[Sigmund and Sieglinde in our 2010 Die Walkure. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

2) SOMETIMES CIRCUMSTANCES FORCE THEM TO LIVE IN THE ATTIC.
 

[Marcello, Colline, and Rodolfo in the attic in our 2008 production of La Boheme. Photo by Terrence McCarthy.]



 

3) THEY HAVE UNFORTUNATE RUN-INS
WITH MARINE MAMMALS.
 

[Captain Ahab in our 2012 production of Moby-Dick. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

4) BROTHERS SEEM TO FALL IN LOVE
WITH THE SAME GIRL.

[Brothers Manrico and Count di Luna in Il Trovatore. Photo by Cory Weaver.]



 

5) THEY STORM MAGIC CASTLES.
 

[Parsifal storms Klingsor's magic castle. Photo from our 2000 production.]

 

6) FAKING THEIR OWN DEATHS AND
BRIBING THE POLICE WORKS.
WELL, SOMETIMES.
 

[The Cavaradossi leaves Tosca to engage in his 'fake' execution in our 2012 production of Tosca. Photo by Cory Weaver.]
 

7) BLUE IS THEIR COLOR.
 

[The Angel from our 2002 production of Saint François d'Assise.]



 

8) THEY KNOW HOW TO WORK A SET
OF MOVEABLE STAIRS.
AND AVOID HOP-ONS.
 

[Nixon arrives in China in our 2012 production of Nixon in China. Photo by Cory Weaver.]



 

9) THEY MAKE HUGE MISTAKES.
 

[Dr. Caius soon learns he has been tricked into marrying Bardolf in our 1989 production of Falstaff.]




 

10) WHEN THEY BUILD SOMETHING,
IT'S SOLID AS A ROCK.

[Fafner and Fasolt build Valhalla in our 2011 production of Das Rheingold. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

11) SOME DAYS, THEY JUST HAVE CHARLIE BROWN MOMENTS.
 

[Director Harry Silverstein and a bird on the set of our 2012 production of The Magic Flute.]


 

12) ELIXIRS HELP GET THEM THROUGH THE DAY.
 

[Nemorino receives the elixir of love in our 2008 production of The Elixir of Love. Photo by Terrence McCarthy.]



 

13) IN ORDER TO GET CLOSE TO WHAT THEY WANT,
SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO DRESS IN DRAG.
 

[Cherubino dresses as a woman to get closer to Countess Almaviva in our 2011 production of The Marriage of Figaro. Photo by Cory Weaver.]



 

14) THEY PUT FAMILY FIRST.
 

[Romeo goes to war against the entire Capulet clan in our 2012 production of The Capulets and the Montagues. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

The entire set is fascinating: walls with double hinges that make them reversible, mirrors that steal reflections, moveable staircases and balconies, and a Frankenstein-like laboratory. Overall the set is based in the soft, dreamy tones of Spilliaert's watercolor, gouache, and pastels. It does not have a great deal of decoration, which is not to say it isn’t detailed; it is meticulous and clean.

My favorite part of the production is Olympia—one of the women Hoffmann falls for, who turns out to be an automaton and a clockwork doll. She looks real to Hoffmann because of the events in the story and the tricks played on him, but we in the audience will see her mechanical nature in the blocking and in the aria she sings. She will be on a counterweighted boom and will appear to fly into the air at one point, and she runs down during her aria and has to be wound back up to finish.

The emptiness, sadness, and melancholy of Spilliaert's artwork reflect the anguish and pining that the character Hoffmann endures. You can see why the designer chose Spilliaert as the inspiration for the sets—it just fits with the story. No doubt, the production will move and inspire.

Notice Mary's trademarks: perfume jar, long red hair, and sumptuous robes. 

According to the Gospels, Mary (in some cases, with other women) went to Jesus' tomb on the third day after the crucifixion to anoint the body with spices and perfumes. Hence the jar she rests her hand on in Titian's painting. She is also commonly identified as the woman who, earlier in the Gospels, rubs Jesus' feet with expensive perfume and wipes them with her own long tresses. 

And why are those tresses red? There doesn’t seem to be a biblical source for the color of Mary's hair, but perhaps red, the color of passion, was artistic shorthand for her identification as a prostitute. In any case, her flowing mane almost always distinguishes her from other female saints in medieval and Renaissance art; their hair is usually covered or at least tied back.
 
A similar scarlet color can be found in her lavish robes, garments that signal her prior life of decadence. The Magdalene isn’t always pictured dressed this way, however, as strikingly demonstrated in this famous sculpture by Donatello in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence, Italy.
 

 
Here Mary Magdalene is shown in one of her other significant roles, as the penitent sinner, fasting in the desert, with only her hair to cover her wasted body.
 
It is in a similar guise that Mary Magdalene appears in The Last Communion of St. Mary Magdalene by the Master of the Coburg Roundels on view at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. See it for yourself before you experience composer Mark Adamo's version of her story in The Gospel of Mary Magdalene! 

Thanks to my father, Dr. Francis DeStefano, for his help with this post. Check out his terrific blog about Renaissance Art, Giorgione et al.

Close up of delicious Madeleine cookies.
 

4) In Catholicism, Mary Magdalene is the patron saint of contemplatives and penitents—but also of glove makers, pharmacists, hairdressers and perfumers.
 

5). The word "maudlin" (meaning excessively emotional, sentimental  or tearful) comes from the British pronunciation of Magdalene College, the Oxford College established in the 15th century under her name . Throughout art history, Magdalene has frequently been depicted as highly emotional and wrought with tears, such as in this well beloved painting by Titian:

Penitent Magdalene by Titian, 1565.
 

For more on the Myths of Mary Magdalene, see www.kayleenasbo.com. For an upcoming in-depth webinar series that will help you get the most out of Mark Adamo's opera, see www.mythsofmarymagdalene.com.

That was the question posed to participants in our Overture Workshop on March 11, "Behind the Curtain: Planning a San Francisco Opera Season." After a lively discussion with Kip Cranna, Director of Musical Administration and Jen Good, Associate Director of Production and Head of Staging, we passed the baton to the audience: it was their turn to decide which operas would comprise a season.
 

Spirited discussions ensued, with participants battling for their favorite operas, styles, or composers, and everyone’s calculators got a workout! The groups encountered the same challenges that San Francisco Opera’s season planners face every year: what is the right mix of operas? Can we do a less well-known opera or will it cause us to miss our budget?  Do we have enough money for a new production or do we need to bring the old one out of storage? 

All the groups met their expense and income goals, but several were forced to swap out their personal favorites for more popular warhorses. Everyone came out of the workshop with a new appreciation of the challenges involved in planning an opera season. 

If you’d like to attend an Overture Workshop, our next one features the San Francisco Opera Chorus. For more details, visit sfopera.com/chorusworkshop.


[Photos by Dolores DeStefano.]

To learn more about this special event, please click here.

All photos courtesy of Jason Wu.

Your character in The Secret Garden, Mary Lennox, is a young girl of about 10 years old. As an adult performer how do you get in the mindset of a 10 year old? Did you do any research for the role?
 
 It's such a thrill for me to get to play a character who I have grown up with and related to as a child. Because of that it was an easy transition into the character of Mary. In many ways, I still feel like a 10 year old girl, so I didn't have to go very far! I did reread the Francis Hodgson Burnett story to get back into her world. But I found when I got into staging that it felt very natural for me to play a little girl! Even my hairstyle for the show is exactly like my hair growing up, so it really feels like a trip down memory lane!
 

Is The Secret Garden your first world premiere opera to perform in? How has it been rehearsing and preparing for a new production like this?

Yes, this is my first world premiere! It has been so exciting working alongside the composer and the librettist as well as the whole team to bring this story to life. It's been wonderful and so helpful to have Nolan there to tell us his original intention for some of the tricky lines, so that the piece is clear and each moment is filled with meaning. It's also been fascinating to see some of the process of the beautiful projections for the set - I think it will really take on a life of its own when all the elements come together!

The cast of The Secret Garden features a lot of up and coming young singers. How has it been getting to know the cast learning about each other?

It's been great! The cast is so talented and all come with great voices and their own ideas about their characters, which makes for an inspiring atmosphere in which to work. They are also all just genuinely top-notch people who care so much about their art, and the people around them. It's been a joy to get to know them!

Is this your first time in SF? Do you have a favorite spots to eat or shop?

Other than the audition for this role, this is my first time in SF! I'm still getting to know the city, but two favorites so far are Brenda's French Soul Food and the macaroons at Maestro's!

This most needed and minimally glamorous task is one that Christine Miller and Gary Glaser have done on behalf of San Francisco Opera for more than 30 years. They have picked up countless artists from San Francisco International Airport over the years, and it is one of the many reasons why they are the recipients of the 2013 Spirit of the Opera Award, the highest honor the Opera bestows upon members of our community. 

[Above: Christine and Gary biking through the streets of Paris.]

Christine and Gary wear many hats at San Francisco Opera and serve as true opera ambassadors in many ways. They routinely introduce novices to the operatic art form and refer new subscribers and donors to the Company. Loyal longtime Medallion Society members, they also regularly bring friends to the opera and actively solicit and encourage them to increase their level of support.

They are also “original” Bel Canto members and serve on the Bel Canto Legacy Giving Committee, encouraging opera lovers like themselves to leave San Francisco Opera in their estate plans.

[Above: Gary and Christine visiting the Rocky Mountains.]

And as previously mentioned, to the great delight of Artist Services Coordinator Valentina Simi, Chris and Gary are among our most dependable artist “chauffeurs.” For more than thirty years, they have retrieved artists when they arrive at San Francisco International Airport.  Not only do Chris and Gary provide artists with basic transportation; they also extend a personal touch with artists when they first arrive, including grocery runs before they settle into their apartments.

Often, an artist will be required to report directly from the airport to the Costume Shop for a fitting if they are late arriving to the production. Volunteers at times will wait during the fittings, then transport them home afterwards. 

Aside from transporting artists with their trustworthy SUV, Chris and Gary have also on occasion welcomed and aided the artists’ families and even pets as they settle into their sojourns in San Francisco. Valentina says of Christine and Gary, “they are always very cheerful and both have a great sense of humor.  Best of all they LOVE the opera, so their support and assistance to me all these years has been truly priceless.”

[Above: Christine and Gary at the 2012 President's Dinner, which celebrates and thanks those donors who support us at the Intermezzo-level and higher.]

San Francisco Opera extends its heartfelt gratitude to Christine and Gary for everything they have done over the years and welcome them as new “Spirit of the Opera” members.

I always approach a new score from many angles. First, if I can, I look at the source (in this case reading Francis Hodgson Burnett's thoughtful book) and even read something about the creators to understand what world they are coming from. I was so excited to read about Gasser's interest in all music, from medieval to jazz, rock, pop and world music. And I was equally interested in Harrison's background writing for radio, television, cinema and the stage, in addition to literature. Before I even got a score I was already looking forward to what I would find on the pages.

[Joiner performing at the Asheville Symphony. Photo courtesy of scottjoinertenor.com.]

Next, I read through the text of the opera looking at the rhythms that the composer gave to the words. With the Secret Garden, I was immediately aware of how natural and conversational everything felt. I loved my character, Dickon. He seemed to embody a pure spirit of youthful adventure that reminded me of my own childhood. I was also struck by the honesty of each character. Even the ones who have a lot of growing to do in the story are poetic and very sympathetic in Harrison's libretto.

Then, it's time to sit at the piano. I always prefer to see what is going on musically underneath the singers before hearing any of the vocal lines—that way, when I look at my character's notes later on, I understand their harmonic, rhythmic, textural context. This makes it so much easier to learn my part. I have to say that playing through the Secret Garden, I had so much fun with the rhythmic patterns and layered harmonies that I actually played through quite a bit of the piano part before looking seriously at Dickon's notes.

[Joiner with wife Colette Boudreaux at the Harrisburg Choral Society. Photo courtesy of coletteboudreaux.com.]

Finally, I started to learn the vocal part and work the character's music into my voice. I sang a lot of the music (especially Dickon's aria) for my wife, Colette Boudreaux, a wonderful singer and a very experienced performer. She helped make me aware of technical things I could adjust, and she really helped me find the bold, carefree character of Dickon. After I had the role learned, I sang through it twice with a gifted pianist at my alma mater, the Manhattan School of Music.

Before I knew it, it was time to jump on a plane and head to San Francisco from our home on the East coast. Although I was a bit nervous singing the part for the conductor, Sara Jobin, and the SFO music staff (I wanted to assure them they'd picked the right singer), everyone was extremely supportive and we got right to work. Director Jose Maria Condemi is a blast—he masters the fine balancing act of giving the performers a lot to work with (great blocking and stimulating ideas about our characters) and trusting us to explore and make discoveries during the rehearsal process. I can tell that a lot of imagination went into creating the world of the story. The first day we had a design presentation by Naomi Kremer and I was blown away by the breathtaking, shifting projections that will take the audience half way around the world from India to Yorkshire during the show.

[Director Jose Maria Condemi. Photo by Kristen Loken.]

Jose Maria reminded the cast in the first rehearsal that it takes more than magic to grow a successful garden—it takes hard work. I am grateful for companies like SFO that work to keep this wonderful art form growing. It's what working in the performing arts is all about!

The greatest challenge was technical: it was the matter of length, and the quantity of time that elapses in the novel as the children—its main characters—go through a kind of chrysalis period of slow self-discovery before emerging, in the garden of the title, as the healthy, heart-whole young people they deserve to be. Burnett takes her time leading the reader through this evolution—and we love every minute of it. It's one of those books that you never want to reach the end of. Burnett is able to go into the secret inner lives of the characters; on stage, we can only dwell for so long on this process, and yet at the same time we cannot rush the gradual stages of development that mark the logic of Burnett's story and create the desire in us for its fulfillment.

Music can do wonders of compression, and can take us straight to the heart of a scene—literally, to its emotional core, conveying what pages of dialog could only struggle to evoke. So I had to restrain my instinct, as a dramatist, to tease out the drama in words, and let the music tell the story too. David Gockley, our supremo, and Patrick Summers, of the Houston Opera, have helped Nolan teach me how to tailor libretto scenes, and this has been a marvelous journey of discovery. Every cut was a benefit! And never fear, there's plenty of drama left, and wonderful, wonderful music. Please come and enjoy it with us!

Storyboard images by Visual Designer Naomie Kremer.

(Photo of the DVD Cover of the film adapation starring Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh.)

When he granted us the rights to use his book, he retained his right to the operatic equivalent of “script approval.” My worry was that he could endlessly delay the project with constant demands for re-writes. What if he hated the first draft of the libretto, and told us to start over? 

We knew that the screenplay for the movie by Tony Gilroy took huge liberties with King’s novel, and Picker and McClatchy’s plan was to stick much closer to the original. When I first read McClatchy’s libretto, I was filled with admiration for what he had accomplished. I could actually hear these words coming out of the mouths of singers. My ears could sense the powerful sound of the great mezzo Dolora Zajick delivering these lines. Still, when I finally sent the libretto to King’s agent to get his reaction, I was braced for the worst. What I actually got was...silence! The thirty-day window for him to react came and went, meaning that he had acquiesced. The libretto was approved by default. But still, I couldn’t really rest easy. Had he just ignored us? Or did he forget? Would he come back to haunt us later?

(Members of the cast and creative team.  From left: Tobias Picker, Dolora Zajick, J.D. McClatchy, Elizabeth Futral, David Gockley, Susannah Biller, and James Robinson.  Photo Credit: Scott Wall.)

Fortunately I was eventually assured, unofficially, that Mr. King was actually quite satisfied with the libretto. Whew! Will he come to see the opera? At this point, nobody knows. But we all certainly hope he does, and we know he’ll be pleased with this impressive operatic treatment of his gripping story.
 

The story and the language in which it's told are quite extreme. Mary is sent to live with her uncle in Yorkshire after the death of both her parents in a cholera epidemic in India, but the fact that they didn’t love her adds another layer of poignancy. When Mary calls young Martha "daughter of pigs" on her first morning at Misselthwaite, it's shocking language from a child. Secrets play an important part. What more beautiful secret can you have than a secret garden? But there is also a negative secret: the open secret of Mr. Craven's inability to accept his wife's death and love his son Colin humanely.

A video set is a perfect way to tell this story, which has many, and quick scene changes. Using five major and several smaller projection screens at various angles and combinations, the content can shift quickly or gradually from indoors to outdoors, from one season to another. The garden visuals can change in the course of a scene by subtle alterations in color and movement.

The Secret Garden contains footage I shot in Madrid, Yorkshire, Norfolk, Paris, Berkeley, and Oakland. The gardens of Yorkshire and Norfolk are gems of love and profusion, with occasional follies, that keep surprising and delighting. The geometry of the gardens in the Alhambra in Madrid provided the basis for more structured views of the formal Misselthwaite garden.

I wanted the set to acknowledge and stimulate the visual imagination and sophistication of adults as well as children. A video set is also an actor in the production, because it moves. Rooms can become living things. After the prologue we return to the same locations several times. To hint at the shifting psychological moods of the characters in the story and the changing of the seasons I decided to add a subtle layer of movement to the wallpaper in the children's rooms with video footage of the outdoors.

I work on all parts of a video piece simultaneously, just like in painting (my first medium). I shoot lots and lots of video in many locations, but I find that unaltered video, though it records the real world, doesn't begin to catch its intensity. So the fruits of shoots in different locations are plunged into the digital pot, sautéed, boiled and stirred till they paint a new world, simultaneously real and surreal. Each step points to the next.

I think of the video camera as a paintbrush—each video clip is labeled (like a paint tube) so I can retrieve it to use as a component to create the final video. I mostly use two programs: Photoshop, for visualizing storyboards (as in these images), "mixing" stills, creating masks (which allow certain elements to be removed and replaced with other content—for example, a painting!), and a program called After Effects, which is almost a digital moving painting medium. In fact, it's the digital pot!

The other thing video does is establish a visual rhythm that can either echo that of the music or provide a counterpoint, contributing in unexpected ways to the work as a whole. All the elements of the production finally weave together to create the magic of performance.

All storyboard images by Naomie Kremer.

Note: The costumes shown in the storyboards above are created and drawn by Kristi Johnson, the Costume Designer for The Secret Garden.
 

Take a brief photo tour of the fall with us below. We are sad it’s over, but can’t wait for the summer 2013 season to begin on June 5!
 

[Stern Grove concert; photo by Scott Wall.]

[Opening Night Opera Ball; photo by Drew Altizer.]

[BRAVO! CLUB Gala; photo by Drew Altizer.]

[Opera in the Park; photo by Cory Weaver.]

[Opera in the Ballpark; photo by Cory Weaver.]

[Rigoletto; photo by Cory Weaver.]

[The Capulets and the Montagues; photo by Cory Weaver.]

[Moby-Dick; photo by Cory Weaver.]

[Lohengrin; photo by Cory Weaver.]

[Community Open House; photo by Kristen Loken.]

[Tosca; photo by Cory Weaver.]

[Tosca opening night; photo by Kristen Loken .]

[The Future is Now concert; photo by Kristen Loken.]

San Francisco Opera’s  Fall 2012 production of "Tosca" has two alternate casts. What is it like directing  two different casts in the same production?

It's a balancing act between allowing and benefitting from each artist's experience with their particular role and the way they've played it in previous productions, but also steering them towards a performance that is suited to the production SFO is mounting.  In doing so, the challenge also becomes ensuring that the traditional setting not-withstanding, their performances are alive, vibrant and full of life. I have always said that there is nothing intrinsically "wrong" with traditional productions. There are wonderful examples in cinema and theater of highly traditional work that are also filled with human emotion and passion. Think of "Dangerous Liaisons" or "Downton Abbey," for example, or the iconic productions of the late Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. However, breathing life into a production like the one SFO is offering this time, requires rehearsal time and opportunities for the cast to play with and off each other. Unfortunately, our rehearsal period was severely affected by hurricane Sandy which took away almost an entire week of rehearsals due to late arrivals, flight cancellations and other complications.
 

 
The two "Tosca" casts: Angela Gheorghiu as Tosca with Massimo Giordano as Cavaradossi and Brian Jagde as Cavaradossi and Patricia Racette as Tosca. Photo by Cory Weaver.

 

On the same note, Tosca is such a well-known opera. How do you put your own spin on it and/or keep it fresh for new audiences?

That is another challenge because the physical production, the way the set and the costumes look heavily dictate what can be realistically altered or which new elements can be introduced without them appearing out of place or alienating. I can speak of a few things I've done this time around that are entirely different from the previous time I directed this production. One of them is the Te Deum at the end of Act I: up until now, the procession of Church dignitaries and attendants was always seen as if crossing in the background, entering from the right and exiting on the left. This time, I decided to flip it around for maximum visual impact and end the Te Deum with everybody facing the audience, including the presentation of the Monstrance and Scarpia kneeling and crossing himself. Another small change is the way Tosca handles the last few seconds of her interaction with Scarpia in Act II;  she is seen "setting Scarpia up" by lounging on the sofa as if giving herself to him, but the audience gets to see she is in fact clasping tightly to a knife in preparation for the stabbing. The long introductory scene at the beginning of Act III also merited quite a bit of new detail in the proceedings of the Jailer and his interaction with Cavaradossi.

Mark Delavan as Scarpia and Patricia Racette as Tosca. Photo by Cory Weaver.


Roberto Frontali as Scarpia and Angela Gheorghiu as Tosca. Photo by Cory Weaver.

You’re also in demand as a teacher and trainer for young artists.  What advice do you give aspiring performers and stage directors embarking in a competitive field like the performing arts? 

The main advice I always give my students, both singers and directors, is to remind them that the main reason to become an artist should be because they have something they absolutely MUST say. A point of view about life and the human condition that they feel they MUST  convey through their art, no matter how small or big their participation in the form may be. I also press upon them that they have to ponder and decide on what type of career they want to have and how that relates to other career and life goals. Is family life important for them? If so, how do they feel about possibly being away and on the road for the majority of the year should they become successful singers? Is singing the big roles their main goal? Or do they realize one can make a wonderful and very  lucrative career by singing the comprimari repertory at a level of excellence? For stage directors, I also share some of my own experience of either accepting or rejecting work that was offered to me and how, sometimes, it was the smaller, seemingly less important engagements that later on led to the bigger ones. Dealing with criticism and reviews, particularly on this day and age when anybody that is able to type could review our work, is also something I tend to discuss with my students.

Lastly, when you’re not totally swamped with rehearsals, do you have any favorite places in San Francisco that you’d like to share?

Some of my favorite things to do in San Francisco are simple neighborhood exploring such was walking  up and down Fillmore street and stopping at the cute shops and eateries. Or driving down the coast to Half Moon Bay for the amazing Sunday brunch at the Ritz Carlton. Or enjoy a BBQ Brisket sandwich at Memphis Minnies in the Lower Haight. But I now live in the East Bay so most free days I simply drive around exploring the wonderful scenery and undiscovered gems of the Bay Area. And my work as Artistic Director of Opera Santa Barbara also means I spend quite a bit of my time down South and one can never get enough of the beauty of that part of California.

To learn about Jose Maria Condemi check out his website here.

• You are singing the role of Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca as a member of our Adler Fellowship Program. The role  is perhaps one of the most well-known in the operatic repertoire – when did you learn that you would take on this task and what was your immediate reaction upon learning of the assignment?

Cavaradossi is and has been a dream role for me since I switched to tenor four years ago.  I learned I'd officially be singing the role here last December after some rigorous auditions both with Maestro Nicola Luisotti, our Music Director, and John Churchwell, our Head of Music Staff. I was then invited to audition on the Main Stage in front of General Director David Gockley and the Director of Artistic Administration, Gregory Henkel, who is responsible for casting at the company.  After thorough consideration Greg invited me to his office to tell me the amazing news!  I was thrilled.  It was much more than I had thought would ever happen to me in my time here and it is a testament to the work of this training program that I am able to fulfill this dream in such a way.
 

(Above: Brian Jagde as Cavaradossi in Tosca.  Photo by Cory Weaver.)

• Your first Cavaradossi was to have been here in San Francisco but that all changed this past summer in Santa Fe when you made your debut as a last-minute replacement – how much notice did you have and how did you prepare for your role debut?

Yes. My first was to be here in San francisco, but I had always been charged with the duty to cover in Santa Fe.  And when a colleague was forced to remove himself from the role I was asked to step in.  I was prepared to sing the role, but had never seen the staging at that point having just arrived, and had never done the role before so within one week I had to step up.  Luckily, it all worked out and I got an incredible amount of experience that I have been able to apply here in San Francisco.
 

• Is it true that you began singing as a baritone?  When did you make the transition to tenor and how did you discover that?  Is there anything you miss about being a baritone?

Yes.  I was a baritone for 10 years before switching to tenor.  I had my four year anniversary as a tenor this past October.  When I first started studying voice in college I had never before trained in any way to sing.  So, I had no idea what to expect.    I originally thought I'd be a tenor and was accepted to school as one, but because of the type of vocal training and the naturally warm color of my voice people thought I should try being a baritone.  I tried, and tried but eventually had no bottom and a budding top.  I decided to meet a teacher known for tenor switching named Michael Paul.  He didn't hear a note before he said I was a tenor.  From then on it proved a challenge to stay in the tessitura of a tenor and then to find my identity as a tenor.  I feel I have made the adjustment in the last couple of years.  I love learning how to make the voice work, and I'm learning more about myself along the way.

• You recently participated as a headliner in our first annual Community Open House on Saturday, November 10th where you gave us a short preview of what to expect tonight – but you also were featured in the role of Don Jose in our Carmen For Families film screening as part of our San Francisco Opera Education Program – you’re a big advocate for music education especially in early childhood development and in addition to your in-school work through the Adler Fellowship Program, you’ve also participated in a number of other activities dealing with music education on your own time – why do you think this work is so important for our industry and in a broader sense humanity as a whole?

That event was a blast and so nice to see so many young ones in attendance - good job parents!   There is no more important a subject than arts education in the United States to me right now.  Since the beginning, music and appreciation of the arts has been a fundamental instrument to building not just musicians, but a better society of well-rounded individuals who make a difference.  Stripping our children of this extremely human quality could have severely detrimental effects on the future and our livelihood down the road.  The government, in an effort to cut costs by thinking that testing is more important than learning, is trimming well beyond the fat and we are all weaker because of it.  This short term thinking is not going to solve problems.  An analogy I like to use is this --and I'm saying this as a life-long Yankees fan -- we all know they have enough money and can buy players old and young, and every year they do very well, almost always making the post-season; having lost more World Series than any other team has ever been in and of course their 27 rings.  But, why not spend that money and train your own players?  Why not build them up from the beginning and have a solid, more winning team than ever and have the respect that is deserved of such a feat?  There would be a lot less angry New Yorkers if that were the case instead of spending 200 Million dollars on players who never hit in the post-season (Just sayin' lol!)  Anyway... My idea: let's build our home team, i.e. our children, from the beginning with a full range of skills at the plate and in the field.
 

(Brian Jagde and a young fan at the 90th Anniversary Community Open House.  Photo by Kristen Loken.)

• You’re in your 3rd Year as an Adler Fellow and will graduate from the program after your final performance of Tosca on December 2nd.  You’ve had quite a few stage opportunities throughout these three years - what are some of your fondest memories of your time in the program both on and off stage?

It's been a memorable three years as an Adler and I am extremely grateful.  There are so many things I've learned by being here about how to and how not to be a great singer.  Some of the best moments are sure to come in the next few weeks but, one experience in particular: I was talking to a very famous (like super-famous) soprano during a rehearsal and she treated me like I was just like her.  We talked for at least 20 minutes about how we felt on the stage: how she was feeling anxious, or awkward at times, and I was just sitting there thinking how is it possible that SHE feels this after so many years of being up there?  And I realized that we are all just trying to do our best up there, and that every night our best is all we can give, but the next day.. we can give more!

[Cover scan of original 1932 program.]


[Claudia Muzio as Tosca in 1932. Morton photo.]


[Alfredo Gandolfi as Scarpia and Muzio as Tosca in 1932. Morton photo.]


[Act II, 1932. Morton photo.]


[End of Act I, 1932. Morton photo.]
 

1. We are so glad to see you back after your success as Wotan in our Summer 2011 Ring Cycle! What is your typical day off in San Francisco like?

Well, with due respect, there is no such thing as a typical day off in San Francisco. Nor is there a typical day at SF Opera—which is how we all want it, right? That being said, those days off fall into two categories: rehearsal period and performance period.

Rehearsal period days off are pretty bland as we need to rest up for the next days of rehearsal; which means TV, ordering out, that kind of thing.

Performance periods are different; which means a little play time. My wife's and my favorite restaurants get our patronage; we will get out to the lovely parks in the area, and if we get more than a few days between performances, we drive up to one of the prettiest golf resorts in the area, Saddle Creek.

[Above: Delavan as Scarpia with Carol Vaness in Tosca (2004). Photo by Larry Merkle.]

2. What do you love most about singing the role of Scarpia?

There is something very fascinating about playing a thug. Scarpia is one of the toughest, strangest, most violent, obsessive and passionate characters in all of operatic literature. My favorite thing about playing Scarpia is the many layers of this one bad dude.

3. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?

That depends on the role. For a long, high pressure role like...oh...say, Wotan, the pre-show ritual decides itself, meaning the simple stamina requirement of rest, rest, rest. And ice. After Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, my knees hurt, so icing helped. I have to eat carefully; too much and I feel bloated; too little and I don't have enough energy to finish properly.

Scarpia is a shorter role so I need to get a little exercise. Again, diet is important.

For both, my wife knows that funny things happen to my hearing. It's like the general volume turns up to about an eight. Therefore, I absolutely have to have peace and quiet. My poor children have to get out of the house for all of our safety!

[Above: Delavan as Wotan in Das Rheingold. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

 
4. Who is your favorite opera character?

My favorite character is the one I am doing at the time. I lean towards quirky, troubled, even insane characters.

5. We all know you’re a gifted baritone, and we love that you’re also a gifted craftsman! How do you balance your performance commitments with your knife-crafting?
 
With a smile on my face, I will state here and now, that "balance" is a word seldom applied to me. Seriously, the balance comes of its own accord.  First of all, in a rehearsal period, there's lots of down time, often in 15–30 minute chunks, but still those chunks can be challenging. If I keep a handle blank in my bag, I have something calmingly and spiritually satisfying to bide my time during a long rehearsal period like the Ring.

Second, traveling presents its own difficulties and having a hobby gives an outlet. For instance, the job before SF Opera was Rigoletto in Pittsburgh and because of the short distance from my home, I chose to drive, which allowed me to bring etching projects with ease.

Third, the days at home are often challenging as time off from opera also means no income. Depending on the length of time, that can wear on a man. Consequently, a craft is imperative.
 
I have long since stopped being in a hurry to get a knife completed, so time is not an issue. An artist is an artist, and oddly, they do inform each other. Artists create, whether it's a character or a beautiful knife, creativity is my job, and my joy.

[Above: Delavan as Wotan and Nina Stemme as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I have always thought the opera to be a staple in the cultural fabric of San Francisco. I have been so well and warmly received by the audiences here in a role that I adore. It has been a complete joy to experience the ultimate homecoming in this marvelous city, as well as to spend so much time with my family!
 

[Above: Pip (Trevigne) raises his tambourine while looking out at the ocean. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

2. Did you read Moby-Dick in preparation for the role?

I had actually read Moby-Dick in school years ago, but decided to read the book again to truly dive into the history of the story, and to grasp Melville's language.

[Above: Trevigne flies through the air as she portrays a drowning Pip. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

3. In the production, you are required to sing an aria while suspended on cables, flying over the stage. What is it like to sing under these circumstances?

One of the greatest joys of singing this role is the physical aspect! I come from a dance background, so I love the ability to be so active in this role. I sing my aria suspended 25 or more feet in the air, by a single cable. You essentially have to give up any sense of singing with a center of gravity. It's definitely a challenge, but then I've never been a girl to run away from a good challenge!
 

[Above: Trevigne (third from left) with the men of the Pequod. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

4. You also have the honor of being the only woman in a cast of swarthy, seafaring men. What has that experience been like?

Being the lone woman on the Pequod has been an adventure to say the least. In many ways, it's been like having six older brothers—we're so very close, like family. Sometimes it is very similar to being trapped in a locker room with no way out! I grew up with all boy cousins, and was the first girl in three generations in my family, so I feel very much at home with my cast and crew. The chorus here has been a true delight. I will always cherish the men here in the chorus!
 

[Above: After being rescued, Pip (Trevigne) is comforted by Greenhorn (Stephen Costello) and Queequeg (Jonathan Lemalu). Photo by Cory Weaver.]

5. The Bay Area is such a foodie paradise. What your favorite restaurants when you are in SF?

Well I am certainly a foodie. I feel that eating well, and the practice of a meal at the table is essential. One of my favorite restaurants in the city is Quince, exquisite food and beautiful service. The second is Ideale in North Beach. Some of the very best Italian cuisine that I have had! Lovely staff, and they love the opera!! Both are a must do for your eating list!

(Above: Joseph Marcheso at the podium for a Moby-Dick staging rehearsal, photo by author).
 

With a new opera, we get to interact with the medium again. We're no longer working on and appreciating an inherited favorite but are coming to terms ourselves with a brand new work written for us and our time. This is great because it brings us back in touch with the art form itself where we're free to question the very devices and structure of opera. Moby-Dick is a wonderful example of a modern opera that has a lot to say about the evolution of these devices. It has chorus numbers, oath taking, motivic development, a travesti role, orchestral interludes between scenes, and self contained set pieces. In some form or other it avails itself or references almost all of the tools that opera composers have made their own from before Mozart's day to now. Now we have the opportunity to hear the music not just of an opera but of opera. When we watch Moby-Dick unfold, we get excited that there are still thrilling opportunities in these operatic forms. The act 1 quartet between Starbuck and Ahab, Queequeg and Greenhorn, Ahab's oath, Starbucks aria, the duet between Queequeg and Greenhorn, and the storm scene all show that the dramatic principles of opera are alive and well when a composer has something to say. When we see Pip, the young boy on board the Pequod played by a soprano, we recognize her as a descendent of Cherubino, Romeo and Oscar. When Ahab claims the doubloon for sighting Moby Dick and the orchestra plays the quest and Ahab's obsession themes together for the first time, that's a kind of dramatic and physical satisfaction that only opera is capable of giving you.
 

The production itself though is beyond what most composers could have hoped for. From the stunning projections to the multi-dimensions of the set and the astonishing amount of action that it is capable of representing, 21st century theatrical techniques, training and technology are able to meet the unwieldiest ambitions of their creators. This is a definite advantage that opera has now and one that lifts all boats (pardon the pun) old and new.

(Above: The cast of Moby-Dick in performance.  Photo by Cory Weaver).

None of this touches upon the performers, all the people who come together night after night to sing, play, conduct and call the show. I think I would need another blog entry to talk about them. I can say that another wonderful thing modern opera does is that it turns performers from recreators to evangelists. In a traditional opera, performers and audiences come together to create and find the beauty and the truth of things long familiar. With Moby-Dick, we go on stage because we believe in this work and want to convince you, the audience, through our commitment and trust in the beauty of this music and this experience. We want to sell this work to you in the same way all those other operas in the past were sold. We want you to come and see for yourself whether Moby-Dick is not the most compelling and beautiful opera, old or new, that you've heard in a long time.

Let us embark on a brief YouTube tour of Rigoletto, shall we? You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll gasp and you may even say, "huh?"

Some Like it Hot
Billy Wilder's screwball comedy starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon truly is a classic. The film's gangsters genuinely like opera and George Raft uses Rigoletto as an alibi. While this scene isn't as famous as the iconic ending or Marilyn's musical numbers, it's a great inside-opera joke.

Talking Tom Cat
Our modern world of smartphones and apps is a big one. Who knew that the popular Talking Tom Cat was a "La donna è mobile" fan?

Star Trek: Voyager
The Doctor is daydreaming. No, he's not daydreaming of riches or world peace. He's daydreaming of singing Rigoletto's famous aria for his wowed crew. We won't lie, the video takes a weird turn halfway through, but it's well worth it for a few laughs.

The Family Man
Remember this Nicolas Cage movie? We won't blame you if you don't, but what a way to start a movie!

The Sopranos Commercial
The groundbreaking HBO drama ran for six seasons and revolved around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano. Check out this great commercial for the show—which displays some very creative editing.

The Three Tenors
You may think that this one seems a bit obvious—but hear us out first! The Three Tenors achieved global superstardom. Everyone from your grandmother to the kid you babysat heard of the trio of tenor stars. P.S. Don’t blink in the beginning or you'll miss an actor and ex-politician in the audience…

Elmo's World
Truthfully, this one is in the "huh" category. It might be a little hard to watch, but the point is that kids are being exposed to opera at a young age, and that's the important thing. It's all about the kids!

Doritos Commercials
The chip company came out with not one, but two commercials that used Verdi's famous aria. Which one do you like better? We vote for the slingshot baby. (Really. How often do you get to say "slingshot" and "baby" in the same sentence?)

Opera in the SF Giants Ballpark. This year it's Rigoletto. I freaking love this city. #RigoSF

• Mary Lenox - soprano; the heart of the show; nine years old of age; slightly precocious and stubborn.  
• Colin Craven - tenor; a crippled boy; twelve years old of age; with a spoiled temperement.
• Dickon Sowerby - tenor; mischevious and playful while also beyond his years; sixteen years old of age.

None of these roles necessarily will be cast with a performer of the age listed so we encourage girls of all ages to audition for Mary and boys of all ages to audition for Colin and Dickon.  

The first round of auditions will take place on Wednesday, October 3rd starting at 3 o'clock p.m. here at the War Memorial Opera House and in order to be granted a slot for the session you MUST submit your interest along with an outline of your performance experience (resumé) and a recent picture (headshot) to our casting department by Friday, September 21st and by email to Sean Waugh at swaugh@sfopera.com.  Please list "GARDEN AUD" in the subject line for all submissions.

Those chosen for an audition will be formally invited by email and provided with an outline of the audition requirements.  Those chosen to move on from the first round of auditions will be invited to a call-back session later this fall season.  Rehearsals for the production will begin on February 4, 2013 with performances beginning on March 1, 2013 and ending on March 10, 2013.  Those selected for the roles will be fit with an AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) Principal Contract and will be issued a minimum weekly salary + benefits.  San Francisco Opera adheres to all laws through the California Department of Labor and the Employment of Minors in the Entertainment Industry.

We hope you'll spread the word about this very exciting opportunity and we look forward to seeing some bright,energetic, and new talent come through the War Memorial Opera House doors!  We may just discover the next budding Pavarotti or Jackie Evancho (but if your dream is to be the next Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga, this might not be the right audition for you!)

[The crew starts unloading the equipment the morning of the event.]

Once the crush from the summer season is over in early July, we begin to work with our partners throughout the city—not only Rec & Parks but also the Police, Fire, and Emergency Management departments—to make sure we have all the permits and contingency plans necessary for an event of this size. We also hold the first of many internal company meetings to map out every detail and create a (wishful) timeline for the event.

[Getting the speakers ready.]

For those of us on the Production side, the weekend starts in earnest at first light on Saturday morning. The stage, sound system and setup crew arrive at Sharon Meadow, and we take delivery of 800 chairs, 180 steel barricades and 12 tents. In all, it takes approximately 40 stage hands, electricians, props and audio crew members to construct the stage and place all the tents and chairs. The sound system alone consists of nearly 50 loudspeakers and a 48-channel console to mix and record the performance. We work for about 12 hours on Saturday, then return at 6:00am on Sunday (sometimes lagging behind a few of the most dedicated attendees) to finish up before the Orchestra rehearsal that morning. Finally, by the 1:30pm downbeat, many of us can sit back for a few minutes and enjoy the concert along with the crowd.

[The crew setting up the stage.]

Fortunately, the teardown happens much more quickly than the setup. The load out crew descends upon the stage as soon as the last applause fades, and the deck, including all orchestra equipment, chairs, heaters, and lights, is cleared within about an hour. The stage, scaffolding and roof collapse to fit inside a standard 40-ft shipping container, and the meadow is mostly empty by 8pm. The last of the rented equipment is picked up later that evening or early on Monday morning, and with that Opera in the Park is history for another year…as long as we remember to reserve next year’s date!
 

Our Fantastic Prize Package Includes:

• 2 tickets to a San Francisco Opera mainstage performance
• 2 complimentary glasses of champagne at intermission
• A $100 gift certificate to Maestro Restaurant

Don't worry if you aren't the most tech-savvy person on the block, we'll walk you through it each step of the way. For more information, instructions on how to post photos on our Facebook page or how to tag @SFOpera on Twitter, and for contest rules, visit sfopera.com/photocorner.

Still not sure if you want to do it? Check out these photos of some of our wonderful patrons who entered our summer ‘Snap and Post to Win’ contest. We'll see you at the Photo Corner!

[Above: Cathy MacNaughton (right) with Sallie Huntting.]

I have certainly needed both confidence and resourcefulness at Opera Balls past, as evening gown, hair, and makeup mishaps have all occurred at the last minute.  One year, I tore the belt to my gown on the way out of the house.  I quickly grabbed a needle and thread to do repair in the car.  Good thing we have a long drive because it took three attempts.  First, I sewed the belt in the wrong place.  Next, I found I had sewn myself to my seatbelt!  Finally, I succeeded – just as we pulled up in front of the Opera House – whew!

Yes, we all enjoy the glitz and glamour of Opera Ball.  But we are most gratified by the true purpose behind the event. 

[From left: Sallie Huntting, Esty Lawrie Landy, Cathy MacNaughton, and Trudy See enjoy the festivities.]
 

Wishing everyone a Notte di Splendore on Friday!

Cathy MacNaughton
Co-Chair, Opera Ball 2012

[Anna holding the 2013–14 Season brochure cover design. We'll have to wait until January to see it!]

These summer months are my favorite of the year: we find out what the opera titles are, we wait for nuggets of information as to which productions we’ll stage, what directors we can anticipate, who the singers will be, and we coalesce all of this into a creative campaign that will form the basis for our efforts throughout the next year and a half. I’ll research images we can use, reviews of stars we will welcome, and I try to learn as much as possible about the operas themselves.

In addition to these creative elements, we also look at the schedule of performance dates so we can create the various subscription packages; we start putting together schedules (schedules for projects, schedules for mailing dates, schedules for emails, even our schedules have schedules); we set goals and we think about ways to make subscribing easy and flexible. To that end, we work a lot with our Box Office team, who represent some of the finest customer service professionals I have ever worked with (or purchased tickets from!).
 

[Anna holding some of her recent subscription brochures.]

While it is difficult to convey the amount of detail and strategy work involved in mounting a subscription campaign, I can tell you it’s easy to become bogged down in it day-to-day. I spend a lot of time reminding myself that it boils down to one very simple fact: it’s all about the thrill of opera! I sell an experience (ideally, multiple experiences neatly packaged), and the best thing I can do is make it easy for people to become excited about the breathtaking experience we offer. When I sit down in the War Memorial Opera House before a performance, I take in the atmosphere and think “you know, this job is glamorous.”

San Francisco Opera has presented 10 mainstage world premiere operas. The most recent was Heart of a Soldier in 2011 starring Thomas Hampson and Bill Burden. Photo by Cory Weaver.


San Francisco Opera has presented 18 mainstage United States premieres. The most recent was Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre in 2004. Photo by Larry Merkle.

There are 3,148 seats in the War Memorial Opera House. Photo by David Wakely.

Proceeds from San Francisco Opera Guild’s Opera Ball 2012 help fund opera education programs that will reach more than 60,000 students this year. Below are students from the Tenderloin Community School getting a lesson in performance. Photo by Kristen Loken.

David Gockely is San Francisco Opera's sixth General Director. Photo by Terrence McCarthy.


Nicola Luisotti is San Francisco Opera's third Music Director.

Over 165,000 people have attended San Francisco Opera simulcasts since 2006. Don't forget to mark your calendars for the next simulcast at AT&T Park on Saturday, September 15 at 8 p.m. Photo by Edgar Lee.

This year’s Opera in the Park concert marks the company’s 39th year of bringing free opera to Golden Gate Park. Photo by Scott Wall.

In 90 years, San Francisco Opera has only flown in one replacement singer on Opening Night. In 1983 Placido Domingo flew across the country in a private Learjet to save the opening of San Francisco Opera’s 61st Season. Domingo--one of the most famous singers in the world--stepped in at the last moment to replace tenor Carlo Cossutta in the title role of Verdi’s Otello. Here is then General Director Terence McEwen ushering in Domingo. Photo by Christ Stewart/SF Chronicle.
 

As part of the San Francisco Opera Education Department’s Opera ARIA program, 1,131 students from 12 schools created and performed 47 original mini-operas in 2011–12. Photo by Kristen Loken.

There are 35 horse saddles used in our production of The Capulets and The Montagues. Photo by Wilfried Hosl Bavarian State Opera.

Since its inception in 1977, we have had 289 young artists participate in the Adler Fellowship program. Below are the current 2012 Adler Fellows. Photo by Kristen Loken.
 

There are 92 pages in Rigoletto program. Image by Giorgio de Chirico.

There are 50 regular chorus members.

There are 38 extra chorus members.

There are 76 orchestra members. Here is a photo of a recent rehearsal. Photo by Cory Weaver.

 

The party was off the hook with glamor on not only one, but two levels of style. Upstairs at the hip CODE Salon, guests mixed and mingled through out the entire salon. CODE pushed their hair and makeup stations aside to make room for a dance floor where everyone could get down to the funky beats by DJ Kirill. Forget about washing your hair— the shampoo room was turned into a wine tasting room, complete with the fabulous Jody Harris, from Cultivar Wines, serving up their 2011 Cultivar Sauvignon Blanc and their 2009 Cultivar Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Go figure that it was the most popular place to be during the party. I really enjoyed kicking my heels off and lounging on the shampoo "bed" to sip wine and chat with friends. How Romanesque of me.



Downstairs at The Factory Label, guests could taste wine for Cass Winery. Lisa was on hand to tell us all about the winery's selection of wonderful bridals. My favorite was their Rockin' One Red which combined Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre to achieve the ultimate depth and complexity in only one glass. Fashion designer Zoe Hong was on site with some of her glamorous evening gown designs to chat with guests about how to make a stylish statement at the Gala. BRAVO! member Barbara Calaba was even lucky enough to win a gift certificate from The Factory Label to go towards getting her own Zoe Hong gown created especially for her. I can't wait to see what she has made!



This party even continues on until the Gala on September 7th. Nine BRAVO! members won gift certificates from CODE Salon to get styles for the Gala with hair and makeup. Ms. Danica Barron, Ms. Amy Hagelin, Ms. Jennifer Wong, Miss Celine Wei, Mrs. Sally Yu, Ms. Kendra Livingston, Mrs. Filiz Caglayan Yurdutemiz, Ms. Rita Tan and Ms. Monika Shaham with BRAVO! board members, Ileana and myself, will get primped for the Gala thanks to CODE. However, the glitz is not just happening at CODE. BRAVO! member, Susana Reyes, won a Beauty Bash where she can invite seven of her friends to join her in a beauty makeover thanks to Benefit Cosmetics. Look for all of us at the Gala— we will be the ones with the most glamourous hair and makeup!

View more photos from the Kick Off Party here on BRAVO!'s Facebook Page.

See y'all at the Gala!

[All photos: Michael O'Donnell of Zat Photo.]

"It was so much fun that after the 4 sessions were over, we were 'lost' on what to do on Monday nights."

"This was a terrific experience. It was filled with surprises and new notions of opera as a unique art form."

"It's a wonderful experience for anyone who is interested in opera."

"Would go again in a heartbeat..."

Check out the photos below for a glimpse of what you could learn at Overture! 


[Orchestra member Adam Luftman demonstrates a period brass instrument at the second session.]


[Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald leads a group voice lesson at the second session.]


[Adler fellow Renee Rapier performs at the second session.]


[Composer Aaron Pike guides workshop participants through the creation of their own libretti at the first session.]


[Costumes with assistant costume director Christopher Verdosci at the fourth session.]


[Participants create "controlled chaos" at the third session.]


[Participants practice staging at the third session.]

 

[Left: Orpheus members go backstage to the Opera's Wig and Makeup department prior to a November 2011 performance of Xerxes.]

So if you are feeling like you are living an increasingly virtual existence, combat it by joining Orpheus at San Francisco Opera today. You can make a gift online, by calling 415-551-6239, or emailing ehounshell@sfopera.com. The transcendent experience of live opera and a dynamic community of young opera lovers await you.




 

An ancient story turned to opera by the master's hand in 1846;
The premiere was lavish and grand.

Attila, Aquileia, the Adriatic--co-stars all.
Odabella leads the resistance to the approaching wall
Of soldiers and army and dreams of death which
Happens anon while the wily witch
Who loses and wins her love with the art
Of a knife she uses to stab in the heart
Of Achilles.

Yes, I compared Attila to Achilles because both were only vulnerable once: a spear through the heel and a knife in the heart. [Above: Odabella (Lucrecia Garcia) threatens Attila (Ferruccio Furlanetto). Photo by Cory Weaver.]

I was contacted almost immediately to verify I had indeed written the poem and the generous cast member mailed the voucher to me. I would be attending my first opera and sitting in my walker in the back row of the orchestra section.

Wow. I was breathless and completely dazzled by the sets, the choreography and the brilliant voices. It was magnificent and I appreciated the English subtitles. In a former life, I was a violinist and know enough Italian to get myself into trouble. It was an addition that didn’t distract from the performance. [Left: Attila (Furlanetto) and his army of Huns ravage Italy. Photo by Cory Weaver. ]

I want to thank my generous cast member, the performers and the Opera House staff for making my first opera experience a time I will always treasure. I intend to return to see many more performances as long as I am able.

2) The Internet is big.
We mean really big. The worldwide web is a network of networks reaching and connecting billions of users across the globe. The internet has revolutionized the way we shop, connect with friends, get our news and share information about yourselves (YouTube videos, anyone?).

3) We’re thinking more about the environment.
It used to be you called someone “green” and you meant they were a novice. Now, if you call someone green, chances are they’ll wave and thank you as they drive off in their Prius. In the last 40 years we’ve become more conscious of our carbon footprints and many environmental laws have been passed. We try to recycle, we are more conscious of harmful chemicals in our products and reusable bags are a welcome accessory during any grocery shopping trip. 

4) There are a lot of cars in the world.
We mean a lot. It’s official, in 2010 the number of vehicles in the world surpassed one billion. The sheer amount of vehicles on the worldwide roads not only create lengthy drive times in southern California and stress issues from trying to find a parking place in almost any downtown, but it heavily impacts the economy and the environment (see #3 above). You may wonder how many vehicle registrations there were worldwide in 1970? 246,378.

5) We watch a lot of television.
It is estimated that there are 1,416,338,245 televisions in the world today.  Incidentally, China and the US lead the pack on television owners. Television has certainly come a long way since 1972. When Nixon was visiting China there weren’t hundreds of channels, On Demand, DVRs, streaming to computers and smartphones or HD. We have so many choices that there are even television shows like The Soup summing up the week in television shows. Just for kicks: the top-rated US primetime network show in 1972 was All in the Family. Currently? It’s America’s Got Talent.


[Photos from MorgueFile.com]

One of the things I love about conducting opera is the relatively lengthy rehearsal process, where you have time to really get to know the singers.  Every singer’s voice is different, and it’s important to find that elusive ‘groove’ where the music flows naturally, but the singer still has time to breathe and sound as wonderful as possible.  As Colin Davis once said, it's like holding a small bird in your hand - it will die (or at least bite you!) if you hold it too tightly, and fly away if you hold it too loosely.             


This has been my first visit to San Francisco, and I've loved every minute of it.  I'm a total foodie, so I've been eating my way around the city.  Amazing, fat burritos and tacos in the Mission (it's impossible to find this sort of thing in London, where I live), wonderful pizza in North Beach (it was worth the wait!) and amazing sushi in Nob Hill.  I've also done a lot of walking, and the first thing I do when I get home will be to re-sole my shoes!  However, the highlight for me was a day spent sailing in the bay.  I got quite sunburnt, as anyone at the first night of our show may have noticed, but it was an experience I'll remember for a very long time.  It's been wonderful to get to know the city, and a privilege to work at this great and historic opera company. [Above: Rory Macdonald in the San Francisco Opera Orchestra Pit. Photo by Cory Weaver]

The invaluable benefit of watching young people in the arts grow as they work with world-class professionals serves as a reminder to singers, like myself, about the journey of a musician as they develop a childhood interest into a profession. Being present during an opera production from its early construction to the final curtain allows musicians of any age to become accustomed to professional standards that can, in turn, be applied in any setting. It is a preparatory experience for any aspiring artist and one I would strongly endorse. [Photo: Etienne Julius Valdez, Joshua Reinier, and John "Jack" Walsh appear as the Three Spirit Boys in The Magic Flute.  Credit: Cory Weaver.]

As a former courtroom artist, I have drawn people in action since the mid-70’s. I have painted using computer graphics for thirty years, and participated in virtual communities since the early days of CompuServe and The WeLL.

I knew that the iPad was the right medium for painting and sharing images during the opera. No ink would spill; no pencils, pens or erasers would drop; and no fumes would waft.

When I arrived at the center box, I was welcomed by a friendly group of people prepared to share the experience online in real time. I put my iPad in airplane mode and muted it, and turned its screen to its darkest setting. [Above: David Newman's painting inspired by Act II of Nixon in China]

The opera began. It was breathtaking.  How do you capture sets, characters and projected visuals that are continuously in motion? How do you express music, action, supertitles, meanings and feelings, in visual terms? 

I was reminded of the determination and artistry of one of my mentors, the courtroom and combat artist Howard Brodie, who drew gutsy and accurate sketches of soldiers in World War II and Korean theaters of war. Back at home in the Bay Area, during trials, he wore short black opera glasses connected to his glasses that left his hands free to draw.

Musicians and dancers inspire me. When I paint musicians, I get as close as possible.  I use ink on paper so I can work quickly in monochrome.  During Nixon in China, because of my distance and the continuous changes in characters, actions and sets, I created general impressions in full color that had to be more abstract and symbolic than my usual work. [Above: The montage print of David Newman's paintings presented to San Francisco Opera.]

I didn’t plan to tweet my images until I received permission from SF Opera.  My fellow tweeters asked to photograph the works-in-progress, and I agreed. Photos of my iPad screen showing low-resolution images in the context of the event fit well with the spirit of ephemeral social media sharing. Their tweets, and subsequent retweets, were very generous.

After the rehearsal, I used this project as impetus to assemble for the first time several iPad paintings into a single montage containing additional photos, graphic elements and text. I printed it and presented it as gift to SF Opera. I hope to share it publicly in the future.

It was a memorable experience to see the last dress rehearsal of Nixon in China, meet the Opera’s social media team and my fellow Tweeters, and share impressions of what I heard, saw, and felt during the performance.

I hope that my images may inspire people to come to see the opera, without giving away the history–and mystery–revealed during the performance.
[Above: San Francisco Opera gratefully accepts David Newman's gift!]

David Newman is an American artist living in Hayes Valley documenting innovators in Silicon Valley with fine art portraits painted from life on iPad.
http://iPadPortraits.com  http://JAZZinSF.com

For at least seven rehearsal meetings my “Supers” table partner and I had been practicing the choreographed banquet scene for Nixon in China. The table is at least five feet in diameter.

 

Let me back up a little here and introduce myself.  I am a novelist completing my third book, which has the opera world as a back drop; okay, maybe more than that, but that’s all I’m saying for now.  In hopes of solidifying my research, I took four Opera Overture classes put on by San Francisco Opera’s Education department, which I loved.  In class they handed out applications to be a “supernumerary,” a non-speaking, non-singing role in an opera.  [Right: Tess and fellow Super Veronique strike an authoritarian pose. Photo by Michael Harvey. ]

I turned in the application and got the role of Communist Soldier, turned quick-change Waiter, turned quick-change Communist Soldier and found myself a few days later getting ready to spin a giant table.  Which brings us back to “What do you mean when we spin Nixon on the banquet table?”

“Nixon gets on the table,” our assistant stage director, Roy Rallo explained.
“While we’re spinning it?” I asked. 
“Yes.”
“Oh, okay,” I said, plastering on a ventriloquist-doll smile.  Meanwhile, my head felt like a hot air balloon being pumped full of white noise.  I should have known.  With great power comes great responsibility, isn’t that the saying? 

Sure enough, Nixon, the baritone, Brian Mulligan with the brilliant booming voice appeared the next day.  “Hi guys,” he said.  My first thought was, “Okay, spin the table VERY slowly.  My second thought was, DON’T DROP NIXON.”  It has become my mantra.  Tonight is opening night, and I WILL NOT DROP NIXON. [Left: Nixon (Brian Mulligan) and the cast dance during the banquet scene. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

But all semi-joking aside.  I had been researching Verdi and Puccini and Gounod and Bellini, I had never heard of Nixon in China or John Adams, but from the moment the lovely music started to role from the pianist’s fingers and the awesome chorus opened their mouths, I began to fall in love with Adams’s opera. 

Around day eight our rehearsal schedule had names down:  Mulligan, Kanyova, Carfizzi, O’Neill, Yuan, Lee, Costa-Jackson, Baggott, Birkland. “Oh, the principals are coming,” the other supers said.  “Oh wonderful,” I thought.  “Here come the stars!” 

In the daily excitement of trying to learn the choreography and my cues, I was already in heaven hearing our compelling, precise and funny director, Michael Cavanaugh, share his thoughts with the chorus.  I was mesmerized by the moody music coming from the grand piano that sounded at times like snow falling and at others, an all-out storm. There were so many ‘moments’ to just soak in and sigh over.  I already had my personal favorites.  The opening with the music building and the chorus singing, The people are…the heroes now… and later, when Brian Mulligan sings, Let us join hands…

It has been a joy to work with my fellow Supers:  Mike Harvey, Mike S., Carlos, Charlie, Dave, John, Mimi, Kim and the newbies like me:  Helen, Veronique, Lillian and Ruby.  Everyone has been so encouraging and helpful.  Some have been in as many as 70 productions!  Each day we progressed and memorable bonds were formed as we watched, sighed and laughed over our parts and cues.  Yes, laughed.  After each banquet clearing scene, the sound of amused yet exasperated, “Someone took my plate!” was a familiar and strangely comforting sound.  Comforting because it meant we were on our toes and bent on getting it right. Not to mention the terrific stage crew:  Stage Manager Darin Burnett, Lee, Danielle and Lisa Maria have become our islands of calm.  “Supers, ready…Go.” [Right: The team of supernumeraries for Nixon in China. Photo by Michael Harvey.]

The icing on the cake was during our final dress rehearsal when as we were standing in the hallway, looking like communist soldiers, a familiar looking man walked by, grinning and saluting us.  Everyone who knew him was in awe.  Gamer that I am, I returned the equally big grin and saluted him with a flourish.  He laughed and kept walking. 

“That was John Adams!” someone said.  “I thought he might be here opening night.  This is a treat!”  Indeed, it has been and more.  Thank you San Francisco Opera.

Tess Uriza Holthe is the bestselling author of WHEN THE ELEPHANTS DANCE and THE FIVE-FORTY-FIVE TO CANNES).  www.tessurizaholthe.com

San Francisco is one of the best opera houses in the world and as such, certain kinds of protocol are put in place. Once the opera is up on its "feet" or teched, we proceed to the final dress, which is considered a performance. The rehearsal department calls each performer and checks to make sure they are okay for the day's performance. Those are called Wellness Calls. If the artist you are covering isn't well, then you, as the cover, are put on alert. It might be the night you get to set foot on that stage and make some magic! Also, don't go very far from the War Memorial Opera House. Covers need to be 5 minutes away. My husband Austin Kness and I were very lucky as Adlers that our apartment was literally, right across the street and we could cover from home. [Above: Performing at the 2010 Adler Gala Concert; photo by Cory Weaver.]

As a self and family proclaimed fashionista, my favorite part...costumes! Several weeks before the show even opens we are scheduled for fittings. I feel like a child opening Christmas presents on the day of a fitting. The costumes for The Queen of the Night are pretty fabulous, and very complicated. There is a hoop skirt, quilted bodice and skirt, sequined petticoat, and wild headpiece, which are all handmade by the master craftsmen and women of the Costume Department. It looks splendid and weighs a ton. [Right: Costume fitting as The Queen of the Night.]

Finally, my other favorite part of the cover process, getting to do the cover staging. We have sat in weeks of rehearsals watching our colleagues and now is our chance to get on our feet. With the help of the Assistant Stage Director and Maestro, we are both musically and physically, inhabiting our roles. During our Nixon in China cover staging, we had musical rehearsals along with our staging. It was invaluable to sing through the difficult score with my colleagues and Maestro Joe Marcheso. Putting the music with the staging becomes even more difficult. You may have the score memorized, but once you are on your feet, it all goes out the window and you start at square one. That is why once you have a role "in your body" it sticks with you forever.

I am and will be forever grateful to the San Francisco Opera for the opportunities I have had performing and covering as an Adler Fellow and now, a professional artist. These preparations of roles and moments of on-your-feet brilliance become defining to any artist.

In June 1989, I was transfixed, along with the rest of the world, by TV coverage of democracy protests in Beijing.  I saw students erect tent villages in the monumental plain of Tiananmen Square, stage hunger strikes, build a papier-mâché Statue of Liberty and issue manifestos calling for political reform - all with the support of the Chinese people and, it seemed, the acquiescence of China’s Communist leaders.  The hope that China might grant political freedoms to match economic ones was intoxicating.  But I watched for another reason.  I was about to move to China for a year to teach English, possibly to some of these very same students.  What an opportunity to witness a country is such historic transition!

  [Tiananmen Square. Photo by AP Jeff Widener]                                                                       

Weeks later I found myself in the midst of a very different story.  After a power struggle, China’s leaders had dispatched tanks and troops to clear the square, killing hundreds - perhaps thousands.  As brutal as the military crackdown was, the censorship that followed was equally devastating.  The heroic storyline of the protests was replaced by a party line that blamed a group of ‘black hands’ for threatening China’s stability.  Traumatized, students returned home unable to publicly discuss their experience.  With campuses locked and the economy sputtering, many pursued the only available option: studying abroad, which meant taking a standardized English test.  These were the students I befriended during my year in China. They surprised me in many ways.      
                                                                                                                                                                                
First, they still knew how to party.  We cooked and drank together, visited amusement parks, went on picnics.  Second, their frustrations were fully matched by their pragmatism.  Stifled, depressed and utterly rejected by their own government, they still sensed economic opportunity would soon return.  With an intuitive sense of history that is their birthright, many young Chinese positioned themselves to take advantage of China’s inevitable rise.  They were my peers and, in self-imposed exile from my own country, I came to feel like one of them.

 [John Bischoff with students, 1989-90]














Nixon in China would have had plenty to say to me then.  But as it turns out, I’m a newcomer to the piece.  Like only opera can do, it once again lands me in a place that feels both foreign and familiar and asks me to hold on fast as a somewhat surreal version of history unfolds.  It works with ‘impressionistic shards’ of memory, as director Michael Cavanagh calls them:  not just sharp images like the news flashes imprinted on our collective memory of Mao and Nixon shaking hands, for instance, but also soft-edged ones like Pat Nixon’s vision of a passerby looking in at a large family seated around a table and Madame Mao's lingering taste of wild apricots.  My own memories of China are often like that:  strikingly vivid and strangely disjointed.

                                [John Bischoff with Mao in China, 1989-90]


Even after a brief acquaintance with Nixon in China, the opera’s sights, sounds and words stick in my head:  the somber beauty of the opening scales that ripple upwards, the great dance-hall-meets-Debussy theme underscoring the dream-like third act, the machine-gun repetitiveness of Mao’s and Nixon’s verbal sparring and the visionary poetry written for Chou En-Lai in the banquet scene.  He sings, “We toast that endless province whose frontier we occupy from hour to hour, holding in perpetuity the ground our people won today from vision to inheritance.”  It’s a lesson I learned during my year in China and have come to appreciate on a daily basis.  Nixon in China reminds me of its truth.  Each moment does represent a new frontier, a foreign country in which we are given the uneasy task of trying to understand, follow and create our own history.
                                      

Now, I won’t go into personal details, but here are some things I watch/listen for in Nixon that made me fall in love with the cast and crew throughout the rehearsal process:

Revolutionary Ballet—one of the most beautiful and brutal dance numbers I’ve ever seen in an operatic setting (and the only one which involves Henry Kissinger to my knowledge).

Keep an ear out for the trio—Jazzy three part secretary-singing that at once evokes the Andrew Sisters, Greek Chorus and Three Ladies from The Magic Flute.

Flesh Rebels chorus—This makes me want to march every time. [Above: Flesh Rebels]

Makeup design of Nixon, Kissinger and Mao. Anyone need some political impersonators?

Now I don’t need to tell you to listen for the orchestra; however, I find it interesting that despite the difficulty of the music (for instrumentalists and vocalists alike), the score weaves these difficult rhythmic/melodic elements into an ultimately ‘listenable’ fabric. You may walk out humming some of the tunes.

Keep an eye out for the pigs. That’s all I’m going to say. I don’t know why I love the pig part, but I do. Even more than the elephants.

Moments of singing I wait for:

Nixon—The lovely, red-wood tone and immediacy of Brian’s singing finds the humanity in one of our country’s most vilified presidents—His aria News which devolves into The rats begin to chew the sheets contains an heroic arc that Brian interprets beautifully. [Above: We knew he could play piano, but who knew he could sing?]

Pat Nixon’s aria:Act II: elegant, delicately dark singing (and one of the best decrescendos I have ever heard) will leave you weeping. I tear up every flippin’ time.

[Right: Pat tells all]

Mao Tse Tung - Act 1 scene II: Stentorian, athletic singing throughout: how the heck does he do that? And then he shifts gear into vocally gorgeous sounds on command. Again, how the heck does he do that?

Madame Mao Tse Tung’s rock solid leaps into the stratosphere will make you want to cheer upon finishing her Act II tour de force number.




[Left: The Mao sing off: “The Great Helmsman” vs “The White Boned Demon.” Now that is a battle I’d like to see!]    

Kissinger—Lush tone, Meryl Streep chops and holds his own with the ballet corps? Whats not to like? Check out all the vocal color differences between Act 1 and 2.

[Below: "You may have the personality, but I have the dance moves"]

Chou En-Lai—the Bassoon like quality of this guy’s pipes just sends me... I especially wait to hear his final act:  “I have no offspring...” lines. Haunting.

Yes, I am showmanced. Any of you who are on the fence: give Nixon a try. You may find yourself showmanced a little, too. 

 



[Left: 2nd Secretary, at attention! Photo by Cory Weaver]










 

Once I had become thoroughly fascinated with Richard Nixon and his life’s work, I decided it was time to take a trip to Nixon’s Graceland: Yorba Linda, CA. It’s the site of his Presidential Library & Museum and also his birthplace. The Museum contains an unbelievable array of personal artifacts from Nixon’s life, including the entire house he was born in, which is on the grounds of the estate. Just next to that small house is the burial place of both Richard and Pat Nixon, their graves side by side. I sat for a while across from their tombstones, grateful to be alone so I could take in the entirety of the moment, creating a searing sense memory. In Act 1, Scene 2 of the opera, as I’m singing the “Fathers and Sons” monologue, I am thinking of Nixon’s own mother and father, and can clearly see the image of his childhood home. I imagine Nixon could have envisioned the same picture whenever he thought of his parents. [Above: The birthplace and home of Richard Nixon.  Photo by Brian Mulligan.]
 

Most times while I am on the stage, I utilize sense or emotional memories to replicate authentic feelings. It’s a principle I learned from Stanislavski’s An Actor Prepares, which I first encountered while at Juilliard. The idea is simple: draw from past experienced senses and/or emotions as you are performing to bring depth and true feeling to your character. For me, it works. Because Nixon in China was a true story set in modern times, I realized I had a unique opportunity to create a multitude of exact sense memories that could prove invaluable to my portrayal of Nixon. After further thought, I recognized that many of the sense memories I wanted to experience were actually in China. I decided I just had to experience the country for myself. Very quickly, I spoke with my manager, cleared my schedule and booked a two week adventure for April of 2012. Wow!
 

My trip to China was a surprising, inspirational, life altering experience. It all began by flying into Beijing’s airport and actually deplaning directly to the tarmac, recreating the iconic Nixon moment from Act 1, Scene 1. My trip was filled with these kinds of events, providing me a trove of sense memories to pull from during my performances. I tasted my first Maotai cocktail (which was nasty!) as Nixon does in Act 1, Scene 3. I went to the Peking Opera, bewildered to hear those strange and foreign sounds emanating from the stage, just as Nixon experiences in Act 2, Scene 2. I saw the Great Hall of the People, astonished at the immense expanse of Tiananmen Square, just as Nixon does in Act 1, Scene 3. I went to the Ming Tombs and touched the cool stone of a great elephant statue that stands along the Sacred Way, just as Pat does in Act 2, Scene 1. And I climbed the Great Wall, just as the Nixons did together on their trip in 1972. Of course, I also created my own memories of China, having visited Chonqing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Xi’an, as well as enjoying a cruise along the gorgeous Yangtze River. I’m sure the unforgettable memories from those excursions will color my portrayal of Richard Nixon too. [Above: The Great Wall of China.  Photo by Brian Mulligan.]
 

The parallels between Nixon’s trip to China and mine are deeper than just following in his footsteps. We both left China changed men. We share that emotional memory. Nixon returned from his trip victorious, ending decades of silence between China and the United States. I was returning victorious too. Through my years of research on Richard Nixon, I had learned who I really am as an artist. Never have I put so much into a role, and never have I felt so good about my work. My battle with Nixon in China was far from over, but as Nixon taught me, the struggle was to be savored... and I sure have savored it. In Nixon’s memoirs, he says, “I think that to create great music is one of the highest aspirations man can set for himself.”. I like to think he would have approved of my performance. I’m certain he would have appreciated my effort! [Above: An elephant statue seen by Brian Mulligan on his trip to China.]

As American concerns about the spread of Communism grew during the 1950s, the gulf between the People's Republic and the United States widened. At the Geneva conference of 1954, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles made a very public display of his unwillingness to negotiate with the Chinese when he snubbed the outstretched hand of Chinese premier Chou En-lai. 

Not only was American opinion firmly opposed to China, Richard Nixon did not seem likely to make any peaceful overtures. In fact he established his reputation with a firm stance against Communism. While in Congress, Nixon served on the House Un-American Activities Committee, playing a primary role in the investigation of the alleged Soviet spy Alger Hiss. 

Nor was Mao Tse-tung at all inclined to favor the Americans, or foreigners in general. He felt the US was determined to destroy the revolution the Communists had worked so hard to achieve. China fought for North Korea during the Korean War, supported the Communists in Vietnam, and funneled aid to anti-Western movements throughout Asia. And in 1966 the Cultural Revolution effectively closed China to the world. 

So from 1949 onward China and the US had virtually no interactions: no trade passed directly between the two countries; no American journalists reported from China or vice versa; no athletes competed against each other. But by the late 1960s, opinions on both sides began to change. China recognized how isolated it was, the long war in Vietnam dampened anti-Communist fervor in the US, and both countries realized each could act as a check on the Soviet Union for the other. So in 1969, Nixon's National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger began to lay the groundwork for negotiations.  [Left: Nixon in China opera; photo by Cory Weaver.]

In his typical grandiose style, Nixon dubbed his visit, "the week that changed the world."  Adams' and Goodman's opera reflects this sense of history-in-the-making in Nixon's Act I aria, "News, News, News." The aria follows directly after Nixon and Chou En-lai shake hands, alleviating the memory of Dulles' snub 18 long years before:  

Though we spoke quietly
The eyes and ears of history
Caught every gesture
And every word, transforming us
As we, transfixed,
Made history.

What had seemed so improbable now seemed like destiny.  

For further reading, check out Margaret MacMillan's Nixon and Mao: The Week that Changed the World.
 

January 13
New York mafiosi Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno and Carmine Peruccia are sentenced to 100 years in prison for racketeering.

January 22
Pennsylvania Treasurer Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself with a revolver during a televised press conference after being found guilty on charges of bribery, fraud, conspiracy, and racketeering.

January 31
The last Ohrbach's department store closes in New York City after 64 years of operation.

February 23
Supernova 1987A—the first "naked-eye" supernova since 1604—is observed. [Below: Supernova 1987A; Wikimedia Commons.]

March 4
President Ronald Reagan addresses the American people on the Iran-Contra Affair, acknowledging that his overtures to Iran had “deteriorated” into an arms-for-hostages deal.

March 9
U2 releases their studio album The Joshua Tree.

May 22
First ever Rugby World Cup kicks off with New Zealand playing Italy at Eden Park, Auckland.

March 24
Michael Eisner, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and French Prime Minister and future President of France, Jacques Chirac, sign the agreement to construct the 4,800 acres Euro Disney Resort (now called Disneyland Paris).

April 13
Portugal and the People's Republic of China sign an agreement in which Macau would be returned to China in 1999.

April 19
The Simpsons cartoon first appears as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.

June 11
The Conservative Party of the United Kingdom, led by Margaret Thatcher, is re-elected for a third term.

June 30
Canada introduces a one dollar coin, nicknamed the "Loonie."

July 4
A court in Lyon sentences former Gestapo boss Klaus Barbie to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity.

July 21
Guns N’ Roses releases the album Appetite for Destruction.

July 22
Palestinian cartoonist Naji Salim al-Ali is shot in London; he dies August 28.

August 19
–ABC News' chief Middle East correspondent Charles Glass escapes his Hezbollah kidnappers in Beirut,  Lebanon, after 62 days in captivity.
–England’s Order of the Garter is opened to women. [Left: Representation of the garter; photo by Nicholas Jackson/Wikimedia Commons.]

August 31
Michael Jackson releases his hit album Bad.

September 7–September 21
The world's first conference on artificial life is held at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

September 17
At a small rally in Harlem, televangelist Pat Robertson announces his candidacy for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination.

October 11
The first National Coming Out Day is held in celebration of the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

October 14–October 16
The United States is caught up in a drama that unfolds on television as a young child, Jessica McClure, falls down a well in Midland, Texas, and is later rescued.

October 19
Black Monday: stock market levels fall sharply on Wall Street and around the world.

October 22
Nixon in China by John Adams, with a libretto by Alice Goodman, premieres at Houston Grand Opera under the leadership of David Gockley. [Below: Nixon in China opera; photo by Tim Matheson.]

November 18
Iran-Contra affair: U.S. Senate and House panels release reports charging President Ronald Reagan with “ultimate responsibility” for the affair.

November 22
Max Headroom broadcast signal intrusion incident: unknown perpetrators hijack the signal of WGN-TV for about 20 seconds, and WTTW for about 90 seconds, where a strange video of a man in a mask from the 1987 science fiction television series character, Max Headroom, is displayed.

November 25
Category 5 typhoon, Nina, smashes the Philippines with 165 miles per hour (266 km/h) winds and a devastating storm surge, causing destruction and 1,036 deaths.

December 2
Hustler Magazine vs. Jerry Falwell is argued before the US Supreme Court.

December 9
Microsoft releases Windows 2.0.

For even more information on the year 1987, please visit Wikipedia.

All above information acquired from Wikipedia through the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

It gets even better. I then stumbled upon something that I didn’t even know existed:  BRAVO! Tix for members, which are heavily discounted opera tickets—$50 for Orchestra seating, $35 for Dress Circle. While going to the opera used to be a limited treat because it was so expensive, I am now able to go all the time because a trip to the opera house isn’t that much more expensive than going to the movies. It’s the best deal in town as far as I’m concerned.

I’m not an opera expert, and not all my friends go to opera all the time. But you know what, I’m zeroing in on my favorite opera, and making new opera-going friends every day. And I’m doing it without breaking the bank thanks to BRAVO! Tix. Luckily, it turns out San Francisco Opera and BRAVO! are for people just like me. 

Sylvia can often be seen at the Opera House, and when you do see her, she will often cheerfully inform you that she has just come from attending a non-profit board meeting or cooking for 100 people at a function.  Or, after a four-hour final dress rehearsal of Die Walkure, she’ll be on her way to a concert, another board meeting, or fundraiser.  These would be “light” days for Sylvia. [Right: General Director David Gockley can't hide his affection for Sylvia. Photo by Drew Altizer.]

Her passion for opera and the arts is not just about her own enjoyment; it’s about introducing it to others. For almost a decade, she has chaired the African-American Theater Party at San Francisco Opera.  At this annual event, Sylvia brings together a diverse community in the Opera House while honoring an African-American artist from a mainstage opera production.  Sylvia and her committee do everything, right down to licking the stamps for the invitations.  And hundreds of new people (including students) have come to San Francisco Opera for the first time as a result.

 Sylvia also is one of our greatest advocates for outreach to underserved schoolchildren.  Each year she brings groups of kids to attend performances at the War Memorial Opera House.  Most recently she sponsored a group of 40 children to attend last fall’s "Carmen for Families." This was the first opera performance for many of them. [Left: Sylvia accepts the Spirit of the Opera award, as well as a personalized apron signed by the staff of San Francisco Opera. Photo by Drew Altizer.]

As a retired Chief Nutritionist of Food Service of the Veterans Administration in Martinez, Sylvia knows food. She has many times graciously volunteered her time and talent to coordinate post-performance meals that she cooks—herself—for our artists, staff and crew.  Everyone, from the residents of Catfish Row to the Gods of Valhalla, has been treated to Sylvia’s legendary South Carolina hospitality, barbeque ribs, and chicken.
 
Sylvia makes sure that everyone feels like a part of the family. Box Office staff member Marcy Bastiani recalls, “One year we had a performance on Thanksgiving night.  Sylvia knew that those of us in the Box Office would not be able to have Thanksgiving dinner with our families because we would have to work.  She surprised us by arriving with a complete homemade turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and we all enjoyed it together.  All of us who worked that night will never forget her caring and generosity. She means the world to me.” [Right: San Francisco Opera staff enjoy Sylvia's famous barbecue following the final dress rehearsal of "The Girl of the Golden West."]

And she means the world to our Company. Congratulations, Sylvia!

To read more about Sylvia Lindsey, check out this great article from May 13 in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Now, inspired kids and teachers are eagerly collecting materials to build sets, paint backdrops and create props for their own original operas and they’ll even have a Production Artist visit from the scene shop to assist in making their ideas come to life.  What’s additionally exciting about exploring the production process is discovering connections. There’s science, math and physics in exploring the properties of materials. Just what does it take to make cardboard stand up, paper hold its shape or colors mix together? Good communication and organization skills are needed as well. How do you describe a process, explain an idea, delegate jobs and create schedules? The students learned that a process needs to be in place in addition to all the fun. [Above: Rooftop students show off their paint-covered hands.]

There was something for everyone that can be used anywhere, anytime, in school or out. For sure, lifelong learning happened the day we visited the opera scene shop and a lifelong memory was made. We all gained a deep appreciation of what it takes to make the magic of opera come to life.

But best of all, the kids learned that they can make magic too.

My duties have changed since then and I am still happily ensconced in the Artistic Department, still coordinating travel and visas for artists and now also assisting our fantastic Music Director, Nicola Luisotti.  It has been a bit of a charmed life so far.  I wouldn’t have had the opera in my life if it hadn’t been for my mother.  After retirement she returns to the opera on a regular basis at age 81, not just as a patron but as a volunteer and every opening night we are backstage together singing the national anthem amongst our friends and colleagues.   We went from being Lola and Lola’s daughter to Valentina and Valentina’s mother over the years, but we are lucky and blessed that our lives still continue at the opera.

I could also be seen onstage occasionally and not always because I was cast. Once I was found crawling onto the stage during a performance of Magic Flute at Zellerbach in Berkeley and picked up by the suspenders by then-General Director Kurt Herbert Adler. On another occasion, Adler commented to my mother that at the age of five, I was one of the only people still awake after a five-hour performance of Die Meistersinger.

As the years went by I discovered my own love for the stage and appeared in many productions as a supernumerary, or ‘super.’ One evening I distinctly remember sitting at the stage door waiting for my mother and thinking to myself, “I’d like to work here someday.” I went on to study drama and acting at SF State University and upon graduation, preferring a steady paycheck to the daily anxiety of the audition process and after a friend suggested to mom that there might be an opening, I called the then-house stage director to inquire about the position. I interviewed and was hired as a seasonal rehearsal assistant in 1987. [Above: Valentina and her mother Lola in a dressing room at the opera house.]

Be sure to check back later this week to hear the rest of Valentina's story...

Currently, San Francisco Opera ARIA Network classrooms are performing 46 original mini-operas between April and June, 2012. Below, check out this great video from West Portal Elementary about the rehearsal process and mini-opera performance from last year!

The Session 3 participants were given the opportunity to stand on part of the set for Heart of a Soldier. We were able to view the set up close and learn about the challenges and considerations that went into making sure that the set worked and had all the appropriate props for each performance. We learned about the engineering and building of the set for Heart of a Soldier, and what it was like working on a world premiere opera from the point of view of some members of the production department staff. [Left: Former Adler Fellow Leah Crocetto demonstrates good singing technique for Overture participants.]

In Session 4 we heard one of Liu’s arias from Turandot (sung by San Francisco Conservatory of Music student Julie Adams) and watched director Jose Maria Condemi interpret the meaning of the aria by adding staging to the performance. 

We even got a taste of what it felt like to perform. In Session 2 the speaker treated us like real singers by having us all get up and perform a breathing exercise. In Session 4 we were “directed” and treated like real supernumeraries on the stage. Jose Maria directed us in a scene from Act I of last season’s Turandot.  

I truly enjoyed all of the workshops I attended—they were very educational, fun and inspiring. I learned many things that I would have never known otherwise! I was face to face with creative members of the production teams and got the inside story by learning firsthand from actual orchestra members, department heads, singers, and directors. [Right: Assistant Costume Director Christopher Verdosci explains the magic of costuming.]

I highly recommend the Overture Workshops to any opera fan who is looking for extra information and enrichment. They are like seminars…but a lot more fun!

The next four-session series of Overture Workshops is scheduled for four consecutive Mondays from April 23 to May 14.

Visit sfopera.com/workshops for more information. 

January 16
The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Miami Dolphins 24–3 at Super Bowl VI.

January 20
The number of unemployed citizens in the United Kingdom exceeds 1 million for the first time since World War II.

January 25
Shirley Chisholm, the first African American Congresswoman, announces her candidacy for president of the United States of America.

January 30
Bloody Sunday: In Derry, Northern Ireland, the British Army kills 14 unarmed civil rights marchers.

February 3–February 13
The Winter Olympics are held in Sapporo, Japan.

February 5
Inspection of passengers and baggage becomes mandatory for all US airlines.

February 9
The British government declares a state of emergency over a miners' strike.

February 21–February 28
President Richard Nixon visits the People's Republic of China and meets with Mao Zedong. [Below: Nixon in China opera; photo by Tim Matheson]

March 2
The Pioneer 10 spacecraft is launched from Cape Kennedy, making it the first man-made satellite to leave the solar system.

March 13
Journalist and author, Clifford Irving, admits to a New York court that he had fabricated Howard Hughes' "autobiography."

March 24
Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Godfather is released nationally in the US.

March 25
ABC airs its final episode of Bewitched, starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick Sargent, titled, "The Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Sam."

April 7
Vietnam War veteran Richard McCoy, Jr. hijacks a United Airlines airplane and extorts $500,000; he is later captured.

April 17
The Boston Marathon is held—this is the first time women are officially allowed to compete.

April 29
The fourth anniversary of the Broadway musical Hair is celebrated with a free concert in New York City’s Central Park, followed by dinner at the Four Seasons. Thirteen Black Panther protesters and the show's co-author, Jim Rado, are arrested for disturbing the peace and for possession of marijuana.

May 24
The Magnavox Odyssey video game system is first demo-ed, marking the dawn of the video game age; it goes on sale to the public in August.

June 3
Sally Priesand becomes the first female US rabbi.

June 17
Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Hotel

June 23
Watergate scandal: President Richard Nixon and White House chief of staff H. R. Haldeman are taped talking about using the CIA to obstruct the FBI's investigation into the Watergate break-ins.

June 28
President Richard Nixon announces that no new draftees will be sent to Vietnam.

July
Actress Jane Fonda tours North Vietnam, during which she is photographed sitting on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun.

July 8
The US sells ¼ of the nation’s grain supply to the Soviet Union for $750 million. Within a few months, food prices sharply rise across the country as the result of US grain stores being depleted. [Below: wheat field; photo from MorgueFile.com]

July 21
Comedian George Carlin is arrested by Milwaukee police for public obscenity for reciting his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" at Summerfest.

August 4
Arthur Bremer is jailed for 63 years for shooting conservative Alabama governor George Wallace.

August 12
The last US ground troops are withdrawn from Vietnam.

August 21
The Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida, re-nominates President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew for a second term.

September 4
The first episode of The Price Is Right, hosted by Bob Barker, airs on CBS.

September 21
Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos issues Proclamation No. 1081[5], placing the entire country under martial law.

October 25
The first female FBI agents are hired.

November 7
US presidential election: Republican incumbent Richard Nixon defeats Democratic Senator George McGovern in a landslide. The election had the lowest voter turnout since 1948, with only 55 percent of the electorate voting.

November 19
Seán Mac Stíofáin, a leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, is arrested in Dublin after giving an interview to RTÉ.

November 29
Atari kicks off the first generation of video games with the release of their seminal arcade version of Pong, the first game to achieve commercial success. 

December 11
Apollo 17 lands on the moon. This is the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century. [Left: moon; photo from MorgueFile.com]

December 31
The US ban on the pesticide DDT takes effect.

For even more information on the year 1972, please visit Wikipedia.

All above information acquired from Wikipedia through the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

(Excerpts)

Pistis Sophia 1:17 (also 24 and 25) Jesus says, “Mary, blessed one, whom I will complete in all the mysteries of the height, speak openly, you are she whose heart is more directed to the Kingdom of Heaven than all your brothers.”

Philip, II. “And the companion of the Savior was Mary Magdalene: he loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on the mouth.”

Dialogue of the Savior, 37: 2-7: “The Lord said, ‘Pray in the place where there is no woman… that is, destroy the works of the female.’ Mary said, ‘They will never be destroyed.’”

Peter, in the Gnostic Pistis Sophia, (Faith Wisdom: hereafter Pistis Sophia) I, 36-27 describes Mary as follows: “My Lord, we are not able to suffer this woman who takes the opportunity from us, and does not allow any one of us to speak, but she speaks many times!”)

Thomas, v. 113-114: “Simon Peter said to them, ‘Make Mary leave us, for females don’t deserve life.’” Jesus said, ‘Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living sprit resembling you males.’”

Pistis Sophia, p. 29: “Mary said to the Savior, ‘I am afraid of Peter, for he threatens me and hates all my sex.’”

Mary 5:1-3:
“The disciples were distressed and wept greatly. ‘How are we going to go out to the rest of the world to preach the good news?... If they didn’t spare him, how will they spare us?’ Then Mary stood up… and addressed her brothers. ‘Do not weep or grieve or be in doubt: for his grace will be with you all, and grace will shelter you. He has joined us together, and [has] made us true human beings. Go, and preach the good news.’ And Peter said, ‘Has he spoken secretly to a woman and not openly… [to us]? Surely he did not mean that she is more worthy than we?’  Mary said, ‘Peter, my brother, do you think that I’ve made all this up…? … Or that I am telling lies…? [And] Levi said [to Peter,] ‘Peter, you have a constant inclination to anger and you are always ready to give in to it. And even now you are doing exactly that by questioning this woman as if you’re her adversary. If he found her to be worthy, who are you to disregard her? For he knew her completely and loved her devotedly. [Instead,] we should do as were commanded… and not be laying down [any] rules or making laws’… After he said these things, Levi left and began to preach the good news.”
 

I started listening to Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts while in high school in the early 1930’s. Later, I had the good fortune to marry an Italian who grew up with opera and whose mother sang in the San Francisco Opera chorus in the early days. We could not afford tickets but listened to our records regularly with the libretto in hand. After my husband’s stroke 45 years ago, I turned to opera. I took a 30-day, whirlwind tour and saw 21 operas! Eight were by Wagner, and seven of the eight were at the Bayreuth Festspiele, with accompanying lectures every day. I was hooked then, and have been ever since. You might not believe it, but I swear that opera has kept me alive and kicking all these years!

Der Ring des Nibelungen became a way of life, so much so that I saw my 63rd Ring cycle in Luxembourg last December. Why do I keep returning to the Ring? For one thing, I need my fix. But more than that, much like Siegfried, I want the answer to a question that Wagner struggled with all his life: What is it that will help mankind live in harmony with his neighbors? Yes, Brunnhilde ultimately reached enlightenment, but do we always have to go through such turmoil to be redeemed? The ending music in Götterdämmerung is uplifting, but the road there is too devastating for us ordinary mortals. I will keep thinking about this as I keep exploring different versions around the world. [Right: Verna is interviewed by television crews in Shanghai.]
 
There have been many adventures along the way. Two years ago I was in Shanghai to see the Cologne Ring. In Shanghai, elders are respected and revered, and I was treated like a celebrity, being interviewed on TV twice. And I was invited to see the Beijing Ring, which might happen as early as 2014. Of course I’m planning to go!
 

[Left: Verna meets one of her youngest fans at the Ring in Shanghai.]

In Luxembourg, a group of singers from Paris and instrumentalists from Portugal presented their Ring Saga, a 12-hour version of the Ring done in three days in eight cities, on consecutive weekends, with an orchestra of only 17 members. My seat was only two feet from the concert master—how hard he worked! The artists were wonderful! I visited with them during intermissions and asked the flute player to take a picture since I was too shaky. She insisted I sit in her chair, and the oboe player put his oboe in my hand—what fun. When invited backstage by the manager because she heard it was my 63rd cycle, the orchestra members wanted a picture with me. I was even given a bottle of their label champagne to take home.
[Below: Verna joins members of the orchestra in Luxembourg.]

Although I’m obviously a Wagner fan, I do know there is opera beyond Wagner: I’ve taught classes on Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, even Bellini. But never Wagner; I wouldn’t know where to begin.

Being part of the opera world has given me such a rich, exciting, and adventurous life. And I’ve loved supporting San Francisco Opera, which is why I joined the Bel Canto Legacy Society and made a legacy gift to the Opera. I know my gift will help enrich the lives of future audience members by keeping the opera art form alive and well.

So I hope you’ll join me during one of my future treks to see the Ring yet again. Coming up: number 64!
 

The key to conceptualizing a successful opera design is to have a flexible and open mind and to listen to the music without any preconceived ideas. Sometimes not knowing gives us great mental freedom and opens our imagination. It is like being in a heavy fog, knowing something great is beyond it and, as it starts clearing, patiently seeing fantastic possibilities reveal themselves. My goal is to extract a design that emerges from the essence of the music rather than to decorate its story.

In my studio work I am always aware that nothing exists by itself. Pattern and composition are born out of the relationships between different elements of the artwork and emerge from conversations between myself, the materials and my mark making. Much of my studio work applies itself to issues of scale and the perspectives of the moving viewer with relation to the piece. It is essential to develop the most positive spatial attitude between the artwork, environment and viewer. I try to change the space so a binding relationship unites the concepts of the artwork with the surrounding nature, architecture, and viewer’s experience. [Above: Costume sketch for the Queen of the Night]

To me, opera is music and stands alone as such. The stage, costume and lighting design are supporting elements and visual expressions. This approach presents important and fundamental conceptual design issues. The design I create needs to integrate with the music naturally and spontaneously so we feel the music and design as one unified expression rather than experiencing the music and stage production moving parallel as an opera. [Left: Jun Kaneko in his studio]

Integrating all of the synchronous connecting elements in an opera is the most difficult challenge in its design. My challenge is to find a way to shrink the distance between the music and the visual elements and to conceive visuals that fuse the music and design as one experience.

The premise that knowing we could all die in a moment’s notice, proves that all of us should go for broke even if the risks are high. Taking the big chances and diving in the deep end makes us vulnerable but in that vulnerability is where boldness is born and big ideas are realized. In the recession that Americans face today, the arts community and our artistic institutions have to resist the urge to be cautious and calculated. It’s time to make big and smart choices.

This starts with revitalizing the artistic and creative outlets available to our children in enrolled in grammar or high school. Music classes were a requisite and hallmark to a sound, public education in years past. Unfortunately, in light of budgetary concerns and education competitiveness from Asian and middle eastern countries, these classes have been truncated and in some cases totally removed as part of a child’s learning curve. What our legislators fail to see is that music and art have been a large part of keeping our children on the competitive edge, graduating, and prevailing in the long term. The National Association for Music Education concluded in 2007 that high schools with a coherent music and arts program inherent to a child’s daily curriculum had a national graduation rate of 90.2 percent. High schools that did not offer these programs had a staggeringly lower rate of graduation at 72.9 percent. Moreover, the survey showed that young adults who took the SAT exam for entrance into university that were offered a music education scored more than 100 points higher on their exams than students without a music education.

Consider, alternatively, that in the advent of the video gaming culture and online media entertainment, a lifestyle of playing an instrument is far less prevalent today than it was even 20 years ago. In an LA Times piece from 2009, it found a shocking 60% decrease in the purchase of new and used pianos in American homes and schools between 1998 and 2009. Families and schools, with pressing financial concerns opt for cheaper outlets into music and thus the piano, once a staple of the American living room and music classroom is being phased out in favor of more digital, cheaper devises. Less real fundamental music in the home and at school has shown to have devastating impacts in the classroom and afterwards. [Above: Michael Fabiano as Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

The impact of these numbers is breathtaking. Participation in the arts is a clear motivating factor for young adults on the edge of dropping out or staying in school. These young people that desire to sing, to dance, to play an instrument, or to paint will come to school if they have the courses available to them which inevitably keeps them enrolled in mathematics and the other staples of the educational cycle. Hence, children and young adults are more likely to succeed in graduating. And it’s not just graduation and retention rates that are important. The level of achievement during and after high school of students with a music education is even more critical. Some of our most important innovators in Silicon Valley were musicians themselves or had a grand passion for music, like Steve Jobs.

It’s so necessary to remind ourselves of the promise that music has on our psyche and our soul. Imagine a world where music would cease to exist. Take one day and remove music from your life. If the TV is on, put it on mute or at least, mute it during the commercials. Turn off your ipod. Turn off the radio. Refraining from listening to music could make one realize how dependent we are on something that is so implicit in our lives that we take for granted every day. It’s this anecdote and the various arguments that I’ve made that demonstrate how music and the arts have to be a part of our lives and more narrowly, a part of a child’s destiny. [Above: Michael Fabiano with Renee Fleming in Lucrezia Borgia. Photo by Cory Weaver.]

So how do we move forward? How does America instill in a new generation of leaders, foundations, and governmental institutions even, the need to make music and art an intrinsic attribute of a child’s educative process, especially in our pressing economic condition? This is going to be a recurring theme on my website and something that I open up to all of the readers here and ask for your input.

Read the remainder of Michael Fabiano’s blog post at http://michaelfabianotenor.com/2011/10/a-giant-flies-with-the-angels-america-is-reminded-of-it%e2%80%99s-promise/#more-626

Opera designer and director John Pascoe created the designs for this fanciful and opulent production of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia in 2008 with Washington National Opera and Renee Fleming.

With the opening of our third opera of the season less than a week away, we decided to whet your appetite with John Pascoe's gorgeous costume sketches for this production, which marks the first time we have ever ever presented the opera in our history.

Susan Rescorla recently published her own book, Touched by a Hero, A 9/11 Widow's Journal of Love & Legacy. The book explores the transformation of her personal tragedy into a story of patriotism, and is a testament to the healing power of an international community dedicated to preserving the legacy of a genuine American hero. The following is an excerpt from Touched by a Hero. [Below: Rick and Susan Rescorla. Photo courtesy of Susan Rescorla.]

Rick maintained his connections with family and friends in Cornwall and visited frequently. When the news of his role in 9/11 surfaced, it spread quickly. His singing during the evacuation of the South Tower of not only God Bless America, but also Cornish songs, including Men of Cornwall, added to the pride of his countrymen. Mervyn Sullivan, Rick’s childhood friend, was not surprised to learn of Rick’s singing in the midst of the attacks:

Touched by a Hero is for sale at the San Francisco Opera Shop.

American Bass-Baritone Michael Sumuel has participated in our Merola Opera Program and even sang a Schwabacher Debut Recital last season, but

Opening night is drawing closer! I came into this process knowing that it would be just that-a process. It isn't often that you'll make an important debut with a company such as San Francisco Opera in a world premiere with the composer and librettist present and telling the true story of three remarkable human beings. It is an overwhelming task to concisely describe the process up to this point but I am incredibly grateful to be just one piece within a larger scope. 

We all had the honor of being visited by a distinguished retired general, General Mike Myatt, prior to an afternoon rehearsal. It was awe inspiring to hear his incredible personal stories as well as secondhand accounts of Rick Rescorla. One thing that General Mike Myatt mentioned and continues to resonate with me is that a true soldier runs toward the challenge, never in the opposite direction regardless of how difficult it may be. [Retired Major General J. Michael Myatt with Francesca Zambello speaking with the cast of Heart of a Soldier. Photo by Michael Mustacchi.]