Big Voice Energy and the Power of Community

OperaDelaware presents Verdi's Rigoletto on October 27 & 29 at The Grand. Our incredible artists have been rehearsing since late September, and they're preparing to present the opera this weekend with our coproducers at Opera Baltimore at Towson University. Before the cast, chorus, crew, and all the brilliant minds behind this production made their way down to Baltimore, we had a very important rehearsal with the full orchestra.

The Sitzprobe!

What's a Sitzprobe? A Sitzprobe is a chance for the cast and orchestra to perform the entire show, without costumes or set pieces. The purpose is to focus solely on the music and coordination between the maestro, orchestra, and singers. It is typically the final rehearsal before "Tech Week" where we rehearse in the theater every night.

The Powerhouse cast of verdi’s Rigoletto (performances at The Grand Oct 27 & 29)

We are profoundly lucky to have the OperaDelaware Orchestra and this tremendous cast to bring Rigoletto to life. The cast is full of gorgeous, booming voices that will take your breath away, but we quickly realized when we began rehearsing with the orchestra last week that the combined power of the singers and OperaDelaware Orchestra was too much for the OperaDelaware Studios! The Studios are typically where we host intimate recitals, cabarets, and events. But the combined power of this VERDI ORCHESTRA and these WORLD CLASS SINGERS could (figuratively) blow the roof off the place! It was brought to our attention that the sound was dangerously loud at some points in the recital hall, and we realized we needed to find a larger space for this important rehearsal.

Thanks to OperaDelaware General Director, Brendan Cooke, we were able to turn a challenge into an opportunity! Brendan connected with fellow Wilmington arts leader and friend, Matt Silva, Executive Director of Delaware Theatre Company. The Delaware Theatre Company has a beautiful space on the riverfront, just a short walk from the OperaDelaware Studios. Thanks to collaboration and quick thinking, OperaDelaware was able to hold the Sitzprobe ON STAGE at the Delaware Theatre Company, giving our singers and orchestra the space they needed to really shine.

On Sunday, October 15, the full orchestra, principal artists, and chorus of Rigoletto took the stage at Delaware Theatre Company for our sitzprobe. Voices and instruments came together under the baton of Maestro Subbaraman, and the results were incredible. We are more excited than ever before to share Rigoletto with our audience on October 27 & 29 at The Grand!

Delaware Theatre Company, the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, and OperaDelaware have a long history of collaboration. These are just a few of the arts organizations in our community that support one another and make a major impact. Whether it's providing rehearsal space, loaning instruments, or sharing insight to help all arts organizations move forward, the Delaware arts community is rooted in collaborative partnership.

We are immensely grateful to DTC for their friendship and support through what could have been a VERY difficult process. By listening to and valuing all of our artists, we can adapt so that everyone can win. The things we can accomplish in Delaware are exponentially greater because of the incredible relationships we've gotten to create with our community partners.

SUPPORT ALL THE ARTS IN DELAWARE! There is so much to see and explore in our community. Don't miss Delaware Theatre Company's next production, KINGS OF HARLEM, which opens on October 25 and plays through November 12.

The power of Verdi’s Rigoletto needs to be SEEN and HEARD to be believed!

Don’t miss your chance to see Verdi’s Rigoletto presented by OperaDelaware at The Grand on October 27 & 29. Get your tickets to the Opening Night Microgala and make it a night at the opera you’ll never forget!

The OperaDelaware Orchestra and cast of rigoletto rehearsing at Delaware Theatre Company.

What is Pop-Up Opera?

The Pop-Up Opera Summer Season is about to launch, and people across the state are excited about OperaDelaware's accessible and approachable programming that welcomes opera superfans and newcomers alike to experience the arts!

What is Pop-Up Opera?

Some folks are hesitant to go to the opera (or the symphony, ballet, theater) for the first time. So, what if we bring the theater to you? The Pop-Up Opera program started during the pandemic, and with more than 150 performances since 2020, we've reached thousands of Delaware residents with our state-of-the-art portable OPERA STAGE.

Pop-Up Opera is an experience like no other. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll learn, and our community with grow. Participate in TRIVIA to win prizes, meet the artists and hear their tremendous talent up close, and maybe you'll catch a flying OperaDelaware t-shirt out of our t-shirt cannon!

Opera fans of all ages are welcome. whether you’ve seen dozens of operas or this is your first experience, we’ve got you covered this summer with pop-up opera.

Soprano Toni Marie Palmertree (OperaDelaware credits: Countess Almaviva, le nozze di figaro 2022; a valentine cabaret, 2023) - OperaDelaware brings top-tier talent to you!

Got little ones? It's never too early to experience opera, especially in bite-sized, approachable, casual events! Let your little ones play in our BUBBLE MACHINES while they hear the music of Puccini, Mozart, and more!

Where can YOU find the OperaDelaware Mobile STAGE this summer? Visit the Pop-Up Opera page for our schedule and info on booking a Pop-Up performance yourself. Our next performance will be at Point-to-Point on Sunday, May 7, 2023!

Interested in giving back?

You can sponsor a Pop-Up Opera performance at a school, service organization, library, or community event! Learn more HERE

La traviata: Meet Director Kaley Karis Smith

Kaley Karis Smith joins operadelaware this March to direct Verdi’s la Traviata

Opera Delaware's Kerriann Otaño caught up with director Kaley Karis Smith in advance of her March arrival for La traviata. The two discussed Kaley's inspiration and vision for tackling this timeless piece, and what she hopes audiences will take away from their experience with La traviata.

Kerriann Otaño: What do you find most compelling about La traviata?

Kaley Karis Smith: This is maybe the obvious answer, but I stand by it: I think Violetta and her choices are the most compelling part of Traviata. This woman delights in life and accepts its shadows. She consciously chooses and builds her life in a world where doing so is almost impossible for a woman. She chooses to open herself up to the possibility of Alfredo’s love. She selflessly chooses to give him up when she learns about an unforeseen consequence of that action. Perhaps she regrets some of those choices, but making those kinds of decisions is an irrevocable part of navigating being human and alive. This story is very much about fate vs. choice for me, and whether our choices create our fate, or vice versa.

KO: How do you view your responsibility to be a storyteller and innovative director in 2023 when working with source material from another time period?

Kaley Karis Smith: Well, to some extent, time period is irrelevant, in that so much about what it means to be human and the human experience has changed relatively little- we are still looking for those truths through art, philosophy, and psychology. So fortunately, the only thing I have to worry about is telling the story in the most clear and honest way I can. Sounds simple, but it’s not always easy!

Innovation, I think, comes from following your own truth and exploring the things we (as in, the collection of artists interpreting a piece together) have learned from a story, and trying to share those things with our audience. It’s all in the little details that only we notice or create in these characters.

KO: Kaley - What do you hope our audience will connect with in your interpretation? What will make this production come to life?

Kaley Karis Smith: I hope our audiences will connect with themselves, mostly. One of the purposes of art is to communicate about our own humanity, and so I hope that people connect with their emotions without judgement and get lost in the story and beautiful music.

This opera is based on very real people, so we have a responsibility to honor them as human beings who are passionate, flawed, and trying to find their way in life, just like everyone always has. Verdi’s cinematic music, the orchestra, Maestro, our amazing cast, the artists who created our beautifully designed set/costumes/lights/etc., and the crew and stage managers will make this production come to life. They all live in the story as it happens with the music.

Catch La traviata a The Grand Opera House on March 31 and April 2. Tickets at www.operade.org/tickets

La Traviata: Meet the Cast

Kerriann Otaño, OperaDelaware’s VP of Engagement, got to connect with some of the stars of our upcoming production of Verdi’s mesmerizing La traviata. Read up on these powerhouse performers as they prepare to take the stage on March 31 and April 2 for La traviata at The Grand Opera House!

LINDSAY OHSE AS VIOLETTA VALÉRY

Kerriann Otaño: How did you get your start in opera?

Lindsay Ohse: I started out playing piano and cello, but I soon learned that I prefer to be on stage singing, rather than in the pit. I didn’t really know about opera until late high school/early college, I just knew I loved performing and after realizing my voice was suited to opera, it became my medium of choice. My absolute favorite thing is telling stories on stage with other people; I have such a great time connecting with my colleagues and feeding off of each others energy in a scene. I’d almost always rather sing a duet than an aria!

KO: Give us your best elevator pitch for La traviata.

Lindsay Ohse: So for someone who doesn’t know, the plot of La Traviata is kinda like the film Pretty Woman except that Richard Gere’s dad makes her break up with him to save the family’s reputation, and then she dies. It’s got way better music though, no offense to Roy Orbison. 

KO: When tackling Violetta, who or what are you drawing inspiration from? How do you make her come to life in a way that is uniquely you?

Lindsay Ohse: Violetta, as a courtesan, is basically an actress, or a performer. We as performers are always putting up a version of ourselves that we want people to see and hiding our true selves in a safe place behind metaphorical walls—it is very easy for me connect with her, in that sense, so I’m drawing inspiration from my own life as a performer. I have definitely made choices that ended up breaking my own heart, so we definitely have that in common!

BARITONE BENJAMIN TAYLOR AS GIORGIO GERMONT

Kerriann Otaño: What made you want to become a performer? What sustains you?

Ben Taylor: The thrill of going onstage, singing and being someone else while delivering timeless stories is something I really enjoy! I’m sure there are things that equate to that adrenaline rush, but for me, stepping on the stage is my favorite.

KO: Give me your best elevator pitch for La traviata.

Ben Taylor: It’s a classic story about love, miscommunication, conflict of family and self, and lots of parties and drama. What more would you want in a show?!

KO: Ben, I'm more familiar with you in comedic roles like Papageno (which you just recently sang at The Metropolitan Opera!) - what makes you most excited about tackling this stoic, dramatic role? Will Germont still have some of your signature charm, or do you view him as radically different from who you are?

Ben Taylor: Thank you! While I do love playing comedic roles, it’s nice to be able to go back and forth from the dramatic and the comedic. I think Germont is very charming despite the conflict he causes in the opera, but the application of his charm is different than a Papageno. So I’m excited to see how I can filter the charm through stoicism while making him relatable and real.

TENOR MATTHEW VICKERS AS ALFREDO GERMONT

Kerriann Otaño: Why is this opera important to you personally? 

Matthew Vickers: For me, there are 2 primary reasons: first, I was in the chorus for a Traviata when I was in school, during a period of about 5 operas that, ultimately, lead to me deciding to pursue singing opera as a profession. Second, it is important to me for, I think, the same reasons many might argue it's one of the top 5 (or so) most important operas still: it's humanity. Opera can be about and highlight many, varied themes. To me, it is very easy to see the people in this show as "human"; they make human decisions, human errors, have human baggage. In the end, it ends up being, in my opinion, very relatable. 

KO: What made you want to become a performer? What sustains you? 

Matthew Vickers: It's difficult for me to pinpoint the one reason I wanted to perform but I think it is related to the question of what sustains me: I love it. Very often, as a performer, it can get deeply personal and extremely lonely. In addition, the discipline and the craft that we spend so much time working on can draw us away from the core of what we do: collaboratively creating something beautiful. Like anything in life, I make it a point to take time out of my days to acknowledge and appreciate the sheer beauty -- the music, costumes, set, direction, story, etc. -- of any given production, and the joy of sharing that with varied talented humans. 

KO: Give us your best elevator pitch for La traviata.

Matthew Vickers: It's a classic, relatable story of Boy meets Girl/Girl meets boy, he is more interested in her, at first, but she -- reluctantly --  falls for him; things are, briefly, bright and sunny and then the self-sabotaging begins: humans making decisions/mistakes based on their own expectations and misperceptions, and they aggressively overreact and, yet, in the end, they are able to find "themselves" and have their lives changed forever, admittedly, with different results. 

KO: How do you find your character?

Matthew Vickers: Finding any character, for me, is all about the text, both my own text, and my counterparts. Alfredo, like many of Verdi's characters, is easier to discover because so much is present. Beyond that, the music itself aids in coloring moments in the arch of a particular character. I love creating an understanding of my character on a larger scale and imagine that the opera is just shining a light on brief moments in the life of this person. Alfredo, to me, is different from many other roles in that he is more "human". It is much easier to step into a character that I am able to connect with many of his decision/actions and temperament -- even the not-so-nice things that he does. If art imitates life, then it shouldn't come as a surprise that these characters are multifaceted and complex. The beauty of this story, and in human behavior, is the reconciliation -- no matter how brief. 

Sunday Spotlight: Andrew Bidlack

OperaDelaware is delighted to host our third Sunday Spotlight recital on February 5 with the immensely talented tenor, Andrew Bidlack. Andrew was originally slated to perform this recital in December 2022, and when he received an exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform in Frankfurt, we were only too happy to reschedule. Get to know Andrew below in his interview with Kerriann Otaño, OperaDelaware's Vice President of Engagement, and get your tickets to his recital on February 5 at 2 PM at the OperaDelaware Studios!

Get to know Andrew Bidlack!

Kerriann Otaño: What do you love most about recitals? The collaboration, the repertoire, the intimacy?

Andrew Bidlack: I have far more experience with opera and have only had the chance to do a handful of recitals. In an opera, we’re often on a large stage with lots of other people, whether they are fellow singers nearby or crew backstage helping all the pieces fit together. We’re often so far from the conductor that it’s difficult to hear the intricacies of the orchestra and must rely on the visuals of the baton to stay in time, and often we don’t see a single face in the audience until the lights come up for bows at the end of the show. Doing a recital is different in almost every way. It’s just you and your colleague at the piano, and you have just the words and music at your disposal to tell the story. Since it is often set in a more intimate space and we are not singing over a full orchestra, we can use different colors and shadings to shape the text that wouldn’t work in a large opera house. These aspects of recital performance are so special and different and I’m really grateful for this opportunity to explore this intimate music.

KO: What piece from your upcoming recital on February 5 are you most excited to share?

AB: Since I was in college I’ve always loved Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, and specifically the recording made by Fritz Wunderlich and Hubert Geisen for Deutsche Grammophon. Each song is uniquely beautiful and heartbreaking, and from the first notes the piano shows that its contribution is as important as that of the singer. I’ve always wanted to perform it, and when Aurelien and I started talking about repertoire I felt this had to be included and was thrilled that he agreed. As a personal bonus I was in Germany for several months this past season where it was easy to visit the places the poet Heine mentions in the cycle since they are all near to where I was working in Frankfurt.

KO: What made you want to become an opera singer?

AB: I decided that I wanted to be a musician while in high school, and after an exploratory semester as a guitar major it was pretty apparent that singing was going to be a better choice for me. I was really drawn to the things that make performing opera so different than other music: the costumes, sets, staging rehearsals, and especially the people. This is definitely my tribe, and I’m so grateful for the friendships and travel this career has provided!

KO: What has been your career highlight?

AB: I was never one of those singers who thought my success would be defined by whether or not I made it to the Met, but nonetheless it was thrilling to make my debut there as Beppe in I pagliacci a few years ago. I was covering the first 5 shows and set to perform the last 6 of the run, so my first time doing everything on the stage was during the performance. It was terrifying and exhilarating, especially the first few minutes: Nedda entered on a mule which came out a bit early and blocked my path, and because of chorus crowded around I had no choice but to crawl under the mule in order to get to the front of the stage to sing my first line. Moments later my colleague yanked me by my shirt to safety as the hood of this old 1950’s truck slammed shut inches from my face! It was a surreal and incredible night, and the curtain call was almost an out of body experience.

KO: Who are your top three role models/inspirations?

AB: I’ve been listening to Fritz Wunderlich so much lately so I have to include him! Much of my career has been focused on Mozart roles and especially Tamino from Die Zauberflöte, and I’ve certainly agree with all who consider him the gold standard in this repertoire. His elegant phrasing, distinctive and stunning sound, and especially the beauty he brings to the German language are all things that I find inspiring and make me love the music as he performed it.

My journey with music started with my mom, who was my first piano teacher when I was 6. Watching her play Chopin made me want to learn to play myself, and although I quickly found out that it was way harder than it looked, I wouldn’t be where I am without those first lessons! Because of her I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t read music, and I was familiar with Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, and Pavarotti long before I had any ideas about a career in music.

My wife Melissa is an inspiration and I admire her immensely.Throughout our relationship I’ve been away from home more often than not, with the exception of the recent pandemic cancellations. We all got used to me finally being home during that time and in many ways it was a welcome change for all of us, but things have picked up again and this year I was away a lot and even out of the country for over 6 months. Through it all she’s managed to not only excel at her job, but has kept everything together at home and taken great care of our daughter, Elodie (all the homework, swim lessons, tap dance, girl scouts, etc.). It is a massive task, and I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without her unwavering support, advice, and grounding presence.

KO: Why should people be EXCITED about your recital on February 5?

AB: We’ve chosen a beautiful program that is as virtuosic for the pianist as is the singer. Along with standard repertoire like Dichterliebe, we’ll also be performing 5 seldom heard songs in Russian from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Opus 26, as well as Benjamin Britten’s early cycle On This Island, set to text by one of my favorite poets, W.H. Auden. I know we’re both really looking forward to it!

---

Don't miss Andrew Bidlack and Aurelien Eulert in their Sunday Spotlight recital at the OperaDelaware Studios on February 5 at 2 PM!

GET TICKETS HERE