April 21, 2010

Interview with Baritone Hugh Russell

A singer known not only for his vocal skills but also for his engaging acting, baritone Hugh Russell sings the role of Papageno in The Atlanta Opera’s current production of The Magic Flute. Recently, we sat down with Hugh to talk about his career in opera, the difficulty of performing comedy onstage, and his take on Atlanta. TAO: You were a comic hit as Dandini in The Atlanta Opera’s 2008 production of Rossini’s Cinderella. How is performing comic roles different […]
April 23, 2010

The Magic Flute Production Photos!

Photographer Tim Wilkerson took some great photos last night during the Final Dress Rehearsal of The Magic Flute, so here’s a sneak peek: The three ladies and Tamino (Sean Panikkar): Papageno (Hugh Russell) and the bird puppets: The Queen of the Night (Kathleen Kim): The Queen of the Night (Kathleen Kim) and Tamino (Sean Panikkar): Sarastro (Denis Sedov) and Pamina (Nicole Cabell): The three genies and Tamino (Sean Panikkar): Tamino (Sean Panikkar) with his flute: Papageno (Hugh Russell) and Papagena […]
May 10, 2010

Life as a Supernumerary: An Insider’s View of The Magic Flute

In April I discovered one of the best kept secrets in all of opera-going. And that is the opportunity to be a supernumerary. Supers are the folks standing around holding spears, or the officers come to arrest the tenor, etc. They are typically a function of the set more than a character in the story. I was invited to be one of fourteen supers in the Atlanta Opera’s The Magic Flute. This experience would turn out to be the operatic […]
September 24, 2010

Children’s Chorus? Do We Need a New Name?

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen — fans of The Atlanta Opera — after a 5 month hiatus, our blog is up and running again. So much is happening around here, and we are thrilled to be sharing the ins-and-outs of our company with you. Absence makes the heart grow fonder…. or so they say. Have you missed us? As many of you know, we open our 31st season on October 2 with Puccini’s LA BOHEME. So romantic, so sad, so…. many […]
October 1, 2010

Mrs. Woodward Goes to the Opera

The Atlanta Opera has a great tradition – Mrs. Jerrie Woodward’s reviews of our Final Dress Rehearsals. Mrs. Woodward is the mother of one of our board members, Bob Woodward. For years, The Atlanta Opera staffers have come in to work to find her impressions of our newest productions in our inboxes. They are delightful, observant, and constant reminders that what we do touches many lives. She writes these reviews as “thank you letters” to her son. That alone, tugs […]
October 8, 2010

The lighter side of La bohème…

We all know that our beloved Mimì perishes in the end. It is tragic to see two lovers torn apart, but La bohème is also very funny. Below is Tim Wikerson’s picture gallery of the “lighter side” of this season’s production of La bohème. Photos Courtesy of Tim Wilkerson Usage of any images on this blog is restricted to The Atlanta Opera and approved news websites. Any other usage, particularly for professional purposes, must have written permission. For additional information, […]
October 18, 2010

The reviews are in….

Thank you loyal patrons and first-time opera-goers, for your overwhelming response to our 2010-2011 season opener, La bohème! We love to hear about your experiences. Thank you for sharing them with us. Here are some of our favorites! “I am not going to read another review until after I have seen a performance in the future, as the AJC reviewer must not have seen the same production I did! I thoroughly enjoyed the singers, their acting, the chorus, the orchestra, […]
October 29, 2010

Halloween …. Atlanta Opera style!

And the winner is… Stephanie… for “getting her Frida on!” Where’s the monkey? The Atlanta Opera gang in all their costume glory. The phantom helps this young lady pay off her student loans. If you donate to The Atlanta Opera, you can get a palm reading! Ashley Ga Ga, Hera, and Frida. Mr. Strange. Rae and her “white lies.” She really DOES want to work this weekend… Frida and Bret, the astronaut, plan a trip to Mars — but WAIT…. […]
November 8, 2010

24-Hour Opera Project… in 25 hours!

Daylight savings time is only annoying when you’re not trying to create, produce, and perform a 10 minute opera in 24 hours! That extra hour meant the mayhem and joys of the creative process could last a little longer, and we all could revel in good ole’ fashioned fun — with a hint of drama and a few death scenes… oh, and a rubber chicken. You’ve probably heard by now that The Atlanta Opera embarked on a little experiment called […]
November 23, 2010

An Opera About… Pirates?

In addition to mounting a new experiment with the 24-Hour Opera Project amid the madness of National Opera Week, we in The Atlanta Opera Education Department also had our hands full managing a band of pirates. Add in some young, enthusiastic lads and lassies, and what do you have? A rollicking good time! For National Opera Week, we took our studio touring show, The Pirates of Penzance, into the community and welcomed a new, younger audience to the exciting world […]
December 8, 2010

Deck the Halls with Mismatched Ornaments….

Decorating The Atlanta Opera Christmas Tree is a yearly tradition which began way back in 1999. One of the staff members went out and bought a Christmas tree, but neglected to get any ornaments. The Opera staff has always been resourceful, though; they used some ribbon and leftover Atlanta Opera stickers from a mailing and created some ornaments! This is the only one of them that still exists. It now adorns our tree with the rest of the Opera family’s […]
January 3, 2011

Diary of a self-proclaimed musical arts fanatic…

Opera is known for its fanatics. It is a rare artform that inspires and exhilarates all of the senses, and more often than not, procures life-long aficionados. But, what does it mean to be an aficionado – a true admirer and devotee of music? To guest blogger, Alex Gross, it means being an active supporter, as well as a fan. It also means enjoying the complete experience – the “spectacular sensory feast.” * * * Some people are sports fanatics, […]
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