Policing That Rehearsal

I'm running supertitles for Long Beach Opera's latest production (no flute part this time - rats),  The first day in the venue was Monday.  Stewart Copeland attended the evening rehearsal of his opera The Tell Tale Heart, the second part of Saturday's double bill.  It's going to be a wild evening.  Hope to see you there!

Opera Sweater 2 Is At Tear Down

Opera Sweater 2 made an appearance after the first performance of Long Beach Opera's Ainadamar Sunday evening.  Although my work in the pit was completed, my dear husband and sound designer Bob had some tearing down to do, and the stage needed to be made ready for another event.

I really enjoy watching the skilled crew hard at work long after the audience and musicians have left the building.  Without them, there would be no show.  Crew, with knitting in hand I salute you!

Opera Sweater Returns To LAX

I'm back at LAX with Opera Sweater 2, this time to pick up future (and past) LBO stage manager and fellow knitter Cindy after her flight from New York. It's quite the commute to make for tonight's rehearsal where she'll be running supertitles.

Tonight is the orchestra's first night at the Terrace Theater. I'm excited to get settled in. Let's see how it goes. I'll keep you posted.

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Progress

Opera Sweater 2 is taking shape, even as my hours of listening to and practicing  Ainadamar  are beginning to bear fruit.

I've been doing some work in the opera office. Friday I translated the score from Spanish to English. I've also spent a couple of nights taking notes for Andreas during vocal rehearsals. That's my favorite. I love hearing my friends as they break my heart with their transcendent arias, and listening to Andreas as ideas pour forth from his giant brain. I am so very fortunate to be there, drinking in every moment.

Next week my role will change as I assume the principal flute position with the orchestra. Right now, I'm more than content to be a fly on the wall as genius flows around me. I am so grateful to be a part of this.

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Waiting For Maestro

Opera Sweater 2 and I are at LAX waiting to welcome Maestro Steven R. Osgood to his first Long Beach Opera production. I'm looking forward to working with him and taking the plunge into "The Fountain of Tears". I'll keep you posted.

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Opera Sweater Sleeve Goes To A Different Opera

For just a couple of days, my two shows overlap. Opera Sweater Sleeve came with me to Opera le Different today. I've got a cold that could be a lot worse (I suspect Maestro might have been the source), and that makes flute playing pretty challenging. My carpool buddy of the brass persuasion is also fighting a cold. We should have some fun on the drive on Sunday.
I got a little work done on the sleeve during the 4 1/2 hour rehearsal (I have to play the WHOLE show this time), then came home and spent another hour or so playing through tomorrow's opera. I will be sorry to say goodbye to LBO, but look forward to the May production. Meanwhile, Opera Sweater will be changing venues. I'll keep you posted.

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Opera Sweater Sleeve And Review

The Los Angeles Times' Mark Swed has posted his review of yesterday's opera performance here. It is a good one, and he commends opera knitter Suzan Hanson for her strong stage presence. In other news, the work on Opera Sweater's sleeves has begun.

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Opera Sweater Is Backstage

We're sitting backstage waiting for Long Beach Opera's opening performance. One of the stars is also an opera knitter. We compared notes before she made her entrance. What fun!

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Opera Sweater Is At Opera

Opera Sweater is coming along. Since I only play in the second act, I spend the first act in the house enjoying the performance whilst knitting. It is a soothing activity before jumping into the fray. The first performance is Sunday. I'm looking forward to it. Meanwhile, I knit.

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Opera Sweater

Rehearsals for the latest Long Beach Opera production start on Tuesday. In preparation, not only have I been practicing my part, I have also cast on for an Opera Sweater. It is possible that I will have some down time since I'm only playing in half the opera. I want to come prepared. I'll keep you posted on my progress...

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PULIZTER PRIZE WINNER

Pulitzer prize winning composer David Lang with Long Beach Opera artistic director Andreas Mitisek at opening night pre opera talk.

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Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherry Town

The newest addition to my music stand is Dimitri Shostakovich' MOSCOW, CHERRY TOWN for Long Beach Opera. Once again my dear husband is doing sound design. As Bob says, "We met at work, and I always enjoy working with you."

We get to take this production on the road - at least on the roads of Southern California - with performances at the Center Theater in Long Beach, the Barclay Theater in Irvine, and Barnum Hall in Santa Monica.

Sun. May 15, 2011 - 2pm
Center Theater, Long Beach

Wed. May 18, 2011 - 7:30pm
Irvine Barclay Theater, Irvine

Sun. May 22, 2011 - 2pm
Barnum Hall, Santa Monica

Duration: 3 hours, 1 intermission
Sung in English with English Supertitles

Here's a taste of the music (LBO production will be IN ENGLISH):



Don't expect the giant orchestra, however. We've got a cozy chamber version that looks hilarious. Rehearsals begin the first part of May.

I'm really looking forward to life in Cherry Town!

A Pharaoh In My Future

The latest addition to my music stand is the Philip Glass opera Akhnaten. Long Beach Opera is producing the West Coast premiere of this work as part of the Philip Glass Festival this month. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one. Opera with pulsating drums like this is a must see:

Opera In A Warehouse

Playing opera in a warehouse is fun - great orchestra, soul stirring singers, magnificent conductor, stellar crew. Long Beach Opera rocks, plain and simple. Still haven't seen the blood, though. Maybe Monday...

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That's Opera

Bob went to the first production meeting of Long Beach Opera's Medea this morning, where he's back doing Sound Design.  Among the fascinating subjects discussed were the practical requirements of what kind of (fake) blood to use, where and how to store it on stage, and how to get it out of the costumes.

This harkens back to another Long Beach Opera production years ago.  My favorite conductor's comment of all time, made during a rehearsal for Janacek's From the House of the Dead: "Could you stop spraying blood on the orchestra?"

That's opera for you...

Performances of Long Beach Opera's Medea:

Sat. January 29, 2011 - 7:30pm - limited availability
Sat. February 5, 2011 - 2pm - just added, great seats available
Sun. February 6, 2011 - 2pm - limited availability
EXPO Building, Long Beach

Revisiting An Old Friend

I am revisiting an old friend.

Long Beach Opera will present one peformance of "The Diary of Anne Frank" on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the Barclay Theater in Irvine, CA.  Reviews of our 2007 performances were excellent:

"..an emotional tour de force. [Maljian's] singing was commanding and brilliant, fresh and strong from beginning to end...this production functioned on an authentically high level. Mitisek conducted with authority and his nine piece ensemble was exceptional." - The Los Angeles Times

I picked up the music at the opera office today. I am grateful to see that most of my original markings remain, even though the rental music has traveled around the world since last I saw it. It is a bittersweet reunion.

The music is challenging and powerful. Ani Maldjian (last seen as Madame Mao in LBO's Nixon In China) is stunning as the young Anne Frank. The most moving part of the whole production, however, is Holocaust survivor Laura Hillman.

Director/Conductor Andreas Mitisek and Laura Hillman

Upon first meeting Laura, it is hard to grasp that this elegant, friendly woman survived 7 concentration camps. During the course of the opera, as she reads excerpts from her book I Will Plant You A Lilac Tree, one can only begin to grasp the depth of the sheer horror she endured as a Jew in the hands of the Nazis during World War II.

Ani and I had a chance to talk about the difficulty of this opera at the Nixon In China cast party last month. I remarked that I spent the entire first rehearsal with Laura dissolved in tears as I struggled to play my part. After that I had to completely shut out what was happening on stage and focus entirely on the job of playing the flute. Ani said she has to remove herself even as she sings or she'd never be able to perform the role.

Laura is the one who suffers. Unlike Ani and me, she is not a performer. This was her life. She often falls ill after the performances for weeks at a time under the sheer weight of the memories.

If you can, please join us as we revisit this old friend. Hearing directly from a survivor of the Holocaust, one of Oskar Schindler's Jews, will leave you forever changed.  As painful as it may be to be a part of this evening, you will not regret it.

Anne Frank Revisited

I was very grateful to get the work call for Long Beach Opera's production of "The Diary of Anne Frank" just two days after completing the massive "Nixon In China".

I am so grateful to be working on this opera again. This time we will be at the Barclay Theater rather than in a parking garage (I actually prefer the parking garages for this particular piece).

Details will follow. I'm still in a "Nixon" haze.

See you at the opera!

Nixon In The Pit

I'm sitting in the orchestra pit at the Terrace Theater waiting for the opening night down beat for Long Beach Opera's production of "Nixon In China". Bob is at the back of the house ready to run sound (a 16th mic was added to the mix a few hours ago).

We're ready to go. See you on the other side!

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Nixon Sound Design

My dear husband Bob is doing sound design for Long Beach Opera's production of "Nixon In China" at the Terrace Theater.

It is no easy task.

Blog hero beFrank caught Bob at work the other night:


15 wireless mics with as many as 9 on at one time is a lot to handle just blocks from the Port of Long Beach and its jammed radio frequencies.


I can tell the stress is beginning to get to normally unflappable Bob. Today when I asked him what he would like to drink, he said, "Reverb" instead of root beer...

Photos by Bryan Frank

Nixon Flutes

The first orchestra rehearsal for Long Beach Opera's production of "Nixon In China" was last night. Fellow Muni Band flutist Eileen is joing me on this quest. The music is challenging and never boring. Eileen and I both laid in a supply of Girl Scout Cookies from keyboardist Lisa as a balm against practice related brain depletion. We're back at it this afternoon at 2. Thin Mints anyone?

I'm guest blogging on LBO's Blog.

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