The Delightful Lisa Vroman

By Wendy German

I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Lisa Vroman who takes the role of Charlotte Malcolm in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music playing November 14-22, 2009 here at the Detroit Opera House. She was gracious enough to share a little of her life with me. What an enchanting lady, with a fantastic approach about her singing, theatre career and towards life. She has made worldwide appearances due to the ease with which she navigates the rage from musical theatre to opera. She played Christine Daae in the Phantom of the Opera on both coasts and touring for years. Her list of vocal performances and theatrical appearances is extensive.

Q: What led you into the world of musical theatre?

A: I had a crossover path, my mother was a choral music educator and my dad was an undertaker. We grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald music all the at home when I was little. My parents would go so often to see her in concert in New York City that I believed this was my “Auntie Ella”, but that is not so.

Q: What motivates you to continue your theatre life?

A: We are the relief for people having a bad day. In this economy, it is the first response to go and put on a CD and listen to your favorite music. We as theatre people provide that escape from the everyday.

Q: What are the best and worst parts of the travel aspect of touring?

A: The worst parts, missing family, my husband and my dog. Best part, I get to travel the world, I was recently in Hong Kong and am booked to work in Beijing for the opening of a new opera house in 2010.

Q: Have you ever performed A Little Night Music before?

A: Yes, I have done ALNM three times, so I know the piece well from all aspects.

Q: How far in advance to you begin to prepare for a role?

A: As soon as I know I am going to do it, however long that is.

Q: What was it like meeting Stephen Sondheim?

A: He was at a rehearsal and tapped me on the shoulder, when I turned around and saw him, I couldn’t speak. Stephen is beautiful music; the complexity of his composing is on another level.

Q: Have you ever visited/performed in Detroit before? Is there anything that stands out for you?

A: Yes, Three times in concert with the Detroit Symphony and also while touring. There is a Pewabic tile store I can’t wait to visit!

MOT Allesee Dance and Opera Resource Library Online!

The Michigan Opera Theatre’s Allesee Dance and Opera Resource Library just opened up to the public this past month. This is an awesome piece of MOT’s history as it creates a new and very useful resource for Michigan’s cultural history.

The database was created online through a partnership between MOT and Wayne State University. Masters students from WSU’s School of Library and Information Science began working on the project after receiving a $1 million grant in start-up funds from Maggie and Bob Allesee, which also assisted in the transformation of the physical library’s structure.

“What an incredible opportunity to open MOT history to the world through this state-of-the-art online database and our partnership with Wayne State’s School of Library and Information Science,” says MOT Archivist Tim Lentz. “We hope this will be a model for other arts organizations to follow around the country.”

The online database includes a complete performance history and a catalogue of thousands of unique items, including scores, books, CDs, videos, reviews, and many other unique items from MOT productions.

CHECK IT OUT! http://motlibrary.slis.wayne.edu/.

A Review: Lost in the Phantom's World

So that you can keep Jonelle and I (and our blogs) straight, I’ll briefly reintroduce myself; I’m Wendy German, a student at the University of Windsor pursuing my B.A. in English and Arts Management. I have a dance, vocal and theatre background and a love of the performing arts. As promised, a review of the Friday September 11th, 2009 evening performance of Phantom.

Phantom of the Opera is a spectacle for the senses. Christine’s naiveté and fear as she steps into the underground lair are almost palpable. The Phantom himself is a magician, manipulative and a monster, both literally and figuratively. The music continues to replay itself over in my mind and is eerie and beautiful. The full company singing Masquerade in elaborate, glittering outfits is a fitting backdrop to the Phantom’s dominate red, skull-faced pirate attire. There are so many moments to mention, the chandelier floating up to the ceiling of the opera house, far above the stage was brilliant. Even thought I watched it happen, it is still hard to believe, how do they do that? (I realize the answer is a wire, however this is an unromantic, logical answer and I prefer to think of it as the magic of theatre!) The evening ended with a standing ovation for the leads, notably appropriate in my opinion. There is still time for you to get lost in the Phantom’s world. The show is here until September 27th.

The next event at the Detroit Opera House is Verdi’s Nabucco. This is an opera about religious epiphany, ascension to the throne, sibling rivalry and a love triangle (what’s opera without a love triangle or two?). With some planning and a little luck I am hoping to view a rehearsal, as we get closer to October. I’ll also have to start thinking about a costume for the Haunted in the House/Opening night of Pilobolus evening; it will have to be something whimsical!

Maybe the Opera House is haunted by a Phantom...

With the arrival of Phantom of the Opera, it's only natural to invite you to come and find out if the Phantom really does haunt the House. So come and discover a secret passageway and even a dungeon at Haunted in the House this Halloween!

On Halloween 2009, 10:00p - 1:00am, the Detroit Opera House with be transformed into a haunted palace, inside and out, where everyone will be able to mingle, dance, drink and be merry!

If you're a true Halloween Spirit, you can dress up to enter one of the House's costume contests and win some pretty awesome prizes.

Not only will this event be THE place to be on Halloween, but it is also a great way to support that local arts/entertainment community! “Launching Haunted in the House is a way to try and re-engage the young people that may attend one of our larger events like BravoBravo!,” says MOT Director of Development Mary Parkhill. “We want the next generation of arts supporters to begin to take ownership of the Detroit Opera House, too." All proceeds from Haunted in the House will go to support the dance and opera programming at the world-class Detroit Opera House. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.

Tickets for Haunted in the House are $35 general admission and $75 VIP tickets that include access to a VIP lounge with an open bar and hors d’oeuvres for one hour, an Opera House Dungeon Tour and valet parking. Guests must be 21 or older, please.

Sounds like a GREAT time to me! See you there!

<3
Jonelle

And now for the other intern!

As stated previously, Wendy is one of the new interns here at the Opera House and I, Jonelle Pariseau, am the other. :D I graduated from MSU this past May with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and public relations. I also have an extensive dance background that has recently come to include being the Owner/Artistic Director of Studio 8 Dance Arts Center of Southeast Michigan LLC. The studio is a new venture that allows me to continue my passion for the dance arts, which is the main reason I was so excited to receive the position here at the Opera House.

I think it might go without saying, but I really enjoy going to the theatre. My favorite show that I've seen recently is Avenue Q. It is a great show for the twenty-year-old-crowd - VERY funny! I also LOVED RENT. I guess it rubbed off on how much I liked it since Rebekah, our supervisor, gifted me a RENT poster this morning :). (It's gonna look great in my room!)

The Detroit Opera House / Michigan Opera Theatre have a great Dance & Opera season ahead. With shows like Phantom, Nabucco, and The Nutcraker, everyone will be able to find som reason to come down to the Opera House!


Stay posted as Phantom has just opened (September 8-27)and there will be tons of 'insider happenings' you'll want to know about!

A Haunting Tale...

My first day as one of the new interns here at the Detroit Opera House was even better than I anticipated. My name is Wendy German. I am an English major as well as pursuing my Arts Management Certificate at the University of Windsor. I will be seeking a career in the theatre/entertainment industry upon completion of my degree. First up was a grand tour of the beautifully restored Opera House. There are so many amazing spaces, lounges, rehearsal halls, staircases and of course the spectacular stage. There was even a secret passage, slightly unnerving when the current show is about a Phantom haunting an Opera House!

Since I have only seen the movie, I am thrilled to be seeing Phantom of the Opera, the musical, for the fist time on stage. A real connection grows between the actors and audience during live theatre so I am expecting to be both mesmerized and enchanted! In anticipation I have been looking up lyrics, and listening to the music. I confess I even changed my screensaver to a picture of Christine and the Phantom. Here are some particulars that might interest you about the touring production that opened here last night. The chandelier is 1,000 pounds (it is massive, I went and peeked) and has 35,000 beads and 50-radio controlled lights. There are 165 wigs used to compliment the 230 costumes for the show. I’ll post again once I have seen the production and let you know what I think. I hope you get a chance to see for the first time, or indulge again in the haunting tale of seduction and despair.

Fond Memories at MOT...

My 5th floor view of Comerica Park is going to be missed when I leave today. My co-workers and this incredible building will both be missed as well. Today is my last day interning in the Communications department at MOT, and though I’m excited to return to school, I’d like to savor this summer experience.

Over the past two months, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Detroit Opera House. As the Public Relations and Marketing Intern, I was able to work on press and media kits, explore the marketing aspects of Twitter, and improve my communication skills. Most of all, I was able to experience the day-to-day operations of an opera house. But let’s not forget my exposure to the more lavish side – BravoBravo! 2009 was definitely the highlight of my summer!

As I say goodbye to the building, I know this isn’t my last time to set foot in the Detroit Opera House. Just today, I was recorded singing “Vedrai, carino” (Don Giovanni) for a $1 million dollar Michigan arts grant that MOT will be competing for in August. The competition for the grant relies on Internet donations, so resources such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube will be used. The video of me singing was posted on YouTube - at least I can say I left my mark!

There are many people here at the Detroit Opera House that I would like to thank. First and foremost, Ms. Rebekah Johnson and Mr. Michael Hauser for all of their guidance. Mr. John Grigaitis for taking endless pictures for my blog, and keeping the department on their toes with his witty humor. Ms. Kathi Kucharski for letting me work / attend BravoBravo! 2009, which will remain the most memorable party yet. And of course, I cannot forget Dr. David DiChiera, who has made Michigan Opera Theatre what it is today, and ensures what it will be in the future.

A little bittersweet, but I have had a wonderful experience interning here. Classes start up again at UNC in August, so that’s where I’ll be! And who knows…maybe next time I step into a “role” at the Opera House, it will be a role on the stage – not behind the desk. =)