I'm pleased that OperaHub, a company in Boston is doing the second production of MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, opera a cappella, this summer. They are performing it June 28-30. Although I'm happy to be helping out my friend and colleague Valerian Ruminski with a Boheme at his Nickel City Opera in Buffalo, I'm sad that it's right on top of the DREAM, so I won't get to see it. Spies wanted!

A cappella recording almost done

This weekend, Deltacappella, fabulous recording engineer Tony Huerta, and maestro Curt Tucker will finish up recording MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, opera a cappella, in Memphis. It's a time consuming process, recording a cappella, and I owe so much to all of these folks for their continued support and enthusiasm. Curt noticed that the a cappella parts come back into focus very quickly for the group--learning an a part takes a long time, but the retention is strong.

In the studio

Before they left town, the MIDSUMMER cast began the process of making a recording of the show. Pictured here are Jennifer Goode Cooper (Titania), Curt Tucker (Conductor), Tony Huerta (Engineer), and Toney Walsh (Peter Quince). They are at the famous Ardent Studio in Memphis. Amazingly, they will record the lead vocals first and then go back into the studio to lay the a cappella tracks underneath.

Feedback on Dream

I stuck my e-mail address in my program bio for DREAM and asked for feedback. My favorite one so far has been from a high school student, Eric. Here's some of it:

"I had never been to an opera before, but I knew that I enjoyed the energy of a cappella groups (I had heard DeltaCappella before) and the catchiness of musical theatre. I feel that your opera brought out the best of all three worlds and combined it with wonderful staging and acting to create an enjoyable experience. I thought that Playhouse on the Square was the perfect place to perform your work because it created an intimate setting that a cappella groups thrive on. In particular, I liked it when characters emerged from the "voicestra pit."

One of the stereotypes that I held about opera in general before going to your show was that I would be unable to understand the words if it was in English (or the plot if it was in Italian, French, German etc.) I had no trouble understanding the words and the dialog felt natural and never seemed contrived. I liked how you were able to bring out the comedic elements in Shakespeare's play through clever staging and through the music. My personal favorite characters were Lysander (for his fantastic acting and great solos) and Puck (for his general mischief). I liked how you ended the opera with the main melody again after Puck gave his famous last monologue.

The melodies were fantastic and catchy especially the opening/main melody! I feel that you really did combine "very accessible melodies" with "serious music." My friend and I agreed that Helena's main, recurring melody had the catchiness of a pop song melody. "

The sweetest music to my ears is his comment about being able to understand the words!.

A few more MIDSUMMER reviews

Thanks to Chris Blank for a nice review of DREAM in the COMMERCIAL APPEAL. Although opera folks would sometimes complain about him, I always thought his reviews were honest and fair, and now that I'm not running Opera Memphis, I can admit that he was occasionally right about a lousy show! Chris now has a group called the performance club. Operating out of WKNO, the group attends various arts events in the Memphis area and then has discussions about them.

Preview article, Memphis Commercial Appeal

A piece written by Christopher Blank for the Go Memphis section of the COMMERCIAL APPEAL.

Rehearsal Clip from Act III scene ii of DREAM

A clip from a rehearsal of Act III scene ii in which the lovers, Hermia, Helena, Demetrius and Lysander quarrel. Oberon chastises Puck for having confused his instructions. Scene has Laura Stracko, Emily Bodkin, Robert Legge, and John Dooley in it as the lovers, and Kyle Huey and Jeremiah Johnson as Puck and Oberon. Directed by Gary John LaRosa.

It's always challenging but important to create ensembles in opera...

A cappella lessons

When we first set about creating an a cappella opera, one of the concerns was that the voicestra would tire out. I may be speaking too soon, but this has turned out not to be the case. We have had two very long work throughs (four hours each) and the group is still going strong. So it appears that as long as the registers are reasonable for the voice types, an a cappella group has a lot of stamina.

The way the piece was written, I put lots of breaks in it--places for people to rest out. Sometimes, I have alternated sections--sopranos for a bar, then echoed by mezzos, for example. This actually creates learning confusion. With a cappella it appears that "the more the merrier" is the best policy. If everyone is singing frequently, it enhances the intonation and everything sounds more assured.

Live and learn. And edit. Edit!

Back at rehearsal

After several snow delays, it is good to be able to be back watching rehearsal. Director Gary John LaRosa has been wonderfully collaborative with the cast and also very detailed in getting the text to work just right. For example, he made the useful suggestion that we change lanthorn to the modern lantern.

We had our first rehearsal with both the cast and voice orchestra present (except for getting ready for the preview). Although it might have been a bit scary in a handful of spots, it is clear that the opera acappella concept is going to work well, even spectacularly in some spots.

Preview

A nice blog post from Chris Davis at Memphis Flyer about last night's preview of DREAM in Memphis.

Midsummer set

Director Gary John LaRosa and Designer Nick Mozak have been encouraged to create a design that has some nod to traditional elements--a beautiful, evocative forest. A musical setting of Shakespeare already provides quite an adventure.

Music Music Music!

Last night, we had music rehearsal with the "rude mechanicals." They are performers from Deltacappella and Riva who are in the voice orchestra and they will come up from the pit for their entrances.

In the picture, TeKay (Flute), Toney Walsh (Quince) and Charles Ponder (Bottom).

Weather outside is frightful...

The rehearsal period for MIDSUMMER has a holiday break in it. Back here in Memphis, it is lovely southern winter, but a heavy snow on the east coast has made it so the director, Gary John LaRosa and several cast members are stuck, waiting for an available flight to come or come back to Memphis. So the first day after break--scheduled for a major music run thru--is now going to be meagre.

I have a widow aunt

This is a demo of Laura Stracko (Hermia) and John Dooley (Lysander) singing "I have a widow aunt," from the first act of MIDSUMMER. We are now near the end of the first week of music rehearsals. It doesn't have Deltacappella and Riva in it, but it gives a good idea of how the acappella opera will sound like. Laura is a musical theater singer and John comes more from the opera world, but they sound great together! (Note the mp3 player shouldn't autoplay--it shouldn't play until you click it.)

A music rehearsal

Today was the first reading of the MIDSUMMER, or at least the first one where any continuity was attempted. Here is a section from the end of the first act of the play with Helena (Emily Bodkin), Hermia (Laura Stracko), Lysander (John Dooley), conductor Curt Tucker and pianist Stephen Carey. I need a better video camera!

Midsummer presentation at Opera America

Two pictures taken by Opera America's Kate Ehle from the presentation at their offices last week.

Midsummer presentations

The studio artists at Opera New Jersey presented to readings of some of my MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, opera a cappella in Princeton and at the offices of Opera America. Here, our conductor, Keith Chambers readies for the performance with an improvised podium of old Opera News Magazines.

Midsummer Night's Dream, opera a cappella

This is a new section of the a cappella "Dream," from Act I, for Hermia and Lysander. Opera Memphis' Artistic Administrator Sarah Squire sings Hermia on the demo.




LYSANDER

I have a widow aunt, a dowager
Of great revenue, and she hath no child:
From Athens is her house remote seven leagues;
And she respects me as her only son.
There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;
And to that place the sharp Athenian law
Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me then,
Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night;
And in the wood, a league without the town,
Where I did meet thee once with Helena,
To do observance to a morn of May,
There will I stay for thee.

HERMIA

My good Lysander!
I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicity of Venus' doves,
By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,
And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage queen,
When the false Troyan under sail was seen,
By all the vows that ever men have broke,
In number more than ever women spoke,
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
To-morrow truly will I meet with thee.

LYSANDER
Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.