United Cultural Fund grants total $228,000 for 2013

By Barb Van Atta

Broome County Arts Council Board Chairman Fred Xlander and Executive Director Sharon Ball today (March 13) announced the awarding of more than $228,000 in United Cultural Fund (UCF) grants for 2013. Seven arts and cultural organizations will share in $210,428 in UCF general operating support grants. Project grants totaling another $18,298 will be shared by 14 organizations and individual artists.

‘Trovatore’ returns triumphantly to TCO repertoire

Reviewed by Lee Shepherd

You can see why there’s been so much fun made of Il Trovatore – even the Marx Brothers took a crack at it. Its crazy plot, set in the mountains of Spain, includes a gypsy’s curse, a child tossed into a fire, switched identities, several vows of vengeance, duels, madness, mayhem, poisonings, burnings at the stake, brothers who hate each other (who don’t know they’re brothers —  and that’s just on the personal level. On the larger scale, you’ve got battles and armies and bravado and nationalism and lots of bloodshed.
But if you succeed at suspending your disbelief, and discount the ridiculous plot twists, the  1853 Giuseppe Verdi opera affords you the most memorable few hours you’ll ever spend in a theater (in my case, The Forum in downtown Binghamton).

Public invited to observe OPERA America workshop at TCO

Tri-Cities Opera has been chosen to host a singers’ workshop Tuesday (Nov. 13) sponsored by OPERA America. Selected singers from TCO’s resident artists program and Binghamton University’s Masters in Music program will have the opportunity to sing a “feedback” audition, and the public is invited to listen.

‘La Bohème’ still offers lyric lessons of love and loss

Reviewed by Tony Villecco

I attended Wednesday’s final dress rehearsal (Oct. 24) of Giacomo Puccini’s operatic masterpiece La Bohème, and while there were a few kinks yet to iron out, it was beautiful and musically fulfilling. Tri-Cities Opera will present two performances this weekend with an overall strong cast. No dress rehearsal is without its challenges; at times, the orchestra overshadowed the principals, especially in ensemble. The excellent chorus was ahead of the maestro during the festive second act, and lighting cues were continuing to be adjusted. Still, all this should be worked out, and even if it isn’t, the production merits enough positives to please even the most hardcore opera lover.

TCO production dedicated to singers who died this past summer

By Barb Van Atta

This weekend’s Tri-Cities Opera performances of Puccini’s La Bohème will be dedicated to three former members of the company who passed away in recent months: tenors Alan Crabb and Pasquale “Pat” Arcodia and soprano Rosalie (De Felice) Julian.

Downtown Singers co-founder Alan Crabb dies in Pa. hospital

Alan Crabb

By Barb Van Atta

Alan C. Crabb, Artistic Director and co-founder of the Binghamton Downtown Singers, died Saturday morning (Sept. 15) at University of Philadelphia Hospital, of multiple complications following heart surgery. He was 70. Funeral arrangements are pending at Barber Memorial Home in Johnson City.

A gifted singer, he was well-known in both local and national music circles. As a conductor, he was commended for his ability to inspire the musicians under his baton to the highest levels of musical excellence.

Crabb, a graduate of the Crane School of Music (SUNY-Potsdam), appeared with many of the major orchestras of North America, including those of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, St. Louis, Denver, Seattle, San Antonio, New Jersey, and Vancouver, Canada, as well as in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In addition to his symphonic and oratoria work, he was, for many years, a well-regarded operatic tenor, performing locally with Tri-Cities Opera and also with the Syracuse, Pittsburgh and other companies. His affiliation with Tri-Cities Opera began in the late 1960s as chorus master, and, during the 1970s, he sang leading roles from lyric (Rodolfo in La Boheme) to heroic (Manrico in Il Trovatore).

‘Songs From the Land of Morning Calm’ are unexpected delight

Reviewed by Lee Shepherd

So what if PBS has The Three Tenors. We’ve got The Tenor, The Baritone and The Fabulous Piano Accompanist.
In a stellar concert Saturday evening at the Anderson Center at Binghamton University, Tri-Cities Opera artists Mario Eun Hwan Bae (tenor) and Robert Heep-Young Oh (baritone) treated their audience to an evening of romantic Korean classical songs.

Strong principals help make TCO’s ‘Flute’ a winner

Reviewed by Tony Villecco

How can you lose with Mozart? You can’t. I attended the final dress rehearsal Wednesday evening for Tri-Cities Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and was not disappointed. All of the principals were strong with a few standouts. No surprise here that the orchestra also was excellent under the firm hand of Maestro John Mario Di Costanzo. The overture, a signature piece, was worth the price of admission.

‘Classical Singer’ article features former TCO singer Clarey

By Tony Villecco

I am pleased to share with readers that my article on former Tri-Cities Opera singer Cynthia Clarey is out in the April issue of Classical Singer magazine. Cynthia, a former TCO favorite, went on to a major international career. The article takes a fascinating look at her experience in the now-famous Master Classes held by Maria Callas at Juilliard during Callas’ 1971-72 visit there.

You’d be mad to miss TCO’s stunning ‘Lucia’

Reviewed by Lee Shepherd

Mayhem …
Madness …
Melodrama …
Magic …
The Tri-Cities Opera production of Lucia Di Lammermoor is a masterpiece, from the first fate-laden notes of the overture to the last fate-fulfilled note of the finale.

‘Madame Butterfly’ soars at Tri-Cities Opera

Reviewed by Lee Shepherd

I was delighted to be in the audience Friday night (Oct. 21) for a stunning moment in Binghamton’s cultural history. I knew the Tri-Cities Opera production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly would be good, just not how good. And that was mostly due to Jake and Jill Gardner, who sang the leading roles of Cio-Cio-San and Sharpless. Sorry if this seems like a list of superlatives, but here we go:

Gardners’ return forms bridge between past and future at TCO

By Barb Van Atta

In 1999, rising Tri-Cities Opera soprano Jill Bowen was slated to sing her first Cio-Cio-San in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Her future husband, longtime TCO favorite Jake Gardner, hoped to reprise the role of Sharpless while making his directorial debut. Suffice it to say, life does not always go according to plan. Although Jill sang all five performances, Jake wasn’t involved in the production.

Were the arts part of your week?

BAMirror reviewer Tony Villecco attended Tri-Cities Opera’s The Tales of Hoffmann (as did I); Sarah Roche had A Date With Fate at BCC. You can check out their reviews below. I also saw a new Broadway show, Wonderland, which was much better than the reviews had led me to believe.

How about you? What drew you into the arts this past week?

TCO’s ‘Hoffmann’ is a tapestry of delights

Reviewed by Tony Villecco

Tri-Cities Opera concludes its season this weekend with a lush and haunting interpretation of Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. When I attended the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday (April 27), there were a few rough spots and some stop-and-go, but, overall, it is another excellent production with a fine cast and a stunning orchestra led by John Mario Di Costanzo.

Gardners return to TCO to open 2011-2012 season

At a press conference yesterday (April 19), Tri-Cities Opera officially announced its 2011-2012 season: Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (Oct. 21 and 23, 2011), Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor (Feb. 10 and 12, 2012)  and Mozart’s The Magic Flute (April 27 and 29).  The season opener will feature the TCO  return of Jill and Jake Gardner; she will sing the title role, and he will both stage the production and sing the role of Sharpless. All performances will be at The Forum in Binghamton under the baton of TCO Music and Associate Artistic Director John Mario DiCostanzo.