Audience Reviews

Lots of feedback coming from the Otello Audience:

David,

OTELLO was magnificent last night.
Truly a memory that will stay with us for a very long time. During the performance I found myself looking at what I thought was an oil masterpiece from one of the great masters from the period. WOW!!!

Best regards,
Juan and Cindy

Dear Kelly -

I saw both the Opening Night and the Sunday Matinee of Kentucky Opera's production of Verdi's Otello. In over 25 years of seeing opera around the world, I have never seen two more professional gestures that those you made this weekend.

First, despite that sinus infection, you sang beautifully on Friday night. As a matter of fact, many of my friends wondered, "If she sounds this good with a sinus infection, I can only imagine how great she sounds without it!!" Second, your generosity with the understudy at the matinee was truly a first rate, professional act. I'm sure Julianna appreciated it, and I wanted you to know that it did not go unnoticed in the audience.

Again, thanks for being KO's Desdemona. I hope to hear you again in the future!!

Roger

Pretty damn good for a sinus infection! Made the kissing scenes a little... "interesting." though. Great job all around. -

J

Feel free to leave your review in the comments section!

Photo by J. David Levy

Big Announcement!!!

Friday evening at Kentucky Opera's opening night of Otello, the announcement came.
The Opera announced their three season plan which includes an "Audience Choice " in the 2010 Season! Here is the line up:

2009 :
Verdi's La Traviata
Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men
Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel
Beethoven's "Fidelio" in concert with the Louisville Orchestra

2010:
Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci
Audience Choice -- Donizetti's The Elixir of Love;Britten's The Turn of the Screw; Offenbach's La Perichole. At $1 a vote one of these very different operas will bring in the Louisville-born soprano Emily Albrink.
Puccini's Madama Butterfly
Verdi's, Nabucco in concert with the Louisville Orchestra

2011:
Bizet's Carmen
Jake Heggie's The End of the Affair
Verdi's Rigoletto
Concert TBD

Read Andrew Adlers story here
Do tell us what you think through the comments but remember if you want to vote on the Audience Choice, you must submit $$$! Vote eary & often! You can call the opera if you would like to vote via credit card. 502-584-4500.

Otello rehearsal

The image above is from the first Otello piano dress rehearsal, the first run through with the full chorus full sets, costumes, wigs and makeup. The directors and designers can finally see how everything works together and make changes as needed. Apparently in this rehearsal, they had to change Cassio's wig and the lighting was on the red side at one point. I think they got it worked out by the Final Dress Rehearsal for Students last night (Wednesday). The Student Dress is a great opportunity for students to see the entire opera for a LOW price and it gives the cast an opportunity to work out the kinks of the performance with a live audience. Most of the students we get for these are in high school and college and are usually very responsive. Much of the audience last night was comprised of three choirs from Fort Knox high school. They all seemed extremely eager to be at the center and dressed up like it was prom night.

The video below is from Kentucky Opera's last Otello rehearsal in Todd Hall. Its the drinking song from act I and Christian Reinert, playing Cassio, does a great job acting drunk in this.

Let there be light!

Life for me is grand today as it may be for any of you who also have power restored at home. While I was out of town to attend my niece’s wedding my lights come on sometime yesterday afternoon and life seems complete again. Although, after a week of learning to not miss the background noise, I wonder if I can keep the TV off and a good book in front of me.

If you did not see the article in yesterday’s paper, Andrew Adler interviewed Donnie Ray Albert about his role of IAGO and the challenges of recreating one of Shakespeare’s most contemptible antagonists. The link to the archival copy of Andrew’s article is here.

Tuesday September 23 @ Noon, the first Lunchtime Arias @ Vincenzo’s sponsored by the Kentucky Opera Guild. Only $20 so call Tracy Terry, 584-4500 or email her at tracy_terry@kyopera.org for reservations.

Wednesday, September 24, @ 7:00pm, Student Dress Rehearsal for Otello

Friday, September 26, @ 6:00pm, President’s Council Dinner in the North Lobby of the Kentucky Center for Otello For reservations call Michael Miller, 584-4500 or email him at Michael_miller@kyopera.org

Friday, September 26, @ 8:00pm, in Whitney Hall, OteLLO For tickets call 584-7777, or visit our websight www.kyopera.org

Friday, September 26, @ 11:00pm, @ Proof, Cast Party for Otello

Sunday, September 28, @ 2:00pm, in Whitney Hall, Otello

See you all at the Opera!

David Roth

Talk like a Pirate and get cheep tickets!

Avast ye Maties!

Today and today only is national talk like a pirate day. So today and today only if you call 502-584-7777 and talk like a pirate, you can get 50% off tickets to Kentucky Opera's Pirates of Penzance. Good for October 26 and 28 performances only and you must talk like a pirate to get discount.

Last night at Kentucky Center's Todd Hall all the elements of Otello came together in the Sitzprobe. This is the first time that the chorus, the principal artists, and all the members of the Louisville Orchestra came together to run through the entire opera. This is always an exciting moment, and one of the KYO Marketing department has captured some of that on video which we will be getting online as soon as we can.

Tonight I will be capturing footage of the fight scene in the first act. Our supernumeraries have been getting a lot of extra training in stage combat from the fine folks at the Fraiser Arms Museum. One of the Kentucky Opera Studio Artists, Angel Connor, has been training every morining at the museum. I can't wait to see all his hard work come together in an exciting melee tonight.

Cast/Staff Lunchon

Kelly Kuo, will be the repetiter (also known as accompanist) with Kelly Kaduce who will debut with Kentucky Opera with a debut role, Desdemona

The Otello Cast Arrives!!

Kentucky Opera’s impressive cast for the first production of the season arrived in our fair city over the last couple of days. Today will be the first (and quite possibly the last) time the principal cast, production crew and KYO staff are in the same room at one time. The Cast/Staff lunch is an opportunity for every one to put names (and roles) with faces. While it would be a challenge to find someone in this group that wouldn’t be able to immediately identify Kelly Kaduce after her cover of the Opera News, I am sure there are those that have yet to meet Linda, the sweet woman in finance who cuts the checks, and everyone who is expecting to get paid needs to know her!

Linda has been working with Kentucky Opera's finances for 3 years and we love her.

From the Pirates Costume Designer part 3

The summer build for Pirates of Penzance is winding down. The day after Labor Day we will be greeting three of the Studio Artists with costume fittings on their first day in residence. I hope they are ready for us. The it's time to pack it up and get out of the way because Otello is coming!

It's been an incredibly productive summer session. Dresses, nightgowns, mob caps, Pirate gear, children's costumes and even 3 parasols have come out of the costume shop this summer. The Our pattern maker Margaret Fenske and our milliner Shari Cochran will proceed through September without us, and we will see hats and principal costumes in October. I can't wait!

Photo: Hats in progress by Shari Cichran.

Posted by Holly