Duet from Speed Dating Tonight!

Here's a duet from SPEED DATING TONIGHT! The Bartender and Waitress are taking orders and mixing drinks. While they work they talk about the speed dating. The bartender, a romantic, is skeptical. He says, "It's not like seeing someone across a room. You're eyes blink, she looks away but smiles..." She is more sympathetic, saying "I can see why they sign up. Nothing ventured nothing gained."

This duet definitely blurs (or maybe just plain crosses) the line between opera and musical theater. Singers for the premiere at the Janiec Opera Company have been given their assignments. There's a show on July 26th and one on July 27th, with a preview on July 25th.

One company has signed on to do the show in the fall. More about that soon!

Remembering Robert Ward

Frank Oteri at NewMusicBox was kind enough to let me write a recollection of my teacher, Robert Ward, who died recently. I appreciate Frank's good editing of the piece which begins:

"I have been lucky to have had a number of great teachers and colleagues, but Robert Ward stands out first amongst them. Even back in 1977 when I first met him, his hair was mostly a distinguished white. His fatherly manner was always warm, and even when he was vehemently arguing a point, he never seemed truly angry. Bob’s inner composer was a respected and valued member of society, and so he frequently could be seen in a good suit or sport coat and bow tie. He believed that artists weren’t always outsiders, but people who deserved a place at the table beside donors, industrialists, and scientists in order to provide a different perspective on society."  complete piece at NewMusicBox

My friends and colleagues down at Shreveport Opera have made demos of several dater arias from SPEED DATING TONIGHT! Here's Dater #12 "Panic Attack" sung by Adrian Rosales, baritone, and Irina Nedelcu, pianist.

Another "Dating aria" from SPEED DATING TONIGHT!

We've just gotten the video from the OperaMission performance of some excerpts from SPEED DATING TONIGHT! This "dater aria," is called "I've always liked this bar" and is sung by Margaret O'Connell. As you can tell, this one's very piano bar. 

We've created a Facebook page for the show and are asking people to post their dating or speed dating stories. So far, two out of the three suggestions are going to make it into the show, so if you have a good story, by all means, let me know!

Speed Dating Tonight! Comic Opera in one act

Our new opera premieres July 26-28 at the Janiec Opera of the Brevard Music Festival. The opera has a unique structure. The middle section has a set of daters in it, to be written in high, medium and low keys. Very few of them are specifically gendered. Producers can choose what daters to use and how to string them together.

We are also looking for input (my personal dating info is ancient). If you have a dating story or type of person you have encountered, you can post it here on the show's FB page. I will post more info about this fun project.

Through the Artist’s Lens, Volume 2

A recital program next month at Wolftrap is going to include one song from my new Speed Dating opera. Mezzo Eve Gigliotti heard the song last week at the OperaMission program.

Through the Artist’s Lens, Volume 2

Opera Mission on Thursday January 10 in NYC

A former colleague at Opera Memphis, Jennifer Peterson runs an adventurous little company in New York called Operamission. Later this week, I'm helping her out with a program which includes some "New Cabaret" songs written specially for the program. I am doing a few of my songs and we are doing a few excerpt from my new opera.

Steveport Opera

Old friend Steve Aiken is running Shreveport Opera and has gotten them back in the black. They do one performance only of each opera at the downtown Riverview Theater. The Riverview has an orchestra pit that is literally padded with shag carpet not only on the floor but up the walls. Also pictured is Dr. Bartolo, Steven Condy, who has done over twenty productions and eighty performances of the pompous, comic character. Alas, he's not up to that many productions of my BUOSO'S GHOST yet. 

If you ever get to Shreveport, don't miss the Louisiana restaurant Herby-K's and also the Red River National Wildlife Refuge across the river in Bossier (BOZ-yer). 

Thanks to a great cast and a fine chorus and orchestra, the BARBER OF SEVILLE should go very well on October 27th. Shreveport Opera has an exemplary outreach program and a talented group of young artists to service it. 

Opera America Songbook

Opera America has opened its new headquarters, and to celebrate that event, they have commissioned a bunch--more like a platoon--of composers and lyricists to create "home" themed songs. They have been collected, recorded, and published. A massive undertaking! You can find out more about it on their website. For the next few years, proceeds will go to Opera America to help raise funds for the opera center project.

I spoke to Robert Ward the other day about his contribution which was adapted from his opera, LADY FROM COLORADO. Bob is in his mid nineties!

Cabaret anyone?

Jennifer Peterson of OperaMission is encouraging composers, lyricists and singers to collaborate on a project she's calling New Cabaret. It's kind of a contest, but that isn't really the main point. The official rules can be found here. "Cabaret" is defining itself as it goes along. Subject matters look to be wide ranging and often, but not exclusively, they are on the lighter side. Jennifer really wants entrants to tweet to #newcabaret, so the process is out in the open--a learning and collaborating opportunity for all. But non-tweeters can probably find ways to work around this. We will all be convening in New York at her home space, the very hip Gershwin Hotel in early January to present our efforts. I will be doing a few of my non-classical cabaret songs. Baritone and composer Michael Weyandt is also participating.