HGOco

Beauty and Heartbreak at the Opera

noreply@blogger.com (HGO) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 03:35:00 +0000

A mesmerizing performance by the cast of Madame Butterfly tonight. Tonight was High School night and I've never heard more uproarious applause. The curtain came down and the crowd was left in the dark, but as soon at the curtain rose again to show Cynthia Clayton Vasquez as "Butterfly," the hall filled with the wild screams of High School girls. That sound could only be rivaled with the appearance of Edward Cullen at a sweet sixteen birthday party. While he may not have been Edward Cullen, or take his shirt off, Sorrow, played by Akira Bunge, nearly stole the show! "He" was the heart-throb of the night!! No doubt the girls swooned with continuous "awww's" at Sorrow's every entrance. The ending suicide of Butterfly left few dry eyes and the students came out chattering about the cruelty of Pinkerton. Many said they were waiting for a Disney ending. My comment to them: "It's not an opera until someone dies!" Perhaps a bit morbid and skewed, but it makes for a good punchline!

The stage tonight was alight with color. The stage stair-stepped up to the back with a golden red pathway curving around. The costumes are a wash with golds and earthe colors, contrasted by bright reds for Butterfly. The silks shown brilliantly under the lights of the opera house. It was a vibrant yet perfectly simple staging - perfectly Japanese.

High School Night at the Opera is here

noreply@blogger.com (HGO) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:58:00 +0000

Paul Abdullah here continuing our HGO highschool night at the opera live blog during our first intermission. The curtain just closed on an impressive first act, starring many HGO Studio members and UH's Cynthia Clayton as Cio-Cio San. Check out all the student reactions we are posting at the HGOco Facebook page (seach for HGOco on facebook and click "like" to see all the posts).

We are the music makers...

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:51:00 +0000

[Ed: Misha Penton is a teaching artist who spent the fall 2009 semester working at Grady Middle School as part of a program sponsored by the Department of Education. Here's a blog entry she originally posted on her chron.com blog.]

Since I have been in the schools as a teaching artist for HGOco - Houston Grand Opera’s education and community programs department - I’ve stumbled upon some surprising (to me) insights. I hadn’t expected this teaching experience to be revelatory - I didn’t know what to expect - but it has become an insightful adventure in many ways.

There are several students who are fearless and it is exciting to hear their creative writing explorations come to life when they read before the class. Others are too shy to read aloud their work, but will come up to me afterwards and say, “What do you think of this?” And it is amazing work, as well. But it isn’t about what I think, or what their parents think, or what their teachers think. It is about what THEY think of the possibility and value of their own ideas. The arts can teach children that their ideas are valid, that they do not need permission to be expressive, and that ideas can change their perspective. That’s how we change the world.

I am surprised by the presence of students’ exceptionally loud, Inner Critic. I know middle school is an age full of awkwardness and inhibition, but there is an underpinning of judgement and fear - of not doing something “right.” This did not happen overnight, and it’s poison to Imagination and Creativity and toxic to Possibility. We can teach children without (silently and insidiously) instilling a fear of failure - fear of doing something perceived as “wrong” because everyone around them is judging their “performance.”

If we do not teach children to trust their vision, we will not only discourage future Mozarts and Nureyevs, but we will not have visionaries in any field: teachers, medical researchers, parents, city planners, technology developers, citizens invested in community…

I remember myself as a child having few inhibitions and a sense of wonder and creativity that I now, as an artist, rely on. My own creativity is initially fueled by an un-edited process. I simply do not let my Inner Critic have a say in the developmental stages of my work. Everything becomes a creative possibility.

Our imaginations are where ideas grow. All sorts of ideas. But to nurture Imagination, we must develop an Imagination Praxis - and for cryin’ out loud, let us not squelch it before the 7th grade or then all is, very truly, lost.

[Ed: Misha has her own work, unrelated to HGOco. To find out more, feel free to visit her blog.]

70 down, lots more to go...it's Opera to Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Kade) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:05:00 +0000

This fall Opera to Go! tried something we haven’t done in a while - our cast learned and toured two shows simultaneously. The first show was How Nanita Learned to Make Flan by Enrique Gonzalez-Medina with a libretto by Campbell Geeslin, who is also the author of the children’s book on which the opera is based. The second show was Hansel & Gretel, adapted by local playwright Kate Pogue.

Before I go further, our spring shows are open for bookings and they're going fast! To reserve a performance at your school or community center, visit our Opera to Go!

We rehearsed the two shows back to back, which made for an intense three weeks!

Tara Faircloth directed Nanita while I directed Hansel. Tara is a local artist who has directed shows with Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre and assistant directed shows on the HGO main stage. The human mind is truly a miraculous thing, especially when you have to stage one show while rehearsing the music for another. Kudos to the cast for being well prepared and putting both shows together so quickly.

Our fall tour opened at the Miller Outdoor Theatre with a string of Nanita performances. Campbell Geeslin, the librettist, came to see our final dress rehearsal, and then had lunch with us after we opened on Monday. The performers really wowed the audience with their singing and dancing! Of course, the children love when Nanita sleepwalks into the audience. Often they pay more attention to that than the Moon and Coyote singing on stage.

While Nanita performances shined in the morning at the Miller Outdoor Theatre, the same cast was busy rehearsing Hansel & Gretel in the afternoons. This show opened at the end of the following week, after another run of Nanita at Cy-Creek FACE. The Saturday opening of Hansel & Gretel played to a packed house of friends and families. From there we went straight into our tour of local libraries and community centers, sponsored by Houston Arts Alliance. One of the great things about being an Opera to Go! artist is that you learn how to adapt very quickly, especially since the venue is rarely the same twice in a row. At the libraries we sometimes have to adjust staging or remove part of the set because the performance space is small.

By the end of December we scheduled 50 Hansel & Gretel performances and 20 How Nanita Learned to Make Flan performances. When you have to perform 70 shows in barely three months time, it is nice to have some variety!

Rehearsals for our first production of the spring rep period begin this coming Monday. Wish us luck! At the end of this month we begin our tour of Cinderella in Spain, our most popular show written by local composer Mary Carol Warwick and local playwright Kate Pogue. In mid-March we premiere our first-ever collaboration between Opera to Go! and Song of Houston - a world premiere work by two Texans: Rice composition grad Ethan Greene and librettist Irene Keliher. This work is called A Way Home, and parallels the journey of a young girl from Houston to Mexico with the migration of the monarch butterfly.

Stay tuned to the blog for more reports on Opera to Go!, including our tour to west Texas in February!

Dispatches from the HS Voice Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:05:00 +0000

[Editor: Introducing Katie, another on-the-go reporter for HGOco this year. Katie is senior at Alvin High School and a member of our High School Voice Studio. We thought you might be interested in hearing about opera and our programs from her perspective. Enjoy periodic updates about her explorations of the opera world!]

The HGO High School Voice Studio program has been the most wonderful opportunity for me. Before this program, I didn't have any voice lessons outside of my school's vocal specialist. Working with Dr. Satterfield has been a pleasure and an amazingly insightful experience.

Before I was selected for this program I had never seen an opera. I also had an unjustified dislike for them. What little bits of opera I had heard had made the distinction in my mind that opera was just a lot of ridiculous vibrato. The first dress rehearsal that we attended was The Elixir of Love. I was blown away. I absolutely, positively loved it.

The lead soprano in all her glory brought me to tears with her beautiful soaring solos. The set was a wonder in itself. It was so realistic, and the characters looked right at home.

The next dress rehearsal to see was Lohengrin. This is a famously long opera and a very different kind of opera than Elixir. Lohengrin is a German opera. German is not considered to be a very pleasant language to listen to, compared to the beauty of the Italian language. As the orchestra (which was just amazing) began the introductory song, my eyes were glued to the stage. The music had already moved me deeply before the curtain went up. When the opera began, the magic of Lohengrin unfolded.

The story was simultaneously heartbreaking and soap-opera like. The singing was rich, glorious and powerful. I was riveted throughout the entire opera. Even the language which I worried might sound unpleasant, was beautiful to me. Members of the HSVS had the pleasure of working with one of the principal singers, Christine Goerke, who revealed wonderful insights to the opera, taught inspiring techniques and brought good humor to the class. Watching her perform was a great pleasure. At the end of the opera I was wowed. I had never seen something as awe inspiring as Lohengrin.

Stay tuned for more of my experiences as a member of HGOco's High School Voice Studio and check back for a posting by one of the other members of HSVS in the next few weeks.

Wortham Treelighting Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:19:00 +0000

On November 25, HGOco's Opera to Go! provided holiday fun for people of all ages - part of the Wortham Theater Center Tree Lighting. Every year, hundreds of families rush up the escalators of the Wortham Center to see the tree being lit.

This year it was not only about the sparkling lights and dazzling ornaments that brighten up the tree, but also storytelling, music, and children’s imaginations coming to life. It was a scene of little girls dressed in their tutus twirling with the ballerinas from Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker, and families taking pictures with the gingerbread house used for the Opera to Go! performance of Hansel and Gretel.

As soon as the tree was lit, the Opera to Go! singers performed a 20-minute version of Hansel and Gretel. It brought storytelling and music together to capture the attention of parents and children. The children sat eating their holiday cookies and watching these familiar characters. They sat captivated by the colorful props, eccentric evil witch, and the beautiful singing. HGOco had a great time joining in on the festivities and demonstrating that storytelling comes in all forms.

If you’d like Opera to Go! to visit your school, library, or local community center, please visit our website at www.HGOco.org and click on Opera to Go!

Opera-sized (or bigger!) Headdresses

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:45:00 +0000

While the Quetzal Ollin Chicahua (see the blog posting "Traditional Aztec Dancers and a Surprise" for more info) were in the Houston area, I was privileged to attend a special ceremony at Peckerwood Gardens, northwest of the city.

The Gardens are a remarkable setting and include a collection of arare plants native to a wide region of the southern United States and to Mexico, mingled with their Asian counterparts.

For the better part of an hour, the dancers performed dances that connected the audience with Mother Earth and various animals. Like the performances they provided for our school partners, Neff and Twain Elementary, it was interactive. Audience members were invited to join in on many of the dances.

You can see from the photos at right that their clothing is extremely ornate, and the headdresses are beyond compare.

We're very much looking forward to their return!

From Houston to Bogotá, Colombia

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:14:00 +0000

Connection is one of HGOco's fundamental philosophies, especially in our Song of Houston series. Today's post highlights the work of 4th Grade students at Neff Elementary, who have chosen to become pen pals with schoolchildren from Bogotá, Colombia.

These enterprising young Neff students have planned a year's worth of various forms of communication, including an introductory letter, a holiday card, a postcard (hand-drawn) of Houston, a February friendship card, an acrostic poem and a goodbye letter. This fun-filled work involves curricular goals from the social studies TEKS and will help students improve their fluency and literacy (two of their Smart Goals), resulting in better classroom participation and improved test scores.

We sent the first batch of correspondence a week or so ago - 154 letters in total for students and staff alike. Some of the students agreed to share copies of their first letters with us. You can see a few samples on the Neff Fridge on our website. Enjoy!

This work is part of our Song of Houston project celebrating Mexico 2010. For more info on the entire project, visit our Mexico 2010 webpage.

Traditional Aztec dance and a surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:52:00 +0000

Unique opportunities keep cropping up in our Song of Houston project celebrating Mexico 2010. Through our collaboration with the US Forest Service, we've been introduced to a force of nature! No, really, a force of nature.

On Nov. 4th, HGOco presented two performances of traditional Aztec dance by Mexico City-based Quetzal Ollin Chicahua. The first performance took place in the Pershing Middle School Auditorium for an audience of 3rd - 5th grade students from neighboring Mark Twain Elementary School and a few classes from Pershing. A full house of 425 enthusiastic fans was all that Chicahua needed. And their surprise...snakes!

The second performance of the day took place at Neff Elementary School for approx. 500 students from 1st, 3rd and 4th grades. Lots of interactivity - teachers dancing, students playing instruments, and favorite animal dances. Take a look at the fun, but don't despair if you missed out - we hope to host Chicahua again, on their next trip to Houston:

Special thanks - AND BUTTERFLY APPLAUSE - to Tamberly Conway, the Conservation Education Coordinator with National Forests and Grasslands in Texas and HGOco's local US Forest Service partner, for all of her help in arranging Chicahua's visit to Houston!

A Great Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Students designing what and how they'd like to learn about issues of the day?

Yesterday, we met with teachers and 16 students at Challenge Early College High School. If you haven't heard of this school, you will. Last year Challenge made its debut at #8 on Children At Risk's list of Houston's top high schools.

They're one of our partner schools for Song of Houston's Mexico 2010 project, and as we've been working with a few of their lead teachers to develop curriculum-based lessons and projects, it became clear that we needed to work in a new way.

So the teachers invited students to a meeting to discuss the project, its goals, and what kind of work they'd like to do. In our meeting yesterday with everyone, we heard a poignant personal essay by one student about his father's love and journey to live in the US. We heard what kinds of things the students think of, when they think of "home." And we talked about those objects or materials in our lives that we can't live without.

It was a real brainstorming session of the best kind. So the students and teachers are now thinking a bit more about ways in which to structure projects within the themes of our Mexico 2010 curriculum (exploration of home; how journeys, traditions and stories connect generations; and the impact of transformation and migration on our lives).

I invite any students, teachers, parents to comment about ways in which they might explore these themes. Onward!

Opera in Outer Space?

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:51:00 +0000

If the weather and various technological factors permit, at approximately 1:28 PM CST today NASA's space shuttle Atlantis blasts off on a mission to deliver spare parts to the International Space Station.

How on earth (or in space!) is the opera involved? Through our Song of Houston project celebrating Mexico 2010 and the Monarch butterfly.

I mentioned a few posts ago that we're working with several local schools on projects inspired by the Monarch butterfly. Well, we got word a week or so ago that NASA's space shuttle Atlantis will carry a monarch butterfly experiment to the International Space Station. Through HGOco's collaboration with the US Forest Service and Monarch Watch, two of our partner schools - Neff and Twain Elementary Schools - have been selected to participate in this experiment.

Students at Neff and Twain Elementary schools will compare the growth and development of butterfly larvae in the weightless environment (technically it's microgravity) of the International Space Station with butterfly larvae being raised simultaneously in their classrooms on Earth. In order to participate, teachers and students had to create rearing chambers that are similar to the cases going up on the shuttle.

The larvae arrived at our schools on Friday and have spent the weekend getting used to their new "homes." We'll keep you posted with progress and the results of the experiment to compare and contrast the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly in microgravity and on Earth. The students and teachers can barely contain their excitement - neither can we!

Sadie interviews a Studio alum

noreply@blogger.com (Sadie) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Sadie, one of our guest bloggers, recently interviewed Liam Bonner, who returns to HGO as Sergeant Belcore in The Elixir of Love. Liam is a recent graduate of our very own Studio program, now making his way in the wide world of opera.

My first question for Liam was about his favorite operas. He said that one of his most favorite was Basil Twist's production of Hansel and Gretel because it was such an interesting experience. He played the witch and he was inside because it was a giant puppet on wheels. He also liked Billy Budd because it had a great cast, it was a great opera, it had great music, and it was a cast of all men so that was cool. He is also really enjoying Elixir because it has great music, it has a great cast, and it’s a great opera.

Liam says that at first, before he gets on stage, he is a little nervous but he thinks it’s just the adreline, and once he’s on stage, he’s not nervous at all. Liam says that he is extremely glad he has never had to cancel a show or performance. (Just a cool fact you might want to know.)

He says that so far, Elixir is going great because the audience seems very responsive, people seem to like it, the reviews are very positive, and everyone he’s talked to really enjoyed it. Liam says the opening was a huge success. They had a big fancy dinner after the opera on the plaza and Anthony Freud introduced them to the opera patrons.

Liam decided that he wanted to be a singer in high school because a man named Lorenzo Malffati who was a retired opera singer heard him sing in a musical and told him he should sing opera instead. He also chose to become a singer because he loves to act, sing, perform, be on stage, dress up, and entertain people. Liam says it’s definitely different to be working at HGO but not being in the studio any more because there isn’t any extra work, so he can be more focused on the opera and performing, and he’s not as busy.

And to wrap it all up, Liam’s favorite part in Elixir is in Act 2 when he performs a duet with Nemorino, played by John Osborn. He likes it because he likes the interaction with John, the music, the staging, and he and John get along well. Also, he and John sing well together and it’s a fun duet to sing.

Elixir Rocks the Wortham

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Maybe you saw dozens of buses encircling the Wortham Theater Center on your way into work? Maybe you were on one of the buses?

Over the past week, thousands of area students visited HGO to delight in Donizetti's The Elixir of Love at a Student Matinee or High School Night show. For many of us at the opera, they're our favorite performances of the year. If you attended, leave us a comment with your thoughts!

Loud cheering, long lines for autographs, and a majority of students who are experiencing opera for the first time - definitely the ingredients for a night many won't soon forget. We must extend our deepest appreciation to the teachers who put in extra effort to organize tickets, buses and chaperones, all to give their students a taste of the best that HGO has to offer.

The students that come to our weekday performances get a special treat not many adults ever see. At intermission, we change the scenery without a curtain, so everyone sees how we make magic happen onstage! While the students are watching the scene change from Act I to Act II, our Education Coordinator Kade Smith interviews some of the folks who are usually behind the scenes. This year, he spoke with stage manager Kristen Burke (think air traffic controller) and Octavio Moreno, who performed the role of Belcore.

We're also fortunate to partner with Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and a group of their opera enthusiasts called Camerata. For the past three seasons, Camerata has conducted interviews of students before, during and after our High School Night performances. They'll soon post a video compilation of these interviews. Once it's up, we'll link to it from our Facebook page.

Some more photos:

HGOco, Song of Houston and Butterflies

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:10:00 +0000

These days, HGOco isn't focused on Puccini's exquisite Madame Butterfly, we're celebrating the migration of the magnificent Monarch butterfly. Right about now you might be wondering - what does the Monarch have to do with opera?

You may be familiar with our Song of Houston series, which was unveiled in 2007 with performances of The Refuge. This piece celebrated Houstonians who made extraordinary journeys from other countries to settle here. Alongside this world premiere, we collaborated with schools, other local non-profits, and many community centers and organizations to explore themes of cultural identity. More info about The Refuge HERE. We followed The Refuge with two Song of Houston projects, one exploring Houston's blues music and, the other, a celebration of Neff Elementary School and its Sharpstown community.

The latest installment in our Song of Houston series was created in conjunction with Mexico's anniversaries of Independence and Revolution in 2010. We've commissioned two new works as part of 2009/10: a Mariachi opera that tells the story of a family in two countries and a work for middle and high school students in collaboration with HGOco's Opera to Go! touring ensemble. In both of these new works, the migration of the Monarch butterfly - from Mexico, through the US and Canada, and back again to Mexico - figures prominently. More details about Mexico 2010 HERE.

When our librettists included the story of this insect's remarkable journey as part of their storylines, we thought that the Monarch was a great inspiration for a large-scale collaboration with several schools in the greater Houston area. So stay tuned for postings from students and staff at some of our partner schools - Neff Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, Lanier Middle School, and a few others. Tomorrow, we'll post more details about the kind of work we're doing in collaboration with these great schools, including a visit of some traditional Aztec dancers from Mexico (and their special surprise!).

My Audition for Children's Chorus

noreply@blogger.com (Sadie) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:41:00 +0000

[Editor: Introducing Sadie, an on-the-go reporter for HGOco this year. Sadie is an elementary school student in the Houston area, a veteran HGO supernumerary and opera camp participant. We thought you might be interested in hearing about opera and our programs from her perspective. Enjoy periodic updates about the operatic adventures of Sadie!]

As I walked into the hallway tension filled the air. All the other kids were off in their own worlds humming their songs and smiling and laughing nervously. Some were wishing each other good luck. My heart thumped loudly, and I wasn’t even that close to auditioning. I’m sure that everyone else was feeling the same as I was. It’s my very first audition at Houston Grand Opera and I can’t say whether it made me more or less nervous.

After my audition I talked to Sam whom also auditioned.

Sam said that “I felt really nervous and scared” as he walked into his audition. “When I got there they asked me to stand on the red x by the piano, I gave my music to the pianist first, then I sang my song and left. It was really simple.” Sam replied an enthusiastic “YES!” to my question about whether he wanted to audition for another opera later. When I asked Sam if he would do his Tosca audition over again and change something about it he said, “I would start over, and do it a little louder.” When I asked how he felt before the audition compared to afterward Sam said, “A lot more scared before.” Sam says that he’s never done an audition before but he did know one person and it made it no less hard. “I sang ‘My Country ‘Tis of Thee’, and I don’t think I did well.” “Why? Because I think I sang less louder because I was nervous.”

Auditions were fun but nerve racking. I saw some of my friends from previous operas and opera camps. I had a lot of fun and I hope I get in! Auditions for the Children's Chorus happen again in early 2010, for spots in HGO's production of The Queen of Spades.

The Ultimate Field Trip - The Elixir of Love

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Calling all teachers!

Beginning at 9am this Friday, August 28, HGOco is taking online ticket orders for student performances of Donizetti's The Elixir of Love this fall. We have a new process for ordering tickets - no more faxes - so be sure to read below.

First, though, the nitty gritty details:

Student Matinees (Grades 4 - 8)
November 4 and 6, 2009 at 10 AM
All tickets $10
Beginning 9 AM on Friday, August 28th find a link to Student Matinee tickets here: www.houstongrandopera.org/studentmatinees

High School Night (Grades 9+)
November 9, 2009 at 7 PM
Tickets from $15 - $26
Beginning at 9 AM on Friday, August 28th, find a link to High School Night tickets here: www.houstongrandopera.org/highschoolnight

You need a promotion code in order to purchase tickets to student performances.If you haven't received an email from us that includes a promotion code, please call us at 713-546-0230 or email us at students@houstongrandopera.org to receive the appropriate code.

We're looking forward to seeing you and your students at the opera this fall!

Tosca Children's Chorus Auditions - sign up starting Aug. 31

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:45:00 +0000

We had a call today from a mother who wanted information about opportunities for her daughter to sing. And the good news is, we have a great program in which budding young vocalists can shine!

We're hosting auditions on Sunday, September 20 for the children's chorus and a solo treble role in Puccini's Tosca. Boys (with unchanged voices) and girls aged 7 - 17 are invited to audition at the Wortham Theater Center. You need to sign up in advance, read on for more information or visit us online at www.houstongrandopera.org/childrenschorus.

The opera is sung in Italian and conducted by Patrick Summers. Rehearsals start in November 2009; performances begin January 22, 2010 and run through February 7, 2010.

Children’s Chorus director for the production is Karen Reeves.
Audition Date: Sunday, September 20, 2009 from 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Audition Location: Wortham Theater Center
510 Preston Avenue, 6th floor
Houston, TX 77002

For this audition, the child should be prepared to sing from memory a song of his/her choice, in a non-belt style. Each child should bring a copy of their music for the pianist, whom the Opera will provide. Taped accompaniment will not be used. Individuals who wish to arrange an audition time or who want further information should contact the Opera's Rehearsal Department at 713-980-8679, beginning Monday, August 31, 2009.

How much drama can YOU create in 3 minutes?

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:08:00 +0000

HGO wants to put you in the director's chair!

Now this sounds cool - if only I was adept at video editing...

Choose an opera from HGO's 09/10 season and create a video that tells the story in three minutes or less. The only limit is your imagination -- and the laws of the land. Upload your video to HGO's Facebook page by September 15, 2009. Winners will receive opera tickets, fabulous prizes and at least fifteen seconds of fame.

The opera plots from which you may choose include: Donizetti's Elixir of Love; Wagner's Lohengrin; Puccini's Tosca; Britten's The Turn of the Screw; Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades; and Handel's Xerxes. So, let's see what you can do!

Click on "Read More" for more information about how to enter, or visit us online at: http://www.houstongrandopera.org/videocontest.

Upload your video to Houston Grand Opera’s Facebook Event Page at http://www.facebook.com/events.php?ref=sb (“Web site”) between 12:01 a.m. CST 8/11/09 and 11:59 p.m. CST 9/15/09.

Log into your Facebook account or register with Facebook. You must be a member of the Facebook Web site and comply with its terms and conditions to enter the contest. Membership to the Facebook Web site is free.

Once you have successfully logged in to Facebook and view HGO’s Video Contest Event Page, select “Attending” in the Your RSVP box on the right-hand side of the screen. Click the “Add Videos” button in the Videos section and follow the onscreen instructions to enter and upload your video submission. You may need to refresh your browser after selecting “Attending” in the RSVP box to see the Videos section.

By submitting an entry, a winner agrees to allow use of his or her entry, name and/or likeness for advertising this or similar promotions without compensation, unless prohibited by law. All entries and all rights of ownership and publication of same will become the property of Houston Grand Opera and will not be returned.

For more details, a list of rules and all applicable regulations visit us online at: http://www.houstongrandopera.org/videocontest.

Opera to Go! delivers, starting Oct. 5

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:39:00 +0000

One of HGOco's most visible programs is Opera to Go!, which brings 45-minutes of fully-staged, high-energy opera to classrooms and community centers all over Texas. We've had lots of blog posts in the past about OTG (the short form that we often use here in the office) so I won't go into it too much. Suffice it to say, we've got two GREAT operas lined up for the fall.

Hansel and Gretel, the perennial favorite for people of all ages, begins touring on October 5. The cast is full of entertaining characters, one of which is an allergy-prone fairy godmother. Luckily it's not hard to find a singer who has allergies in Houston in the fall! Just kidding, it's all part of our singer's exceptional acting ability.

We're also presenting an opera that's new to Houston, it's called How Nanita Learned to Make Flan. This one is performed in a combination of English and Spanish, and it involves a pair of magic shoes, a talking parrot and the secret behind delicious flan. Know any places in Houston where we can get some good-tasting flan? Let us know! Want to share your grandmother's "secret" recipe? Post it to comments.

If you want to schedule a performance of either Hansel and Gretel or Nanita at your school or community center, visit the Opera to Go! page at www.houstongrandopera.org/hgoco.

To schedule an Opera to Go! performance, download an ORDER FORM, and email or fax it back to us!

1 performance $450 / 2 performances of same opera back-to-back $700
Maximum audience capacity is 300. Mileage charge for sites 35+ miles outside downtown Houston.

INFORMATION: ksmith@houstongrandopera.org or call 713-546-0230

Fall Tours: October 5 - December 18, 2009

Hansel and Gretel

Composer: Engelbert Humperdinck Adaptation: Kate Pogue

For Elementary and Middle Schools. This beloved fairy tale, full of magic and musical mischief, takes us to a world with gingerbread houses and not-so-nice little old ladies. In English.

How Nanita Learned to Make Flan

Composer: Enrique Gonzalez-Medina Libretto: Campbell Geeslin

For Elementary and Middle Schools. Nanita makes a pair of shoes that magically transport her far away from home. With the help of an Old Woman and parrot, she returns home and learns the secret of making delicious flan.

How Nanita Learned to Make Flan will also be at the Miller Outdoor Theatre Sept. 28 through Oct. 2 at 11 AM daily.

Spring Tours begin January 25, 2010

Cinderella in Spain / Cenicienta en España

Composer: Mary Carol Warwick Libretto:Kate Pogue

For Elementary and Middle Schools. Available Jan 25 - May 28, 2010.
Glass slippers, pumpkins and magical transformations...don't miss the allergy-prone fairy godmother and an unusual pair of evil stepsisters! In English and Spanish.

WORLD PREMIERE: an opera in conjunction with Song of Houston's Mexico 2010

For Middle and High Schools. Available mid February 2010 - May 7, 2010.
A 3,000-mile journey begins following a magical transformation. How does a butterfly find the home it has never seen, but one that its ancestors have inhabited for thousands of years? In English and Spanish.

A New Season - Our New Look

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elliott) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:31:00 +0000

HGOco is back in the blogosphere after a busy summer. Since the HGO mainstage season finished last May, we've hosted or co-hosted 6 summer camps, squeezed in a bit of vacation, and spent lots of time planning some great programs that begin shortly.

This is a new look for our blog, with some new functionality. Let us know what you think by posting a comment or two!

Over the next month or so, several new bloggers will begin posting - we have program participants reporting from the front lines as "embedded" bloggers and a young mobile journalist (MoJo) who will tell it like she sees it. We're still getting our facebook in order but in the meantime you can always follow us on twitter at HouGrandOpera.

So...what do we have in store? Check back tomorrow for more details...

HSVS and College Preparation

noreply@blogger.com (HGO) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:06:00 +0000

Thomas Goedecke writes this week's blog. Thomas is a member of the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio, and plans to major in music next year when he heads off to college.

I have been blessed to be apart of the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio program, and to be a student at a performing arts school, and a student to some of the best musicians in the city. But even with these resources college preparation is a difficult task. The first and foremost thing that high school students need to find out is who they are.

It is not necessary to have the next 15 years planned out, but find out what excites you, what makes you happy: will it be something you want to make a career out of, or avoid it in fear of your passion becoming nothing more than work. Or if your undecided thats ok too, but you will know what kind of experience you want to have for the next four years. The second thing is applying for the colleges that match your needs. For me, it was a school with excellent composition and vocal programs. And finish with applications as soon as you possibly can. This is essential if you would like to keep your sanity.
Thirdly is to keep a detailed agenda, down to the last minute. Rehearsals, recitals, auditions, application due dates, scholarship dates, college visits, concerts, and performances are just a fraction of the things that are going to be bombarding you during senior year, and to have when and where these things are at your finger tips is really important.
Finally, forget about having too much of a social life. Keeping up with your studies is important and when your applying for colleges, you simply run out of time. Though keep in mind a night out is important, but just don't allow more improtant things, more urgent things to fall apart because of it.

Two Non-profits at Once

noreply@blogger.com (HGO) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:08:00 +0000

This week's blog is from Jessica Ford, the HGOco Assistant, who writes about her experiences working for two non-profits of different sizes at the same time.

Since I have started my journey toward a career in arts management, I have often been advised to gain as much real-life experience as possible, because what I need to be successful “can’t be learned in some book”. Taking this idea to heart, I decided to spend the past six months as an intern for two non-profit companies: Houston Grand Opera (HGO) and Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation (FWCRC). As the months have rolled on, I have come to realize how invaluable the opportunity to work simultaneously at two very distinct non-profits has been. Each job has taught me different things about myself and my abilities, and about the non-profit sector.
FWCRC is a non-profit concerned with home-buying assistance for low-income families in Fifth Ward and other areas of Houston. One of the major projects that has been blooming for 10 years is the development of a small community theatre and library complex in Fifth Ward. My job at FWCRC is to help with the realization of that dream. There are several differences between the two companies, but I have noticed similarities in the environment and some of the procedures in the two companies. For example, while HGO is a large non-profit company with 100+ employees, FWCRC only has 10 employees including the CEO. However, the HGOco department works like a small nonprofit company. The camaraderie shared among my coworkers and me is very similar in each company. There is so much work to be done that every employee helps carry the burden, especially if one particular employee seems overwhelmed. I have noticed within both companies that coworkers regularly advise each other on different projects because it helps achieve the overall goals. However, at HGOco, the work is more specifically delegated to particular positions. At FWCRC, I have helped with marketing a major project, dabbled in a little development work, researched random facts pertaining to anything dealing with building theaters, and other things. Because FWCRC is so small, I have also had the opportunity to participate in board meetings, help prepare for the annual audit, and participate in various planning meetings. I do recognize that even though I am an only an intern in both companies, my opinion matters. I am never given menial busy work in either job, and I am often asked my advice on certain projects that we are doing. This fact surprised me more so in HGO because it is such a large company. But, there seems to be a mutual respect among all departments. There are so many people from various departments who come to my immediate boss for advice pertaining to their work. It is truly a collaborative effort.
Of course, the clientele that each company serves is different as well. Although FWCRC is focused on assisting low income families, a group that I am really determined to work with, I am really impressed with all of the programs and initiatives that HGO has to reach out to all communities, particularly families and communities who have never been exposed to opera. I also enjoy the direct community interaction that I have had with the elementary school project and the Blues Project at HGO. At FWCRC, I have not yet been able to go out into the community. I know that I will be able to become really involved with the community once the Deluxe Theatre is open in Fifth Ward. It’s just nice to be able to connect with the people that will benefit from the hard work that we do.

Opera to Go! Tour to Midland

noreply@blogger.com (HGO) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Friday Feb. 20- Day 6

Today was our last day of our Midland tour. We woke up early today for our 8:30 am show at St. Mary’s school in San Antonio. We had performed “Magic Flute” at this school last year and had fond memories of the packed room of over 200 kids. This year was like last in that they were very receptive and fun to perform for. I have a feeling this will become a tradition to sing here as the last show of our annual tour.

Opera to Go! can never perform the last show of any run without some added flavor. This final performance of Little Mermaid was no exception. Everything was running smoothly until Cecilia unexpectedly fell on her way off stage after an expected push from Dennis. I wasn’t able to see it, but evidently she fell pretty hard and will most likely have a bruise. She unfortunately had to immediately run back on stage and as the giggles tempted her, she stopped them with a bit of Sprechstimme in an evil “witch tone.” The show continued on without a problem and during the final scene where Princess Agatha (I) throw everything from the basket into the ocean, the Sea King (Dennis) surprised me by throwing everything back at me. That last show prank was a new fun “twist” in our plot, but we quickly got back on track and we triumphantly completed our last show of Little Mermaid.

The kids loved the show and asked us many questions as usual. My favorite was the one that said “Did you know that the octopus was peeking out from behind the set at the end of the show? AND the clam was too!” I said, “WHAT?!!! I HAD NO IDEA!” I love when the kids think that we don’t know what’s going on. They are so cute.

After our show, we loaded the vans and headed back home. We HAD to stop at the infamous Buc Ee’s on our way home because I still had some treats I wanted to get. We continued on a bit farther and ate at Frank’s restaurant where evidently “Those who know eat here.” It was good food and 80 minutes later we were home.

This tour of Little Mermaid was a joy for all of us to be in. It was well received by everyone and I know that each of us in the cast will miss it. Now our cast breaks into 2 groups for the rest of the season. Cecilia, Alex, and Erin will begin working on Romeo & Juliet, and Dennis, Michael, and I will work on Daughter of the Regiment. We will miss this group but we know it will not be the last time we sing together. There is always next season.

Hannah Lu, Princess Agatha in Opera to Go!'s Little Mermaid

Opera to Go! Tour to Midland

noreply@blogger.com (HGO) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:10:00 +0000

Thursday, Feb. 19- Day 5

Our last day in Midland started early in the morning after checking out of our nice and cozy lair, the Midland Hilton. We weigh anchor at 8:00 am, and after being lost for a few minutes, our very own Michael Walsh, OTG's baritone and co-pilot on this mission, gave a demonstration of why we call him "Señor G.P.S."

Thanks to a keen sense of ubiquity, Michael guided us to our next destination aided by the daring navigation of our fearless captain, (and music director), Kade Smith. We anchored at Parker Elementary School safe and and on schedule! at 8:29, keeping thus, a flawless record of on-time arrivals.
The performance started smoothly, but at the climax of the show a little boy covered his eyes and loudly mumbled with a locked jaw, "I can't see this!!" while the evil witch Jezhibaba with a wicked laugh tenebrously emerged from the abysmal depths.
After having a successful show on a full-house (or full-cafeteria to be precise), we parted to our next and last destination, the "De Zavala Elementary School", this time performing at the school's gym. Taking a little time to check out sound, distances and proportions, textures and density of the surface on which we would perform is always important. Given the staging for this show, there's pretty much crawling, and sometimes, (not in the script), sliding and bouncing off the floor, (exempli gratia, soprano Hannah Lu, or mezzo Cecy Duarte). This time it was cement, pretty different from the usual semi-soft wooden floors or even softer materials we perform on. Fortunately with no such incidents this time, the only thing we had to worry about was to give our audience a great time and the best show they have ever witnessed!!!

Alex Magallon, Prince Jonathan in Opera to Go!'s Little Mermaid

Opera to Go! Tour to Midland

noreply@blogger.com (HGO) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:44:00 +0000

Wednesday, Feb. 18- Day 3

Our second morning in Midland got off to a rocky start. We woke up to find our passenger van with a new accessory – a parking boot. We had children to edu-tain (educate + entertain), so all the singers loaded into the back of the cargo van among the sets and costumes and took off for our first of three performances.

Midland was kind to us however and we got the boot removed with no charge. Our first elementary school of the day presented one of the smallest stages yet. Performing with Opera to Go! definitely teaches us to be malleable to our surroundings.

Back to the Carver Center for our second show and during load in an honest to goodness tumbleweed rolled through the playground. The building itself (much like a good portion of Midland) seems frozen in time with old-fashioned lockers and a muted color pallet of yellows and dark jewel tone tiles. These huge levers, reminiscent of a Frankenstein flick, controlled the lights for the theater. This time around we figured out just how to use them to our advantage. Over the course of the show our stage manager Derek deftly coordinated a blue lit opening (we are under the sea after all) fading into red for the sea witch’s entrance. We had a slightly older crowd of 4th-6th graders and some of the lovely ladies from the party last night.

We had a brief period between shows to catch a bite so we looked for some hot eats and cool treats. Lured by the Texas stop sign for some not-so-healthy grub at Dairy Queen, we couldn’t escape without tasty Blizzards. Since the time between shows was so short a bunch of us decided not to completely change out of our costumes, so I had the distinct pleasure of wearing the top half for the whole restaurant to see… glittery sash and all. My jeans covered my green thorned tights, but still nobody seemed to care. Just another day at the DQ, I guess. Our third school brought us a younger audience who were very energetic and eager to participate in the short song we teach them at the beginning of the show. At one particularly hilarious moment when the sea witch is offering the mermaid the magic potion to transform her into a human, a young boy shouted out ‘I can not watch!’ Like Michael said, sometimes it’s a challenge to keep it together on stage and keep ourselves from laughing! At the end the kids gave us an unusual but endearing token of their appreciation. Their mascot is the tigers so we got ‘the tiger paw,’ which was two leg pats, two claps and a big ‘grrrrrr!’ It was awesome.

The evening brought some alone time which was mostly filled with some much needed napping. The cast descended on a quaint local trattoria called Luigi’s for some good Italian food. We had hoped to indulge in some bowling but all the lanes were full and we couldn’t agree on a movie choice at the local drive-in. Instead we piled into a hotel room for some rowdy games of Scatergories before drifting off to bed – resting up for our last day in Midland.

-Dennis Arrowsmith, Ocean King in Opera to Go!'s production of Little Mermaid