There's an email that goes out to all Wolf Trap Foundation employees the morning of the weekly Little Lunch Music concert. (So that if you'd like to attend you'll know what's coming up, and if you would like to avoid opera at all costs you can plan to be out of the building:) My colleague JW crafts these entertaining missives. This Friday's mini-concert had a different slant - here's the email:
Ever wanted to know exactly what to say to make a soprano rustle her feathers?
Want to know just what phrases will make a tenor get so defensive you can actually see the veins in his neck pop out while he is NOT singing?
Here are a few doozies:
- You’re an opera singer? I LOVE “Phantom” … I’ve seen it a hundred times!
- Which Cat would you most like to be? Can you sing me a bit of “Memories” right now? That’s MY favorite opera.
- Isn’t Andrea Boccelli the BEST!!!??
- Do you actually KNOW Josh Groban?
Why are these such fightin’ words? Because opera singers are FIERCELY protective over their art form, and the aforementioned shows and people, while perfectly lovely …
are not … no way no how, not in a million years, not upside-down, not in a possible space-time continuum, not in Greek nor on Mars …
OPERA.
Please join us TODAY for a lunchtime concert of fantastic “crossover” music which is …
definitely …
NOT …
opera.
When?
July 6 from 12:00 – 12:15 PM.
Where?
In the Earle Williams Learning Center … come listen from the balcony, the main level, or even your office!
What?
“Crossover,” in classical music applies not to a man in a dress, as you may have suspected. Rather, crossover music would imply that although the style of the piece is somewhat more popular or casual than a typical classical selection, the requirements to sing it well demand a classical technique and training.
WHAT???
Basically … we would like to present for you three songs and a chorus which, while sung beautifully and by bona fide opera singers, are …
definitely …
NOT …
opera. 
FYI, the selections were "Me" from Beauty and the Beast, "I Never Has Seen Snow" from House of Flowers, and "Being Alive" from Company. (Photos courtesy of EM. Match the pictures to the songs:)
Yes/And
Improv games today with this year's casts for Instant Opera! I partook (is that a word?) for the first couple of hours, then had to go back to my boring grownup activities.
Today's serious comedy work involved Zip Zap Zup, The Name Game, Dr. Know-It-All, Tiger Martian Salesman, and Yes/And.
Great email ad! Here's another common non-musician comment that tops them all:
ReplyDelete"So do you guys, like, actually work or do you just sit around and play music all day?"
And don't forget what we learned from Dr. Know-It-All: "The secret of life is that everything is in the basket of love."
ReplyDeleteWhat a blast! I love my job!!