Meet the Artists: Writer/Director Chris Leyva

When we first had the crazy idea to produce two operas in the summer of 2006, Chris Leyva was one of the first people we called to join our cause. He's always up for a creative challenge - directing, designing, writing or adapting - and his spirit of ingenuity is contageous. Who else could have staged Le nozze di Figaro in four days, or decided to put on The Magic Flute with three ladders?

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I received an M.F.A. from the Playwrights Workshop at The University of Iowa and a B.A. in Directing from Coe College. I'm currently a "resident" playwright/director at coópera: Project Opera of Manhattan.  I mounted productions of Le Nozze di Figaro (2006) and Die Zauberflöte (2007) for coópera, and wrote an English adaptation of the dialogue for the latter. I mainly focus my directing muscles on the development of new works, including the development of my own plays!

What is your favorite opera you've ever sung in/directed/conducted/played in and why?

My favorite opera that I've directed would have to be The Magic Flute.  It might change in the future, but that was the one where I was there from start to finish, coming up with the crazy ladder idea and then seeing it unfold onstage.  Also working on the English translations of the dialogue scenes made the production especially personalized.  Just thinking about the performances makes me ridiculously giddy!

If you could play any operatic role in the repertoire, regardless of fach, what would it be and why?

I don't think anyone wants me performing in an opera...  Ever...  But, let's say I had some hot, operatic vocal skills, well, then I'd go for Marcello in La Bohème, not necessarily because I enjoy the opera, but because I don't think that rock operas count, so Mark in Rent would be off-limits.

Describe a fun or humorous POM memory.

In our interpretation of The Magic Flute, we had these wooden ladders.  Two 8 foot and 1 that was 12.  We rehearsed that week in a small gym-like space with high ceilings...  In the Queen of the Night's famous aria, I had the actresses climbing up on the 12 foot ladder as high as they felt comfortable going.  Both Queens (Dawn Wolski and Alyssa Bowlby) were daring and just headed right up the ladder.  There was one particular rehearsal, however, I believe it was the first time we had the huge ladder, and Alyssa charged up the ladder like a pro, but didn't realize how close her head was to these spinning ceiling fans!  The rest of the cast and crew nearly passed out!  Thankfully, she survived!

If you were a musical instrument, what would you be and why?

I think of myself as a piano.  Versatile and classic.  Up for whatever. 

If an opera were written about your life, what composer (living or dead) would write it? What famous singer could sing the role of you? 

The only composer I'd get to do an opera about me would be Danny Elfman.  I think only he could hit that level of mystery and humor that envelops my life! 

I don't really know, however, which singer I'd want to play me.  But whoever it is would need to become a master of physical comedy.  There'd be a lot of falling down in the opera...

Do you have any pre-show/audition traditions or superstitions?

The only tradition I can think of doesn't really count, since I don't believe that "pacing" can be construed as a tradition.

What is your favorite meal?

Veal Parmigiana. I no longer think that veal is particularly ethical, however, I haven't quite found something to replace it yet...

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Wow.  Ten years...  I'll try not to think of myself as 40...  But, at that time, I would see myself still doing what I'm doing: writing plays and directing.  I can see myself lurking about in some university setting, teaching.  I'd be taking my kids to rehearsals, especially future POM shows (what kid doesn't love opera?!).  Although, they'd have to skip most of "daddy's plays" until they're at least 17... 

I can't see myself not working with POM.  I'm not saying this because Miriam Browning-Nance asked for a PR quote, but because I'm a theatre artist and, as a theatre artist, I value community and collaboration.  The experiences I've had working with one of my dearest friends of the past decade and with all the artists at POM has really energized me in my own career.  Who would ever want to let go of that life-giving and joyful energy? 

What kind of music, besides opera, is on your iPod?

Broadway musicals & Film Scores.  Lots and LOTS of film scores, especially Danny Elfman & John Williams.  Over half of my "2 days" of music is film scores...

So much with so little -- a letter from the Managing Director

[The following letter was written by Miriam Browning-Nance, Managing Director, just after The Rape of Lucretia in September 2008. So much has happened in a year, and yet our sentiments are still the same. How thrilling it is to feel so strongly about what one does.]


For those of you who are familiar with POM, you know that this is a labor of love for my partner, Laura Virella, and myself. Far from being just another job or hobby, for the past three years our work with POM has born fruit in one rewarding experience after another. We opera singers are used to feeling a bit, well, replaceable – there are just so many of us (especially sopranos!) and we are often the last element to be integrated into a production. POM has made us feel just the opposite: it has given us and many of our collaborators the opportunity to be involved in every creative aspect of building an opera from the ground up, so that at the end, we can look at the performance experience in a new and exciting light. This was one of my goals when we founded this company: to form, more or less, an opera co-operative, in which everyone involved – orchestra members, crew, designers, directors, singers and audience – can feel they share part of the ownership. This makes our triumphs, however big or small, all the more jubilant.

Opera is all about transformation: In our first season, 2006, we took Laura’s crazy idea and the help of a bunch of creative friends, and transformed them into two productions of astonishingly high artistic quality. Last year, we took a school gym in Spanish Harlem, three ladders, and an audience made up of people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and transformed them into a spine-tingling experience of Die Zauberflöte. And that brings me to this season: for two magical performances of The Rape of Lucretia at The Players, we were able to share with packed audiences our best collaborative effort yet, with invaluable help from a venerable artistic institution. We received more support from colleagues in all elements of the production than ever before: stage management and direction, lighting, audiovisual recording, photography, publicity... Just yesterday we received an e-mail from our lighting designer, Tyler Learned, a professional who worked day and night for most of a week to make the production possible, with the following kind words:

“Personally, for me it was a triumph. I don't think I've ever done so much with so little. I still think of it... Thank you again for an opportunity for such an extraordinary experience.”

So much with so little... That’s precisely what we’ve always prided ourselves on doing, but perhaps the “so little” part is misleading. Because, although we’ve always functioned on a very low budget, we’ve been given so much in other ways: so much help, so much support, so much encouragement from our friends, family and the larger community. We may face an uphill battle, but we have always known we have many wonderful people cheering us on.

Meet the Artists: Pa…….pa..pa…

[This is the first in a new series of posts, Meet the Artists, in which we will introduce you to some of the many young artists who have worked with us since our inception in 2006. Stay tuned for more!]

coópera audiences may remember Adam Cavagnaro and Nina Riley as the charming Papageno and Papagena in our 2007 production of The Magic Flute. We at coópera know them as two of the most positive, hard-working and fun singers we have had the pleasure of working with so far. Adam also joined us in our first season as Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, and in 2008 as Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, a production in which Nina sang the role of Lucia. They were kind enough to answer a few of our questions and share a bit more about themselves, onstage and off…

What is your favorite opera role you’ve ever performed?

Adam: I really enjoy Papageno in Magic Flute. He is such an honest character which often gets him into trouble, but in the funniest way possible! It was great to do this role with POM because of the open attitude they have about opera. In order to give as honest a performance as Papageno calls for, it's important to feel supported by the company you're working with. I was able to try anything on stage and felt confident I would get constructive criticism back from the production team.

Nina: Despina in Cosi fan tutte – it was the first role I ever did. I had so much fun playing the character and it helped me to really let go of my shyness, especially playing the doctor and notary.

If you could play any operatic role in the repertoire, regardless of fach, what would it be and why?

Adam: It would have to be Rosina in Barber of Seville! I love the aria "Una voce poco fa." I love the character and flavor of the piece, not to mention the amazing coloratura!

Nina: I have never sung Susanna from Le nozze di Figaro, and it is the role I want to do most. Why? Because it’s one of my favorite operas ever!!!!

Describe a fun or humorous POM memory.

Adam: The season I did Flute with POM was filled with so many stories! We did two performances in one venue and the final two performances in a different venue. Papageno has a line that says, "May the earth swallow me whole!", and he was supposed to sink into the stage and be "swallowed" by the earth. In the first venue there was some creative staging that let me fall to the ground behind a half-wall so the audience couldn't see what was actually happening. For the last two performances, because we changed venues, the staging we had previously used was not going to work. The problem is I realized this as I was on stage about to say the line! Thanks to some quick thinking I said, "May the earth swallow me whole,"and dropped to the ground and rolled off stage!! Many thanks to POM for being the kind of company where rolling around on the floor is OK!!

Nina: I was going to say the same thing! It still makes me laugh to think about Adam rolling off the stage. A fun memory for me was the entire process of putting on The Rape of Lucretia – the music was so gorgeous. Hard, but I loved it!!!

If you were a musical instrument, what would you be and why?

Adam: A wind machine. I mean, come on.

Nina: Ummmm.....maybe a piccolo? Because… I have a high voice?

If an opera were written about your life, what composer (living or dead) would write it? What famous singer could sing the role of you?

Adam: I would like Adam Guettel to compose and Matthew Worth to perform. I really like Adam's music; it's a combination of musical theatre, pop and opera. As for Matthew Worth: who wouldn't want to be remembered as a hunky baritone with an amazing voice?

Nina: I think the role of me would be a soubrette. Maybe Mozart could write it....that would be cool!

Do you have any pre-show/audition traditions or superstitions?

Adam: When I was in high school I had a plastic coin that I got from a cereal box, that I took to all of the community theatre auditions I went to. I also took it to my undergrad admissions audition at Montclair. After I got into Montclair I decided I didn't need it anymore, and left it at my parent's house. When I audition now, I like to use Scope mouthwash before I leave my apartment, and I like to arrive at the audition venue 30 minutes before hand to focus myself.

What is your favorite meal?

Adam: I love turkey burgers (from Lucky Burger on 52nd street) with Lucky sauce, fries and a black and white shake.

Nina: My mom’s curry rice, Japanese style.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Adam: In 10 years I will be 36. I would like to be on the roster at NYC Opera, have been featured on the Barihunks website and have well established myself as a teacher in Manhattan.

Nina: It all depends. If my singing career is going well then I might be wherever my voice takes me. If not, then I will probably go back to Japan, my home country!

What kind of music, besides opera, is on your iPod?

Adam: Right now I'm listening to Ragtime by Ahrens and Flaherty. On my iPod I have some Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, Audra McDonald, John Coltrane, Britney Spears, Counting Crows, David Archuleta, India Arie, Kelly Clarkson and about 100 others.

Nina: A lot of Jazz, Gospel, old school R&B, actually pretty much everything, but I don’t necessarily listen to it all.

Who says singers aren't tough?!

The BBC News reports that Puerto Rican soprano Ana María Martínez fell into an orchestra pit at Glyndebourne festival during a performance of Rusalka on Friday.



Our favorite part of the article: "Despite Ana María wanting to continue with the performance, she was immediately taken to hospital as a precautionary measure."

Singers: be careful out there! And instrumentalists: watch out for falling singers!

Waiting for life to begin

“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” ~Ursula LeGuin

Every career or calling has its own path, and certainly a young artist knows he or she is not choosing the easiest course. There exist careers whose trajectories almost seem like a checklist: get _____ undergraduate degree, _____ graduate degree, apply for _____ certification, land one of many available jobs in your field, and voilá, your career awaits. Perhaps many musicians have personalities that rebel against such predestination and lack of surprises anyway, but the uncertainty of a life in the arts has its own pitfalls. Perhaps foremost of these is that we often feel like we’re waiting for life to begin, always waiting to achieve whatever we define as success in our field. We know better than to expect that we will get one big break that will do it, but we might assume that one smaller break will be followed by another smaller break, and it will all lead in a straight line toward success. We have our sights on the signposts along the way: the first professional gig, the summer program, the young artist program, the competition prize, the agent contract, the ability to quit our day-job to focus on music. All along the way, there are also technical signposts: “When I have a solid high C...” In the moment, it can feel like the next one will be it, the next one will make us feel secure or accomplished, or, at the very least, give us a sign that we are going in the right direction. After the next accomplishment, we can relax for a while. But then that next accomplishment doesn’t happen as we’ve planned, or doesn’t give us the security we foresaw, or we get there and can only see what needs to be done next. And in the meantime, are we truly enjoying life, or are we letting it pass us by? If we’re busy thinking that our lives will begin when we achieve __________, then are we stuck in a state of suspended animation while we work and wait?

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” ~John Lennon

We are artists because we have something we want to tell, some emotion we want to share. If we are not truly experiencing life along the way, our art may become stagnant – focusing on future success may make our present performances less vital, less human. Good friends, good food, traveling, experiencing other arts: these and other pleasures make our lives better in the meantime, and, as an intrinsic benefit, may serve as catalysts for our creativity.

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” ~James Dean

I recently had a dream in which I was explaining something I truly believe but have never been able to articulate in waking life: “The way we choose to live our lives is our ultimate work of art. All other art is documentation.”

Exploring music in the world

Lately there seems to have been an explosion of books, articles and documentaries about various topics related to music: music and human evolution, music and the brain, music and culture, etc. For example, take a look at the following clip from a presentation given by Bobby McFerrin at the World Science Festival recently:

How interesting that, despite the differences in music across different cultures, some scales and intervals seem to be almost universal...

For more on these musical universals, we highly recommend The Music Instinct, a recent PBS documentary about music as related to the human brain and culture, which was co-hosted by Dan Levitin, author of The World in Six Songs and This is Your Brain on Music. In the documentary, the connections between music and all other aspects of our humanity are vivid, inspiring and thought-provoking. For example, did you know that evolutionary anthropologists and neuroscientists largely agree that music most likely evolved almost entirely independently from language, and therefore probably had a separate evolutionary purpose? The most plausible theory of this purpose seems to be tribal bonding and synchronization within groups. Yet no one can be certain which evolved first, music or speech. Could there have been a time when humans used only wordless music to communicate?

We're also currently reading Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, by renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks; many may know him as the doctor whose work and writing inspired the movie Awakenings. We'll post a full review of this fascinating book soon.

Any other books, films or links to recommend to fellow music-lovers?

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

The stereotype of the young and struggling artist always seems to include the demoralizing day-job, usually boring temping or grueling restaurant work. And while many coópera: POM artists have worked in either or both of these situations, a young performer’s path is usually more complex (and more interesting) than the old story of years of tedious employment until one moment of breakout success – it just doesn’t fit as well in a movie montage. Many of us have found that doing a variety of things at the same time gives us the chance to explore all the aspects of ourselves, to be more well-rounded individuals and ultimately, perhaps, even better artists. It is a situation born of necessity but which can ultimately bear creative fruit in our lives and lead us in surprising directions. I’ve read that the average person will have three different careers over the course of a working life; we just choose to have those all at once.

Obviously, some musicians pay their rent by piecing together many different jobs related to music, such as teaching, church and synagogue jobs, and various random gigs. Although this lifestyle can mean no medical benefits and unpredictable income, it also has the advantages of variety and constant exposure to music, and, often, flexibility. Sometimes, these can become far more than just ways to pay the rent, especially for those who find a sense of community in religious worship or a passion for teaching: not everyone is cut out for it, but for someone who loves music, what could be better than to pass that on to others? Of course, there are dozens of careers other than performing that involve music or helping other musicians, such as music therapy, Alexander Technique, music criticism, arts administration and classical radio. Another potential benefit of these careers is that the artist might work with supervisors and colleagues who understand and support his or her passion for performing as well.

Some artists choose to maintain the most boring possible day jobs, in order not to be distracted from their true focus. But for others, employment outside of music can offer opportunities to explore other interests, and this can be quite fulfilling. We’ve had friends and performing colleagues work in law, finance, advertising, linguistics, technical theatre, non-profit work, childcare... I could go on. Depending on the person, the situation, and the position, some of these can be very rewarding matches. Of course, most of us realize that, were we to be offered our “big break,” we would have to leave even the most satisfying of day jobs immediately, which can be an uncomfortable knowledge to live with. How can you put down roots knowing you might have to pull them up at any time? We cross that bridge when we get to it.

There are artists that find creative ways to provide their own flexible and interesting employment: some singer friends in Baltimore started a real estate business to support themselves and their families while still having time for opera. On the other hand, for some people, these interesting day jobs make it tempting to leave music altogether – and, if that’s the way life takes you, then why not? One of our amazing orchestra members left music to go to law school after working as a paralegal. Music can always be a part of your life, but some people end up finding it equally if not more rewarding to perform without the pressure of it earning your bread and butter. (Then, of course, the challenge becomes finding the time to devote to your art, but it is certainly not impossible.)

Our society, until recently, has tended to value specialization, not Renaissance men and women. But, throughout history, the artist has always had to become good at many things. Think of the conductor, who usually begins with a primary instrument, and often ends up composing, teaching and/or coaching as well. Music encourages a wide range of skills and interests. Some economists are saying that the current economic recession may be guiding us toward a workforce that is less specialized, where jacks-of-all-trades are the most valuable because they are the most adaptable. More and more people are developing hyphenated careers out of necessity or choice. Perhaps this new societal trend will mean that the adaptable young artist will no longer seem like a salmon swimming upstream.

There is more than one way to make a life in music. Each musician finds his or her own way, sometimes following a direct and straightforward path, sometimes through one that is more meandering and roundabout. Some of us might end up having hyphenated careers for most of our lives, whether by choice or chance. And, for some of us, that might be the most interesting life we could imagine.

Catch 22

As young singers, we're always intrigued to read articles in the mainstream media regarding opera and opera singers. While we often have bones to pick with some of the statements on the world of opera by the New York Times, we appreciate their willingness to pull back the curtain and see how things really look behind the scenes. Sunday's article, Hire That Hot Tenor Years in Advance, and Hope for the Best, by Anthony Tommasini, was no exception.

As the title suggests, Tommasini explores the trend of casting popular singers years in advance, which leads to inevitable cancellations due to health issues (vocal or physical) or vocal changes. Although these situations involve many different players (the popular singers offered these roles, their managers, the administration who offers the contracts, the audiences who buy tickets hoping to see the star of the moment, the –often younger—singers who end up filling in if the stars cannot fulfill their contracts), this article tells the story from the administrators’ point of view, mainly through the eyes of Peter Gelb, new general manager of the Metropolitan Opera.

Newsflash: Voices change, from year to year, sometimes month to month. Voices change in unexpected ways while we mature and age. A woman's voice sometimes changes after giving birth. These changes can be good or bad or neutral. Some singers might show gradual signs of vocal strain which later turn into full-blown vocal issues, whereas other problems might occur overnight, as in the case of soprano Carol Vaness, who damaged a vocal cord screaming to escape a burning car after an accident. (She —and her voice— are now fine.)

In a perfect world, it might be a wiser idea NOT to book singers more than a year or so in advance of a performance, but that's just not possible if opera houses are competing for what they believe is the top tier of singers.

Second thought: Some of these problems could perhaps be avoided if major opera houses had better vocal technique consultants involved in casting decisions. Too often these decisions seem to be based on audience popularity and made by administrators who are removed from the world of technique. Of course, audiences should have a say in these matters. Opera-lovers know what they like and companies need to be assured that their singers will help them fill the seats. But having more input from a vocal technician could help companies predict whether or not today's stars are singing in a sustainable manner.

Then there’s the fact that these last-minute cancellations offer the possibility for one of the more exciting narratives in the performing world: the young, last-minute replacement, who is offered the chance of a lifetime and bursts onto the scene in a triumphant debut. Young soprano Elaine Alvarez received her big break filling in for Angelina Gheorghiu at Chicago Lyric Opera in 2007, after some unprofessional behavior on Gheorghiu’s part. Soprano Erika Sunnegardh filled in for both Karita Mattila and Andrea Gruber within a span of a few weeks that same year. During Pavarotti's last few years of performing, opera houses everywhere still wanted him on their stages badly enough to prepare in advance for the possibilities of his frequent cancellations; this offered more than one young tenor a chance in the spotlight. So are these really opportunities in disguise?

The Met seems to be hoping for another success story in the featured vignette of this article. 31-year-old tenor Joseph Calleja has been tapped to take over the title role in The Tales of Hoffmann this coming year. The production was originally conceived three years ago to showcase Rolando Villazón, who is currently recovering from vocal surgery. As Tommasini points out, 31 is quite young for a tenor, and perhaps this particular casting is not a wise decision. But when the author says, of Calleja's recent portrayal of Alfredo in Traviata, "I still heard elements of a singer figuring out technical details," it gives us pause. Let's face it: As singers, we will be "figuring out technical details" for the rest of our lives. We are all in an endless process. (Let's go back to the newsflash: Voices change.)

Thus the age/vocal maturity conundrum: Young singers are rarely given chances to perform for professional companies, and yet, when given the chance, they're expected to be a “finished product.” If voices take longer to mature, when they finally reach that maturity, they are told they don't have enough professional experience on their resumes. It's a catch-22 that very few singers manage to escape.

However, kudos to this article for the benefit of the doubt it gives most of the featured singers: Instead of judging as divas or divos those who back out of performances, Tommasini recognizes that, as difficult as it can be for all involved, sometimes cancelling an engagement (or maybe accepting a last-minute one) is the wisest decision one can make. Regarding casting musical chairs in a recent production of Traviata, he writes, "in retrospect the artists involved knew what they were doing."

Believing that artists know what they're doing… How refreshing.

willkommen, bienvenue, welcome...

Come on in, kick off your shoes, and allow me to pour you a virtual glass of wine. Welcome to coópera: Project Opera of Manhattan's brand-spankin'-new blog, The Score.

Why "The Score"? Here are just a few of the dozens of meanings of the word "score":

• the pertinent facts; lowdown
• written representation of musical composition
• a successful move, stroke, remark
• a line drawn or scratched, often to mark a starting point
• to get by effort or merit; gain
• to win or enjoy credit, popularity, success
  

Seemed appropriate. While we're talking names, the new name of our venture, coópera, was chosen because it represents what we've wanted for this company from the beginning: a true cooperative effort, a community of young artists and audiences creating opera together without the usual walls between any of us. A community like this needs a common space to share ideas, insights, inspiration, stories and thoughts. We can't always be in the same physical space, and from the beginning our support has come from far and wide: from Connecticut to California; from Iowa to Indiana; from San Juan to San German, Puerto Rico; from Bolton Hill in Baltimore to Marble Hill in Manhattan... So we hope that this blog can be that common space for us, a way to stay in touch and keep creating in-between productions, and a place where those far away who might not be able to make every performance can still be a part of the process.

So, to get the ball rolling and welcome you to our virtual common space, I thought I'd share a few POM anecdotes that have to do with our actual space, our apartment.

When we moved into Marble Hill in 2005, we had no thoughts about starting our own opera company, nor could we have ever imagined how serendipitous our choice of building would be once we did. Since then, our neighbors have included Kathleen Reynolds, our amazing publicist; Nancy Sylbert, our fabulous graphic designer and assistant director for Lucretia; Ken Howard, world-famous photographer who shot Lucretia before having to jet back to the Met; and several donors, including a fellow opera singer who donated fabric for our costumes.

During our first season, summer 2006, all of our musical rehearsals took place in our apartment, around our upright piano. There were frequent walks to Baskin-Robbins for post-rehearsal ice cream. Friends came in and out to help build set pieces. At least two of our cast members brought parents to come sit in on rehearsals. (Our artists' parents have been some of our most ardent supporters.) Our friend David (left) painted scenery on our living room floor -- I think we still have a spot or two of black on our ceiling from those panels!

We never knew how many people could fit in our one-bedroom apartment until our second season, 2007, when, over the course of our production of Magic Flute, we hosted our director, Chris, and his wife / our choreographer / third boy, Rachael, from Columbus; our Monostatos, Andy, from Chicago; and Randall and Sara, our conductor and his wife, from Baltimore. Somehow we had enough room for everyone to have a bed, but the single bathroom was a bit of a stretch.

Since we know that we can never pay any of our young artists what they are truly worth, we have often tried to make up for it by feeding them before rehearsal or during breaks. Laura's home-cooked meals, especially her famous arroz con pollo, have become production favorites -- when we show up to rehearsal bringing the caldero that's bigger than us, people know they're in for a treat.

coópera has helped make a real home and community for us, as it has become an artistic community for those who collaborate with us. More of their stories will be coming soon.

So make yourself at home in this new space. Tell us who you are. And stay a while -- everyone knows the music only gets louder as the party goes on...