Living, Learning, and Loving: How Opera Singers Have it Right

Editor's Note: Today's blog is written by 2013 Festival Office/Music Library Assistant Corbin Rugh.

As a recent graduate in music education, I never imagined that my degree would take me into the world of opera. Though I knew the summer internship would be full of adventure, I did not imagine I would be so deeply moved by my colleagues.

Blog author Corbin Rugh with William Ferguson, David Portillo and Patrick Carfizzi (George in Our Town and Almaviva and Bartolo in The Barber of Seville)

It is no secret that many talented singers bring Central City Opera to life each summer. Beyond the immaculately finessed notes and divine artistry lie some truly amazing people. This particular crowd of opera singers proves that an uncommon career path lends itself to appreciating often overseen dimensions of life. The most profound lessons that I will take with me long after this summer are the following:

Bloom where you're planted.

Opera singers find work in all corners of the world. This means that the conventional concepts of “home” and “work” change as often as the gig. It is up to the individual to establish roots and to blossom in each experience. As a twenty-something getting ready to move overseas, I know I will sport these same tenets as I venture into unfamiliar ground. There is no measure for success but our own accumulation of triumphs.

Be true to yourself.

"Work with what you have" sounds like bad advice from a mother to a temperamental teenage daughter, but it proves true in the most wonderful way in opera. Vertically challenged? Add that to the comedy of your role. Have an amazing high C? Use it to tug at our heartstrings! In Our Town, the Stage Manager says, “Something is eternal in everyone.” We are all one of a kind and that is our contribution to the world. Capitalize on your unique qualities and make the most of everything that is you.

Corbin with one of the 2013 Festival billboards outside the Central City Opera House

We create the culture that in turn creates us.

This is the quintessential phrase of one of my dear professors. My favorite Central City illustration of this was a moment in rehearsal for The Barber of Seville. Early in staging, two principals had the idea of a new move they could do in a scene. It came to fruition because the climate was supportive of creative collaboration and the director’s intentions were clear. This seemingly small exchange gave way to a wonderful moment in the show that leaves the audience in stitches! Once we individually embody aspects of a productive and supportive culture, we become part of something greater than ourselves.

Live in every moment.

On all levels, productions have an amazing power to bring people together for a common goal, but only for a short time. In my student teaching, the high school auditorium seemed to magically transform for the week of the spring musical, just as Central City takes on new life in the summer season. As quickly as it comes together, it ends. Enjoy each moment of the journey with those around you and put energy, intention, and love into every breath.

Corbin "lives in the moment" backstage at The Barber of Seville.

The gifts opera singers give us go beyond the two hours we experience in the theatre. The next time you see an opera in Central City or elsewhere, look beyond the production and consider the people who are bringing the characters to life. If we take even a page from their books, we are sure to live, learn, and love wholeheartedly.

Behind-the-Scenes Photos of SHOW BOAT

Central City Opera Photographer Mark Kiryluk has been back stage at the Buell Theatre capturing the fun and excitement happening with the cast and crew of Show Boat. Enjoy a selection of some of our favorite shots from some memorable behind-the-scenes moments…

Wig/Makeup Designer Dave Bova prepares Julia Burrows (Magnolia) for curtain time. The hair/makeup/costume team has been working overtime hours and even brought in extra help these last few weeks. All hands on deck!

Gene Scheer (Cap'n Andy) looks out at the empty Buell before Opening Night. As a result of the size of the room, artists wear mics on stage for Show Boat.

Stage management team members Dana Stringer and Rachel Ginzberg plan the logistics of the show, along with the help of a CCO stagehand. During live scene changes, the stagehands come out dressed in full Show Boat era attire.

Troy Cook is transformed into Gaylord Ravenel, a riverside gambler on the Mississippi.

Members of the Guest African-American Chorus warm-up backstage.

CCO Director of Production Karen T. Federing oversees it all from the tech table during a dress rehearsal.

Denise Lute and Ellie Kaye pose with Jean Richards, who attends every CCO performance and has for years. She even rides the bus to Denver from Central City with the Young Artists! Assistant Director Kyle Lang looks on in the background.

A close up of the set, designed by James Youmans. The orchestra sits on stage and is a very integral and interactive part of the performance as a result. 



Talented Teens of the Performing Arts Intensive

Every summer, Central City Opera, in partnership with the Colorado Springs Conservatory, hosts 18 to 20 talented teens during our Performing Arts Intensive. This is the tenth anniversary of the program; as the Production/Stage Manager for CCO's Education & Community Engagement, I have had the privilege of working with these amazing students for eight of those years.

We are about a week and a half into this two-week intensive. Tuesday night in Colorado Springs we invited an audience to preview the work these students have completed. The first act is a scenes program, entitled Now You Know, combining moments from opera, musical and classic theatre. In one touching scene, the students perform a section of Thornton Wilder's play Our Town (pictured below). Later this week, they'll see the operatic version of this story in the Central City Opera House.

In addition to numerous vocal and movement classes and rehearsal of the scenes program, the last week and half has also been filled with research and composition of their own original opera. Inner Lights: Meditations on the Palmers of Colorado Springs is an original short opera based on the life of an early Colorado Springs couple. The premiere staged reading of this piece was also part of Tuesday's night performance.

One of the reasons that the Palmers were chosen as an inspiration for the opera was because of their many important contributions to Colorado. In addition to founding Colorado Springs, General Palmer was critical to the development of the narrow gauge railroad in Colorado. Wednesday, we took a field trip on the Georgetown Loop Railroad for a first-hand experience.

That evening the students settled into Central City, where they become junior members of the 2013 Festival Company. To greet them, artists from on stage and off gathered for an informal "meet and greet" and sandwich supper.  

Marc Astafan, pictured above, discussed everything from the audition process for our Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program to directing The Barber of Seville.

Several of the prinicipal artists, including Curt Olds (Frank, Show Boat) and Daniel Belcher (Figaro, The Barber of Seville) pictured above, answered questions about living and working in the business. Many of today's stars began their careers in CCO's young artist program.

The teens will continue their residency in Central City for the rest of this week. In addition to continuing to rehearse their scenes program and original opera, they are attending all of the operas performing in Central City, observing some of the Apprentice Artists' classes and having their own private master classes with members of the CCO Festival staff. Vocal and diction master classes will focus on their own material, while in movement and stage combat classes they'll learn some of the same moves and sequences used in the 2013 Festival productions. 

Public performances of the Performing Arts Intensive are held in the intimate Williams Stables Theatre this Friday at 4 pm and Saturday at 7 pm. Tickets are just $5. To purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 303-292-6700 or visit www.centralcityopera.org/intensive. 

Short Works: The Show Before the Show

One of the gems of Central City Opera’s Summer Festival is our presentation of Short Works, also known as Opera Scenes. These half-hour performances put young artists in the spotlight and allow them to show off their diverse skills in acting and performing. Just as the name implies, these are not full opera performances but rather selected scenes from a variety of operas by a multitude of composers. So far, Central City Opera has presented scenes from Orfeo Ed Euridice, Ragtime, Cendrillon, The Elixir of Love, Manon, Street Scene, The Rake’s Progress, Eugene Onegin, Alladin, The Sound of Music, Dead Man Walking and The Marriage of Figaro. The latter three will be presented in full by Central City Opera during the 2014 Festival.

CCO Studio Artist Siena Forest gets her time in the spotlight

Not only do these give the young artists an opportunity to hone their skills, but it also allows aspiring directors a chance to perfect their art form as well. The scenes are directed by 2013 Festival Assistant Directors Corinne Hayes (Our Town,) Stephanie Havey (The Barber of Seville,) and Kyle Lang (Show Boat). Lang says that directing Short Works gives him a chance to “try different approaches, being that a scene may not necessarily need to be in the context of the full opera.” He also went on to say that “It’s such a great opportunity to work with young artists and to learn how people may take direction differently. The process that may be needed for one person may not be what is best for another.” So it is the creative team that gets personal and professional growth out of Short Works in addition to just the artists.                                                                 

Patrons enjoy an afternoon Short Works performance inside of Williams Stables

From the young artists’ perspective, Short Works is their opportunity to practice performing in front of an audience and to learn about and engage in a variety of diverse operas and musicals. While most young artists have roles in the feature productions either in the chorus or as a side role, Short Works puts them front and center and raises them to be the stars of that afternoon’s performance.

The next Short Works will be presented at Williams Stables tomorrow at 1:15 p.m. prior to the matinee performance, and at the same time on the additional dates of July 24th, 27th, and 28th. Tickets can be purchased in advance or day-of-show for the price of $12 or $8 for subscribers. These are a great way to whet your appetite before a matinee performance in the Opera House and to see future opera stars in a casual and intimate setting.
                                                                         

      

Central City Days Gives a View of "Our Town"

In the spirit of Central City Opera’s (CCO) production of Our Town, the Ned Rorem opera which celebrates life in small town America, CCO hosted Central City Days this past Saturday, a progressive party at the Gilpin History Museum, the Teller House and around town . With the stunning backdrop of Central City, Black Hawk, and the mountains, folks of all ages gathered at the Gilpin History Museum as their first stop. They were greeted by picnic tables, country fair food and drinks, complete with a keg of special brew for the event supplied by Dostal Alley. A three-piece string band, Psychodillo with Brad Martin, entertained the crowd with their mellow playing that included a cover of Neil Young’s “Comes a Time.” This part of the day had a very “picnic-like” feeling and allowed people the opportunity to mingle with one another and enjoy the Colorado summer in a very laidback fashion.

After some time soaking in the sun and enjoying their food, the crowd was split into two groups for a walking tour of Central City. The tours stopped in front of some of the many historic buildings and properties in Central City, before meeting at the Teller House. Inside, a bride, a groom, and a very delicious wedding cake awaited the crowd. For those unfamiliar with Our Town, much of the story is based on the marriage of a young couple, so the wedding theme was very fitting.

Brian of Cook with Cook shows off the delicious wedding cake.

 The icing on the cake, however, was when the curtain rose on opening night of Our Town. This Sunday, July 14th, will see the second and final Central City Days of the year, and one not to miss with an after-party at Dostal Alley. Just like Our Town, Central City Days takes you back to a simpler time where being neighborly is a way of life and the presence of good people and good surroundings mixed with good music make for an excellent and entertaining afternoon. To purchase tickets or for more information visit Centralcityopera.org/ccdays.

SPECIAL BOGO OFFER for our Blog readers: Buy one ticket to Central City Days on July 14 and get another one free when you use the code CCDBOGO online or by calling 303-292-6700.

Photos by Heather Brecl and Heather Quiroga.

Throwback Thursday: Looking Back on Opening Night 1932

With opening night of Central City Opera’s 2013 Festival now just a few days away, let’s look back on July 16, 1932, the opening night that started it all…

Crowds filled the street before the sold-out first performance of Camille in 1932. 

Although the Opera House was built in 1878, the Central City Opera House Association was not founded until 1932. It was then, after years of the building falling into disrepair, that Central City Opera as we know it began its storied history. All of the stars seemed to be aligned that summer, granting our company a near-perfect opening night and inaugural season, which at the time was called the “Central City Play Festival.”

Robert Edmond Jones

What made that night so special? Well, to start, the Association was able to gather an all-star cast and production team, including Broadway legend Robert Edmund Jones as Director/Producer/Designer and film star Lillian Gish as the lead role in Camille. Opera historian Charles A. Johnson commented on Jones’ involvement by saying, “To have him appear in a crumbling mining town was akin to having a head of a major studio direct a play at a local high school.” Exaggerated or not,  having these big names involved in the opening season certainly did wonders for the reputation and attendance in that first year, especially given the widespread skepticism of outsiders. The hope was to lure many of Denver’s elite to Central City. However many of those individuals thought it was preposterous to travel to Central City, up the “Oh My God” Road, only to see a performance that could easily be put on in one of Denver’s existing, established theaters. But when it came down to it, they showed up in droves and the entire first week of performances sold out! In fact, an estimated 5,000 people showed up to Central City just to be a part of the historic event, knowing full well that the Opera House could only seat a fraction of that.

Camille was a very interesting choice as the first production for the new Association. Based on an adaptation of the 1848 Alexandre Dumas novel The Lady of Camellias, this piece had been performed in a less formal manner in Central City throughout the late 19th century. Though the 1932 performances of Camille were a rousing success, the production was never staged again in Central City. Additionally, Jones took the production to Broadway the following season where it had little success, especially when compared to the reception it received in Central City. As Charles A. Johnson explained, “Part of the problem with the Broadway production had been its inability to evoke a Victorian era in a thoroughly modern city like New York. In Central City, a town that lived in the past, this had been no problem.”

Lillian Gish in Camille at the Central City Opera House

In 1932, Camille patrons were encouraged to emulate the fashion of the 1870s, for which many and most obliged. Many patrons also showed up on horse-drawn carriages, further adding to the nostalgia that Robert Edmund Jones and the Association were striving for. Honoring in the past is something that Central City Opera thrives on, even to this day. Although a conscious effort is made to stay trendy and innovative on both the artistic and business fronts, many past traditions remain intact as a part of the Central City Opera experience. Today, while you won't likely see horse carriages or 1870s attire scattered across Eureka Street, nostalgia and tradition come in the form of the Flower Girls, the Usher Song and the famed dynamite blast to ring in the beginning of the Festival.

Harper's Bazaar and Vogue magazines covered the fashions worn for 1932's Opening NIght.

There is no doubt that the success experienced on the opening night of Camille was a catalyst to the prosperity that Central City Opera has experienced in the 81 years since then. With favorable media attention from outlets such as The Denver Post, Vanity Fair, Time Magazine and the New York Times, the Central City Opera House Association seemed poised for success from the very beginning. 

If you can't join us this Saturday, June 29, for the 2013 Festival Opening Night in Central City, tune in to our live broadcast on Colorado Public Radio, over the air or online.

It Takes a Village: Preparations "On the Hill"

As artists and staff members show up in Central, there is little time to “settle in” before they immediately get to work on preparing for the fast approaching Festival. Whether they are stagehands or Apprentice Artists, music staff or props interns, most Company members dive into their roles very quickly upon arrival and hit the ground running.

Chorus Master Levi Hammer conducts a rehearsal with young artists inside of the Foundry Building.

Of course, many artists and staff members begin their preparations well before they even step foot in Central City or a company rehearsal room. Singers are hard at work months before they arrive perfecting their performance pieces so that they are well prepared by the time they officially begin rehearsals and coachings. That commitment makes the work of Music Director John Baril and Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program Director Marc Astafan much easier, I would believe. “The first few weeks have been great!” said Mr. Astafan, who also went on to say that the positive vibe he has been getting from all the young artists has been “infectious."

Props Interns Sarah Alverson and Ryan Miller begin their work almost immediately upon arrival in Central City.

Speaking of our young artists, the highlight of the first few weeks is the Death By Aria event, in which the Apprentice Artists show off their hard work and talent to an audience for the first time in Central City. Death By Aria took place in the Foundry Rehearsal Building last Sunday in front of an audience that included Guild members, festival/administrative staff, and fellow artists. Each young artist had the opportunity to sing a selection of their choice, which included a wide range of pieces. The young artists are also well on their way to being prepared for the start of the Lunch & a Song recitals. Singers have been busy choosing their repertoire and rehearsing with accompanists to prepare for their moment to shine inside of the Teller House on matinee days.

The “O”Man observes as Costume Shop Supervisor Janetta Turner and Stitcher/Dresser Lauren Allmeyer receive wardrobe materials.

The behind-the-scenes staff members are hard at work during these first few weeks as well. The costume and wardrobe team, headed by Janetta Turner, has been receiving packages daily in preparation for the Festival, some weighing upwards of 100 pounds! Production Scheduler Roxanna Tehrani may be the unsung hero of the company, as she works diligently day in and day out composing master schedules of rehearsals, coachings, fittings, and more. Staffer/Gift Shop Intern Laura Pancoast and Denver Office Administrator Wanda Larson have spent many hours over the past few weeks stocking and taking inventory of the Teller House Gift Shop, ensuring its readiness well in advance of Opening Night. The list could go on seemingly forever, with every staff and crew member playing each of their important roles to make every Festival a success. 

And the preparations will continue until opening night on June 29th! So while you are enjoying some opera in Central City this summer, take a minute to think about all of the little things that go into making the Festival possible. From the artists and year-round staff right down to the interns, everyone has their niche within the company and has been hard at work from the very beginning of arrival in Central City, or in some cases, well before then.

Central City in May: In like a Lamb, out like a Lion

Editor's Note: Here's our first blog post for the 2013 Festival from Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Tyler Hypnarowski. You'll be seeing lots of blogs from Tyler "on the hill" over the next few months. 

You know the old expression about the month of March: “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” In Central City, the month of May is just the opposite, and it has nothing to do with the weather. During the winter months, Central City is a relatively quiet town, although the casinos in town remain hopping. However, as May comes to an end, the dynamic of the old mining town changes a bit with the sudden influx of out-of-state license plates and a ton of new Wi-Fi accounts popping up in everyone’s network. That is not to say the city loses its small town charm or historic ambiance when the opera starts up, but it certainly gives it a new feel every summer.

The 14 interns are always the first to arrive in Central City, along with just a few other key staff members. This year, as in years past, we (the interns) spent the first week doing maintenance on and cleaning the organization’s properties, including company housing, Festival Hall, Williams Stables Theatre and even the Opera House itself. Couches were moved, windows were cleaned, floors were mopped, farmer tans were developed and team bonding flourished as we prepped for the arrival of the rest of the company artists and staff members.

The "O" Man helps Tyler Hypnarowski (Festival Staffer - Public Relations/Marketing Assistant) and Allison Taylor (House and Festival Services Manager) load furniture into the car from Williams Stables.

The "O" Man helps Jonathan Sanford (Festival Staffer - Assistant House Manager/Company Management Assistant) make key copies for all the historic properties.

Walking down Main Street in and out of the casinos and other local establishments has been like night and day from the time I arrived just over a week ago to the time I am writing this. There seems to be a bit more of a bustle now than there was during my first few days in Central. Sidewalks are more crowded, with company members eager to explore what will be their home for the summer. I have seen company members jogging up the Eureka Street hill, enjoying local brews at Dostal Alley, playing basketball behind Festival Hall, and packing the Foundry to get a head start on their rehearsals; all signs that Central City Opera’s 2013 Festival is soon to be under way!

The city is beginning to take on its summer look. The aforementioned surge of colorful and diverse license plates is one telltale sign, including tags from New York, Missouri, Virginia, Texas, and Minnesota, among others. Of course, Central City has always been a tourist hot spot, attracting travelers from all over to check out the mountain scenery and rich history. But there is no doubt that the Festival season brings in an additional element of visitors and part-time residents to the area.

A small sampling of the new license plates appearing around town

Now as the month of May turns to June with Main Street events and the Central City Opera Festival opening on June 29, hear the “lion” roar!