Stabat Mater Fabulosa

The Morningside Opera company offered up a quite singular interpretation of Pergolesi‘s Stabat Mater in their Fabulosa rendition on January 26th at Dixon Place, which proved, at once, a scholarly as well as a quite literal undressing of the original. Composed in 1736 – the year of Pergolesi’s death at the august age of 26 – the piece has been an iconic work in the canon of western sacred music ever since and has enjoyed an unbroken record of performance for nearly three hundred years. This surely says something about a work, to have endured so vigorously the vagaries of artistic, musical, and religious change, never mind or dare one say, taste. Which in many ways explains its attraction for Morningside Opera, who see their role as boundary-pushers wishing to invigorate dialogue between traditional and new modes of the form. Their stripped down presentation was both scholastically dense as well as visually provocative.

Stabat Mater Fabulosa at Dixon Place

As the slowly drawn out, deliciously mournful harmonies swelled to fill the auditorium, we were presented with two female singers attired in silky camisoles and nickers more evocative of the flapper era than anything from the 18th century. This anachronistic note is key, as the physical performance in large measure is characterized by a panotomimed broadness of expression redolent of the 1920s cabaret era, a time that was interested in the exposure, as much as in the celebration of artifice. From there, as the sequence of songs unfolded, we were subjected to a sort of reverse strip tease as the women, an alto and a soprano, episodically dressed themselves in layer after layer of high baroque costume, enacting scenes in varying degrees ridiculous, mocking, sentimental, and titillating. These little mimes were intentionally played to undermine the exquisite feeling in the vocalizations and critique the psychological realism on display.  While this is going on photographic projections were thrown up on a wall behind, exhibiting scenes of feminine intimacy and maternal ideality, a foil to the silly capering and posturing in the foreground. As the singers graduated into foundation garments, dresses, and eventually wigs, the greater question of the construct of feminine identity surfaced and, with a grand historical sweep, addressed details of formal 18th century attire and contemporary notions of the ”undressed” feminine, maternal self. It could not be ignored that the photographs appeared in the form of “projections”, and with some subtle lighting play, remained gauzily vague, fading in and out of prominence.

The voices meantime, ever beautifully harmonized, persisted throughout, hardly impacted by the movements and gestures of the singers as, gamefully, and with dumb show agony, they were trussed into punitive corsets, chased each other about the grand piano, swooned in affected attitudes of grieving faints, and skipped in merry passes, revealing the schism between form and feeling. Implicit is the Roman church’s sado-masochistic excitement at the representation of Mary, mother of Jesus, in her moment of anguished grief, as the vessel of mortification and sorrow that believers should aspire to in contemplation of Christ’s ultimate and bloody sacrifice. That this idea should be elaborated in such a musically sensuous, celebratory style singularly at odds with its subject, is one of civilization’s exquisite, yet abundant paradoxes, and the primary focus of the Fabulosa production. The sense of contradiction is echoed in finer details throughout the performance and is given special focus in the costuming, which plays a central role. One singer is laced tightly into a corset severely compressing the waist, and the other is obliged to saddle herself with a steel-framed pannier belt, which works to dramatically expand the hipline. They both put on identical, pastel colored dresses and harmonize perfectly. Their lofty, powdered wigs are adorned with miniature bird cages, inside of which are tiny birds; the spirit of freedom and movement is entrapped and stilled for human contemplation. The puritanical mindset might demur, but the baroque era is nothing if not  anathema to such a sensibility.

Stabat Mater Fabulosa itself is a rich confection for contemplation. I couldn’t begin to pretend I had understood or unpacked all the pointed charades and features on show. Of course there will be purists (as opposed to puritans) who will not countenance this kind of aggressive deconstruction of a classic that, in some measure, still owns a religious dimension. But that would be their loss. This is a show that could prove as poised on a Las Vegas stage as it might at La Scala. One scene, where the scantily clad singers, supine together atop the grand piano, draw on stockinged hose while intoning Latin lines of dolorous gravity – “O how sad and afflicted was that blessed mother of the only- begotten” – could write its own ticket to play anywhere. Well, almost anywhere. And that alone, perhaps, might suffice as a badge of success.

Brett Umlauf and Amber Youell were respectively the soprano and alto performers and displayed a real harmonizing intimacy in their singing, despite all the distractions they had to attend to. Kelly Savage was the stalwart keyboard accompanist, and Laura Careless devised choreography and movement. The projections were supplied by Jessica Ng, and the utterly thoughtful and no less fabulous costumes were the work of Annie Holt. One would hope and think that this production was on the radar of the opera community, and that it should stimulate the sort of discussion and investigation that Morningside Opera aspire to provoke. For all its playful heart, Stabat Mater Fabulosa ultimately proves perfectly serious.

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For more information about Morningside Opera please visit their site and join them on Facebook.

Related Posts:

• Not Your Father’s Circus: Le Cirque Feerique (The Fairy Circus)
• Judgement Of Paris: Morningside Opera Is At It Again And I Can’t Wait
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Brett Umlauf
• Let’s Keep Dancing … At The Company XIV Workshop
• Company XIV – The Workshop You’ve All Been Waiting For …

I like nothing better than being naughty at the Opera.  Neophytes might consider this akin to making out in the last pew of church but, actually, it’s not.  I mean, really.  Generally, no matter which opera you’re attending there’s all this drama unfolding in front of you … all this intense emotion, this deep passion, this hear break, this “I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN” melodrama.  How could it not inspire you to get a little frisky during intermission?

Well, okay, usually it’s kinda impossible to get frisky, but a gal can dream.  But wait – hold the phone.  What’s this? Morningside Opera is actually encouraging frisky behavior with their latest opera, The Judgment of Paris. Just look at that poster!  It’s hotter than a Russ Meyer film.   I, of course, will be there.   Let’s not forget these are the folks who supplied the fabulous burlesque performer Medianoche to do a strip tease during their Diva Search Karaoke – so you know they’re serious when it comes to sizzle. I chatted with Amber Youell who is a performing in  Judgment of Paris, while also serving on Moringside Opera’s board of directors.  Listen as she tells me how they intend to push the boundaries and seduce their audience loud and clear.

Morningside Opera definitely stretches the boundaries of what people typically think of as Opera – in a good way! Tell me a little bit about this latest production and what audiences can expect.

Amber Youell

We’ve done a couple things to play with the genre in this production. The origin of this opera is a musical contest: four composers (John Eccles, John Weldon, Daniel Purcell, and Godfrey Finger) were to set a libretto by William Congreve. Weldon’s won the original contest, though Eccles won in a restaging in the 1990s. In our version, we’ve mixed and matched our favorite numbers from the various settings. However, our staging is where we really push the boundaries. First, we’re performing in a very intimate pub location (Jimmy’s No. 43)–we encourage the audience to eat and drink heartily through the performance! Second, we’ve refigured this beauty pageant between the three goddess as a strip-show, with a couple of other surprises thrown in.

You play Juno. Tell me about a favorite moment in the production for you involving your character.
I love playing Juno because, like her, I’m a mom and I have a pretty bad temper. Although I’ve played Juno before, in this production I get to reveal her really bad-ass side. My favorite part is when I get to unleash this on Paris (who is played by my real-life partner) during a very surprising, edgy, minor-key aria.

Opera plots, traditionally, have always been rife with sex — but to the outsider opera is considered stuffy and uptight. It looks like Morningside is working to get the casual audience member to understand something that’s always existed in the medium. Is that true?
Opera is always a sensual art-form, but The Judgment of Paris almost begs for raunchy retelling. At a pivotal point Paris sings “When each is undress’d, I’ll judge of the best, for ’tis not a face that will carry the prize.” Of course the original singers wouldn’t have literally unrobed, but their subsequent arias are an aural translation of the visual seduction of striptease–whether through florid melismas, delicately seductive melodies, or bombastic fanfares. Centuries of theorists have discussed opera’s “seduction of the ear.” You’re absolutely right in that we’re trying to get this message across loud and clear. I think this production would be a great intro to the world of opera because of its short length (45 minutes), casual setting, and hilarious staging.

Give me one word that does NOT describe The Judgement of Paris.
CAN’T THINK OF ONE, YOU PICK! appropriate uptight reverent.

You know, I like all three of those words – so I don’t want to pick either!  Thanks, Amber, for giving us a little taste of what’s to come on August 3oth.

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Ages 18 and up.

Tickets $12 in advance/$15 at the door

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Related Posts:

• Stabat Mater Fabulosa, Morningside Opera Productions
• Mahmoud – Selected As A Fringe Encore (Fringe Festival 2012)
• Women’s History Month GRAND FINALE: Celebrating Women In The Arts – It Ain’t Over Till The Phat Ladies Sing
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Brett Umlauf
• Morningside Opera Will Present World Premiere Of Atra, Ossia, L’Amore Ricordato

On the last day of March Women’s History Month came to a close but today we have one final curtain call – with two amazing women from the world of opera: Brooke Bryant and Minou Arjomand.

Yes, March is officially over.   But, like I said in the title, it’s over when *I* say it’s over … and I say it’s over when the Phat Ladies sing.  (Yeah, yeah.  I know.  No one really uses “Phat” any more.  But in this case it was really funny).

I’m fortunate that, in my business (the business of show) I don’t just interact, experience and enjoy a variety of talented people from a range of genres, but my virtual cup runneth over within each of those categories.  Take opera for instance.  I’ve mentioned often enough that I’ve been a dedicated devotee since my early childhood but I’m thrilled that now, in my role as editor and founder of The Happiest Medium I have been able to truly know so many talent people.

Earlier in this series I showcased Brett Umlauf who is one third of the amazing trio Charites.  Today, soprano Brooke Bryant tells us more about this all female group; specifically what their challenges are and who inspires them.

Earlier Brett also mentioned a recent production of Morningside Opera’s Handel pastiche ATRA: Ossia, L’amore Ricordato which was cast “as a lesbian love triangle, the powerful castrato role being sung by a woman and *played* as a woman, i.e., not dressed in pants and a painted on moustache. The director, Minou Arjomand, will be telling you more about that process hopefully very soon.” Well, we’re grateful that “very soon” is now … Minou will be speaking with us from a director’s perspective about how she is reinventing the stereotypical “bland” women’s roles.

And now, for our grand finale – take it away, ladies!

Charites (photo by Michael Blase)

Brooke Bryant (soprano) performs with Charites, a female trio specializing in early music.  Brooke recently received a PhD in Historical Musicology from the CUNY Graduate Center and works in fund raising for iMentor, a nonprofit in NYC.  Also a singer-songwriter, Brooke has performed with several bands at NYC hotspots like Sin-é, The Delancey, The Knitting Factory and Fontanas.

Talk to me about being a woman who does what you do- just overall.

I have always enjoyed surrounding myself by strong women.  I count myself lucky to have several female mentors who serve as professional, artistic and personal role models.  A proud graduate of a women’s college (Wellesley), I love engaging in creative projects with intelligent, powerful women. While gender isn’t a factor in how and why I build strong personal or professional relationships, I tend to gravitate towards making music with women.  I can’t say why.  Maybe it is because collaborating with people who are built to produce sound in the same way that I make sound opens up exciting new possibilities for using my voice as an expressive tool.  Charites has provided an amazing opportunity for me to learn from two incredibly talented and inspiring women.  Working intensely with Brett and Amber for over four years has challenged me to become a more daring musician and a more creative thinker.

What artists inspire you?  Are you particularly inspired by female artists?

I’m inspired by women who carve out their own space for music-making, past and present.  Hildegard von Bingen and Barbara Strozzi—female composers who specialized in writing for the female voice—are particular favorites.   I also love listening to female bands from the 1990s, like Hole and Bikini Kill.  I’m drawn to strong female characters in literature—whether conceived by male or female authors.  Right now, I’m reading Bill Willingham’s Fables series (Snow White and Cinderella are amazing) and Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter.

How do these artists inspire Charites programming?

Charites concerts don’t just involve music; they also incorporate spoken poetry, gesture and choreography.  We try to make our concerts theatrical experiences that bring music to life through a variety of media.  To this end, we do not just take musical quality into account when selecting music.  Instead, when designing concert programs, we think about how all of the pieces we are considering would fit together into a comprehensive whole.  Character development, plot and emotional/thematic arc are just as important as musical beauty.  We like to choose pieces that depict complex characters and offer layers of meaning. Charites frequently performs concerts that address gender roles and identities, either directly or indirectly.  For example, one of our concert programs comprises music and poetry on the ephemeral nature of beauty written by women.  We find this particularly interesting, because physical beauty has traditionally been the standard by which female worth has been judged. By staging this music with gesture, we call attention to the evanescence of our own bodies and voices.

Are there barriers you fought against in the past that are now becoming easier?

The biggest barrier that Charites faces is time.  Our lives have changed a lot since we formed a group.  When Charites first started, two of us were in graduate school and had very flexible schedules.  After I finished my PhD, I began pursuing a full-time nonprofit career, which has limited the time I have available for music making.   Amber is finishing her dissertation and raising a beautiful daughter.  Brett is balancing more musical, film and artistic projects than I can count!  We have to work hard to carve out time to rehearse.  While it can be tough, having limited time actually encourages us to be incredibly conscious of how we are using our time together.  Ultimately, we have had to become more deliberate and focused, which has helped us grow.

Final thoughts?

Charites will be performing a free concert on April 13^th as part of Artek’s Midtown Concerts series.  The concert will take place at 1:15pm at Immanuel Lutheran Church (E. 88^th Street and Lexington). We will be performing music by 17^th-century female composers, including Barbara Strozzi. We’re also putting the finishing touches on our first-ever recording, so stay tuned! About Charites: Charites (Brooke Bryant, Brett Umlauf and Amber Youell) is a female trio committed to bringing the art of early composers to life through bold, expressive performances.  Charites draws on both historical and modern practices to create theatrical spectacles, combining virtuosic singing, movement and poetry to involve, delight and move listeners. Charites’ imaginative approach appeals to seasoned audiences, as well as those who are experiencing early music for the first time. The women of Charites have recorded and performed with esteemed musical ensembles in New York and around the world. They also enjoy collaborating with groundbreaking dance-theater group, Company XIV.

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And now, our second encore, Minou Arjomand.   Minou Arjomand was raised in New York and earned her Master’s degree in Theatre from Columbia University, where she is currently working on a doctoral dissertation about theatrical trials in the 20th century and teaching undergraduate courses. She has worked as a dramaturge and director in New York and Berlin, and was a founding member of Morningside Opera. Recent production credits include direction of “The Map of Lost Things” by Darragh Martin at PS 122, direction and set design of a baroque pasticcio opera “Atra” at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, and dramaturgy for the Frankfurt Opera’s “Innenleben: Musiktheateraustellung” at the Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.

Talk to me about being a woman who does what you do- just overall.
I spend my time shuttling back and forth between two slightly different worlds: academia and opera. Within academia, I have always felt respect from my collegues as well as my students, and have also always had inspiring female mentors. Opera– at least the production side, and at the big houses– feels far more male-dominated than academia. In the US, I never felt any sort of outward sexism (working in Germany was a different matter, more below). But I am also slowly getting sick of the bland and stereotypical representations of women on stage. Often the productions that are hailed as edgy and avant-garde capitalize on the most clichéed images of women that can’t seem to get beyond burkas and head scarves on the one hand and graphic sexual violence on the other. It’s not simply offensive, it’s artistically shallow. Perhaps hiring more women to direct at major houses would help!

The time when it did make a difference to be a  woman came directly after my graduation from college, when I ran off to Berlin to join the opera. A sizable number of Germans who are eager to identify themselves as leftist have this preoccupation about “political correctness” as far as an American is concern. The logic seems to be: the Americans are obsessed about being politically correct while they are actually socially reactionary hypocrites. Therefore, not being politically correct is a sign of sincerity and depth. The practical result of this stance was total impunity for any racist or sexist jokes during rehearsals in at least one of Berlin’s three major houses. More than that, when I complained that the 70-year old chorus director was continually groping not just me, but the other female intern, I was laughed at: “You’re so American. Don’t worry about that, he does it to everyone, he always has.” It made me realize that as important as it is to be critical of our own domestic policies, there is a lot about working in New York for which I feel grateful.

Being part of the artist collective Morningside Opera, I have had the chance to collaborate closely with stunning singers like Brett Umlauf, Brittany Palmer, Amber Youell, choreographer Patricia Weiss, and fellow director (and Columbia collegue) Anne Holt. (We have a few good men in there as well).  For more information about our group, come to:  morningsideopera.com

Related Posts:

• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Brett Umlauf
• Stabat Mater Fabulosa, Morningside Opera Productions
• Judgement Of Paris: Morningside Opera Is At It Again And I Can’t Wait
• Morningside Opera Will Present World Premiere Of Atra, Ossia, L’Amore Ricordato
• Drink And Be Merry – Diva Search Hit The High Notes

These women of the arts hail from different disciplines, but they all have an indomitable spirit and a luminescent spark that makes them amazing human beings who are out there every day, doing amazing work.

Today we continue our series with Brett Umlauf.

The first time I saw Brett she was decked out in a huge red velvet ball gown, had a powdery white wig upon which a black top hat was perched and she was singing along with two other identically dressed women.  Together they were Charites, and they were singing everything from opera to standards to Lady Gaga for Austin McCormick’s take on fairy tales – Le Cirque Féerique.  I found them utterly captivating, versatile and charming so when it came time to have my one year anniversary party I definitely knew I wanted them to perform, and I was thrilled when they accepted.  Soon enough Brett and I kept in touch through various other things she was involved with, most notably the Diva Search produced by Morningside Opera.

As a lifelong devoted fan of Opera with season tickets to the Met, I’m thrilled that I now have a strong connection to the next generation of Opera via the lovely and talented Brett Umlauf.  The more I get to know her, the more I’m continually drawn to her thoughtfulness, her dedication to her craft, and her supreme talent  - the voice that floats so effortlessly from her tiny frame and fills a room with the most glorious, lilting, soaring notes that leave you astonished.  Ahh, if only Brett could sing her answers for us …

Brett Umlauf

Talk to me about being a woman who does what you do- just overall.

What I enjoy most about what I do is learning from my colleagues, male and female. The euphoria that comes from a good musical chemistry, a gratifying artistic collaboration is what I crave in any project. In her poem “The Witch’s Life,” Anne Sexton wrote: “When I was a child / there was an old woman in our neighborhood whom we called The Witch…I think of her sometimes now / and wonder if I am becoming her…Only my books anoint me, / and a few friends, / those who reach into my veins…”
Substitute the word ‘projects’ for ‘books,’ and I feel as though I’m living her poem. As I witness the crone slowly eclipse the maiden in my form, my face, my voice, my figure, my affinities, I notice I wrap a trusted creative circle tighter and tighter around me, those who ‘reach into my veins.’ I have learned to let my gut tell me from whom I can learn the most, and I’m going with that feeling more and more.

Are there days it makes a difference – good or bad?

I’ve never felt that being a woman was the reason I had a good or a bad day doing what I do. Obstacles that everyone faces: time-constraints, self-doubt, budget concerns, limitations of skill-set; these are the things that can make a rehearsal or process or performance feel gnarly, but I’ve never traced these challenges back to being a woman.

Are there barriers you fought against in the past?

No. And here’s where I feel almost guilty. When I have second wave feminist friends attending a performance where I’m blithely glamming it up, Girlie Culture Style, I experience something akin to shame. (But not enough to take off the lipstick and heels!). However, I am keenly aware that it’s on account of *their* efforts that I can honestly say: what barriers?
I try to honor prior generations of women in everything I do, as I am full of gratitude for where and when I live and with whom and to what degree of freedom I am permitted to work and create. We cast Morningside Opera’s recent Handel pastiche ATRA: Ossia, L’amore Ricordato as a lesbian love triangle, the powerful castrato role being sung by a woman and *played* as a woman, i.e., not dressed in pants and a painted on moustache. The director, Minou Arjomand, will be telling you more about that process hopefully very soon.

The men that you come across do they treat you as an equal?

As they should, the men *and* the women I work with treat me in accordance with my skills, professionalism, contribution, talents, etc. But a fair number of projects with which I am involved are women-only. A woman composer friend recently commented to me how much she’s been enjoying the “courtesy, patience and encouragement” she’s found working in our female dynamic, when she’s used to an environment dominated by male energy. I appreciated her pointing that out, as it’s something I probably take for granted, working exclusively with women so often.

Are there some resources you’d like to share that you find particularly helpful as a woman?
I find a lot of wisdom and comfort in the voices of women poets, past and present. Edna St. Vincent Millay, Jane Kenyon, Anne Michaels, Anne Carson, Priscilla Becker… There’s endless free camaraderie out there thanks to these women’s gifts paired with the gift of public libraries.

What’s up next for you, Brett?

SIREN Baroque

A. Come enjoy Charites as we perform works by women poets and composers of the baroque on Wednesday, 13 April 2011 at 1:15p (ARTEK Midtown Concert Series) at Immanuel Lutheran Church; 88th St at Lexington Ave; New York NY
B. Stay tuned for more from SIREN Baroque, a brand new all female ensemble that debuted this month. Photo from our concert at Caffe Vivaldi on the left.
C. Stay tuned for Morningside Opera’s next season and hopefully a feature where director Minou Arjomand and female cast members will reflect on Karen’s questions…

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More about Brett Umlauf
Soprano Brett Umlauf is not only a huge fan of thehappiestmedium.com, but also a founding member of the female early music trio Charites, singer in the all female ensemble SIREN Baroque, co-creator of an educational entertainment about the Swedish rococo poet-composer CM Bellman and both board member and principal artist at Morningside Opera. She’s currently collaborating with composer Kate Soper, mezzo Amber Youell and dancer Laura Careless to re-imagine Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater alongside Soper’s new opera for three female voices. Visit brettumlauf.com for more info and concert dates!

Related Posts:

• Morningside Opera Will Present World Premiere Of Atra, Ossia, L’Amore Ricordato
• Not Your Father’s Circus: Le Cirque Feerique (The Fairy Circus)
• Stabat Mater Fabulosa, Morningside Opera Productions
• Women’s History Month GRAND FINALE: Celebrating Women In The Arts – It Ain’t Over Till The Phat Ladies Sing
• Drink And Be Merry – Diva Search Hit The High Notes

You may remember Morningside Opera from the Opera Karaoke which I covered in December. They are a NYC-based opera collective, and they will present the world premiere of a new Handel opera entitled Atra, ossia, l’amore ricordato (Atra, or the remembered love) this Friday, February 4 and Saturday, February 5 at 8PM in the Ailey Citigroup Theater, New York City.

Friends of The Happiest Medium are welcome to use the discount code AMICI2011 when purchasing tickets via this link (click here) so be sure to take advantage of this offer!

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Related Posts:

• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Brett Umlauf
• Stabat Mater Fabulosa, Morningside Opera Productions
• Judgement Of Paris: Morningside Opera Is At It Again And I Can’t Wait
• Women’s History Month GRAND FINALE: Celebrating Women In The Arts – It Ain’t Over Till The Phat Ladies Sing
• Drink And Be Merry – Diva Search Hit The High Notes

*All photos in this article courtesy of Stevyn Llewellyn.

What do you get when you mix up a bunch of people who can sing karaoke better than the average bar crowd, background tracks that runs the gamut from Bizet’s Carmen to Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, with a smattering of Rogers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin and Handel thrown in, and a gorgeous gal who strips down to her pasties?  Not to mention – well, actually – do you need more than that?

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This was the atmosphere last week at Royal Oak when I went to see what Morningside Opera‘s First Annual Opera Karaoke Party and Diva Search would unearth.  And let me just state for the record – it’s nights like last Thursday that make me 100% positive that I will NEVER leave New York City because if you think there are other places in this world where polished opera singers are sitting around, tossing back cocktails in between rousing choruses of Edelweiss before then cheering on a burlesque dancer – think again.  Of course, if this is not your scene, then you’re welcome to stay in Random Boring Town, Iowa and spend your evenings baking cookies with the kids before getting in your jammies at 7:00pm and settling in to watch PG rated “comedies” starring Ben Someone.  Just means more stripteases for me.

But I’ll be honest, while charming Medianoche was everything a burlesque dancer should be – alluring, inviting, smoldering and tempting, it was the actual opera karaoke that thrilled me the most. For the first time ever this beautiful music that I’ve loved since I was a child was taken down from the austere setting of the Metropolitan Opera House and placed snugly in a corner bar in Brooklyn where it became approachable, intimate, and much more enjoyable than promised.  To see people in their street clothes take one last swig of beer, rise from a corner booth and then allow their voice to effortlessly trill, leap and divinely swell through passages of amazing beauty was not only fabulous but kinda fish-outta-water fun.

While I definitely had my favorites among the performers everyone really held their own, and when an impromptu group singalong was suggested I felt like I was back in the Duplex.  With opera singers!  I hadn’t been this well backed up (read – drowned out) since attending The annual Messiah Sing-In (in which the audience is the chorus for Handel’s Messiah) at Avery Fisher Hall.

There may (and should) be more of these – so check back to hear when you can catch the next one.  Because if I have anything to say about it- in a few months, all of New York will be doing this wherever there’s a microphone, a karaoke track, and the scrolling words to Nessun Dorma.   And just in case you’d like to get a jump start . . .

Related Posts:

• Have You Dreamed Of Being A DIVA? Here’s Your Shot!
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Brett Umlauf
• Stabat Mater Fabulosa, Morningside Opera Productions
• Wasabassco Extravaganza: Better Than Promised … Night One
• Wasabassco Burlesque – Celebrating Seven Years And Still Going Strong

Come to DIVA SEARCH!

What is DIVA SEARCH?  It’s open mike opera karaoke!   And I say it’s about time!

On Thursday December 2, break out your inner diva and join Morningside Opera for an evening of music and revelry. Besides an opera karoake contest starring YOU, the party will also feature burlesque performances by Medianoche, and danceable electronic beats courtesy of DJ King Ludd.

Just come to Royal Oak, at 594 Union Ave at Richardson, Williamsburg (L to Bedford or Lorimer; G to Lorimer) on Thursday December 2, from  8pm-midnight.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and include a free specialty cocktail! Click Here to purchase.

Proceeds benefit Morningside Opera’s 2010-11 season project, ATRA, a new multimedia Handel opera.

Related Posts:

• Drink And Be Merry – Diva Search Hit The High Notes
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Brett Umlauf
• The Foreplay Play – What Comes Before
• Stabat Mater Fabulosa, Morningside Opera Productions
• Wasabassco Extravaganza: Better Than Promised … Night One