Last month I had the most amazing, schedule draining, vocal chord busting, thought provoking experience of being a part of the choir for UMN's production of the Opera/Oratorio Parables.
It was a massive undertaking, and to my knowledge is the only staged version of the production that has been done to this date. It's also only the third or fourth time the work has been performed because...
THE COMPOSER AND LIBRETTIST ARE STILL ALIVE!!!!
Right?! Who does music by living composers?
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| Did I mention they won a Grammy for Parables? |
Along with many challenges and frustrations, the show was filled with some absolute gems of hilarity and fun. While some of them are Parables inside jokes (yep, we've got inside jokes about an oratorio...) some of them might be appreciated by you the general public - so here goes!
Some things I hope to remember about Parables:
1.) Kathy Romey (ultimate maestra beast) conducting with a lightsaber.
2.) T.A Andrew saying "finitum capax" sounds like a bunch of Bostonians talking about a lot a car parks.
"Finitum capax infiniti" = the finite is capable of the infinite
"Finitum Capax" (say this with your best Boston accent) =
see the difference?
3.) actually having a single tear run down my face on the last performance (how classic, but it's a really beautiful show!)
4.) Gandalf the Grey is now a tenor (if only I had pictures)
only imagine he's a twenty-some-year-old tenor trying to look like a prophet in a very awful grey wig with sandals...it was very hard not to laugh the first time he came out in costume.
5.) Aldridge blowing kisses to the choir every night
6.) The hilarity of Christopher Owen (seriously, everything that man says is funny)
5.) Prince saw our final show...yeah.
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| He was spotted at intermission! Apparently his God daughter was one of the dancers. |
The show was really amazing, and I'm so glad our choir was recruited without choice to participate! Honestly though, if you all go and bug IPTV enough they might air it this coming Fall! Either that or you'll have to drive a few miles across the boarder to watch it on TPT.
Here's one last parting shot of baritone Phillip Zawisza being excellent as always
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| Pardon our lack of costumes or set of any kind - I can't find any pictures of the actual performances! |
Bucket list item:
Being part of an opera
CHECK!
