Brian Dickie

The F word causing problems in the midwest

Oh dear - never overlook where you are living.  Apparently the excellent Chicago Opera Vanguard has lost out on a sponsor because of the frequent use of a commonly used word beginning with F.  Really?  And in the splendid opera Greek by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's composer-in-residence Mark-Anthony Turnage.  What could be more respectable than that you may well ask?

Eric Reda's energy and vision deserves better.  I am very sorry indeed that I will not be able to see this production.  I had it in my calendar for last week and then they changed the dates.  It is maddening - but I hope that all my readers living in Chicago will show up.  Now that Chicago Opera Theater's season is over this will be the last great thing of the Spring/Summer.  It should not be missed and I hope that they do it proud.  Turnage is one of the most brilliant composers of his generation and Greek was a landmark piece that did a huge amount for his reputation when it appeared at the Munich Biennale, and then the English National Opera, in 1988 when Turnage was just 25. 

Come on Chicago, you are bigger than that.  It is embarrassing to think that a sponsor would blink on this account.

And so the surprise was........?

Our much loved former Board President, Dorothy Walton, has a big birthday coming up on Wednesday and her family and friends organized a surprise party for her this evening.  People came from far and wide, from both coasts and from many places in between.  It was an exuberant occasion - and the surprise was total.  Here you see Dotty 10 seconds after the realization that this was not just a tea party.  Tears of joy all round!!

These are two of her favorite men - Bud Dobbins is on her right, her son Jonathan on her left.  She was never happier!

Last weekend in Chicago until July 4

Actually last weekend at home in the US until July 4.  So I had a haircut, had a meeting with a Board member, did some shopping, and am now home for lunch.  We have a surprise event this afternoon - so it has to be a secret until then!  So check back here around 9pm!

The O'Hare Westin

This airport hotel is not, I think, generally regarded as a major operatic center although the hotel per se has its merits. Spacious and comfortable it actually served the purpose most excellently as the host of the Classical Singer 2009 conference.  The only problem is the physical location - convenient to the airport,  but not to the great and thrilling city of Chicago.

I made it out there this morning very easily on the excellent Chicago blue line.  From Rosemont it was a short if bleak walk to the hotel.  But on arrival there was a warm and appreciative welcome. I was there to serve on a panel (just two of us) hearing singers and providing them with feedback.  My fellow guru was the excellent stage director James Marvel.  He is terrifically good at analysing a singers strengths and weaknesses, and presenting them to the individual in a positive way.  I learned a lot from him today.  So even if nobody else benefited from my presence I did!

In fact there were a good many excellent singers subjecting themselves to this process.  They showed great courage, and in most cases considerable talent.  Its a tough world out there for young people getting started.  Especially for sopranos of course.......anyway we did our bit and I hope that our candor and genuine enthusiasm for them may have been an encouragement.  We met each one after their audition one on two for six or seven minutes.  Then after lunch there was a opportunity for a one on one "consultation" with James or me - it was for them to choose.  I got some really nice good ones!

That was my day really....and now we have a full weekend for once.  I may or may not be writing over the weekend.  It remains to be seen how things turn out.  There will probably be something of note - I am not saying what yet!

Non stop.......

The worst thing is when a flight is late and you spend the rest of the day trying to catch up - especially, as was the case today, when one is double booked anyway!  I sat on a most comfortable aircraft this morning for two and a half hours to come the less than 500 miles from Toronto.  Most of that was on the ground of course.  Anyway I am back safe and sound.

We had a celebratory pot luck lunch in the office to mark the end of the season - but I of course was suposed to be somewhere else and I made a lame attempt to be in both at once.  The other was with our beloved Ben Luxon, and his wife Susi, widow of the great Bill Crofut , who had been Ben's professional partner for so long.  We had a marvellous nostalgic hour or so at at the Park Grill.

And then I was at the dentist - always a pleasure!  No seriously, dentists get bad press but I am with the wonderful people at Water Tower Dental.  Go there - the bedside manner is the best.....never look back!

The rest of the day was more down beat.  Finance Committee.......

Tomorrow I am out near the airport at the Classical Singer annual get together.  More about that after the event.

Neue Stimmen problems

And so the time has come for decision about who can be immediately put forward to the finals from this part of North America.  We had just one from New York.  And it seems that such is the shortage of space that there may be only one from Chicago, and three from Toronto.  But there is a substantial waiting list of great quality, and as I get through Europe between June 6 and 29 I may be "promoting" some of the current outstanding "waiters" to finalist status.  It all depends on how we get on.  I start at the end of next week in Munich where there will be two full days.  And it is then on to Scandinavia and Russia.  That is week 1!

I will not confuse you by going further at this stage.  Just watch the blog for candid comments as the days go by.  By the time I finish in London on June 29 there will only be San Francisco, Mexico City and Buenos Aires to come......are you not exhausted already?

I had a happy evening in Toronto with my old friend Rob Lamb, Managing Director of the Canadian Opera Company - we went to dinner with another old friend Sue Mortimer, a COC Board member.  The delightful incoming president of the COC, Philip Deck was also there, a really knowledgable opera enthusiast, and  Canadian business leader, who is clearly excited about the future plans of the COC under the leadership of Alexander Neef.  They have a strong team.  It is so good to see this fine company in such good shape.

I am back in Chicago mid morning tomorrow - Thursday.

More on yesterday - and today in Canada

Here is a sample from yesterday's great Owen Wingrave understudies show - there are more on Facebook for those who know how to get there!

I am in Toronto day - more about that later.  I was up at 4 and am flagging somewhat.  But nothing that a good dinner and good company cannot fix.

The first Owen Wingrave

And here he is last night after our last performance with Steuart Bedford (left) and our Owen, Matt Worth.

Tears

Its all over - this wonderful 2009 season of ours.  It has been a hectic day.  It is now 11.25 pm after the end of season party at the Seneca, home to so many over the last three months. And I am off to Toronto on a 6.30 am flight tomorrow.

I hope to post some pictures of the excellent Owen Wingrave understudy showing tomorrow at some point.  Also some more naughty ones of post performance shenanigans from this evening.  Be patient and watchful!

Mamma Mia!

A rather wet Memorial Day afternoon kept us in and what better than to watch Mamma Mia! again?  Or for the umpteenth time as far as some of my family is concerned.  I tend to go to sleep in front of the television - all that flickering light does me in.  But Phyllida Lloyd's great show (what a good opera director she is as well!) together with the incomparable Meryl Streep, and the delectable ABBA songs - well I was awake for a bit!  Especially for Honey, Honey......

 And now back to Opera.  Tomorrow is our last Owen Wingrave - and will be graced by the presence of the first Owen Wingrave, Benjamin Luxon.  It will be a treat to see Ben again - we go back far, way back to the early 70s.  So that's nearer 40 than 30 years - scary.  He is now living in Massachusetts.

And we also have the understudy show tomorrow, an Executive Committee meeting, a pre performance supporter cultivation dinner, and, no doubt, a post performance impromptu party to mark the end of this remarkable Owen Wingrave project.