June, 2012 Norma!

I’ve been spending the last several months preparing to do the epic title role in Bellini’s “Norma” with Pocket Opera.  Donald Pippin will be conducting the small orchestra from the piano, and we’ll be singing his English version.  He has a marvelous knack for creating them to fit well in the voice and be understandable.  I’m joined by a wonderfully talented cast of excellent singers, and the director is the accomplished Andrew Morgan.

Here’s the link for tickets:

Pocket Opera

June 24, 2pm, in San Francisco, CA
July 8, 2pm, in Berkeley, CA

For those who can’t make it, I’ll be posted video excerpts here! Meanwhile, here’s an aria from “The Marauders” that I performed for their gala.

January, 2012 – Some New Projects for the New Year!

There’s one “old” project: Glee! It’s now in its third season, and you can still hear me in all of the off-camera vocals.

If you come to Hollywood any time in the next 10 or so years, don’t miss the new Cirque du Soleil show, IRIS, a surreal, innovative, acrobatically thrilling depiction of the early years of film. Danny Elfman wrote an incredible masterpiece as the score, and honored me by writing several solos for me to sing. I’m intertwined throughout, but most notably in “The Twins,” Pellicule,” “Flying Scarlett,” and the heart-tugging finale “Scarlett Balancing.”

The score is available on CD and on Live Streaming.

The creators talk about their experience:

A preview of some scenes and the finale music:

“Beethoven’s Wig” has a brand new CD out – “Sing Along Piano Classics”
It’s on Amazon.
This is one of the new pieces, performed live last year at the Ford Theater in Hollywood:

Later this year, I’ll be tackling the monumental role of Norma in Bellini’s opera of the same name. Donald Pippin asked me to join him once more in Pocket Opera to portray this ultimate diva.
June 24 and July 1 at the Marines’ Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco
July 8 at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St., Berkeley
I’d love to see you in my audience!