The Taste of O
Cultivating a passion for OPERA
HOW OPERA IS MADE…
a special event from the Lincoln Opera Project
by Meriah Kruse
This article originally appeard in the March 2008 Nougat Magazine
Thanks to various inventions, such as the DVD, we are now privy to an array of information about creative process that never existed before. For instance, we are now able to see inside the making of many of our favorite films. We can listen to the director’s thoughts about: her original idea; casting and location choices; interactions between camera, sound, and action. We can even take a look at the deleted scenes and sometimes learn why the director and editing team decided to completely eliminate scenes which took months to write, cast, dress, light, direct, rehearse, film and edit.
Fascinating stuff for the filmgoer interested in not only the film’s final form, but the path to its accomplishment. With the explosion of electronic media and the accompanying democratization of information flow, it’s possible to interact with many kinds of musicians and other artists around the world, learning what makes them tick creatively, and getting a peek into how they do what they do, and make what they make. In addition, we have other, older, means of learning about creative process from the artists themselves: viewing discarded original drafts of published manuscripts, or perusing the drawings which have led to an enduring work of sculpture, for example.
Opera, however, is one art form that doesn’t often provide such an insider’s view to the public, in part because most of the best known and most revered operas are a product of the past, the progeny of long deceased artists. Fortunately for us, the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre is hosting an unprecedented event in April, designed to do just that.
How Opera is Made will shine a light on the complex collaborative process of creating a new opera, from its humble beginnings as an idea to its realization on stage. UKOT’s 2008 - 2009 Lincoln Opera Project has commissioned an original opera on the early life of Abraham Lincoln, utilizing the voices and expertise of Kentucky artists. The opera, River of Time, will premier in full production in the Fall of 2009 at the Lexington Opera House. And this Spring, the public is invited to participate in the making. As a means of increasing public involvement in the project over the coming year, a unique format has been designed for this April event
combining performance, discussion and audience feedback.
The event takes place April 3 & 11, at two different locations and offers a chance to participate in a discussion with composer Joseph Baber, librettist James Rodgers, opera historian and pianist Tedrin Blair Lindsay, and theatre professional Rhea Lehman,
hearing from the source how they have built the story, the scenes, the music, and the lyrics of this opera-in-progress––and then getting your chance to offer your views about what you’ve just witnessed.
We hope you will join us, and see for yourself what an elaborate and exciting process is the making of opera!
Lincoln Opera Project "How Opera is Made" Event Information
Meriah Kruse is the Program Coordinator for the UK Opera Theatre, the co-producer of the Lincoln Opera Project, and a lifelong student of the creative process.
