedy and improvisation often came with the back-handed compliment, “You are really funny – for a girl.” I walk in the shadow of extraordinary comedians who happen to be women – Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Elaine May, Gilda Radner, Rosanne, Catherine O’Hara, Ellen DeGeneres, Tina Fey and the list goes on. Is this still an issue? Really? Oh, I’m so bored ...

So the first woman conducted in La Scala – well it opened it 1778 so that didn’t take very long. The next president could be a woman – whatever – just decide already. And the list goes on. I say its time for this female designation nonsense to stop. Yes Augusta – I’m looking at you – I’d like to golf without a male chaperone – thank you very much.

Congratulations Marin Alsop for conducting in La Scala. Not because you have two X chromosomes, not because you might or might not have gotten excited that the Sex in the City movie finally came out, but because you got to stand in front of an orchestra in a great and storied hall. You got to manipulate and produce sounds in an opera house that has heard some of the greatest music and witnessed the greatest musical minds the world will ever know. And you, Marin Alsop are one of them. That is all that needs to be acknowledged.

-Kari G.

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It’s not over until the PowerPoint presentation sings ...

The themes of grand opera are universal: passion, betrayal, murder, love, loss, terminal illnesses, secret identities, war and of course – climate change and its potential for disaster.

At least that’s what La Scalla believes. The famed opera house announced late last week that they have commissioned Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli to write an opera based on the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore.

Battistelli has a unique reputation in the opera world. His adaptation of Bernstein’s Candide featured a satirical scene that involved opera singers, wearing only underpants and the masks of world leaders. The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, was depicted swimming in a sea of Iraqi oil.

f those are the kind of liberties you can take with Voltaire, I can only imagine what you can do with a slide show and a genie-lift. For me, I’m hoping for the polar bear aria, Speriamo che il tuo amore guida Hummer, ti preghiamo di inviare cibo (I hope you like driving your Hummer, please send food).

-Kari G.

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Liva is loving us from Latvia

In an blog last week, Kari offered up a pair of Tosca tickets for answering a trivia question. We got our winner, Liva, but it would been a heck of a trip for her to come all the way to us. See Liva's lovely and interesting response:

Well, I see Tampa is in Florida, USA, it's very far away. I don't have any friend there, I have a few pen-friends in New York, they are my only live connection with United States.

We have a beautiful big opera house, called LNO (Latvian National Opera) in the capital of Latvia, in Riga. Actually, since I became a fan of Pavarotti (about 3 years ago) I immediately fall in love with Puccini's operas, I started to love opera generally. I love Pavarotti's voice, this amazing tenor introduced me to opera deeper, he taught me to listen to it as something very beautiful. I graduated music school two years ago, I'm a pianist, and they taught us about opera, but at that time I didn't take any notice. So now I've really fallen for opera. Love it very much, I go to see opera about once a month.

I have the "google alert" on Luciano Pavarotti's name, and I received an google alert in which I found your blog about Florez (I receive a lot of them since Florez hit those 18 high C's), there was your question about Tosca and Pavarotti and I answered it just for a lark, I new I won't be able to go to that show, because it's a loooong flight to Florida from here, I just couldn't make it.

Honestly, it was the first time I read about you.

Tell me more!

Liva

Nifty - We have a new friend! We hope you keep coming back, Liva, we could use a few more knowledgeable opera buffs on this blog.

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Sure, USF is #2 in the BCS, but can they sing?

Noah Van Niel plays fullback for Harvard. I know its Harvard, but it’s still NCAA football! Noah Van Niel also sings opera. In fact, he has apprenticed in Florence and New York. When he graduates this year, he intends to pursue opera full time.

For all the times that sportscasters who color-commentary tight-scoring football games with “It’s not over until the fat lady sings” you think I would be able to come up with a clever joke here. I’m open to suggestions.

-Kari G.

A Tribute to Beverly Sills

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Metropolitan Opera, and New York City Opera will present A Tribute to Beverly Sills, a free public event dedicated to the memory of the great soprano, on September 16, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Opera.

The program will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirius, the 24-hour satellite radio channel, and streamed live via RealNetworks at www.metopera.org.

A renowned coloratura soprano and a popular media personality in America, Beverly Sills lent her fame, energy, and business acumen to promote the cause of opera and the performing arts following her celebrated singing career. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is honored to have hosted Ms. Sills when TBPAC opened its doors to the public with a Grand Gala in Sept. of 1987.

-Kari G

The Real Life Adventures of Your Average Opera Diva

As the resident opera fan, I always like to share the “Opera News of the Weird” just to ensure our readers that opera is a wonderfully flawed and human art form. Enjoy!

Opera-go-round

Confirming that opera is never dull, Sally Silver, singing the eponymous role in Scottish Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor on Saturday at Glasgow's Theatre Royal, sprained her calf muscle in Act 1 and couldn't go on. Now we are not saying anything about the average age of opera-goers, but Sally was able to borrow a wheelchair from an audience member who was safely in her seat, so the show went on with Lucia whirling about the stage in the chair, singing as beautifully as ever.

Since then, Sally has had to endure fellow singers breaking into a version of Wilson Pickett's Mustang Sally changed to Wheelchair Sally, when she hirples past.

The decision on whether Sally can sing tonight has still to be taken. She could, of course, do the role on crutches, but with the surname Silver, it doesn't take a genius to work out what her new nickname would be.

Maybe it’s a Brit thing, but I’m at a loss as to the “new nickname” she will receive. Long John Silver, maybe? He had a crutch, right? Someone please explain the joke. Cheers.

-Kari G.

In Brief

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has had a luminous and long career in the opera world. A world renowned soprano, Dame Kiri isn’t a woman known to get her panties in a bunch.

But that’s exactly what happened when she pulled out of a series of 2005 concerts with the Australian singing legend, John Farnham.

The reason? In the same vein as Tom Jones, it seems women like to throw their “unmentionables’ at Farnham during concerts.

Dame Kiri wasn’t going to let that fly.

"I was concerned about the knickers or underpants ... being thrown at him and him collecting it and ... holding it in his hands as some sort of trophy," said the singer, whose international performances included the 1981 wedding of Britain's Prince Charles and Diana Spencer.

Farnham’s camp contends that the opera diva was actually upset over Farnham missing her birthday party.

It’s her party and she’ll pull out of a tour if she wants to …

In the end, the courts ruled in favor of Dame Kiri. Whether the tour fell through due to a revulsion of thongs flying through the air, or just hurt feelings for a party with pony rides (I made the pony part up – but if I were a famous opera diva, my birthday party would have pony rides!) there wasn’t a concluded contract worthy of “breaking.”

The moral of the story lies somewhere under there …

Just made you say underwear!

-Kari G.

Enter to Win 2 Free Tickets to Don Giovanni By Playing: Half Man, Half Insect … Total Opera!

I mentioned before that there really is going to be an opera based on the science fiction cult classic, The Fly.

This LA Opera/Theatre du Chatelet co-production is attracting big names like flies …

You complete the metaphor.

In addition to being conducted by Placido Domingo, soprano Renee Fleming and baritone Rodney Gilfry are already being linked to the production; and sets will be designed by Dante Ferretti, who won the 2005 Oscar for art direction for his work on The Aviator. Music is by Howard Shore, who scored the original film and won an Oscar for his work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and most recently scored The Departed.

Okay, but it’s still The Fly, right? So here’s where you come in: Opera lovers or snark-mongers this is your chance to present the Best B-movie Opera! Submit your choices by Fri., March 9 @ 10 a.m. We will select a winner and announce at 3 p.m. on March 9. The winner will receive two complimentary tickets to the Sun. March 18 performance of Mozart Festival Opera’s Don Giovanni at 2 p.m.

Here’s my suggestion (I can’t win, but I still want to play):

Can’t Buy Me Love – the Opera!

This 1987 classic was directed by the appropriately named Steve Rash – who brought American Pie Presents Band Camp and the reason why Carrie Fishier is on Prozac, Under the Rainbow. Both of which are excellent B-move opera contenders. Can’t Buy Me Love originally starred McDreamy-when-he-was-McNothing, Patrick Dempsey. For the opera version, I would cast young Italian tenor Giuseppe Filianoti, as the unpopular Ronald Miller, who “buys” the companionship of hot and popular cheerleader Cindy Mancini (played in my production by hottie soprano Anna Netrebko) for $1000. Romantic high jinx ensue, culminating in a closing number, Je vais oublier que ceci s'est jamais produit quand je vais à l'université (I’m going to forget this ever happened when I go to college).

Your turn!

-Kari G.

Looking for some romantic music tonight?

Nothing sets the mood like a couple of romantic arias from the opera. Here is a list of some of the most romantic:

Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro - Puccini
Turandot: Nessun Dorma - Puccini
Ave Maria - Schubert
Tannhäuser: Wie Todesahnung Dämmrung Deckt Die Lande...O Du mein holder Abendstern - Wagner
Tosca: Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore - Puccini
Lucia di Lammermoor: O giusto cielo! - Il dolce suono - Donizetti
La bohème: Quando m'en vo' – Puccini

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody.

-Kari G.

Pop culture icons?

No one can explain why it happens, but every so often a pop culture phenomenon surfaces and it’s seemingly everywhere.

Remember:

“Saturday Night Live”?
“Twin Peaks”?
“ER”?

And, now, Sacco and Vanzetti?

The two Italian immigrants were executed in 1927 for a murder they may or may not have committed.

It was one of the early “trials of the century,” but the pair had not received much publicity in recent years.

But in just the last two weeks, Sacco and Vanzetti have been the answer to a “Jeopardy question,” mentioned by Jon Stewart BEFORE he came to Tampa and the title subject of documentary filmmaker Peter Miller’s new movie.

And, of course, their story inspired Maestro Anton Coppola to write an opera about them, which will be staged in a special concert presentation on Feb. 17 in Ferguson Hall here at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The opera had its world premiere in Tampa at TBPAC in 2001.

Miller said he was drawn to their story for many reasons.

“I was drawn to their ideology. They were hardworking and believed in opportunity and idealism,” Miller told Newsweek magazine in the current issue. “I read the amazing letters they wrote to their children from prison and I thought theirs was a story that everyone should know.”

Miller thinks their story still has relevance.

“We are at a time when people have been willing to sacrifice civil liberties to preserve national security, and people have been increasingly anxious about the presence of immigrants in our society, so this story shows the country in a similar time in history,” he said. “There are many parallels that can be drawn to our current struggle with immigration.”

– MichaelK/TBPAC

This Stuff Writes Itself

Every morning I diligently google “opera news” and patiently wait for the little cyber spiders to bring me juicy tidbits from the World Wide Web. Each morning I wake with a faint glimmer of hope that today will be the day that I get a headline like this:

Opera singer claims bedbugs bit her 150 times

To be honest, after I wiped the coffee off my monitor (come on – it’s a spit take headline – admit it!), I did quickly scan the article to make sure it wasn’t Deborah Voigt who was bitten. That would be tragic. That would be terrible. Would it be my responsibility to make sure she had calamine lotion backstage this Friday?

Fortunately for us, Deborah Voigt was nowhere near a Hilton Suites in Phoenix Nov. 20 -26, when the incident occurred. Unfortunately for soprano Alison Trainer, it was she who was sleeping in a bed, in a Hilton Suites, in Phoenix, Nov. 20-26, infested with bedbugs.

What does 150 bed bites cause? Well, aside from some itching and bleeding, it also left Ms. Trainer “afraid to sleep in a bed, caused her to lose weight and made her uncomfortable about her physical appearance.”

“She looks like a piece of wood that has been attacked by termites,” said Trainer’s attorney, Kenneth J. Glassman.

Wow. I mean really, wow. Who’s snickering right now? It can’t be just me. Where’s your schadenfreude?

She slept there (for SIX days) because, “She noticed the itching and the blood right away, but she didn’t know that this was being caused by bedbugs.”

Um, okay. But it was probably caused by something right?

I’m obviously missing the point. The point is: Somebody. Has. To. Pay.

How much? Well, Ms. Trainer is asking for 6 million dollars.

That’s $400,000 a bite. Hilton bed bugs have expensive tastes.

But never fear – Ms. Trainer has kept all her scheduled appearances despite the bites on her face, since the bedbug attack, Glassman said.

“She’s a professional,” he said.

I’m just going to leave it at that.

-Kari G.

You Tube Cage Match - Culture v. Cretins - Go!

Charles Isherwood of the New York Times has a lot of time on his hands.

Or maybe he’s a terrible insomniac.

Regardless, today’s article, “You Tube’s Greatest Hits” exalts the selection of quality clips for opera, Broadway, and dance on the site better known for, “OMG! Watch My Trailer Park Family Blow Something Up” or “Behold! My Pretentious Film School Short That Got a C Minus For a Reason.”

In the spirit of “research” I decided to do a bit of looking around You Tube for selections from the upcoming opera season - here are a few of my favorites (for different reasons):

Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet
This is an excellent clip of baritone Jason Kaminski singing the “Queen Mab” aria. It reminds me why I always loved Mercutio best of all. In case you need a Freshman English refresher - Queen Mab is the sexy speech that about the fairy Queen Mab, who rides through the night on her tiny wagon bringing dreams to sleepers. Watch it sung in French. Chew on it. It’s good for you. Mmmmm- dreamy…

Deborah Voigt
Actually if you do a search on Deborah Voigt you get a lot of options, but this is my pick.
Deborah Voigt and Luciano Pavarotti sing the Amelia/Riccardo duet "Teco io sto" from the opera “Un ballo in maschera” by Verdi in this performance from 1994. Why did I pick this? Because, frankly, Madame Voigt smokes Pavarotti -don’t believe me? Just read some of the snarky comments from opera aficionados with lots of time on their hands…
(Side note: I just “friended” Deborah Voigt on myspace.com - now that she’s my “friend” I can’t wait to hang out with her and go shopping and …)

Mozart’s Don Giovanni
Dude, just type in Don Giovanni - you get all sorts of choices. You can watch James Levine direct the famous opening overture (super groovy!), but for sheer beauty, brilliance, and production quality I’m going to go with Renee Flemming singing Donna Anna’s aria.

My snark pick goes to this production of Don Giovanni - I’ve always said that the best entrance you can make in opera is through the gymnasium double doors…

Verdi’s Il Trovatore
Here it is kids. The Anvil Chorus. Don’t mind the Japanese subtitles - once you see this fully staged clip - you’ll be humming the famous little ditty all day. There are so many selections when you type in “Il Trovatore” I don’t know where to begin. I can’t wait to see this in April…

Happy Viewing! Hey, post your favorite clip links in the comments - I want to know what you’re watching!

-Kari G.