Louisville Medicine Volume 68, Issue 12 | Page 13

the US . Asian composers such as Bright Shen , Isang Yun and Tan Dun have found ways to combine the traditions of western opera and Asian art forms .
Kentucky Opera is finding ways to reach out to new audiences when we still cannot get together in large groups . General Director Barbara Lynne Jamison has announced its “ Amplify Your Voice ” campaign . When it was first announced prior to the pandemic , the strategy was to crowdsource the art of opera in public venues and through social media . This year , Kentucky Opera has worked through urban leagues and community organizations to Amplify Its Voice , going beyond the traditional media . While a few opera companies are streaming full operas , Kentucky Opera recognized that in our Zoom-world , people at home look for web events with a shorter time frame . Kentucky Opera has focused on three themes : faith , justice and family . Rather than pushing out messaging , Kentucky Opera has started to use social media to engage in conversation sharing through :
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Twitter
@ KentuckyOpera
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Facebook
facebook . com / KentuckyOpera
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Instagram
@ kyopera
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YouTube
youtube . com / user / KentuckyOpera
From the stories , poetry , music and comments thus submitted , next season Kentucky Opera will choose which opera themes truly speak to Kentuckians today .
Kentucky Opera knows that the pandemic doesn ’ t magically end with spring , but that there are new opportunities for expression . The Kentucky Opera website features videos that integrate themes of opera with real life . There is the “ Dear Mom ” series of short mini dramas . The “ Dear Mom ” series is subtitled “ Families are Changing but Love Sees No Difference . The first in this series features a letter from Natalka to her mother in the Czech Republic as she deals with the loneliness of separation from her mother in her home country , and from her husband whose job requires travel to Alaska . She is comforted in knowing that as she regards the moon , she knows both her mother and her husband see that very same moon . The narrative in the video blends easily into the “ Song to the Moon ” by Antonin Dvorak and sung by Shannon Jennings , who will return to Kentucky Opera in the fall of 2022 in “ La Bohème .”
The “ Hoops and High Notes ” is a unique video series that is just plain fun ! Soprano Ashley Emerson , who has sung frequently at New York ’ s Metropolitan Opera , serves as host for this series . “ Hoops and High Notes ” is only produced for Kentucky Opera , where Ms . Emerson will be singing the role of Gretel in “ Hansel and Gretel ” in the not too distant future . The “ Hoops and High Notes ” series makes for a relaxed and entertaining comparison of opera singers with athletes , artists and others . Where else would one find a comparison to the skills of opera singers with that of Master Distiller Chris Morris of Woodford Reserve ? Ashley does a “ team workout ” with former University of Louisville football player P . J . Mbanasor and finds her signature style on a skateboard with Noah Hulsman
FEATURE of Home Skate Shop . The dramatic , audacious performance of drag queen Gilda Wabbit shakes your booty !
To reach out of the box to find new audiences takes an organization that refuses to accept the stereotype of a stuffy artform left to a small group of elite aficionados . In the “ Hoops and High Notes ” at Louisville Slugger , Ashley compares opera to how Hillerich and Bradsby learned to stay relevant with changing tastes while staying true to its athletic art form . Of course , she ends that video with an operatic version of “ Take Me Out to the Ballgame .” It ’ s all in good fun — but all making the point that opera shares characteristics with much of what gives us value and entertainment .
For those who want to go into more depth , Joey Mechavich , the Artistic Advisor for Kentucky Opera , has developed a series of courses explaining the history and meaning behind operas . This past fall was an 11-week course giving the overview of the history of opera . The series , “ The Jo ( e ) y of Opera ” attracted some 400 people to his course . This spring he went in depth with “ The Life and Operas of Giacomo Puccini .” Joe ’ s style is full of short stories about the operas and his experiences in conducting for the performances . He would bring in opera singers , production managers and modern composers from around the country . His courses , while informative , are rather like a family dinner with lots of talk and enjoyment .
The Awakening Series of community engagement drew in commentary on social justice with the power of the privileged classes in “ The Marriage of Figaro ,” or the warrior neglected after Vietnam in “ Glory Denied .” How many of us recognized the domestic abuse and partner violence in “ Carmen ?” Kentucky Opera sought through the power of its art form to spark discussions of social justice , family and faith . These three themes , intensified by the oppressive cloud of COVID-19 , evoked very thoughtful and serious representations of our times through the art of opera .
As we hurtle down the backstretch of this pandemic , Kentucky Opera is pursuing ways to reach out to its existing base of enthusiasts to new audiences . People who have compared only stereotypical dress-up opera to their usual pastimes may cast off their preconceptions and enjoy opera . “ Hoops and High Notes ” may take them there . For those already interested in opera , the courses of Joe Mechavich allow for greater appreciation . The community discussion on social issues embodied in the art of opera , raises the art to on-point dialogue in our city . Spring is here , and Kentucky Opera is ready to bloom .
Note : Dr . Tom James is a returning member of the Board of Kentucky Opera . Dr . James is the Senior Medical Director , Passport Health Plan by Molina Healthcare .
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