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"The Met Live in HD" Broadcasts in January Iowa Public Radio is offering discounted ticket vouchers for just $12 each! These discount vouchers are only availailable online and must be presented to the theater box office to be redeemed for a valid ticket (please allow enough time before the opera begins to complete the redemption process). Click here to order your discount vouchers. Des Moines Metro Opera and Iowa Public Radio have teamed up to host the Met's broadcasts in Iowa. We are trying to have a presence at each show at Movies 12 in Ames and at Jordan Creek Mall to share info about DMMO's live performances and IPR's classical music service. If you would like to be a volunteer host at one of the Met broadcasts, please contact McB McManus at (515) 961-6221. Thaïs (new production) – Massenet
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
(7:00 pm CT)
Running time: 3 hours, 21 minutes.
Renée Fleming stars as the Egyptian courtesan in search of spiritual sustenance. Thomas Hampson is the monk who falls from grace. Massenet's sensual opera is presented in a new production by John Cox.
Conductor: Jesús López-Cobos; Production: John Cox; Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, Michael Schade La Rondine (new production) - Puccini
Saturday, January 10, 2009
(12:00 pm CT)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
(7:00 pm CT)
Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna provide the star power to deliver this ravishing romance from the world's most popular opera composer. Gheorghiu plays the kept woman who gambles on true love, and Alagna is the man who makes her question the cost of her glittering existence. Nicolas Joël directs the new production of this gorgeously melodic look at love.
Conductor: Marco Armiliato; Production: Nicolas Joël; Angela Gheorghiu, Lisette Oropesa, Roberto Alagna, Marius Brenciu, Samuel Ramey Orfeo ed Euridice - Gluck
Saturday, January 24, 2009
(12:00 pm CT)
Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes.
Mark Morris' acclaimed production returns. This complete vision for Gluck, with choreography by Morris and costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, features the artistry of Stephanie Blythe in the male title role. The alluring Danielle de Niese is Orfeo's adored wife, Euridice, who inspires the hero to face the underworld for her sake. Music Director James Levine conducts.
Conductor: James Levine; Production: Mark Morris; Stephanie Blythe, Danielle de Niese
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Wine & Food Showcase: February 20, 2009 You won't want to miss DMMO's biannual sampling extravaganza, central Iowa's only unlimited tasting event! Think of it as a 14,270 square foot all-you-can-eat buffet... Tickets are just $50 per person or $35 each for groups of eight or more. Click here to order your WFS tickets now. Already the area's best chefs, caterers, brewers, and wineries are lining up to be a part of Wine & Food Showcase! You'll be able to try signature offerings from Cyd’s Catering, Iowa Beverage Systems, John Ernest Vineyard and Winery, Maytag Dairy Farms, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Shane’s Rib Shack, Tassel Ridge Winery, WineStyles of West Glen, Jasper Winery, La Vida Loca Winery, Millstream Brewing, Olde Main Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Brewery, Romance Wines, Southern Hills Winery, Dimitri Wine & Spirits, Glazers Distributors, MJ Distributing, Okoboji Wines, 801 Steak & Chop House, Bravo Cucina Italiana, Café di Scala, Frank’s Pizza, Carefree Patisserie, Des Moines Embassy Club, Rock River Grill, Mosaix Restaurant and Wine Bar, and Splash Seafood Bar and Grill.
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OPERA Iowa Unveils World Premiere OPERA Iowa, Des Moines Metro Opera's educational touring troupe, will present a newly commissioned opera during its 23rd annual tour, Jan. 26-April 10, 2009, with the world premiere performances to take place at the State Historical Building in Des Moines. Composed by Iowa's own Dr. Michael Patterson, A Dream Fulfilled: The Saga of George Washington Carver is a 50-minute opera that delves into the life of the agricultural pioneer and Iowa hero, focusing on the key events that would shape the destiny of this great scientist. A Dream Fulfilled is being created in cooperation with the State Historical Society of Iowa, which has provided research assistance. To bring this story to the children of Iowa, DMMO and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs formed a partnership that creates week-long residencies for the OPERA Iowa troupe at the beginning and end of the next two touring seasons. During the residencies, OPERA Iowa, museum curators, historians and professional Iowa artists will facilitate interactive workshops that connect students to Iowa history, interpret the museum and teach more about Carver and other famous Iowans. OPERA Iowa will also give performances at the Historical Building for Golden Circle-area school children and - in the eight weeks between residencies - travel the length and breadth of the state with its award-winning combination of education and entertainment. "The State Historical Museum's History Through the Arts theater program is very pleased to join with the Des Moines Metro Opera and present the George Washington Carver opera for children in the Cowles-Kruidenier Auditorium," DCA Director Cyndi Pederson said. "We believe that children learn through interactive programs and teaching them about George Washington Carver is a great way for them to learn about international, national and Iowa history." A Dream Fulfilled begins in Winterset when Carver learns that he will attend Simpson College. The story then transitions to Indianola and from there to Iowa State University in Ames where Carver did groundbreaking work in botany. The opera culminates in the United States Capitol with Carver's testimony before Congress. "Des Moines Metro Opera is pleased to be able to present this new work which further immortalizes one of the great figures in our state's history," said Thomas Smith, DMMO's Executive Director and CEO. "Just as exciting is the opportunity to collaborate again with an accomplished composer such as Dr. Patterson, and to forge a new partnership with the state's Department of Cultural Affairs, which along with the Iowa Arts Council, provides critical financial and logistical support to so many of the cultural organizations that make Iowa an attractive place to live, work and play." The opera's composer, Dr. Michael Patterson, is a graduate of Simpson College and holds post-graduate degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Patterson has worked with the Des Moines Metro Opera for more than 30 years. Currently an Associate Professor of Music Education at Simpson College, he has also been an instructor and accompanist for the Simpson College Orpheus Festival and Elderhostel. He founded and administrates the Music Education Workshop series at Simpson, which for nine years has featured nationally recognized clinicians in workshops each semester. Patterson has composed numerous songs for solo voice and piano, choral works and an opera, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which toured with OPERA Iowa in 2003 and 2004. OPERA Iowa's 23rd season, from January 26-April 10, 2009, will delight audiences across the state with performances of Patterson's A Dream Fulfilled: The Saga of George Washington Carver for elementary students and Rossini's comedy The Barber of Seville for older students and evening audiences. The OPERA Iowa troupe will present a final dress rehearsal performance of The Barber of Seville for the public at Hoyt Sherman Place Theatre on February 1. During their residencies in schools, the troupe members present interactive workshops that fulfill the National Standards for Arts in Education requirements, helping students learn more and enjoy the opera performance more. OPERA Iowa has previously presented the world premieres of three operas: Stephen Paulus's Rumpelstiltskin, Amy Tate Williams's Harmoonia and Michael Patterson's The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
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Getting To Know You: Jami Rhodes and Patrick McNally by McB McManus The new year brought the 10 members of the 2009 OPERA Iowa troupe into town! Our music director, technical director and eight singers (a record number of troupe members!) arrived on January 2 and promptly began rehearsing A Dream Fulfilled: The Saga of George Washington Carver and The Barber of Seville on January 3. They will hit the road for the 23rd annual OPERA Iowa tour on January 26. Jami Rhodes and Patrick McNally are two members of the troupe who will criss-cross the state during the 13-week tour, bringing the magic of live opera performances to children and familes from Sioux City to Davenport. Jami and Patrick were both members of the James Collier Apprentice Artist Program last summer and while this is Jami's first OPERA Iowa tour, Patrick is back with us for a second year. You can see Jami and Patrick in The Barber of Seville at Hoyt Sherman Place Theatre on Feburary 1 at 1:30 pm. Click here for tickets. Jami is a mezzo-soprano originally from North Carolina; she is currently working on her doctorate at Louisiana State University and has her bachelor's and master's degrees from East Carolina University and the University of South Carolina. She'll sing the roles of Rosina in The Barber of Seville and Mrs. Milholland in A Dream Fulfilled. Patrick is a baritone who recently completed his master's degree at the New England Conservatory. He did his undergraduate work at Carnegie Mellon University. He'll sing the roles of Figaro in The Barber of Seville and Chairman Fordney in A Dream Fulfilled. This summer, he'll sing the role of Fiorello in DMMO's mainstage production of The Barber of Seville. Jami, this is your first season as a member of the OPERA Iowa troupe; what are you looking forward to? Why are educational programs like OPERA Iowa important?
JR: Honestly, the unexpected and unique responses of the different audiences. Kids, especially, always provide a level of unexpected entertainment for the performers. For many of them, an educational program like OPERA Iowa could be their first and only experience with opera and, in our current world where cinematic and electronic options for entertainment are so popular and readily available, this may also be a rare opportunity to introduce young audiences to the art of 'live theater.' Patrick, you were on the tour last year. What brings you back to OPERA Iowa and DMMO?
PM: I really enjoyed the opportunity to sing opera for a widely diverse audience, and to, more often than not, get to expose kids to opera for the first time. I liked working with the kids and had a great time on the road with a bunch of great opera singers. Also it was a great contract. You’ve both been members of our Apprentice Artist Program. What are you learning from the AAP and other training programs you’ve been involved in? Why do you think DMMO’s program has been good for you as a singer?
JR: Apprentice programs like the one offered by DMMO provide a number of fantastic opportunities for a singer at the beginnning of his or her career. In my personal opinion the two most important are stage time and the opportunity to work with many different artists. In regard to the stage time, the principle is pretty simple: the more time we spend on stage in rehearsal and in front of audiences, the better performers we become. As to working with different artists, apprentice programs provide singers with opportunities to watch, learn from, and, in some cases, work opposite other apprentices and seasoned performers. In my own experiences, some of the most important lessons I've gleaned through participating in programs has come directly from watching and listening to veteran singers practice their own craft.
PM: The opera apprentice programs give young singers a place to hone their craft by continuing to develop their stage craft, diction, repertoire, and voice to help bridge the gap between school graduate and main stage artist. Additionally it gives young singers the opportunity to work with a variety of talented directors, conductors, and coaches. The OI tour can be really grueling for a singer. I think you’re visiting about 65 schools in 34 cities in 3 states over just 10 weeks. What can you tell us about your preparation?
JR: Well this year, I got a flu shot! I did an educational tour last spring and contracted the flu about 3 weeks into touring. Being on stage in front of a gymnasium full of energetic elementary school kids, dressed in feathers (I was the 'ugly ducking'), singing and dancing, while running a 101 temperature is no picnic! It's a great learning experience, however. In educational tours, the show MUST go on, several times a day, even when the singers aren't feeling fantastic, which is likely given the schedule and the exposure to so many people during cold and flu season. A singer learns a lot about his/her voice and his/her body doing one of these tours. We learn what we are capable of as performers and what works best for each one of us in regard to staying healthy and maintaining an adequately 'functioning' vocal apparatus throughout the tour. Suffice it to say, there will be much hydration and vitamin C consumption over the upcoming months.
PM: Preparation is always what I find to be the most important part of any singing job. Coming with your music learned, memorized, and with as many ideas about the show and character as you can amass puts you in the best position to succeed and allows you to have the most fun when you get there. Caring for your body is also very important since as opera singers our body is our instrument. Making sure you eat right and get enough sleep so that you enter a job with as much energy as possible is a must. What was the last book you read?
JR: "A Three Dog Life" by Abigail Thomas
PM: "Vice" by Peter Segal (of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me) Complete this sentence: I cannot go onstage without…
JR: Taking a few moments to myself to say a quick prayer and focus.
PM: After being an Apprentice Artist and taking part in the OPERA Iowa tour last year, I am a much more confident performer. Nothing fazes me anymore! I've learned that if I've done my work in rehearsals and in the warm-up room, I can go onstage at a moment's notice. What is your favorite opera? Why?
JR: It's a two way tie between Little Women by Mark Adamo - because it's a beautiful show and Jo is easily the most fun I've ever had on stage and Werther by Jules Massenet - because it's gorgeous music and a beautiful, yet tragic and heartwrenching story where the mezzo is neither old, mean, comic relief, or a boy!
PM: Seeing a recording of Wagner's Ring Cycle was what got me into opera in the first place. I was struck by it's epic size, story, and brilliant music. My favorite performance I've been a part of was a production of Les Mamelles de Tirésias. It was the funniest thing I have ever been involved in, and made me realize how powerful comedy can be. My favorite experience in the seat of an opera house was when I saw Khovanchina at the Met. It was an overwhelmingly powerful dramatic performance with all the bells and whistles one would expect from a top-tier opera house. What are you listening to on your iPod or CD player right now?
JR: Much Rossini, given the upcoming tour, as well as a variety of holiday music which makes its way into my frequent playlists around Halloween. Quite a bit of vocal music by Oskar Morawetz in preparation for my doctoral lecture recital which will take place in April, a mere two weeks following the conclusion of OPERA Iowa. I also have my typical non-operatic enjoyment (don't tell) which consists of a variety of classic rock, eighties hair bands, and a mix of old-school country and bluegrass which I'm only slightly ashamed of and openly blame on my North Carolina upbringing.
PM: I don't have an ipod or a CD player right now. Maybe I'll get one for Christmas!
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