This past week has been filled with grief, anxiety, sadness, fear and violence as a result of the arrest and murder of Mr. George Floyd. His death represents an injustice that for many is unfathomable. It is never easy to have something so horrific and ugly shoved in your face, forcing you to acknowledge its very existence. Mr. Floyd’s brother has called for an end to …
Meet our experts! MOT consultant and former Audience Engagement Coordinator Austin Stewart has been sharing his knowledge and opera expertise with MOT patrons for years, including providing regular preview talks ahead of the Metropolitan Opera’s Nightly Opera Stream. Learn more about him below! Austin Stewart currently serves as Director of Operations for Chorus pro Musica in …
Music is integral to dance. Choreography is often referred to as the visualization of music. In 1991, Moses Pendleton, founder and artistic director of MOMIX, conceived, choreographed, and directed a televised dance film – Pictures at an Exhibition – which won the International Emmy for Best Performing Arts Special. Pendleton was inspired by the 1874 Modest Mussorgsky composition of the same name, which was inspired by …
View stream Dan Kern Wonderful production. Incredible acting. Heavenly singing. A masterpiece! Raymond Ward Wow, just AMAZING, bravissimo!! This brings back such great memories of when Ben was part of MOTCC in this performance among many others. Experiences there helped shape him musically in so many ways that I can’t thanks enough 🙂 This …
When it comes to choreographers who have crossed genres with dance, perhaps none is more versatile than Lar Lubovitch. With a prolific career that spans over 60 years, Lubovitch has choreographed for a diverse range of art forms, working with top artists such as dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, film director Robert Altman, Broadway stage director Stephen Sondheim, actor Neve Campbell and Olympic ice skating gold medalist John Curry. It was in college, as an art student and gymnast, that Lubovitch was approached by a …
Stitchers from Michigan Opera Theatre’s Costume Department are giving back to the community by sewing protective masks for healthcare workers. They began making the masks the second week of April and, to date, have sewed more than 600 masks, which have been donated to hospitals, nursing homes, VA hospitals and places of need. The five-sewer team includes Maureen Abele, Margaret Bronder, Emily Christenson, Susan Fox, and Mary Ellen Shuffett directed by …
Thank you to everyone who participated in our opera photo recreation contest! We enjoyed seeing your submissions and hope you also had fun in the process. After much deliberation we have chosen our top three entries: All Entries
Early in my arts management career, I had the privilege of working with Lee Theodore’s The American Dance Machine, a theatre dance company. Theodore was a protégé of Jerome Robbins. She originated the role of “Anybodys,” the female tomboy character who wanted to belong to the Jets gang in West Side Story on Broadway. Conceived, choreographed and directed by Robbins, West Side Story set a new standard on Broadway for placing dance front and center. Prior to the advent …
We are thrilled to announce our first ever digital opera performance! At 11 a.m. on May 22, tune in to our Facebook page for a performance of The Very Last Green Thing by our Michigan Opera Theatre Children’s Chorus! The one-act opera is a futuristic story set in the year 2492 where students are taught and raised by …
By Jon Teeuwissen, Michigan Opera Theatre Artistic Advisor for Dance “There may be no greater balm for the spirit than the ballets of the 19-century Danish choreographer August Bournonville” claims a recent article in The New Yorker. I am in total agreement. Bournonville’s philosophy, according to his “Choreographic Credo,” states that “Dance is essentially an …
