Opera Education Show...

A new show is up and ready...at least here! It's about Opera Education tours and features Benjie de la Fuente, Ethan Watermeier, and Katrina Thurman

Episode 10 - Road Warriors

Enjoy!

A New Show Soon.

We've been on hiatus for the holidays...despite my attempt at 2 shows...

I'll have a new show up soon...I recorded it the other day but need to work out a few back-end hosting issues. I'm switching to a new server because I'm running out of room on my old one...

Watch this until then...despite the Asian subtitles. It's pretty sweet singing despite the ruffled tux shirts and the bad rugs.)

After I watched this all the way through it occurred to me...didn't they have teeth back in the mid-70's?

For All You iTunes Users Out There...

If you don't know this, you can subscribe and listen to the show via iTunes as well...you don't have to visit this page every time a new show goes up.

We currently have 4 subscribers which tells me that most of you are coming here to listen.

If you are an iTunes user please get us through the store. It will bring our numbers up and give the show some legs! Click on the link on the right or do a search for the show in the iTunes store under "operanow".

Blessings onto you all...

Short show this week...

I tried to get a panel together this week, but some kind of miscommunication prevented me from getting everyone together...

We made few calls and hit on an interesting topic...

Hope you enjoy..

Episode 9 - Monster.Opera.com

New Show by Friday

Sorry there hasn't been a new episode...I've been traveling, but we will be doing a show Thursday that should be up by Friday!

Christmas Day 2006...sad news...

Well, Christmas has come and with it has come the death of a true innovator, emancipator, and full-on dancitator...

James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, has left us

It's hard to beat someone like him (though allegedly he found it pretty easy to beat other people). I can honestly say that his music influences me whenever I go on stage. You may not believe it, but it's true. The man knew about rhythm...he was quoted as saying that the thing about singing funk is not the notes that you sing, but the notes that you don't.

Right on, my brother!

Merry Christmas!

We have found a teacher for our scuola...meet Shane...

Even with Modern Technology, Things Can Go Wrong...

As I have mentioned several times on previous shows, I have been planning to do a show about new operas and their importance to the future of the art form. After 2 months of back and forth via email and telephone, we had all finally agreed on a time and day to do the show. Well, as that night came, I was forced to cancel because of work and the next night we were forced to cancel due to someone’s modem blowing up (not literally, but it sounds better this way).

What’s going on??!! How is that despite all the technical advances that have allowed me to do this show, it’s still impossible to get 5 people to sit down (and not even in the same city!) to shoot the shit about opera (or any topic for that matter).

And look at what happened to James Kim, the man who died in Oregon 2 weeks ago trying to go for help when his family was stranded in their car for 7 days. 7 DAYS!!!! In OREGON????!!! It’s amazing to think that we can be lost even in this country with all our cell phones and PDA’s and iPods and crap.

Anyway...my point is...actually, I’m not sure what my point is. But, Merry Christmas!

BTW...I may be putting up a short “live remote” from Nevin’s Pub tonight. Several of the panelists will be together for a drink and I may have us do a quick discussion just for the novelty of it.

Not much going on...

Not to beat this into the ground, but there was an interesting article at Mercury News that takes a different slant on the Alagna booing situation (and booing in general)...Give it a look...

Plus in a follow-up to our previous show about the Berlin Idomeneo, the performances are coming up this month and there will be heightened security in the house.

Cabbages and Tomatoes

Our latest episode, Episode 8 - Cabbages and Tomatoes, is up and ready for your listening quasi-pleasure. In it, we look at Roberto Alagna and his crazy antics.

I'd like to thank our new member, Greg Peebles, for joining us. He runs a blog that is a great resource for information, entertainment and general craziness...it's called Counter/Point 3.0...check it out.

Also, regular panelist Oliver Camacho has a performance coming up in late January featuring his new endeavor, The Opera Company (what a novel name!), that will take at place at the Chicago Cultural Center. We'll give you more information as it comes in.

I'd also like to apologize for the hacking that went on (on my part) during the course of the show. I was under the weather, but couldn't resist going on with the show.

And now one final nail in the Alagna coffin...This is a picture from what appears to be the recent Aida production that so many have heard of (though it must be from the opening night since he left the stage on the (in?)famous night long before this scene would have happened)...is he in black face, or is she just blocking his light? Anyone??????? Bueller?