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.
Photo: Hats in progress by Shari Cichran.
Posted by Holly
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Hello Opera enthusiasts,
What a grand night it was...VERDI's Otello thundered under the roof of the Kentucky Center for the Arts. The audience who joined me on the magical night of September 26th enjoyed a performance full of passion and grand performances by both the artists as well as the orchestra. The stage set was amazing, the performances grand and the orchestra moving. Congratulations to director Garnett Bruce for his beautiful precision and vision. I left the KY Center feeling exhausted by the moving spectacle I have experienced. Unfortunately, my night was a bit blackened by two events... Cardinal Football on the opening night and the report by Mr. Andrew Adler in the newspaper the following Sunday. Let me expand my thoughts for just a second. I do not condemn sports...I have been a competitive athlete myself and sports definitely are a big part of the human experience. However, this state had reached a level of ridiculous obsession when it comes to a bunch of 19 year olds chasing a ball (or even high school sports for that matter). It is not a matter of life and death, it is just sports. Our priorities are really mixed up. Next time we see yet another professional athlete commit a number of crimes and violations we should not wonder...it is because since he has been in highschool all rules and regulations have been bent for him to become yet another person with no education, ambition, or refinement but...just a ball chaser. Do we need yet another huge arena for our "collegiate" sports? Probably not. Should more people support the arts like the opera instead of attending yet another football game? Probably yes. Am I saying that everybody should like the opera? Of course not!! But for this spectacle to be presented in the KY center for the arts and not to be sold out, definitely says something about our priorities and ambitions as a state. Just think about it next time you see yet another athlete who cannot finish one proper English sentence (providing even more fuel for national ridicule by other English speaking nations).
On the other issue, I am not a critic. I respect Mr. Adler's opinion and I am glad he can express it...but the bottom line is it remains just one man's "opinion" which I completely disagree with. One does not need critics to decide on a performance...one needs to listen with his/her heart and he/she will decide on their likes and dislikes. Mr. Adler's lukewarm report left a bad taste in my mouth especially for the great effort that a company such as the KY OPERA has provided. I find myself displeased with Mr. Adler's reports frequently which proves either that I am not an educated opera/symphonic enthusiast or that I have a different heart than what he does. Either way, I would ask Mr. Adler to continue his reporting...maybe while listening with his heart more often and not just using his cold, calculated rules and senses.
Have a nice operatic fall, dear ones
The Wagnerian
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