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Portland Opera To Go

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Each year Portland Opera To Go takes an opera on the road, sharing the power of opera, music, and theater with schools and communities throughout Oregon and SW Washington. It’s not necessarily the easiest thing in the world, as you might imagine. But it’s one of the most rewarding . . . for us and for the thousands upon thousands of students who get to experience live opera, many for the first time.


And this blog will give you a first-hand view from the performers themselves of what it’s like when Opera hits the road!

 

Here’s a link to more information on the tour and the program.

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Portland Opera To Go's Blog

And it begins….

Submitted by Portland Opera To Go on Mon, 01/31/2011 - 13:51

Week one of touring is off to a …start…
We have already completed 7 shows (8 by tomorrow), had 4 successful class room chats from us first-timers, 3 fake air plane crashes, 3 wrong turns, 2 artfully executed 187 point turns in a Penske, and an airplane in a pear tree? Not to mention a record setting less-than-25 minute set up!
We have been delighted by the ooh’s and aah’s of children from Scio to The Dalles with Belcore’s plane crash into a tree accompanied by the squeals of delight over Dr. Dulcamara’s bubble blowing cart.

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A Traveling Set

Submitted by Portland Opera To Go on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 11:04

Stacey Murdock and Ainsley Soutiere in front of Portland Opera To Go's set for The Elixir of LoveRehearsals have begun for The Elixir of Love with Portland Opera To Go, and we are so excited for our first performances next week! There’s lot of things to look forward to with this show for me, like a great opera, a creative adaptation, generous and talented colleagues, and the mother of all tours throughout Oregon. But I want to tell you about our SET. When we walked into the door to see it the first time, we all just gasped! It is so beautifully designed and executed.

 

Thomas Hart Benton painting from 1934

The set for this production was conceived by our director and librettist, Kristine McIntyre. She took her inspiration from a painting from 1934 by American artist Thomas Hart Benton. This is the painting:


Kristine told me that only when she saw this painting did she realize that it would be possible to set this opera in the USA in the 1930s.

After Kristine’s inspiration, the set was designed and created by Polly Robbins, with support from members of the Portland Opera technical staff. It is so beautiful and whimsical. 

 

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The beginning

Submitted by Portland Opera To Go on Mon, 01/17/2011 - 12:09

The morning of Jan. 11th, 2011 began cold, gray and damp, with the threat of snow. Inside the Camerata Room at The Hampton Opera Center it was warm and inviting. The artists and tour managers were introduced to each other over coffee and bagels. Before the meeting had officially started we were honored with a visit from General Director Christopher Mattaliano. He told us of his love for education and outreach, and how important Portland Opera to Go is to him and the company. He truly inspired us to dive in head first.

After that treat, we were able to meet our director, and creator of this version of Elixir, Kristine McIntyre. We dove in and started singing. The music is timeless, and coupled with the witty translation by our director, incredibly funny! Singing through the score was a treat! Our accompanist David Saffert is amazing!, and singing with Erik, Dan, and Ainsley is awesome! What a group of talent.

After lunch (pulled pork sandwich at Tennessee Red's, Located at 2133 SE 11th Ave) we were able to spend some time exploring our amazing set. I think Dr. Dulcamara’s cart is my favorite prop piece! This set is a visual treat, and great fun to play on! We started staging that very day. We are all looking forward to performing for thousands of kids all over Oregon and Washington. Also, thanks to McMenamins for being the sponsor of our tour!
 

Stacey Murdock

Till next time,

Stacey

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