OTO seeking chorus singers (Tenors and Basses) and volunteers for “The Cunning Little Vixen”
We are seeking experienced chorus singers (tenors and basses) and volunteers for our July 2013 production of “The Cunning Little Vixen” at Wild Goose Farm on Sauvie Island. Please see our auditions page for more information. If you are interested in volunteering, we are looking for ushers, stage hands, parking assistants, bar servers, dressers and backstage assistants. Contact Erica Melton (em@operatheateroregon.com) if you would like more information.
Interested in supporting our production? Any size donation is greatly appreciated, and helps us support local artists and continue Making Opera Safe for America by offering innovative and entertaining productions in comfortable, intimate and exciting venues. For more information about sponsorship and donations, click here. Thank you for your support!
OTO Seeks Costume Designer for “The Cunning Little Vixen”
OTO is seeking a Costume Designer for our July 2013 production of “The Cunning
Little Vixen” by Leoš Janáček.
“The Cunning Little Vixen” is a richly passionate opera celebrating the cycles of birth, love, death, and rebirth from the perspectives of both human and animal character. Performances will take place in a barn at Wild Goose Farm on Sauvie Island, Portland, July 19-27, with musical direction by Erica Melton, stage direction by Clara Weishahn, choreography by Agnieszka Laska, and set design by Brian Melton.With a cast including both singers and dancers, and featuring a wide array of animal characters, this production offers a very exciting and creative design opportunity.
The position of Costume Designer position is paid. Please send resumes and letters of interest to Erica Melton at em@operatheateroregon.com
Thanks for tuning in!
Hope you enjoyed the broadcast of The Old Maid and the Thief on All Classical 89.9 - recorded live at the Mission Theater last month! If you missed the show or the broadcast, you can visit All Classical’s Archives and listen to the November 24 ”Saturday Matinee with Ed Goldberg.”
Lisa Mooyman as Miss Pinkerton and Christine Meadows as Miss Todd
Robert Hill as Wally Willamette
Erik Hundtoft as Bob
Christine Meadows as Miss Todd and Audrey Sackett as Laetitia
STAY TUNED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR “Opera Jukebox” event, a fundraiser for our July 2013 production of “The Cunning Little Vixen” at Wild Goose farm on Sauvie Island!
The Barn at Wild Goose Farm
“The Old Maid and the Thief” is coming to the airwaves today at NOON!
Wondering what to do this weekend now that you’re stuffed with turkey and gravy (and whatever root vegetable is all the rage…) ?
Gather the family around the radio today at NOON for a pastime as old-fashioned as Black Friday!
Tune in to All Classical 89.9 wherever you are from the Cascades to the Coast and beyond for OTO’s production of The Old Maid and the Thief, recorded live this past October from the Mission Theater stage. Menotti’s witty and poignant one-act radio opera about gossip, temptation, jealousy (and other small-town pastimes) is sure to entertain the whole family! And don’t worry: if you’re a football fan, we’ve calibrated our performance to sync up exactly with today’s Civil War game– it’s just like “Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wizard of Oz!” Enjoy!
Lisa Mooyman as Miss Pinkerton and Christine Meadows as Miss Todd
“The Old Maid and the Thief” airs today at NOON on All Classical 89.9!
Robert Hill as Wally Willamette
Erik Hundtoft as Bob
Christine Meadows as Miss Todd and Audrey Sackett as Laetitia
Don’t miss our scintillating exposé “Behind the Velvet Curtain,” an original short film by OTO Film Director Jen Wechsler. Before you tune in to the radio show, you can learn everything you want to know (and more!) about the stars of our program…
starring:
Christine Meadows as Miss Todd
Audrey Sackett as Laetitia
Erik Hundtoft as Bob
Lisa Mooyman as Miss Pinkerton
Ian Timmons as the Assistant to the Production Assistant
and…
Robert Hill as your narrator, Wally Willamette
vintage foley effects from…
Unchained Production’s David Ian and Dino DeAElfweald
featuring…
the merrie melodies of the “KQAC Radio Band”:
Tylor Neist, snazzy fiddle
Robert Hill as Wally Willamette and Ashley Barton as the Cigarette Girl
Betsy Goy, lefty cello
Barbara Heilmair, licorice stick
Kim Reece, Ma and Pa gobblepipe
conducted by Erica Melton
sponsor jingles by Justin Ralls
and script adaptation by Robert Hill
directed by Kristin Heller
recorded live at the Mission Theater by Neil Blake
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS!
“The Old Maid and the Thief” is generously sponsored by
Regional Arts & Culture Council | Work for Art
Multnomah County Cultural Coalition
The Mission Theater
All Classical FM
Tip-Top Cleaners
with additional significant support by
Kevin Migneault Graphic Design
Sam Mowry and Willamette Radio Workshop
Tapestry Theater and Judy Straalsund
The Someday Lounge
First Christian Church, Portland
Portland State University Department of Music
Robert Goss at Portland State University
Hippo Hardware
Hope you enjoyed “The Old Maid and the Thief!”
Thanks to all who attended our performances of “The Old Maid and the Thief” at the Mission Theater! We’d love to hear any feedback you’d like to share about the show and your experience as an audience member. Contact artistic director Erica Melton at em@operatheateroregon.com .
“The Old Maid and the Thief” is coming to Portland’s airwaves!
Tune in to All Classical 89.9 ’s “Saturday Matinee with Ed Goldberg” for a broadcast of our live performance on November 24 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving). Gather the family around your giant radio, computer, or smart phone and spend some quality time together, just like in the good ol’ days of yore!
In other news, we are busily and excitedly preparing our next main stage production, “The Cunning Little Vixen,” to be performed at Wild Goose Farm in Sauvie Island in July 2013. Stay tuned for more news, and for information about our “Aria Jukebox” fundraiser in February 2013!
We need your help! Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Opera Theater Oregon to support our main stage productions. Here are some examples of what your donation to Opera Theater Oregon can provide:
___________________________________________
$2000: Artist fees
$1250: Chamber Ensemble
$700: Theatrical lighting equipment rental
$500: Piano delivery and tuning
$350: Costumes, makeup and wigs
$200: Rehearsal space
$100: Advertisement in weekly newspapers
$40: Program printing
__________________________________________
If you are unable to donate at this time, but still want to help, we are always in need of volunteers of various skill sets and interests. Please contact us for more information.
At OTO, we strive to bring innovative and affordable productions to Portland audiences. It’s part of our mission ! Your contributions make this possible. Thank you for your support!
Don’t miss the final performance of “The Old Maid and the Thief” tonight! Decode our secret message for a free bumper sticker!
Be sure to join us tonight at the Mission Theater for closing night of The Old Maid and the Thief !
Purchase tickets today!
Check out this review by The Oregonian’s James McQuillen!
Read James Bash’s Oregon Music News review here!
Feeling nostalgic? Decode our secret message and receive a “support the arts” bumper sticker at the show!
Set your ring to “A=12″ (er, guess it’s already set…) and start decoding! Decode from the inner circle letters to the outer circle letters (example: “QOH” translates as “CAT”)
The secret code is…
D S B B W S G T F C A V S O J S B
Visit the OTO table at our show, tell us the secret message (shhh!!) and get a free bumper sticker!
Looking forward to seeing you at the show!
Friday, October 12 at 7:30 pm (doors 6:30 pm)
Don’t delay, purchase your tickets today!
What can you do to keep Opera Safe for America?
Autumn is in the air, and we are in a frenzy of activity preparing our season’s offerings, including our October main stage production of Gian Carlo Menotti’s brilliant, witty and poignant 1930′s radio opera “The Old Maid and the Thief” at the Mission Theater and on Portland’s air waves!
We need your help! Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Opera Theater Oregon to support our main stage productions. Here are some examples of what your donation to Opera Theater Oregon can provide:
___________________________________________
$2000: Artist fees
$1250: Chamber Ensemble
$700: Theatrical lighting equipment rental
$500: Piano delivery and tuning
$350: Costumes, makeup and wigs
$200: Rehearsal space
$100: Advertisement in weekly newspapers
$40: Program printing
__________________________________________
If you are unable to donate at this time, but still want to help, we are always in need of volunteers of various skill sets and interests. Please contact us for more information.
At OTO, we strive to bring innovative and affordable productions to Portland audiences. It’s part of our mission ! Your contributions make this possible. Thank you for your support!
Final performances this weekend!
MAY 31 | JUNE 1, 8, 9 | 7:30 pm
THE MISSION THEATER
“You’re Still as Beautiful”
…a new adaptation of Claude Debussy’s masterpiece “Pelléas et Mélisande”
Debussy’s sumptuous and evocative legend is recast as a web of flashbacks, delusions and fantasies:
what if Pelléas merely imagined his love affair with Mélisande?
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CAST
Matthew Hayward as Pelléas/ “X”
Jena Viemeister as Mélisande/”A”
Ben Bell as Golaud/ “M”
____________
Directed by Clara Weishahn
Musical Direction by Erica Melton
Lighting design by Peter West
Set design by Brian Melton
sung in French with English surtitles
courtesy of Aralani Photography
May 31, June 1, 8, 9, 2012 (all shows at 7:30 pm)
The Mission Theater
1624 NW Glisan St. Portland
**All ages welcome **
Tickets on sale now- click here to buy your tickets today!
OR Purchase tickets in person at the Crystal Ballroom, Bagdad Theater or the East 19th Street Pub (Eugene) for a low $1/ticket convenience fee!
courtesy of Aralani Photography
Would you like to help support this production? No donation is too small (or too large!), and sponsorship opportunities are available. Click here for more information about donations and sponsorship, and thank you for helping the arts continue to thrive by supporting artists from our community! This production is 100% local.
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Raffle de France!
In honor of our upcoming production, local businesses are contributing all kinds of exciting prizes for OTO’s raffle contest to be conducted throughoutthe run of the show. On closing night we will draw the winning names and award such tantalizing prizes as:
Gift certificates to St. Honoré Bakery and Nuvrei Fine Cakes & Pastries
a French decor furniture painting workshop from The Purple Pear
a yearlong membership to the Alliance Française de Portland
a 60-minute massage from Compass Rose Bodywork
and more!
Each raffle ticket you purchase will go directly to support OTO and You’re Still as Beautiful. $5 per ticket, or 3 for $10. Bring an extra five dollar bill (or more) to the show!
DON”T MISS THE CHANCE TO WIN THESE GREAT PRIZES !
PURCHASE RAFFLE TICKETS TODAY!
1 Raffle Ticket ($5)
3 Raffle Tickets ($10)
you do not need to attend a performance to win a prize (but we’d love to see you there!)_________________
This production is made possible by the generous support of
THE AUTZEN FOUNDATION
and season sponsor
KAREN WERNER PETAK
Additional support by
Robert J. McGaughey, Attorney
ROBERT GOSS at
BUILDING MATERIAL RESOURCES, INC.
Jake’s Catering at
And the winners are…
Thank you to those who filled out our audience survey at our last show and online! The prize winners are…
“Doctor Atomic” DVD: Keeley Hammond
2 Tickets to our main stage show, “You’re still as Beautiful:” Mary Fehrs
OTO “Opera Made me a Man” t-shirt or onesie: Ayal Alves
We will contact winners individually to arrange for prize delivery. Congratulations!
Help us keep opera “Safe for America!”
For the past year, we have been busy preparing for our 15th main stage production: “You’re Still as Beautiful,” an original adaptation of Claude Debussy’s stunning and achingly beautiful opera “Pelléas et Mélisande.” We need your help! Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to OTO in support of this production. You can specify “main stage” on your check memo or in the Paypal special instructions to ensure that your donation will be earmarked for this project. Here are some examples of what your donation can provide:
$2000: Artist fees
$1000: Chamber Ensemble (quartet)
$700: Theatrical lighting equipment rental
$500: Piano delivery and tuning
$350: Costumes, makeup and wigs
$200: Rehearsal space
$100: Advertisement in weekly newspapers
$40: Program printing
__________________________________________
If you are unable to donate at this time, but still want to help, we are always in need of volunteers of various skill sets and interests. Please contact us for more information.
Are you a business owner? For more information about corporate sponsorship opportunities, which include program ads, logo presence and recognition in our website and social media sites, please download our sponsorship brochure .
At OTO, we strive to bring innovative and affordable productions to Portland audiences. It’s part of our mission! Your contributions make this possible. Thank you for your support!
don’t miss ‘The Art of Silent Film Accompaniment’ TODAY at noon!
Monday, April 16th | First Christian Church, 1314 SW Park Ave @ SW Columbia St, Portland
12:00pm (bring your lunch!)
$5 suggested donation | FREE with valid student ID
Doug Schneider weaving a Wagnerian improv to "The Black Pirate" in November 2011
**This masterclass is open to the public! **
Want to learn more about improvisation? Educate yourself with OTO’s public masterclass series on the art of silent film accompaniment. Way before today’s mega-budget films with Howard Shore and John Williams scores, silent films were accompanied live, with a pianist or organist creating the score on the fly. The accompanist’s charge was to engage the film’s story and visual atmosphere in real time, and no two nights ever sounded alike.
Pianist and insanely talented improviser Douglas Schneider will challenge students to create on-the-spot accompaniments to select scenes from “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” helping them hone their skills right in front of the audience!
Douglas Schneider “swashed as many buckles at the keyboard as the film’s star, Douglas Fairbanks, did on screen.” -Brett Campbell, Oregon Arts Watch
_________________________________________
WHAT: The Art of Silent Film Accompaniment, a public masterclass given by Douglas Schneider
WHEN: Monday, April 16th, 12:00 pm (bring your lunch!)
WHERE: First Christian Church, 1314 SW Park Ave (just 2 blocks North of PSU), Portland
TICKETS: No ticket required ($5 suggested donation at the door). FREE with student ID.
A Night of Vintage Horror coming this Friday the 13th!
FRIDAY APRIL 13TH
7pm (doors 6) | The Mission Theater
SILENT FILM
LIVE IMPROVISED SOUND
with tenor Daniel Buchanan | pianist Douglas Schneider
flutist Jayde Weide | percussionist Ian Kerr
This one-night-only Friday the 13th show is the latest installment of our “Opera vs. Cinema” series, which pairs forgotten silent films with live, entirely improvised accompaniment from favorite operas.
Shakespearian actor John Barrymore stars in this early silent film version of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” the dark and probing drama that explores the savage side in all of us: can it be controlled? Tamed? Killed? Barrymore gives a
wrenching and captivating performance without the aid of cinematic devices and special effects that would come with later versions of this classic tale.
Explore your inner demons with drink specials such as “The Devil and Johnny Walker,” the “Sweeney Martini” and “Evil Dead Ale,” and watch tenor Daniel Buchanan, pianist Douglas Schneider, flutist Jayde Weide and percussionist Ian Kerr concoct a live, entirely improvised accompaniment before your eyes (and ears), inspired by John Adams’ riveting opera “Dr. Atomic.”
Tickets on sale now!
Ever wonder how it’s done? Check out “The Art of Silent Film Accompaniment” on Monday, April 16th at noon! Pianist Douglas Schneider will discuss the ins and outs of improvisation and work with three students, helping them to concoct their own film accompaniments right in front of the audience!
____________________________________
WHAT: ”Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vs. Dr. Atomic,” a silent film screening with live improvised accompaniment by pianist Douglas Schneider, percussionist Ian Kerr, flutist Jayde Weide and tenor Daniel Buchanan
WHEN: Friday, April 13th, 7:00pm (doors 6pm)
WHERE: The Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St., Portland, OR 97209
TICKETS: $12.00 (day of show/ at the door) $9.00 (advance sales). click here to buy tickets!
check out this event on the Mission Theater website
_________________________________________________
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
2011-2012 Season Sponsor
KAREN WERNER-PETAK
Founding Circle Sponsors
ANN and MARK EDLEN FAMILY
Additional Sponsors
What can you do to keep Opera Safe for America?
This spring, we are proud to present our 15th main stage production: “You’re Still as Beautiful,” an original adaptation of Claude Debussy’s stunning and achingly beautiful opera “Pelléas et Mélisande.” We need your help! Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to OTO in support of this production. You can specify “main stage” on your check memo or in the Paypal special instructions to ensure that your donation will be earmarked for this project. Here are some examples of what your donation can provide:
$2000: Artist fees
$1000: Chamber Ensemble (quartet)
$700: Theatrical lighting equipment rental
$500: Piano delivery and tuning
$350: Costumes, makeup and wigs
$200: Rehearsal space
$100: Advertisement in weekly newspapers
$40: Program printing
__________________________________________
If you are unable to donate at this time, but still want to help, we are always in need of volunteers of various skill sets and interests. Please contact us for more information.
At OTO, we strive to bring innovative and affordable productions to Portland audiences. It’s part of our mission! Your contributions make this possible. Thank you for your support!
Don’t miss “The Art of Silent Film Accompaniment” TODAY at the Mission Theater!
Ever wonder how improv works? How do four people improvise together? What makes a good silent film accompaniment?
If you want to find out more, come see
“The Art of Silent Film Accompaniment”
The Mission Theater | Saturday, February 11th | 2pm (doors 1:30 pm)
$5 advance, $7 day of show | FREE with valid student ID !
Minors ok with parent or guardian
Douglas Schneider "swashed as many buckles at the keyboard as the film's star, Douglas Fairbanks, did on screen." -Brett Campbell, Oregon Arts Watch
Educate yourself by coming to the launch of OTO’s new public masterclass series on the lost art of silent film improvisation! Way before today’s mega-budget films with Howard Shore and John Williams scores, silent films were accompanied live, with a pianist or organist creating the score on the fly. The accompanist’s charge was to engage the film’s story and visual atmosphere in real time, and no two nights ever sounded alike.
Pianist and insanely talented improviser Douglas Schneider will challenge three brave students to create on-the-spot accompaniments to select scenes from Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” helping them hone their skills right in front of the audience!
Announcing our brave and talented students:
Kate Petak, harp | Stephanie Cooke, piano | Travis Chapman, violin
Relax with a burger and a beer at the Mission Theater! Entertain and educate yourself at the same time!
Check out this event on Facebook
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WHAT: The Art of Silent Film Accompaniment
WHEN: Saturday, February 11th, 2:00 pm
WHERE: The Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St., Portland, OR 97209
TICKETS: $7 (at the door) $5 (advance sales). Free with student ID. Available through McMenamins, http://www.mcmenamins.com/events/98926
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All Classical 89.9′s Edmund Stone hosting trivia contest tonight!
Don’t miss…
‘Aida vs. Metropolis‘
The Mission Theater
7pm
click here for tickets! Also available at the door.
We’re thrilled to invite Edmund Stone, host of All Classical 89.9′s movie-and-music program “The Score,” as our “Opera and Cinema” Trivia Contest host tonight at 6:30!
“The Score” explores the classical music that enhances what we see on the screen. Click here to find out more about the show! “The Score” airs every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm (this Sat. only, “The Score” airs at 3, after 89.9′s broadcast of the gargantuan-lengthed “Götterdammerung.” This week, for Valentine’s Day, Stone focuses on scores for films about unlikely couples.
If you’re going to ‘Aida vs. Metropolis‘ tonight, Be sure to show up at 6:30 to enjoy the dulcet tones of Edmund Stone, and be lucky that he is not competing against you in this contest of opera and movie trivia.
See you there!
Art for the 99%: “Aida vs. Metropolis” Coming February 10th!
“Death to the machines!”
Fritz Lang’s groundbreaking sci-fi legend “Metropolis” envisions an urban dystopia marked by a sharp divide between the working class and the ownership class. The 1927 film may have been made during the Weimar Republic, but members of the 2012 Occupy movement will find a lot to identify with in Lang’s protest against economic and social inequality. Opera Theater Oregon celebrates the connection between art and activism in the latest installment of their innovative “Opera vs. Cinema” series, which pairs silent films with improvised accompaniment from favorite operas. On February 10th at the Mission Theater, they bring “Metropolis” to the big screen with live improvised accompaniment based on themes from Giuseppe Verdi’s grand opera “Aida.”
Pianist Douglas Schneider, who premiered OTO’s series with a solo Wagnerian accompaniment to “The Black Pirate vs. The Flying Dutchman,” ups the ante this time by teaming up with violinist Greg Ewer in a duo improvisation based on themes from Verdi’s most popular opera. Special guests Helen Funston, soprano and Kate Petak, harp spice up the performance as the voice of Maria the heroine/cyborg.
Doug Schneider tickling the ivories at "The Black Pirate vs. the Flying Dutchman," Nov. 25, 2011"
Doug “swashed as many buckles at the keyboard as the film’s star,Douglas Fairbanks, did on screen.” -Brett Campbell, Oregon Arts Watch
Doors open at 6pm- liberate yourself with dystopian drink specials such as the “1984,” “Soylent Green” and “Logan’s Rum” and show off your knowledge of cinema and opera at the pre-show trivia contest to win prizes donated by local businesses The Someday Lounge,
The Mark Spencer Hotel and Music Millennium. This performance shows
for one night only. Minors ok with parent or guardian.
As a bonus, OTO kicks off its public masterclass series “The Art of Silent Film Accompaniment” at the Mission Theater on February 11 at 2pm. Douglas Schneider will challenge aspiring improvisers to accompany select scenes from “Metropolis” and help them hone their chops in front of the audience. This event is FREE with student ID.
________________________________________
WHAT: Opera vs. Cinema: Aida vs. Metropolis, a silent film screening with live improvised accompaniment by pianist Douglas Schneider and violinist Gregory Ewer. With special guests Helen Funston, soprano and Kate Petak, harp.
WHEN: Friday, February 10th, 7:00pm (doors 6pm, trivia contest 6:30pm)
WHERE: The Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St., Portland, OR 97209
TICKETS: $12.00 (at the door) $9.00 (advance sales). Special $12 combo ticket (advance only) includes admission to February 11th masterclass “The Art of Silent Film Accompaniment.” Available through McMenamins, http://www.mcmenamins.com/events/98865
2011-2012 Season Sponsor
KAREN WERNER-PETAK
Founding Circle Sponsors
ANN and MARK EDLEN FAMILY
Additional Sponsors
Trivia Contest prizes generously donated by:
