Trouble in Tahiti + 2 shorts

TROUBLEfuturesongs

 A triptych of passion, denial and domestication

Leonard Bernstein: Trouble in Tahiti

Justine F. Chen: Voice for a Future Nightingale

Thomas Deneuville: Outerborough Songs

Saturday, May 17 @ 8 pm

Sunday, May 18 @ 2 pm

Monday, May 19 @ 7:30 pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space

95th St. & Broadway, NYC

Tickets: $40 advance/$45 same day

www.symphonyspace.org

212-864-5400 Tue-Sun 1 pm - 6 pm

"Can we find the way back to the garden?"
Stephanie McGuire and Isaac Grier in Trouble in Tahiti
Photo by Jonathan Slaff

Trouble in Tahiti
Dinah and Sam:
Stephanie McGuire and Isaac Grier 5/17 and 5/19
Kelli Butler and Mario Diaz-Moresco 5/18
Trio: Michelle Seipel, Miran Robarts and Luis Gonzalez; Radoslav Lesay 5/19


Read an interview with Stephanie McGuire here.

"We lost each other in forgiveness"
Gian-Carla Tisera in Outerborough Songs
Photo by Jonathan Slaff

Voice for a Future Nightingale
Philomel: Stephanie McGuire
Procne: Michelle Seipel 5/17 and 5/18; Miran Robarts 5/19


Outerborough Songs
Gian-Carla Tisera 5/17 and 5/19; Michelle Seipel 5/18

Conducted by Mark Shapiro.
Directed by Gina Crusco.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. This program is also made possible in part with public funds from the Fund for Creative Communities, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.  Additional funding has been provided by Deutsche Bank, Venable Foundation and Puffin Foundation. Trouble in Tahiti is performed by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Sole Agent for Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company LLC, publisher and copyright owner. Special thanks to Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo at NYU.

Image: Mozart's Sister (c) 2014 Amaryllis Leon
Graphic Design: Manuel Servin Advertising
Photos by Jonathan Slaff
Photos taken at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo at NYU

www.symphonyspace.org

Spring 2014 Resident Artist auditions

Perform with a New York Times-praised opera company!

"Want lots of opportunities to perform? Masterclasses with industry professionals who work at A houses around the world? Reviews from major critics? Game-changing feedback on your audition repertoire? Do Underworld Productions Opera's Resident Artist Program."  -- Stephanie McGuire, mezzo-soprano, RA program alum

Roles for all voice types at Thalia Theater, Symphony Space.

Auditions Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by appointment in Manhattan.

Required repertoire:

-- A contemporary aria or song in English

-- A contrasting aria or song

Audition fee: $25 (non-refundable); accompanist provided.

Tuition: $850. Some scholarships are available as rebates upon successful completion of the program.

Metropolitan Opera tenor Marcello Giordani coaches UPO RAs and Guests.

For consideration:  Send your resume and headshot to Gina Crusco, Artistic Director, at underworldprod@gmail.com. If selected you will be provided with an audition timeslot and location. 

Spring 2014

Hours: More than 30 hours of coaching and rehearsals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. 

Roles: For all voice parts. Two short contemporary opera and Trouble in Tahiti roles and covers will be cast from Resident Artists. See breakdown below.

Performances: May 4 and May 9 outreach performances; May 17, 18, 19 mainstage performances at Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space. Details are subject to change.

Guest workshops:  Composers Justine Chen and Thomas Deneuville will coach their works.  Additional workshops TBA; in recent seasons RAs enjoyed workshops with Dr. Robert C. White, Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program; Cori Ellison, Glyndebourne Opera dramaturg; Amy Frawley, Executive Vice President, Concert Artists Guild; Lydia Biondi, Mimoteatromovimento (Rome); Elena Araoz, Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera stage director; and Marcello Giordani, Metropolitan Opera tenor. 

What singers say about the program:

"I so enjoyed my time as a Resident Artist and took a tremendous amount away from the esperience" -- Rachel Policar, soprano, 2013 RA; First Place Winner, New York Lyric Opera National Vocal Competition 2013.

"I wanted to say thank you for everything. I learned so much during my time with UPO." – Katie Bolding, 2010 RA; winner of a Fest contract in Germany.   

"I have worked with a few companies and training programs now, and UPO's process is not only enjoyable and productive, but people truly learn -- and together." -- Nils Neubert, New York Times-praised tenor. 

Role Breakdown:

Bernstein: Trouble in Tahiti 

Soprano or countertenor -- Solo and extensive trio work

Mezzo -- Cover lead role

Tenor -- Extensive trio work

Tenor II or High Baritone -- Extensive trio work

Justine F. Chen: Voice for a Future Nightingale

Soprano -- Brief lead role

Mezzo or countertenor -- Cover lead role

Tenor -- Brief lead role

Thomas Deneuville: Outerborough Songs

Soprano (lyric coloratura) -- Cover extensive solo role

CrossCURRENT 2014

March 7 @ 7 pm

Casa Italiana @ NYU

24 W. 12th Street 
(between 5th and 6th Ave.)

7:00 pm

Surge and undertow: 
contemporary/traditional vocal music.

Tickets $20 in advance. 
Brown Paper Tickets.

Works by Thomas Deneuville, Michael Dutka, David Gilfix, Jake Heggie and Marjorie Rusche; and by Handel, Mozart, Benjamin Britten and Elsa Sangiacomo Respighi.

Performed by Miran Robarts and Isabella Florin, sopranos; Heather Gerban, mezzo-soprano, Raymond Storms, countertenor,  Leslie Tay, tenor, and Mario Diaz-Moresco, baritone. Michael Fennelly, cello and piano.

Miran Robarts, soprano

Isabella Florin, soprano

"I never saw a moor.                                  "Nel foco di primavera

I never saw the sea.                                   gitta gl'invernali abbigliamenti"  

Yet I know how heather looks                     ('Into the fire of spring          

and what a wave must be."                         throw away your winter garments')  

poem by Emily Dickinson                                              poem by Omar Khayam  

set by Michael Dutka                                                     set by Elsa Sangiacomo Respighi

Heather Gerban, mezzo-soprano

Raymond Storms, countertenor

"Standing up or sitting down                        "Forgive me. They were delicious --

little matters, or what gown..."                      so sweet and so cold."    

poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay                                   poem by William Carlos Williams

set by Thomas Deneuville                                               set by David Gilfix

Leslie Tay, tenor

"Dante Gabriel Rossetti 

buried all of his libretti

Thought the matter over

Then went and dug them up again."

poem by Dorothy Parker

set by Marjorie Rusche

        

Mario Diaz-Moresco, baritone
"Tu sei il cor di questo core"
('You are the heart of my heart')
text by Nicola Francesco Haym
set by G.F. Handel

Winter into Spring Resident Artist Auditions

Perform with a New York Times-praised opera company!

Casting for CrossCURRENT concert, and Trouble in Tahiti at Thalia Theatre, Symphony Space. 

Auditions on January 14, 2014 in Manhattan, by appointment only.

Required repertoire:

-- A contemporary aria or song in English

-- An aria in Italian

-- An additional aria in a third language

Audition fee: $25. Non-refundable. Accompanist is provided.

Tuition: $1250. Some scholarships are available as rebates upon successful completion of the program.

 Resident Artists and guests performing at Casa Italiana.

For consideration:  Please send your resume and headshot and video clips, if available, to Gina Crusco, Artistic Director, at underworldprod@gmail.com. If selected you will be provided with an audition timeslot and location. 

Winter into Spring 2014

Hours: More than 40 hours of coaching and rehearsals, mostly Tuesdays through early March, then Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. 

Roles: For all voice parts. Short contemporary opera and Trouble in Tahiti roles and covers (there will be a cover performance) will be cast from Resident Artists. 

Performances: March 7 CrossCURRENT concert of airas and contemporary fare. May 4 and 9 outreach performances; May 17, 18, 19 mainstage performances at Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space. Details are subject to change.

Guest workshops:  Composer Thomas Deneuville will coach his works.  Additional workshops TBA; in recent seasons RAs enjoyed workshops with Dr. Robert C. White, Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program; Cori Ellison, Glyndebourne Opera dramaturg; Amy Frawley, Executive Vice President, Concert Artists Guild; Lydia Biondi, Mimoteatromovimento (Rome); Elena Araoz, Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera stage director; and Marcello Giordani, Metropolitan Opera tenor. 

What singers say about the program:

"I so enjoyed my time as a Resident Artist and took a tremendous amount away from the esperience" -- Rachel Policar, soprano, 2013 RA; First Place Winner, New York Lyric Opera National Vocal Competition 2013.

"I wanted to say thank you for everything. I learned so much during my time with UPO." – Katie Bolding, 2010 RA; winner of a Fest contract in Germany.   

"I have worked with a few companies and training programs now, and UPO's process is not only enjoyable and productive, but people truly learn -- and together." -- Nils Neubert, New York Times-praised tenor. 

Summer 2014 Intensive

Spend a week living, studying and performing in New York!

June 9-15, 2014 

Underworld Productions Opera announces a new program of coaching, workshops, and performance opportunities. 

Scenes under consideration: Le Nozze di Figaro, Hansel & Gretel, Gianni Schicchi. 

Performances: Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo at New York University; the Upper West Side; and Manhattan College.

UPO Resident Artists and Guests Perform in New York City

The Summer Intensive includes at least four hours a day of masterclasses with Gina Crusco, UPO Artistic Director; Michael Fennelly,  collaborative pianist with Metropolitan Opera soloists; and Lorraine DiSimone, mezzo-soprano and University of Tennessee voice faculty; with special guests  including Cori Ellison, Glyndebourne Festival Opera dramaturg and Vocal Arts Faculty with The Juilliard School.  This rigorous program will be enhanced by special workshops with opera professionals from major organizations.

The setting: Manhattan College campus in Riverdale was selected for its traditional New England atmosphere, open green spaces, and proximity to direct transportation service to Lincoln Center and other major cultural sites. Tuition includes a double room in a suite with its own bathroom, housed in a modern high-rise with flat screen TV, microwaves and laundry facilities on every floor.

Green space at Manhattan College

Modern high-rise housing  

Dining:  Delicious, wholesome and varied food choices for daily breakfast and lunch are included in your tuition. For dinner, you may explore eateries within walking distance in every price range and cuisine or venture downtown to New York City's fabled neighborhoods to dine.

Evening excursions:  UPO will organize trips to New York City's great cultural institutions, including art exhibits and free concerts in the parks.  Summer Stage in Central Park, Museum Mile Festival, and Puerto Rican Day Parade all take place in June. Joining in is optional and at modest additional expense.

UPO Singers enjoy downtime in Gramercy Park.

How to apply:  Send your headshot, resume, and either a letter of recommendation from an opera professional OR an audio clip to Gina Crusco, Artistic Director, at underworldprod@gmail.com. Materials must be received by January 30, 2014. Successful applicants will be notified by February 7, 2014. 

Tuition: $1500, which includes a double room in a suite, breakfast and lunch daily, and all workshops. $900 is due on February 14, 2014. Final payment of $600 is due on March 14, 2014. Ask about commuter rates.

About UPO: Underworld Productions Opera has been training emerging singers in the Resident Artist program since 2008. UPO RAs have gone on to win competitions and contracts both nationally and internationally.

“Known for playfully irreverent takes on classics” (The New York Times), UPO has been recognized for innovation and excellence by Musical America, The New York Times, Opera News, Early Music America, Opera Today, and in the blogosphere. UPO has been called “genius!” (Madison Opera Blog), “intrepid” (The New Yorker), “polished and professional” (Operavore) and “zesty” (Opera Today). The company has updated five classic operas; given an outing to lesser-known early works by Handel, Pergolesi, Rameau and A. Scarlatti; and premiered works by living American composers.

The New York Times called UPO’s 2013 Il Trionfo dell’Onore “a vivacious, little-seen gem.”  Classical Review praised UPO’s 2012 Don Pasquale as a “witty production that combined a gently tweaked storyline with an intimate setting that gave audience members a rare chance to experience opera up close.” Opera L praised UPO’s stage premiere of Clarence & Anita by Ben Yarmolinsky thus: “Music that is first rate and with performances which could be put in any of our important opera houses.” UPO created an “interesting twist” and “inventive solution” to Rameau’s Pygmalion (The New York Times).  Così fan Tutte: Defining Women updated Mozart’s opera with text-messaging interactivity and was recognized as a landmark event in the “Year in Music.”

Summer Intensive faculty: 

Lorraine DiSimone, University of Tennessee Voice Faculty

Michael Fennelly, pianist with Metropolitan Opera artists

Gina Crusco, UPO Artistic Director

Cori Ellison, The Juilliard School 

Gala Concert and Reception

Friday, December 6, 2013
6 pm Auction viewing
6:30 Concert
8:00 Wine and Cheese Reception
Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo' at NYU
24 W. 12th Street
New York City

Join us for our annual festive celebration of the season!


Artists include


Kelli Butler, coloratura soprano                   Isaac Grier, bass-baritone

Isabella Florin, soprano                                 Emily White, pianist

              



 Gian-Carla Tisera, soprano                     Radoslav Lesay, tenor                   

Thomas Deneuville, composer

Music by Bernstein, Offenbach, Verdi, and UPO composer-in-residence, 

Thomas Deneuville.

Tickets: $75.00 per person ($60 tax deductible). By reservation only. 

Purchase tickets HERE.

Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible with 24 hour notice to 212-998-3893.

NYOA Premiere Event @ Le Poisson Rouge

The New York Opera Alliance is hosting its premiere event at Le Poisson Rouge on November 3rd at 3pm (doors open at 2pm). For the first time ever, the participating organizations of NYOA are coming together for an afternoon of opera arias and excerpts. With an eclectic program ranging from classical to 21st century works, audience members will be treated to a vast array of operatic styles within one evening’s programming. Come celebrate the diversity of opera in NYC on the final day of National Opera Week. An opera lover’s dream!

Underworld Productions will present these selections:

Wild Nights by Thomas Deneuville

Poetry by Emily Dickinson

First in the 4-song cycle "Cyclothymic (Love) Diaries"

Amelia Watkins, soprano; Elizabeth Rodgers, piano

High-Tech Lynching by Ben Yarmolinsky

Text by the composer from the hearing transcripts

From the opera Clarence & Anita

Isaac Grier, bass-baritone; Elizabeth Rodgers, piano

2pm doors // 3pm show // All Ages

$10
+ 2 items at tables

More information. 


Current NYOA participants include:

American Lyric Theater
American Opera Projects
Beth Morrison Projects
Bronx Opera
Center for Contemporary Opera
Chelsea Opera
Citywide Youth Opera
dell’Arte Opera Ensemble
Downtown Music Productions
Encompass New Opera Theatre
Gotham Chamber Opera
Harlem Opera Theater
HERE Arts Center
Indie Opera Podcast
Liederkranz Opera Theatre
little OPERA Theatre of NY
Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater
Morningside Opera
On Site Opera
Opera Breve
Opera Ebony
Opera Moderne
Opera Omnia
Opera on Tap
operamission
OperaOGGI of New York
Underworld Productions Opera
Vertical Player Repertory

The New York Opera Alliance (NYOperaAlliance.org) is a consortium of New York alternative/independent opera companies and producers established to enhance and support the visibility and viability of their organizations, both individually and collectively. The NYOA website serves as a single central place for the public to get connected with the entire opera scene in New York.