First day of Don Giovanni rehearsals and things are already thrilling. So many of our singers are creating their roles for the first time and this coupled with a new conductor (Stefano Montanari of Tafelmusik fame) makes me feel certain this will be a Don Giovanni unlike any we have produced in the past. How [...]
Posts under ‘Backstage’
Summertime
This morning, I was reminded about how long it has been since I have written a blog entry! I promise to write more regularly over the course of the summer and this is my first installment. Let me begin by outlining how I will be occupied over the summer now that Clemenza has wrapped up. [...]
What a relief it is to at last be able to talk about our 2011/12 Season
What a relief it is to at last be able to talk about our 2011/12 Season and to publish the gorgeous images we’ve created for each production. There are wonderful stories behind the photo shoot for both Don Giovanni and Armide and I look forward to filling you in on some of the details over [...]
Last week I received an email out of the blue…
Last week I received an email out of the blue from Canada’s vocal coach extraordinaire and man about town Stuart Hamilton. Stuart has always been a great supporter of OA and on one occasion even made a trip with me to London, England (unpaid!) to act as another pair of ears when we were holding [...]
Week two is almost over…
We are just finishing week two of rehearsal and I couldn’t be happier with the progress we’ve made on Acis and Galatea. The singers are magnificent – real theatre animals who love to rehearse and enjoy each others’ performances enormously. There’s a wonderful chemistry between Thomas Macleay (Acis) and Mireille Asselin (Galatea). Their romantic scenes [...]
Experiments…
Today we begin our dance workshop for the Artists of Atelier Ballet in preparation for our fall production of Handel’s Acis and Galatea. Our dancers will be particularly closely integrated with the singers in this production, consequently, this opportunity to have the dancers by themselves in order to explore various aspects of baroque dancing becomes [...]
Heads Up! Only 2 AGO performances left.
Heads up! Just want to remind everyone that we have two more performances of Degas and his Dancers at the Art Gallery of Ontario as part of the Drama and Desire exhibition. This gorgeous exhibition has been designed by OA set designer Gerard Gauci and features paintings, sketches and engravings from the late 18th century [...]
On Thursday while I was in New York meeting with Ralph Rucci…
On Thursday while I was in New York meeting with Ralph Rucci (more on that later) Jeannette was in Toronto for a shoot with photographer Tara McMullen. Jeannette had been invited to model one of the evening gowns designed by Toronto’s spectacular couturiere Rosemarie Umetsu. Jeannette had been invited to be part of Iconic Beauty [...]
First Time Ever! Opera Atelier is having a costume sale…
Opera Atelier is having a costume sale for the first time in the company’s history!!! 25 years ago I would never have believed such a thing could be possible, but now it seems incredible that we have waited this long. The first time I ever encountered a major costume sale was more than a decade [...]
I can’t believe it is already dress rehearsal.
I can’t believe it is already dress rehearsal. This is the big event we all anxiously await but end up dreading once it arrives. Is it ever possible to feel well prepared for dress? I dont think so. Nevertheless, we have an incredibly beautiful, funny irreverent show on our hands which has taken on a [...]