05-21-08: The End of Our First Season

Hello, New Opera Friends!

First off, I must apologize for not keeping up with the opera blog! I have been good about updating you on our current happenings, performances and such, but I have been lax on the personal attention that the blog truly does deserve! So just to catch you up on what's been going on: Just last Sunday, we finished our first season! It's been a great 2007-2008 performance season, and I look forward to many more!

I will be having a baby in June, so I will probably once again become lax on letting you know of our upcoming plans via the blog, or who knows?! Maybe I will have time since all I will be doing this summer is watching my precious little man sleep! Either way, I will be sure to update the main pages of the site to let you know what is going on! We do plan on some good shows for next season, but it is my job to get on top of that now so that they will be ready for you! I am currently writing a show about Emily Dickinson, which is sure to be awesome! Other than that, we have a few more ideas on the table. We might even bring back The Kitty Who Lost Her Meow at Theatre Decatur as per a conversation I had with Sonny Goff, artistic director of the theatre, just a few moments ago!

Well, everyone! Check out the rest of our latest news throughout the website's many pages, videos and recordings! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me! INFO@THENEWOPERA.COM

I will be sure to have pictures up of our newest New Opera member as soon as he is born! His name is Michael Wolfgang Stefanuk....yes, Wolfy!

Thanks, and love to all!!

7-03-07: A Great Day with Great News!

Today, Misha and I met with Mr. Sonny Goff, the Managing Artistic Director for Theatre Decatur to discuss the possibility of a mutually beneficial partnership in which The New Opera would perform at Theatre Decatur. The morning was a bit stressful because I wanted to make sure that I put my best foot forward and represent the company to the best of my abilities. However, I had a feeling that this meeting was going to be a great opportunity, and soon I found out that I was exactly right!

From the moment Mr. Goff walked out of his office to greet us, the air in the room became lighter and everything seemed brighter and happier. Sonny was honestly one of the nicest people I have ever met. Almost immediately, I felt as though I was talking with an old friend. Over the next hour or so, he exhibited an enthusiasm for our company that I had only seen in myself, Misha and the other singers of The New Opera. Mr. Goff was very excited about how a relationship between The New Opera and Theatre Decatur would benefit the two companies involved, as well as the public, especially the neighborhood of Decatur. We discussed many facets of the state of the arts today including how we hope to invoke more of an interest in the arts in the younger audiences.

By the end of our conversation and tour of the theatre, we came to the agreement that The New Opera would have at least 6 performances of The Kitty Who Lost Her Meow and 4 performances of Wolfy in Theatre Decatur’s next season (this will be in February). Sonny also said that he would speak to his colleagues at the middle and high schools in Decatur and discuss the possibility of bringing our operas into the schools for our outreach program purposes. We hope to soon publicize this partnership via radio and the local news to the communities of metro Atlanta.

I could not have asked for a better meeting, nor could I have expected a more wonderful individual than Mr. Sonny Goff!

Check back soon for more details. I hope to post dates and times for performances very soon!
 

6-30-07: We have LOTS of new music up!

Click here to listen to the many new Wolfy recordings with singers!

Click here to hear audio clips from The Kitty Who Lost Her Meow. Check back soon for ones with singers!

 

6-27-07: Wolfy finale video from Harrower Summer Opera Workshop

6-26-07: Various news

First off, let me apologize for being lax about updating the blog lately. Various opera projects have kept us insanely busy for quite a while.

Wolfy met with wonderful success at the Harrower Summer Opera Workshop this past weekend. The singers as well as the audience loved the opera's finale. It opened the show, and quite a few people told us that they felt it was the strongest part of the program! Very soon, I will upload a video for you to view from the dress rehearsal of the performance.

We are presently in discussion with a few theaters in the Atlanta metro area, and we will let you know as soon as we have confirmed performance dates and times in these various venues in Atlanta for the fall!

Our second opera, The Kitty Who Lost Her Meow, is complete and the audio is recorded! And we are in the process of completing a recording of Wolfy with voices. This will also help us to acquire further performances and financial backing for the company!

We are now working on our third opera, which will be a jazz-based work. Get ready for exciting things!!

 

Do you want one? Email us! INFO@THENEWOPERA.COM

5-4-07:

WOLFY NEWS!

The Finale from Wolfy will be featured and performed as a part of the Harrower Summer Opera Workshop Scenes Performances Balzer Theatre at Herren's, 84 Luckie Street - Atlanta, GA

Friday, June 22, 2007 - 7:30 PM

Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 3:00 PM W. Dwight Coleman, artistic director

Cost: $20 general admission, $10 students with ID Contact: 404-651-1326

 

4-26-07: The New Opera is INC!...And other exciting updates!

Yep, we're now incorporated! It was a lot of rather painful work! But it is an important step toward becoming nonprofit (the next steps will be even worse!...anyone out there who has experience in writing by-laws...HELP! Or relatives with nonprofit law experience?) Anyway, it is all worth it, and I am very excited! Tax exemption and nonprofit status means BEAUCOUP de perks!

I have also compiled a list of...oh...about 400-500 schools in the Atlanta and surrounding areas. I am having a brochure printed tomorrow and drafting a letter to send out to the top 100-200 (perhaps more, if I can handle it and find the cash and time) of those schools so that we can get some performances scheduled for the fall and spread the news of the company that way!

I also expect TheNewOpera.com stickers to be in by next week! Anyone who wants to help us out by slapping one on your car or whatever method you think will be viewed by the most eyeballs and get the name out there, let me know! They are gonna be PRETTY sweet!

I think that’s all for now. It is approximately 3:15 AM, and I am beat!

 

4-01-07: Wesley's recordings are up! And recording clips of the Wolfy opera orchestrations are up! Stay tuned for clips of our singers performing parts of the opera!!

Please check Wesley's page to hear recordings of his singing! The songs on his page are some Italian songs, music by Misha V. Stefanuk, words by Evan Marie Dozier-Stefanuk, in the style of Andrea Bocelli. These songs and recordings were made for TV and Film use, so we are only able to offer you clips. Nonetheless, check them out and hear how fabulous they are! Wesley sounds great! You will find yourself humming along after you hear the clips a couple of times!!

Also check the Wolfy page to hear clips from the orchestrations for the opera! They are quite amazing!!

4-01-07: Wesley's bio is up!

Hello, loyal Opera Blog readers! I have recently put up Wesley Morgan's impressive biography for all to view! Soon we will have some vocal recordings of him, so stay tuned!

 

3-20-07: Wolfy scores are here, and we are ready!

• We recently received the Wolfy scores in the mail. Soon, we hope to begin musical rehearsals now that we have the scores for everyone. I am also in the process of registering us as a nonprofit organization, drafting a letter to request donations and searching out a number of venues for Wolfy to be performed in the fall, rather, filtering through the huge list of venues that I previously compiled.
• We have also begun work on our first "Kids' Opera" called The Kitty Who Lost Her Meow. It is going to be adorable and fun for the whole family. We hope to schedule performances in the fall in various schools throughout the Atlanta and surrounding areas.

3-07-07: Wolfy OVERTURE is available for you to hear!!

• CLICK HERE to hear the OVERTURE for Wolfy. This overture will offer you a brief glimpse of some of the beautiful melodies in the opera! You will love them!! (Give the file a moment to load.)

3-04-07: Wolfy score is published!

Click here to view the published score!

2-28-07: Wolfy is finished!

Yes, friends, after much anticipation, on my part at least, Wolfy is completed. Now it is being orchestrated and recorded. Soon the score and demo CD will be published!!

While going through the finale last night, I literally broke into tears. The music is so beautiful! The melodies tug at the heart like only a few other pieces of music that I have ever in my life experience. And I am usually not so sensitive to music. It takes A LOT to move me. But this music is just SO good! And I know any reader will think, “Well, she is biased.” But I think even if I had not prior connection to this music, I would be affected just the same! I am so extremely excited about beginning rehearsals and sharing the music with the other singers!!