Michael Ching's blog, pondering music, opera, and where and how it fits in, particularly in the regions. Lots of helpful links down the righthand side.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Three Down, three to go
The Saturday and Sunday performances were stronger than opening and the audience response has been good. This is the chorus with some of the Tahitian dancers.
Elvis in Honolulu
Saturday, July 28, 2007
An Opera Memphis Aside--Arthur Espiritu to make La Scala Debut
Tenor Arthur Espiritu was scheduled to appear twice in Opera Memphis' 2007-2008 season, first as Pang in TURANDOT and then as Prince Ramiro in CENERENTOLA on April 5, 6, 2008. But La Scala called. Actually, Espiritu made it to the final round this summer at the Belvedere Competition, an international competition for promising singers in Vienna. After one of the competition rounds, a representative of the famed Italian opera house approached him and they planned to fly him to Milan the next day for a stage audition. "I had to find a music store in Vienna and buy a score to COSI FAN TUTTE for sixty Euros. I had covered the role at the Pittsburgh Opera, but had to study hard, because they wanted to hear the arias and some recitative." The audition panel was a distinguished one, including Mirella Freni, Teresa Berganza, and Luigi Alva. As a result, Arthur will get eight performances of Ferrando, four at La Scala and four at the associated Teatro Piccolo. In order to do this, Opera Memphis has had to release Arthur from his contract to sing one of the councillors, Pang, in TURANDOT. But his La Scala debut is sure to raise the interest level of our audience when he comes to Memphis in March/April to sing in LA CENERENTOLA.
This exciting debut is a bright spot for Arthur, whose family home in Chalmette, Louisiana was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. Arthur lived in New Orleans for sixteen years, but does not anticipate being able to move back there. He currently resides in Phoenix.
A successful opening
Opening performance--enthusiastic audience. It was, I think, a relief for the performers to be able to deliver their dialogue in front of an audience.
Over at the Honolulu Advertiser site, there is an article about the show by Wayne Harada.
The article focuses on Marlene Sai, our Bloody Mary. Since being discovered by Don Ho at eighteen, Marlene has had a full and storied career here as singer and actress.
Over at the Honolulu Advertiser site, there is an article about the show by Wayne Harada.
The article focuses on Marlene Sai, our Bloody Mary. Since being discovered by Don Ho at eighteen, Marlene has had a full and storied career here as singer and actress.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Final Dress
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Pacific Aviation Museum
Today's focus was an evening event at the Pacific Aviation Museum. The World War II era planes made a great backdrop to talk about the show.
My brief speech was about "Some Enchanted Evening" which was a number one hit in 1949 for Perry Como and was also recorded by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Ezio Pinza--all in the same year. Alas, big hits do not come out of Broadway any more, let alone opera.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Orchestra Dress #1
Last night we had the first orchestra dress rehearsal. There were some challenges with the balances between pit and stage, in finding a level of sound enhancement that is true to an "acoustical" feel vs. a canned, miked one. Connie, the harpist, came in from a visit to the mainland and despite having missed the first two rehearsals, and fighting looming jet lag, she did a near perfect job.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Piano Dress Rehearsal
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Orchestra Reading
Yesterday we had our first orchestra reading. Norman Foster, who is the first clarinetist, makes musical cards. Here's the link.
He also write fun piano rags with names like Ginkgo Leaf Rag.
South Pacific requires flute and piccolo, oboe and english horn, two clarinets, bassoon, three french horns, three trumpets, two trombones, tuba, percussion and drum set, harp and strings.
He also write fun piano rags with names like Ginkgo Leaf Rag.
South Pacific requires flute and piccolo, oboe and english horn, two clarinets, bassoon, three french horns, three trumpets, two trombones, tuba, percussion and drum set, harp and strings.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Balut
After speculating that this delicacy was not available in Hawaii, I ran into balut (fertilized duck eggs) at a local market. The lady explained that you should boil them for thirty to forty minutes and after she sized me up, she said, "you should cook them forty minutes."
Several of us tried these after rehearsal. The taste was a combination of hard boiled egg yoke and liver--definitely rich. The texture was a bit acquired...
Several of our Filipino colleagues in the ensemble said that even they weren't willing to give balut a try, in spite of it being a national delicacy in the Philippines.
Several of us tried these after rehearsal. The taste was a combination of hard boiled egg yoke and liver--definitely rich. The texture was a bit acquired...
Several of our Filipino colleagues in the ensemble said that even they weren't willing to give balut a try, in spite of it being a national delicacy in the Philippines.
Tailgates: Parking Lot Luaus
One of the truly wonderful things about Hawaii Opera is the community created by the chorus which tailgates after every rehearsal. The tailgates get larger and larger and by the time we reach the performances they become full scale parking lot luaus. This is actually a picture from a tailgate after THE MIKADO a few years back.
Cluelessly Classical
At Dog's Door
After a very chic lunch at a great new restaurant called Stage we went to check out Dog the Bounty Hunter's bail bond office in downtown Honolulu. The place is staffed by his family. Around the corner there was a souvenir shop. While we were there, burly young male fans kept coming in to buy T-shirts.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Conductors Hate Spacing Rehearsals
To combat boredom and crankiness in spacing rehearsals, I have brought: computer with internet connection, thank you notes, electronic keyboard, camera, blank music staff paper, Honolulu Advertiser, bottled water...
We are in the theatre!
At last we are in the theatre. The first rehearsals in the theatre are for spacing--translating what was done in the rehearsal hall into the actual space. There are portals, levels, and scenery to be worked with now. All in all, it is a very tedious rehearsal for the conductor--hence my ability to blog from the pit while they do their work onstage.
Banyan Land
Hawaii has beautiful banyan trees. This one is on the grounds near the Iolani Palace. Banyan trees put down roots from their branches and grow to huge dimensions.
Would be Tarzans are warned not to swing from the branches of this particular tree.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Moving to the theatre
Yesterday we had the final rehearsal in Hawaii Opera's cramped and hot rehearsal space. We are ready for the theatre at the Blaisdell. This production has a remarkable touch--a drop in performance by Manutahi Tahiti which is a group of Tahitian dancers. Check out their mission at their website. I will post pictures of their very exciting work, which really amplifies the "South Pacific"ness of this production.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Yummy Chicken Feet
San Francisco? No Honolulu
Monday, July 9, 2007
Vog
Our dance captain, Celia Chun explained to me today that she was under the weather yesterday because of Vog. Over on Hawaii, the volcano is erupting, and when the wind blows the right way, dust and ash from the volcano blows over the islands, causing allergies and asthma attacks. They call it vog.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Race is the dilemma the drives the plot in the R&H adaptation of Michener's TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC. Lt. Cable wants to marry Liat, but feels he musn't; Nellie Forbush is shocked when she finds that Emile De Becque has had two children with a Polynesian. Michener's book is quite frank about it:
"But before her were other indisputable facts! Two of them! Emile De Becque, not satisfied with Javanese and Tonkinese women, had also lived with a Polynesian. A nigger! To Nellie's tutored mind any person living or dead who was not white or yellow was a nigger. And beyond that no words could go! Her entire Arkansas upbringing made it impossible for her to deny the teachings of her youth. Emile De Becque had lived with the nigger. He had nigger children. If she married him, they would be her step-daughters."
The good news is that Nellie, like Hawaii, has worked well past this thinking, but one wonders what this does to the contemporary audience for South Pacific. Will they find this part of the plot--this sociocultural dilemma--to be dated?
"But before her were other indisputable facts! Two of them! Emile De Becque, not satisfied with Javanese and Tonkinese women, had also lived with a Polynesian. A nigger! To Nellie's tutored mind any person living or dead who was not white or yellow was a nigger. And beyond that no words could go! Her entire Arkansas upbringing made it impossible for her to deny the teachings of her youth. Emile De Becque had lived with the nigger. He had nigger children. If she married him, they would be her step-daughters."
The good news is that Nellie, like Hawaii, has worked well past this thinking, but one wonders what this does to the contemporary audience for South Pacific. Will they find this part of the plot--this sociocultural dilemma--to be dated?
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
4th of July Hawaiian Style
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Chandeliers in the shop
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