Cafe Momus

Cafe Momus (Act II) looks pretty good from the pit at Piano Dress rehearsal.

Hawaii Opera T-Shirt Quilt

Every year, Hawaii Opera displays t-shirts designed by Phil Hidalgo backstage. One of the longtime choristers, Fred Cachola had some of his spares made into an artful quilt.

Lori Phillips as Brunhilde

While we are rehearsing BOHEME, Hawaii Opera opened DIE WALKURE. The Brunhilde was Lori Phillips. Amongst her many credits, Lori appeared twice at Opera Memphis as Turandot and Amelia in THE MASKED BALL.

La Boheme at Hawaii Opera

While it is by no means polished, all of LA BOHEME has been staged. These pictures include director Karen Tiller, soprano Olga Chernisheva (Mimi), tenor Derek Taylor (Rodolfo), baritones Etienne Dupuis (Marcello) and Leon Williams (Schaunard) , and bass John Marcus Bindel (Colline).

Time crawls and then lurches

Returning to Hawaii once a year as a guest artist usually creates a feeling of time not having passed. You see the same folks and pick up where you left off with your friends. Someone is a little greyer; someone has shed a few pounds, but things are basically the same. Having been in productions together, you get a shared history. This season has been bittersweet--one person has lost his father, another his wife, another his mother. This time, time has lurched forward into new realities. In some years they could be joyous changes--engagements, weddings, births--but this year they are not.

From Ice to Nice

The second weekend of ORPHEUS proved challenging. Friday's performance was rescheduled and Saturday's was cancelled due to icy roads. Sunday ended up being an afternoon performance followed by an evening one.

While this was happening, I got a last minute call to do LA BOHEME in Honolulu. This will make for an all Puccini spring--with BUTTERFLY back in Memphis and a visit to Amarillo to see GIANNI SCHICCHI/BUOSO'S GHOST in between.