Thank You!!!
Music, Lyrics, Book and Orchestrations by Dave Malloy
MOT extends a huge THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for our first post-pandemic production, Preludes!
Photo Credits: Mark Frohna
The Reviews are in!
"A Spa for the Soul" ~Jeff Grygny, Play On Milwaukee
"How I've missed this small company's mighty spirit, their dedication to the unexpected and unusual,
and their gift for giving audiences such singular experiences." ~Kelsey Lawler, BroadwayWorld
and their gift for giving audiences such singular experiences." ~Kelsey Lawler, BroadwayWorld
"Some of the most imaginative musical theater in town during this century has been staged by Milwaukee Opera Theatre."
~David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express
~David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express
"Comic musical Preludes from Milwaukee Opera Theatre spelunks the troubled mind of composer Rachmaninoff"
~Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
~Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Musically it makes us rethink and newly admire Rachmaninoff" ~Dom Noth, Urban Milwaukee
And check out this trailer, courtesy of Traveling Lemur Productions!
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Cast
Rachmaninoff: Ruben Piirainen Rach: Joe Picchetti Dahl: Jenny Wanasek Natalya: Natalie Ford Chaliapin: Gage Patterson Chekhov, et al: Joel Kopischke Synthesizers: Marty Butorac & Dave Bonofiglio |
Creative Team
Stage Director: Jill Anna Ponasik Music Director: Ruben Piirainen Assistant Stage Director: Doug Clemons Lighting Designer: Jim Padovano Sound Designer: Colin Gawronski Costume Designer: Lisa Quinn Stage Manager: Danny Brylow |
The Aria Project continues!
Eight local artists use iconic arias to share something about their personal pandemic experiences.
We’ll deliver one aria to your inbox, free each month, from October to May.
We’ll deliver one aria to your inbox, free each month, from October to May.
This month, resplendent soprano Cecilia Davis shares Cleopatra's frustration in
"Piangerò la sorta mia" from Handel's Giulio Cesare.
"Piangerò la sorta mia" from Handel's Giulio Cesare.
Directed by Catie O'Donnell
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From Cecilia...
My pandemic experience is not unique. Like scores of households everywhere, the March 2020 shut-down transformed our home into a shared working and learning space where my kids, husband and I fumbled through virtual school and remote work. When it all began, I got right to work on Pinterest-worthy, daily household schedules that included such illusions as daily family walks, nutritious snacks, meditation time, educational movies, and perfectly balanced parental teamwork.
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But as stay-at-home life dragged on, my best-laid plans for household harmony and productivity quickly devolved into daily chaos, and general family discord. A typical weekday usually unraveled as early as my first cup of coffee, when a child refused to participate in his first virtual classroom meet of the day. Or when another child’s Chromebook wouldn’t power up. Or when brotherly conflict disrupted my meeting. Or one of a zillion other possible things that got in the way. It didn’t take long for me to go from “we can do this!” to “God help me if this lasts much longer” and “get me out of here” and so on and so forth. Plus, maneuvering it as a parent of spirited, neurodivergent boys that require extra academic, emotional and beahvioral interventions added to the overwhelm.
Read Cecilia's complete Artist Statement here!
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Next up on
The Aria Project... Captivating Tenor Austin Bare
performs a unique rendition of "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from Franz Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns |
And in case you missed it, check out the
previous installments of The Aria Project here!
previous installments of The Aria Project here!
And coming up in June...
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L'Orfeo
June 9-12, 2022 (Live/Indoor) Sponsored by Jan Serr and John Shannon
Music by Claudio Monteverdi | Libretto by Alessandro Striggio
English Translation by Danny Brylow and Joseph Krohlow We close our season with a co-production of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, partnering with Aperi Animam to commission and perform a new English translation of this masterpiece of early opera, now fully realized with lights, staging, costumes, the whole shebang!
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Graphic Design: Andrea Klohn
Help bring this season to life!
Can’t wait to see you inside, outside and online!
Our season was supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board
with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Our Mission
We are Milwaukee’s micro-brewery for opera, proudly producing small batches of high quality, local lyric theatre.
We tell stories through music...unconventionally.
We tell stories through music...unconventionally.
Milwaukee Opera Theatre is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
