How much has to happen before anything can happen

From Eric Hale:

The first production rehearsal for Capital Opera’s upcoming production of Carmen is tonight. During the next three weeks, members of the cast, crew, and board will blog here about Capital Opera’s upcoming production. Some posts may be personal, others will be about the cold practical aspects of bringing an opera to life. We hope you will find some interesting reading

Welcome. My name is Eric Hale. I’m a member of the board for Capital Opera, a member of the chorus for our upcoming production of Carmen, and the person who is coordinating this blog.

Years ago I hear an event planner angrily protest “You have no idea how much has to happen before anything can happen!” It was true – I didn’t. When I joined the board, I again discovered how much has to happen before anything can happen. That seemed like a good place to kick off this blog. Preparations have been going on for a year. What follows are just a few of the things that had to happen.

• Choosing the opera for the season
• Setting the budget for the production
• Negotiating with Fletcher and setting the dates
• Auditioning the cast
• Finding the other essential lead personnel, including, but not limited to, the director, chorus master, conductor, costumer, scenic designer, stage manager
• Recruiting other personnel, such as the orchestra or members of the running crew
• Making the early creative decisions, such as when the production will be set, without which the costumer and scenic designer cannot move forward
• Developing marketing materials
• Learning the music, for those in the cast

That list leaves out a lot: the logistical challenges for the performers who are not local, making costumes and sets, setting rehearsal schedules, finding rehearsal space, finding the money to bring the production to the stage – the list may not be endless, but it is very long.

First rehearsal is tonight. Many of us have been preparing for this night for a long time. I can’t wait.