TOMORROW: The Nina Odescalchi Kelly Family Matinee Performance of Bizet’s CARMEN

For many, opera is an unexplored art form; a virtual unknown which when mentioned might raise imagery of many varied stereotypes. But as we've focused on with our marketing campaign this year, Central City Opera is an experience that's accessible and enjoyable, with offerings for all ages and tastes.

For children, a first opera can be a life-changing experience. In the historic 550-seat opera house in Central City, a child’s proximity to the story can have a powerful impact; moreover, it’s like live-action television where you can’t take your eyes off of it. Central City Opera's upcoming Family Matinee performances feature the talented artists of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program in fully staged productions which include a narrator’s preview before each act and an autograph session with the singers following the performance.

2010 Family Matinee autograph sessions from MADAMA BUTTERFLY (above) and ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD (below). Photos by Mark Kiryluk.

 

What better story than Carmen than to introduce your child to the world of opera? Full of emotion, there is plenty of action mixed with a powerful and memorable musical score. So don’t miss this opportunity to introduce your child, or yourself, to opera at tomorrow’s matinee. Tickets are just $15 for kids 6-18, and $20 for adults.

A second family matinee performance, Amadigi di Gaula, takes place on August 4th. All kids are welcome to dress up in a magical wizard or prince/princess costume to be eligible to win prizes from The Wizard's Chest. Be sure not to miss their wizard and magic show at 2:00 pm in the Opera House Garden before the matinee. Mention Central City Opera and get 25% off of a costume at The Wizard's Chest. For an extra $10, attend Take a Child to the Opera at 1:00 pm, which includes pre-performance family fun activities, theatre games, and a post-opera talkback.

Purchase tickets to either of these events online, by calling (303) 292-6700 or stopping by our Central City Box Office, located in the historic Teller House on the main level (open two hours before each performance only).

Another First for Central City Opera: CARMEN in Denver

Most people reasonably expect to have a number of their favorite items delivered to them these days: a pizza, a bouquet of flowers, even online purchases. For the first time, on Tuesday of this week, Central City Opera took “delivery” to a whole new level—by bringing Carmen to Denver. With months of planning and a day of rehearsal at the Comfort Dental Amphitheater (formerly Fiddler’s Green), a semi-staged version of Carmen came to life at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, just as some light showers conveniently ceased.

Above and Below: Photos from the midday rehearsal, courtesy of Karen Federing

 

The "Tooth" from Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
greets patrons, with his Carmen program in hand.

With about 3,000 in attendance, this unique venture offered an opportunity for Denver locals to have a taste of Central City Opera right in their own backyard. Some attendees with whom I spoke with had never been to Central City Opera before, others were “regulars,” eager to have a chance to see their favorite opera company from a new perspective. Regardless of their experience, conductor Timothy Myers made everyone feel welcome and excited about Carmen and its intriguing story. Limited dialogue and conversational commentary made for a fast-paced and entertaining evening.

CBS4 Denver aired a short promotional piece on the evening and Central City Opera’s other 2011 Festival offerings. Check out the video online.

Kirstin Chávez (Carmen) and conductor Timothy Myers during the Denver performance

The evening was unfortunately cut short due to unsafe weather conditions which developed quickly during the intermission. If you're waiting to see how Carmen ends, don’t despair! Carmen plays in repertory with Central City Opera’s four other productions: Amadigi di Gaula, Gianni Schicchi, The Seven Deadly Sins, and The Breasts of Tiresias through August 7th. Get your tickets online or by calling (303) 292-6700, as soon as possible. Several other Fringe Festival events are offered each week as well, with something to please every operatic palate.

All evening photos courtesy of Erin Joy Swank.

What does CARMEN have in common with a bunch of Frontier women?

Deborah Morrow

[Editor's Note: Central City Opera's Director of Education & Community Programs Deborah Morrow writes this blog post about the Build an Opera professional development workshop taking place in Colorado Springs this week.]

What does Carmen have in common with a bunch of Frontier women? More than you might think!

The stage of the Harrison High School auditorium in Colorado Springs has been transformed into a classroom/music room/mini-theatre for five days as 14 Colorado teachers embark on an in-depth study of Carmen - the story, the music, the dramatic structure and characters - as a model for the opera they are also creating together. The story they have chosen to opera-tize (after considering numerous ideas) is based on a true account of a group of women who traveled the Oregon Trail together after all of the men in their party died. (If you didn't know it was a true story, you might assume it was a feminist fantasy - somewhat appropriate since all but two of the workshop participants are women.)

What's the point, you might ask? This is professional development for educators to add some exciting methods to their "teaching tool kits" for enhancing the curriculum they regularly teach. Six of them have taken this workshop previously (Central City Opera has offered it every summer for 12 years), two for the THIRD time. Multiple disciplines and grades are represented – elementary music, second and fourth grades, middle school music (instrumental and vocal), middle school language and drama, a student working on her education degree, and even two retired elementary music teachers, one taking credits for re-certification and another starting a private music school in her small town. Many participants will take advantage of the three graduate credits offered for completing the workshop, to use toward their teacher certification or higher degree.

The five-day workshop, led by two experts from the Opera America service organization, includes two components, Listen and Discover and Create and Produce. Dr. Kay Hoke, a college educator and musicologist who now heads the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, leads the Listen and Discover exploration of Carmen. Roger Ames, an educator, composer (of songs, oratorios, musicals and opera, including Central City Opera's bilingual opera En Mis Palabras) and choral director/composer-in-residence at Great Neck High School in New York, guides the group in the creation of a short original opera. Kay and Roger have been leading these workshops all over the U.S. for over 15 years and Roger is one of the original creators of the curriculum (dubbed Music! Words! Opera!). This hands-on approach will model methods that the participants can later use with their students in exactly the same process.

This may sound pretty serious, but in reality this workshop is tons of fun. Trust and character-building exercises and theater games, plus watching and learning the glorious music of Carmen, stimulate the creative juices (and apparently the laughter "hot button"). Laughter and smiles are constants, even when discussing serious moments in Carmen or the deaths of all those men in the Frontier story. The ideas fly thick and fast as the teachers get down to creating the scenes in their story. Once the important scenes are set, the writing (of both lyrics and music) begins. Now the hilarity is almost constant as rhyme schemes and key words and melodies begin to emerge. "What rhymes with cholera?" "I don't think I can compose music, can my song be a rap?" (No.) "Can some of the lyrics be limericks?" "I really want a scene with Indians," shouted down immediately and now a running joke.

Above and Below: Participants in this year's Build an Opera professional development play theatre games to get their creative juices flowing. Photo credit: Deborah Morrow

 

This process of creating and producing an original musical work is great for developing 21st century skills in students – communication, collaboration, creative thinking. The learning really explodes, and time and again we've seen students blossom when they discover the depths of their own talents. Central City Opera provides teaching artists to assist teachers and their students in this endeavor and the results are always gratifying and astounding!

It's only Wednesday of our 5-day process as I write this, so Carmen hasn't died yet (we're on Act III), and the Frontier opera is as yet unnamed and just beginning to shape up. By Friday there will be an opera to perform for each other. It probably won't be ready to submit to the Met, but you can bet the group (now friends for life) will take pride in its accomplishment (and laugh like crazy people) as those brave women sing their way across the West.

Composer Roger Ames will remain in residence with Central City Opera for two more weeks, assisting the teenagers of our Summer Performing Arts Intensive. The public can view public performances of their theatre scenes and the student-created opera on July 30 at 2:30 pm and July 31 at 10:00 am for just $5.

More Fun with CARMEN as Central City Opera Stars Sing with Jim Henson Characters

In our continuing series of "Where Have I Heard That?" we return to the ever-popular Carmen. There is no end to the number of times this familiar music has been used in pop culture, appearing lately in ads for the reality TV show, Love in the Wild, and other commercials. But my favorite uses are still those done by Jim Henson and company. There are even some direct Central City Opera correlations to these too!

Bass-baritone Samuel Ramey received some of his early training at Central City Opera:

A young Samuel Ramey (back row, in front of the post, smiling) in rehearsals for Don Giovanni at Central City Opera, 1963. Photo credit Mike O'Meara.

“I grew up in Western Kansas, where the only opera was on recordings,” remembers Ramey.  “I was fascinated by it, but had never seen a performance.  A friend of mine happened to hear that Central City was auditioning college-aged singers for the chorus and persuaded me to apply.  I made a tape at the local radio station, and lo and behold, I was hired.” The world-renowned bass- baritone made his singing debut in that 1963 production of Don Giovanni, a star-studded production that included Sherrill Milnes, Norman Treigle, Richard Cross, Spiro Malas, and Justino Diaz.

-Excerpt from Theatre of Dreams: The Glorious Central City Opera - Celebrating 75 Years

 
Samuel Ramey performed Carmen's "Toreador" on Sesame Street, with some slightly different lyrics. "L is the letter that I love the most.  L helps me go, 'Low, low, low, low!'" Come on, you can sing along with this one - the words are incorporated for you in this fun clip.

The great soprano Beverly Sills also performed on the Central City Opera stage in the 1960 production of Aida. (See several pictures in this Denver Post article.) Sills is incredibly fun to watch "hamming it up" with Miss Piggy and other Muppet Show pigs in the sketch "Pigoletto." Several operas are quoted, including Carmen during another "Toreador" spoof. A porcine character sings, "Toreador...this is the only opera that I know; I've heard this one, it's good!"

You've heard "Toreador" nearly everywhere - not to mention the "Habanera" - but wouldn't you like to enjoy this wonderful music in person?  How about under the stars? This year, we're offering a special performance of Carmen under the stars in Denver.  Join us this Tuesday, July 12th at the Comfort Dental Amphitheatre (formerly known as Fiddler's Green) in Greenwood Village.  Tickets are just $22 for adults, $15 for kids. All seats are general admission and the doors open at 6:00 p.m. for the performance at 7:30 p.m.

Gilligan's Island meets CARMEN and THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

What does the TV show Gilligan's Island have to do with this season's fare at the Central City Opera 2011 Festival?  More than you'd think!

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

In the 1966 episode "The Producer," our favorite castaways received an unexpected island visit from Harold Hecuba (played by Phil Silvers). Hecuba crash-landed on the island and refused to contact his off-shore boat until he had something to produce on Broadway. Ginger, of course, wanted to audition for him and, long story short, the team put together their own musical using what they could find on the island, including the script to Shakespeare's Hamlet and some of the Howell's opera records. One of these records just happened to be Carmen (instrumental only - how handy).

Unfortunately, due to YouTube controls for these particular videos I can't embed them right here, but you really should follow these links and enjoy:

Hamlet (Gilligan)'s "To Be or Not To Be" to the tune of Carmen's Habanera

I ask to be or not to be
A rogue or peasant slave is what you see
A boy who loved his mother’s knee
And so I ask to be or not to be
So here’s my plea, I beg of you
And say you see a little hope for me
To fight or flee, to fight or flee
I ask myself to be or not to be

There's also Ophelia (Ginger) singing to the tune of The Tales of Hoffman's Barcarolle and then our final Carmen treat: Polonius's advice to Laertes (The Skipper to Mary Ann) to Toreador

Neither a borrower nor a lender be
Do not forget: Stay out of debt
Think twice, and take this good advice from me
Guard that old solvency
There’s just one other thing you ought to do
To thine own self be true

In addition to Carmen, it appears there may be a connection between Gilligan's Island and another one of our operas this summer, The Seven Deadly Sins. There is conflicting evidence on the internet - I know, I wasn't surprised either - as to whether TV writer Sherwood Schwartz has admitted or denied what several fans believe is true: each castaway character represents one of the Biblical Seven Deadly Sins. There are several versions out there explaining which character represents which sin.  Gilligan himself is sometimes given the role of sloth, but sometimes is actually seen as the Devil himself, thwarting everyone's plans to get off the island in their own version of Hell. When you get a chance, watch an episode again and see who you think might represent each sin (sloth, pride, wrath, gluttony, lust, greed or envy).
 
The Seven Deadly Sins just happens to be part of our "Triple Bill "of one-act operas (with Gianni Schicchi and The Breasts of Tiresias) opening next Saturday, July 9. With preliminary timings coming in at under an hour for each of them, you certainly DON'T have to commit to a "three-hour tour" if you just want to see one of them. Of course, we recommend all three! You can also combine The Seven Deadly Sins with our SinFest option, a multiple arts genre event focusing on all of your favorite sins, combining opera with visual arts, dance, food, wine and more.

For more fun uses of opera in pop culture settings, follow our "Where Have I Heard That?" blog series.

Character Spotlight: CARMEN's Micaëla

The Opera Insider caught up with Elizabeth Caballero, who makes her Central City Opera debut this season as Micaëla in Carmen.

Last season you made your house debut in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Carmen in the role of Frasquita. This summer you make Central City Opera debut as Micaëla. What is it like to do the same opera, but a different character? What does it take to make the role fresh? How do you prepare a new role and how is this different from a repeat role?

My debut at the Met as Frasquita in their new production of Carmen starring Elina Garança was an amazing experience. Making my debut as Micaëla with Central City feels wonderful. Micaëla is a role that I really love and it's very special for me because it was my professional stage debut at Florida Grand Opera in 2000.

Even if it was the same character, any role changes a little bit, depending on the production, your director and your mood. It's an ever growing and changing experience; that's the joy of live theater. To do a new role, I believe that going into my own life experiences and bringing a little bit more of myself into a role helps me make it fresh and more interesting each time I sing it. Since our lives change day to day, year to year, why not these characters that we sing of? I start with the text and find every inflection and decide how to sing each phrase. As stated before, I think about the things in my life that can help me create a connection to the character by bringing out more of my own life into it. For example, Micaëla is a girl of strong faith in God. Recently I've been experiencing a tough moment in my life that has made me reach out to God more. When I will sing Micaëla's aria in Act III, I'll think of how I've asked for protection in my moments of need, too.

When doing a repeat role I feel more at ease and relaxed. A new role takes a lot of getting used to. Not only are you learning but you also have to get it in your voice. With a role you know already, that long process is over. You can just focus on character, text, and having fun with it.

Many of our readers are young, sometimes aspiring singers; tell us about your reaction when you were named a National Grand Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2001?

Singing at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions was a wonderful experience. The Metropolitan Opera is one of the greatest companies in the world and their audition/competition gives the opportunity to open many doors for young singers because it's so popular. Also the sheer joy of singing on that stage with that orchestra is unforgettable.

As I read reviews about your singing career and personal story, I am struck by the connection you make to your Cuban heritage. You immigrated to the United States of America as a child in 1980 via the Mariel Boatlift. Could you tell us about your memories of that experience?

I was a small child when I came to America with my family and while I do remember a lot, there are many things that I don't. All I can say is that I thank God I was a child when I came with my parents because my parents were my age now when they did it with two young kids. They had guts and determination. They are my heroes. And I will forever be thankful to them and this country for giving me all these opportunities I now have. What do you do before a performance? Have you developed any special routines or habits? I really don’t have any special routines or habits. I just take it easy, drink lots of water and look forward to singing. I really love what I do.

The article is included in the 2011 Opera Insider (Festival Resource Guide) - pdf created by Central City Opera's Education & Community Programs Department, and the interview was conducted by Deven Shaff, Coordinator of Education & Community Programs. Check out many more insider interviews and background on all of the main stage operas this summer. 

Finishing Touches to CARMEN Like Icing on the Cake

Okay, it’s time for a confession. Although Carmen is one of the most performed and beloved operas ever, I’ve never seen it. We all know the famous tunes that have made their way into commercials and mainstream movies, but until you see Carmen, you have no idea of the intense story and dynamic characters that make the opera what it is.

A few minutes before the first dress rehearsal of Carmen, I poked around backstage with childlike anticipation. With the addition of costumes, lighting and with all the scenery in place, the production never seemed more real and vivid. There were few breaks in the action during the run, and for being the first dress rehearsal, most would agree that the company is “in a good place.” I was amazed by the dedication and attention to detail by every person involved with the production.

The "Cigarette -girls" run through a scene.

General/Artistic Director Pat Pearce and Festival Production Manager

Karen Federing chat at the Tech Table before the dress rehearsal begins.

Part of the set of Carmen

Though the company’s hard work will undoubtedly pay off, some finishing touches still need to take place. Tim White, winner of “a walk on role in Carmen” at the 2010 Music & Martinis Fundraiser live auction, spent an hour during a recent afternoon in a fitting session for his costume. Mr. White will make his Central City Opera debut during one performance of Carmen this summer in the lively second act of the opera, where the gypsies and officers are lounging after dinner in Lillas Pastia’s Inn. This act is where the famous “Toreador Song” is featured. In a few moments, thanks to the production’s Costume Designer, Sara Jean Tosetti, Mr. White was transformed from a modern-day Coloradan to a pattern-clad gypsy.

Tim White, with daughter Logan, and Costume Designer Sara Jean Tosetti

looking over several of the costume renderings for Carmen

Trying on different "gypsy" looks

The finished product!

On stage, difficult staging will get an extra run-through before opening night and any technical difficulties will be worked out—all to create a flawless and engaging experience for those filling the seats of the Opera House. Carmen opens tomorrow, June 25th at 8 PM and runs in repertory through August 7. You can purchase tickets for as low as $20 online, or by calling the box office at (303) 292-6700.

You’re Closer to CARMEN in the Central City Opera House

If you’ve ever been to Central City Opera, you know that the 550-seat “jewel box” theatre offers an intimate experience. The size of the space allows for a unique sense of proximity to the singers, the set and the show as a whole. From the singer’s perspective, the ability to connect with the audience creates a similarly meaningful performance.

That connection doesn’t happen instantly, though. I discovered after attending the Carmen “Room Run” that it’s practiced to perfection off-stage. The “Room Run” is the last rehearsal in the Gillman Rehearsal Room of the Lanny and Sharon Martin Foundry Rehearsal Center before the production moves to the main stage.

There was a sense of security and excitement in the room as the singers took their places for the beginning of the run. Just moments before, director Danny Pelzig gathered his crew for a few brief notes before they started. “I just wanted to say, I’m very proud of the work you’ve all done,” he said, noting their progress over the past three weeks.

The rehearsal space is very close in size to the opera house stage, making it ideal for a large show like Carmen. However, the taped off stage leaves little room for the production team, who sits at a folding table merely inches from the “edge” of the stage area. Along with the production team, the room is filled with assorted props, selected costume pieces, a piano, mock scenery and the numerous people who all work to make the opera come to life.

The run went smoothly and it was easy for me to picture the production fully staged. The most inspiring moment, to me, was when production staff, who remained rather consistently focused in their work, allowed themselves moments to become truly captivated in the beautiful musical experience that was unfolding before them. It’s hard to ignore an electrifying rendition of “The Toreador Song” when you’re sitting just feet away.

Carmen by Georges Bizet opens Saturday, June 25 and runs through August 7. Purchase your tickets online or call the box office at (303) 292-6700. In the Central City Opera House, it will be Carmen like you’ve never seen it before.

Making History Again...

The 2011 Festival is fast approaching its June 25th opening with Bizet’s Carmen. With nearly 150 people working in Central City, including staff members, singers, the production teams along with numerous other contributors, it’s not often that everyone comes to a halt during the frenzied workweek. A much-needed break, of sorts, did come to the entire company this past Thursday with our 2011 Company Meeting. Led by Artistic and General Director Pat Pearce and Music Director John Baril, along with Festival Manager Karen Federing and Artistic Director Emeritus John Moriarty, the meeting took place in the historic Opera House.

We began with Pat Pearce explaining, among other things, that the houselights are never brought up any higher than the original gas-light level of illumination.  This provides plenty of light to read your program or visit with your friends before the show and at intermission, but does make it a little interesting to capture pictures of the company gathering!

Pat Pearce in silhouette, in front of the house curtain

After introductions of the Denver year-round administrative staff, and the Festival's artistic, music and production staff, Artistic Director Emeritus John Moriarty spoke on the vibrant history of the Opera House and the City of Central.

Artistic Director Emeritus John Moriarty and members of the 2011 Festival Company

“Each of us is not only a cog, a part of this machine, but we are the caretakers of this historic building,” he said, as he addressed the group. His passion for Central City Opera and surrounding area was evident as he spent almost an hour sharing a detailed and enticing history. Starting with the founding of Colorado and ending with the present day, Mr. Moriarty’s unscripted monologue provided a synopsis worthy of a history-book but far too genuine to be preserved.

To discover more about the memorable birth of Central City Opera’s Summer Festival with the 1932 performance of Camille starring Lillian Gish, or why it is that there was no Festival in the summer of 1982, you can read our brief history online. Or relive Central City Opera's history with the commemorative book, Theatre of Dreams: The Glorious Central City Opera - Celebrating 75 Years. This 200-page limited edition hardcover coffee table book includes never before seen photos and in-depth stories of the people, places and things that make Central City Opera a gem in the Colorado Rockies. Order your own copy of this one-of-a-kind piece of Colorado history today for only $30 by contacting the Box Office at (303) 292-6700.

“This is us,” stated John Moriarty as he pointed to the painted interior walls of the Opera House. As the fifth-oldest Opera House in the nation, Central City Opera has a strong history that makes it undeniably unique. If you’ve experienced Central City Opera and the surrounding area, you just know: it’s tradition worth cherishing.

And with those inspiring words, we all returned to our various positions throughout the Central City Opera properties, where everything's a-buzz with preparations for YOUR arrival.

Tech tables are currently covering the back rows of the theatre for the production staff's use.

The billboards with this year's productions and principal artists are hanging outside the Opera House doors.

Stagehands Cindy and Toni hang the masking curtains at the side of the stage.

CARMEN's red staircase peeks from behind the house pieces from our Triple Bill (GIANNI SCHICCHI, THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS and THE BREASTS OF TIRESIAS).

Costume Designer Alice Marie Kugler Bristow and her crew work on pieces for THE BREASTS OF TIRESIAS.

How will it look when it all comes together? You won’t know until you go!

This blog post was written jointly by Jake Sinatra and Erin Joy Swank.

CARMEN Comes to Life With Backstage Photo Shoot

Walking down Eureka Street, as the time approached for the Carmen photo shoot to begin, I was curiously perplexed as to how an entire photo shoot was going to take place in the scenery-filled backstage area of the Central City Opera House. Among the sets of five productions, in the center, was a vibrant red staircase and set piece that was unmistakably Carmen.

With a few last-minute adjustments to lights and cameras, the singers were quickly being called to the set. In vivid makeup and astounding costumes, the singers demanded presence as they stepped out of the dressing rooms. As the professional photographer and I snapped photos of the singers running through different excerpts from the production, you could see a little shimmer in the onlookers' eyes, silently but assuredly acknowledging that Carmen is becoming a reality.

Kirstin Chávez as Carmen

Kirstin Chavéz with Gustavo Ahualli (Escamillo)

Elizabeth Caballero as Micaëla

Sarah Tallman and Jesse Marks, solo dancers

Kirsten Chávez with Jon Burton (Don José)

Carmen, by Georges Bizet, opens June 25 at Central City Opera with a fresh new look through the eyes of Director Daniel Pelzig, who choreographed the Central City Opera production of West Side Story in 2008. This electrifying story of love, jealousy and murder follows the turbulent romance between Carmen and Don José.

Don’t miss a new look at this timeless opera. Purchase tickets online or call (303) 292-6700.

View Carmen publicity photos by photographer Kira Horvath.

MUSIC AND MARTINIS Mixes Opera and Opulence

Scintillating décor met delightful dining and musical magnificence at the third-annual Music & Martinis at the Cable Center at the University of Denver last Thursday. The event offered the first glimpse at some of this year’s Apprentice Artists of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program, a ten-week intensive program created by Central City Opera’s Artistic Director Emeritus, John Moriarty.

Costume sketches by Sara Jean Tosetti, available for the silent auction

The fundraiser event started with cocktails and a silent auction on the upper level of the Cable Center and then continued with dinner, live entertainment by the Apprentice Artists and a live auction. The evening also offered a special “auctioned” performance by John Moriarty and Central City Opera’s General/Artistic Director, Pat Pearce.

Emcees John Moriarty, Pat Pearce and Matthew Halls

Auctioneer Gary Corbett

Apprentice Artist Andrew Harris

Jonathan Winell and Andrew McLaughlin on and off the video screen.

Apprentice Artist Annie Rosen

Also in attendance were the principal singers from the upcoming performance of Amadigi di Gaula - Katherine Manley, Kathleen Kim, Christopher Ainsle and David Trudgen. The conductor of Amadigi di Gaula (and an emcee for the evening), Matthew Halls also accompanied Christopher Ainsle on piano for one of the final performances of the night. And to top off the evening, the Apprentice Artists joined together for a rousing chorus of Toreador from Carmen.

AMADIGI DI GAULA's Christopher Ainslie, accompanied by Matthew Halls

The Apprentice Artists will be featured in various roles throughout the Central City Opera Festival.  However, be sure to get your tickets to the Nina Odescalchi Kelly Family Matinees of Carmen on July 28th and

Amadigi di Gaula on August 4th, where the young artists will perform the lead roles.

For tickets or more information CLICK HERE or call (303) 292-6700.

Photos by Mark Kiryluk and Jake Sinatra.

New Festival, New Look and New Life in Central City

[Editor's Note: Here's the first blog post from our new Public Relations Assistant and 2011 Festival Staffer, Jake Sinatra.]

Just as the trees begin to bud in Central City, new life abounds thanks to the Central City Opera Guild. The Guild swept over Central City this week for their annual “Planting Day.” All of the Central City Opera properties were refreshed with colorful flowers, serving as a reminder that the 2011 Festival is surely approaching.

The beginning of June also marks a sort of death and rebirth for the opera world—on June 3rd in 1875, Georges Bizet passed away at the age of 36 and exactly three months after the premiere of his legacy, Carmen. Much speculation circled around Bizet’s untimely passing, but it is almost certain that his death was due to heart failure. Regardless, Bizet remains well known today through the consistent performances of his masterwork. Even though Carmen was not initially well received, its return to Paris five years after Bizet’s death marked the beginning of the opera’s long-running success and establishment as a beloved staple to the opera repertoire.

With death comes new beginnings, some say, and this remains true as June 3rd also marks the date of the premiere of The Breasts of Tiresias, which opened in Paris in 1947. Poulenc based this comic opera on the play of the same title by Guillaume Apollinaire, which was first performed in 1917.

Don’t miss Bizet’s Carmen and Poulenc’s The Breasts of Tiresias, both of which are a part of this year’s Festival. Carmen will open on June 25 and The Breasts of Tiresias will be featured as a triple bill with other one-acts Gianni Schicchi and The Seven Deadly Sins, starting July 9th.

Below are some photos of the “new life” in Central City, courtesy of the Central City Opera Guild’s “Planting Day”:

Credit: Nancy Parker.

Credit: Nancy Parker.

Credit: Jake Sinatra.

Carmen Like You've Never Heard It Before

And now for something completely different...

You know that sultry "Habanera" from Carmen?  Once you hear the music, you'll never forget it (even if you might forget the name of the tune or the fact that it's from an opera).  It's also one of those "ear worms" that can stick with you for most of a day if you let it.  Well, I bring you a NEW way to hear it...



Maybe this will come into your mind the next time you hear a traffic horn, and bring a smile to your face!

You Know More Opera Than You Think You Do

In our continuing series of "Where Have I Heard That Before?" I bring you a few more popular uses of the music from this summer's productions.

This week, I found this sweet clip using "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi.  It's from the Peanuts special You're a Good Skate, Charlie Brown. Good ol' Woodstock to the beautiful, poetic rescue! (And how many times do you get to see Peppermint Patty all dressed up?)



I played the clip above for a friend who said "That's from Gianni Schicchi? I know that one!" This same friend went so far as to re-post the clip on her Facebook page with the comment, "You know more opera than you think! Maybe you've even hummed this in the shower!" Yes, this aria is one of the most popular "opera tunes," though I'm not sure it's ever made it into my early-morning routine.

And for another opera clip, how many of you recognized Carmen's "Habanera" in an early scene of the Disney/Pixar film Up?



I guess opera is a part of Carl's early-morning routine. The scene just wouldn't be the same without the Carmen underscoring!

Fun with the Habanera from CARMEN

Around the office, we already have the Habanera from Carmen (one of our 2011 productions) stuck in our head.  It's that tune you've heard countless times in tv and film, including a Bertolli's pasta commercial.  Think about this:  music from a French opera, set in Spain, to sell Italian pasta!

Well, today we turn to Jim Henson's loveable creations to bring us two favorite video clips of the Habanera. First, up is a classic Sesame Street clip:


And for our finale today, we bring you the Swedish Chef, Beaker, and Animal from the Muppets.  Trust me, this will be the one that gets stuck in your head...you don't need to know the original lyrics, just "Bork" and "Meep" along!



Look forward to our production of Carmen in 2011!