Vocal focus from CCMN*
Southern CA Vocal Events
Lauri D. Goldenhersh’s Weekly Highlights
For hot fun in the summertime, there’s a surprising amount of opera going on, much to our delight:
Last week’s aforementioned Tsar’s Bride from INDEPENDENT OPERA COMPANY is reported to have been a lovely foray into the Russian classics. (Watch the Singerpreneur blog for a review, which is pending.)
This Friday night marks the debut of a brand-new opera company, ANGEL CITY OPERA, which kicks things off with Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Abduction from the Seraglio), in an audience-friendly concert presentation. The show runs Friday and Saturday in North Hollywood. Information is on the calendar and you can read more about the company’s genesis in our blog interview with general director TANIA SOLOMON — click here
The other group inspired by the celestial and grounded in LA is ANGELS VOCAL ART, a group helmed by conductor KRYSTOF VAN GRYSPERRE. AVA is currently running their summer intensive for developing opera singers, which culminates in Saturday night’s scaled-down version of La Traviata at Cal State LA. There’s just one performance, featuring KERRIE CALDWELL as Violetta, TODD STRANGE as Alfredo and MATTHEW KELLAWAY as Germont. Read more about AVA
Up in Santa Barbara, the annual cavalcade that is MUSIC ACADEMY OF THE WEST celebrates opera times two this week, as esteemed early music maven NICHOLAS MCGEGAN conducts selections from Handel’s Rinaldo on Saturday and participants serve up two performances of Rossini’s Cinderella on 7/30 and 8/1. Tickets for these events are notoriously hard to come by: it’s a good excuse to start making friends in SB. To learn more about the program and see the complete calendar, click here
One more operatic summer program strips the genre bare in order to rebuild, as OPERAWORKS wraps up their intensive this weekend with two performances of Opera Reconstructed, featuring 32 singers from across the country. This program transforms from the inside out, teaching singers an improvisational approach to performance that results in visceral drama and comedy that will grab you and challenge the way you see stagecraft, acting and the stories they tell. Details and tickets
Sunday 7/26 brings the second of Lauri’s List’s concerts for the summer, as unSUNg returns to Glendale with even more Songs Uncommon and New. This program is a mixed bag of several fascinating works, featuring the world premiere of some new sacred choral works, songs by several local composers and a Shakespearean mashup taking a deeper look the story behind Hamlet and Ophelia. Join us in Glendale for a new look at classical vocal. Click here
On August 3 and 4, Laemmle Theatres are screening the very controversial William Tell from the Royal Opera House that has rocksd the web with discussions of what should and shouldn’t happen onstage. We’ve confirmed that this broadcast does include the disturbing rape scene that Rossini never wrote — you’ve been warned. (Various locations — screening details are on the calendar.)
We’re heading into the August doldrums, but will have more for you in two weeks. Stay cool, and thank you for supporting live singing!
Check out the Lister Calendar: http://www.laurislist.com/calendar
Send us your event info: events.la@laurislist.com
Subscribe to e-news from the List: http://www.laurislist.com/enews
For the latest issue of Next 7, click: http://www.laurislist.com/Next7
Singerpreneur blog: https://www.singerpreneur.com
*This post echoed from the weekly vocal events column in the Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter. The original is a text-based email newsletter, so images, links and details may differ in this enhanced version.
