June 16, 2009: Quick Links

Opening Night

Vino & Verdi

Mainstage Opera Update

Apprentice Artist Program Update

Special Offer from The Civic Center

DesMoinesMetroOpera.org

There are so many different people who come together to make Des Moines Metro Opera's Summer Festival Season happen. Diligently working behind the scenes are the dedicated members of the Tech Crew: the carpenters, flymen, electricians, painters, costumers, make-up artists, and stage managers who work long hours to make our productions a reality.

Click here to watch a video of the tech crew loading in the set for The Barber of Seville. It is a short, 30 second video that took about eight hours to do! We'll have more behind-the-scenes videos soon, so stay tuned!

Here's what's coming up in the next couple of weeks:

Opening Night of The Barber of Seville: Saturday, June 27, 7:30 pm at the Blank Performing Arts Center in Indianola

AAP One-Act Operas: Thursday, July 2, 7:00 pm at the Des Moines Social Club

Masterclass with Sherrill Milnes: Tuesday, July 7, 1:00 pm in Lekberg Hall

Stars of Tomorrow: Thursday, July 9, 7:00 pm at Sheslow Auditorium in Des Moines

Opening Night of The Barber of Seville

Saturday, June 27, 7:30 pm (free opera preview at 6:45 pm)

Rossini's great comedy The Barber of Seville opens on DMMO's stage on Saturday, June 27, with a superb cast! Tenor John Osborn will sing the role of Count Almaviva with baritone John Michael Moore as the incorrigible barber, Figaro. One of DMMO's favorite leading ladies, coloratura soprano Jane Redding, will sing the role of the lovely and feisty Rosina.

Click here to purchase tickets for The Barber of Seville.

AAP One-Act Operas

Thursday, July 2, 7:00 pm at the Des Moines Social Club

Members of the James Collier Apprentice Artist Program are hard at work studying opera scenes from every corner of the repertory and one of the highlights of their series of scenes programs is the One-Act Operas.

This year, two comedies have been selected that complement the works seen on DMMO's mainstage: Giacomo Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Carl Maria von Weber's Abu Hassan.

The event is free, but reservations are required. Click here to make reservations.

Masterclass with Sherrill Milnes

Tuesday, July 7, 1:00 pm in Lekberg Hall

Des Moines Metro Opera is pleased to announce a masterclass within the James M. Collier Apprentice Artist Program conducted by acclaimed opera star Sherrill Milnes.

Universally acclaimed as the foremost operatic baritone of his generation, Mr. Milnes will be in residence with the Company working with artists selected to participate in the 2009 Summer Festival Season.

The class will be held July 7, 2009, at 1:00 pm in Lekberg Hall in the Amy Robertson Music Center on the Simpson College campus in Indianola. Patrons are invited to observe. For more information, call the Des Moines Metro Opera offices at (515) 961-6221.

Stars of Tomorrow Orchestral Concert and Dessert Reception

Thursday, July 9, 7:00 pm at Sheslow Auditorium on the Drake University campus

The Apprentice Artists shine as they are accompanied by members of the Festival Orchestra in the annual Stars of Tomorrow concert, presenting arias, duets and ensembles from many different operas.

Held at Sheslow Auditorium on the Drake University campus on July 9, 2009, the concert is followed by a dessert reception with the artists. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. For tickets, call the DMMO box office at (515) 961-6221 or click here to purchase online.

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It's here! This is the time that we work toward all year long: Opening Night!

All of the auditions, rehearsals, fund raising, and events, all of the planning is geared toward bringing three grand operas to life on stage for you, the friends and patrons who make the work we do possible! I hope you are as excited about that magical moment when the lights go down and the curtain goes up as we are.

These productions are going to be truly special...from the amazing voices in The Barber of Seville to the unique special effects in Der Freischütz to the 60-member orchestra in Tosca, this season is definitely going to be memorable.

Don't hesitate to contact us if you need help with tickets, directions or any other information. You can reach us by phone at (515) 961-6221 or you can reach me by email at mmcmanus@dmmo.org.

See you at the opera,
McB McManus
Editor, OPERAzzi

Opening Weekend

The first performances of any season are always special and this year is no exception! This weekend, June 19-21, marks the opening of DMMO's 37th Summer Festival Season. We'll kick off with a performance of Tosca on Friday night (and again on Sunday afternoon) and we'll keep the excitement going on Saturday night witht the opening of Der Freischütz.

Be among the first to see these amazing productions by ordering your tickets now!

We are especially thrilled to be bringing the Company premiere of Der Freischütz to the stage! Dr. Larsen has dreamed of staging this great German work for audiences in Iowa for many years and the stars have finally aligned to make it possible: the cast is second to none, the lighting, video and sound effects are positively supernatural, the set is a brand new design, and an outstanding orchestra has been assembled. This production may well be a once-in-a-lifetime experience...Don't miss it!

Vino & Verdi

Tuesday, June 23, 6-8 pm at Blank Performing Arts Center

See how opera goes from the page to the stage at this unique event presented by The OPERAtors. You'll get a behind-the-scenes peek into the rehearsal process, a backstage tour and insider's notes from the production staff!

We'll start the evening with a wine reception and conversation, then DMMO's Production Director, Chris Brusberg, will share some backstage insights into the process of getting an opera ready to go onstage. We'll also hear about the life of a professional opera singer directly from a member of the cast of The Barber of Seville. Then we head into the theater to observe the rehearsal process, watching the first act of The Barber of Seville unfold.

The event is free, but reservations are required. Call the DMMO box office at (515) 961-6221 or click here to make your reservations.

Mainstage Opera Update

The final dress rehearsals of Tosca and Der Freischütz are this week, so all the details have been finalized for this weekend's big opening nights!

You would not believe how quickly things happen around here. In fact, The Des Moines Register spent a morning with us taking pictures to accompany their story in Sunday's paper, and it may be a time-lapse video, but it sure feels like it really captures the pace at DMMO these days! Click here to watch the video of three artists being transformed by wigs and make-up.

Tickets are really selling quickly...don't wait another minute to order yours!

Below is a list of show dates and seating sections that are still available:
June 19--All sections are available
June 20--Sections A, B and C are available
June 21--Sections A1 and A are available
June 26--Sections A, B and C are available
June 30--Sections A1, B and C are available
July 1--All sections are available
July 3--All sections are available
July 4--All sections are available
July 7--All sections are available
July 8--All sections are available
July 11--All sections are available
July 12--Section A1 is available

Don't despair if your preferred date or section is not available! Call our Box Office at (515) 961-6221 now to be placed on the waiting list. We often have subscribers who wish to exchange their tickets for another date, or patrons who must release their tickets due to an unavoidable conflict, and we can often find seats for those on the waiting list. If your preferred date is on the list above, DON'T WAIT! Order your tickets right away by phone at (515) 961-6221. Want to order your tickets online? Use the links below!

Click here to order tickets for Tosca.
Click here to order tickets for Der Freischütz.
Click here to order tickets for The Barber of Seville.

This Week in the Apprentice Artist Program

The James Collier Apprentice Artists study, rehearse and perform over 35 scenes in a series of 10 programs over the course of the season. Chosen from every corner of the repertory, you'll see scenes from favorite operas like La Traviata and Le Nozze di Figaro, as well as rarer works like Vĕc Makropulos and Le Comte Ory.

These performances are held in Lekberg Hall in the Amy Robertson Music Center on Simpson College's campus. This week's scenes program will take place on Saturday, June 20, at 1:30 pm and will feature excerpts from the following operas: Fidelio, Albert Herring, Elmer Gantry, The Widow’s Lantern, Pelléas et Mélisande, and Le Nozze di Figaro. Click here to see the complete schedule of performances.

Special Offer for DMMO Patrons from The Civic Center of Greater Des Moines: ADVANCE PURCHASE FOR WICKED TICKETS

Get the best seats before tickets go on sale to the general public on June 20. Limited engagement begins September 23 at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines.

Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One - born with emerald-green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS and enter password 3FRIENDS to buy before Friday, June 19!

Share your stories and experiences of the 37th Season with us! Send an email to McB McManus with reviews, favorite moments, or other comments.