Solutions for the Opera Blues

With the season ending over a month ago, some of you probably have the opera blues by now. Here are a few ways you can stay involved with the opera house over the summer:

• The Detroit Opera House is presenting a few touring companies and shows in the months of July and August. First up for something a little different, on July 2nd the “Comedy Explosion” tour will be filling the house with laughs. Next, for those of you missing a little operatic music in your lives, Italian tenor Francesco Demuro will be performing on July 30^th. For more information about performances over the summer, visit the calendar on the opera house website: http://www.michiganopera.org/calendar.html.

• For all you performers out there, we have numerous audition opportunities available throughout the summer. Michigan Opera Theatre is looking to cast the role of Toby in the upcoming season’s production of The Medium. Auditions are next week so hurry up and send in your resume and headshot to Elizabeth Anderson elizabeth@motopera.org. In addition, MOT is always searching for new talent for their chorus. If interested, send your information to Elizabeth Anderson for details about upcoming audition times. Finally, for all the young performers out there, MOT’s Children’s Chorus is holding auditions Monday, June 27th by appointment only. Before sending in your resume and headshot or preparing for the audition, check out http://www.michiganopera.org/utility/auditions.html for more audition details.

• Michigan Opera Theatre also provides many camps and workshops throughout the summer. Check out http://www.michiganopera.org/cp/latoh.html for more details. Registration is now open for many of the programs, so don’t wait! You do not want to miss great opportunities such as the Summer Dance Workshop or Opera Camp.

• As the summer is almost halfway over, the new season is quickly approaching. Make sure to check out michiganopera.org for more summer opportunities, details about upcoming productions including finalized cast lists, and more.

• We love staying connected with our fans on the web, so make sure to check out and share your thoughts on our Facebook and Twitter pages, we love to hear from you!

• Finally, start getting excited for next season! The 2011/2012 season, FATE, is jam packed with great shows such as The Pearl Fishers, The Medium and much more. A season like that will surely make up for going the whole summer with no opera.

I hope this list gives you enough opportunities to curb the loss of opera over the summer. Just remember, the new season will be here before you know it!

BravoBravo? YesYes!

It’s official, BravoBravo! has taken over the Detroit Opera House. I took a stroll through the good old opera house and got you guys a sneak peek of what you are in store for or missing out on tomorrow.

If you haven’t heard, tomorrow is the best party to hit Detroit and you DO NOT want to miss it. BravoBravo! is the annual Detroit Opera House fundraiser, which celebrates all the best that Detroit has to offer. With this year’s theme being Hollywood, we are striving to outdo the glamour and entertainment of the Oscars. If you have already gotten your tickets, get excited! If not, sorry, I just found out that the event is SOLD OUT. I unfortunately do not meet the age cutoff so I will sit at home and regret not being born earlier.

Here are a few things I have seen so far:

• I checked out the weather for tomorrow night and you guys are in for a treat: around 70 and partly cloudy. Perfect for sitting outside in one of the tents covering the surface lot and enjoying your food and drink while taking in the awesome entertainment around every corner.

• After navigating through the maze of sound and lighting equipment, I did a little research about the entertainment in store. First up, on the Mainstage is Amp Fiddler. After working with such greats as George Clinton and Prince, Fiddler is returning to his hometown of Detroit to rock out the opera house with funk and soul. Another Detroit native, Nicole New, will be taking the stage with her “eclectic” and “energetic” style. There are also 6 other performers making sure to keep the party going to all hours of the night. Or until 12:30am when you don’t have to go home, but gotta get out of the opera house.

• What’s better than an opera house auditorium? An opera house auditorium filled with food. There will be over 40 restaurants and beverage companies making sure you do not go hungry as you explore the three floors of entertainment. I saw the layout for the food vendors and personally, I’d camp out on the main floor of the auditorium. Wolfgang Puck Grille, Andiamo, Rojo Mexican and MGM Grand Detroit Catering, just to give you a taste. Pun intended.

Do you recognize this opera house? That's right, this is the Detroit Opera House main floor auditorium covered with a stage, which will be filled with food vendors.

• If you still don’t believe that this is the “it” place to be tomorrow, let the trash cans do the talking. When the trash cans are covered in purple satin, you know that this party is going to be awesome.

Remember, dress to impress, you never know what local stars will be gracing the red carpet with you. Also, please drink responsibly and drive safely. After all, this is an event you will want to remember.