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Such a long time not to blog ... but don't give up on me out there! We've been busy presenting lots and lots of great shows, planning for the summer season, taking some "hard hat" tours of new/renovated places (including the almost-open Avia hotel and the Uptown's work in progress), and trying to stay afloat during these challenging economic times. I find it energizing and challenging to try to create new ways of doing business, of looking "outside the box" (sorry for the cliche), and pushing the envelope (again, sorry). We're all looking forward to the August 1st concert at the Mondavi Winery ... with the one, the only, Smokey Robinson (plus musicians, singers and dancers). And, we're already working on the Zoppe Circus event -- six shows, under the big top, outside at the Vets Home in Yountville (Oct. 8-11). What is also refreshing is to be talking to, possibly collaborating with other NV-based nonprofits. Never a dull.... Blog and ask questions about the Opera House or backstage or artists or whatever. Thanks for clicking in.
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Okay, it's January (almost February), the weather was gorgeous for those few weeks but is now more gray, more chilly, and more receptive to staying home and watching the tube ... BUT, you're missing out on some wonderful treats at the Opera House ... not to mention some incredible meals at restaurants all around us. Round One of IDOL NV was spectacular -- seven young singers who poured their hearts and souls out on stage to win the hearts of the judges AND the audience. Round Two comes this weekend, January 31, 8pm, when seven new singers hope to earn their way into the finals, February 28. Whether you know someone entering or have kids in school ... or not ... this is truly a fun and heartwarming evening that leaves everyone who is there ... smiling
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! Yes, it's really quiet out there ... but optimism prevails. Stay tuned to our "Oscar Night" coming up Saturday, Feb. 21, and blog me ... Always happy to hear from you!| Comments | 0 |
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Hats off to Richard Miami who stuck it out through thick and thin during these past months at COPIA. (Quite a shock [but not really...] to read of Copia's closure this morning in the Register.... On no budget with no staff, Richard was a one-man arts presenter always sensitive to the community's cultural tastes. I would often see him walking the beat throughout downtown Napa putting up posters for the concerts and engaging local business members with his friendly manner. He was not a complainer but rather a positive and upbeat force for the films, concerts and dance events that occurred during his tenure. I will miss him as an arts colleague up the block (and a few times, a lunch partner at Taylors), but Richard has landed on his feet at the Mondavi Winery and thankfully, his personal connections/contacts will most likely make sure that this lovely human being is employed! There but for.... If you missed East Village Opera Company last night (11/22), well, all I can say is "wow." A great band, terrific voices, a string trio and everyone's favorite arias like you've never heard them before. A taste of downtown New York on the Opera House stage plus the nicest folks ever! I asked early on if they would taken the sound down -- they did. We also could not provide all the moving lights, bells and whistles they had asked for, but they were most cooperative, and the stage looked full and perfect. C'mon folks -- turn off the tv, get off the couch, grab a partner and get on over to the Opera House. We can't make this work without you ... so check that December schedule and join us. Blog me! Let me know your burning questions about the Opera House, artists, etc. I'm ready when you are. Best, Evy
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I truly appreciate Lee Block's recent editorial in the NV Register where he encourages support of the arts during these tough economic times. The arts not only distract us from the day to day, but more often than not, reach a deeper place that, to use a cliche, "feeds the soul." The arts community is, by default, always affected by the economics at hand. In fact, I feel an unsettling sense of "deja vu." On the morning of the horrific tragedy of 9/11/01, my husband and I had invited dancer/choreographer David Dorfman (from New York) over for breakfast (I was director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival at the time). David was in residence at the University of Michigan where he was creating a new work for the University Musical Society, a major US presenting organization. When he arrived for breakfast, our television was on, but David was unaware of what had happened. We watched in shock ... together. David tried frantically to call his wife and child in New York, and thankfully they were not near the scene ... but we cried together, and the world changed forever that day. The arts changed that day, too. Everything stopped ... for months. How to keep moving forward, or just to keep moving, was the dilemma faced by many of my presentation colleagues. And that feeling keeps creeping back today .... Everything has slowed down with a "wait and see" attitude attached. It's that same eerie feeling -- "deja vu" all over again. With "eyes on the prize," we remain hopeful and optimistic. Evy
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As Artistic Director at the Napa Valley Opera House (NVOH), I am “blogging” to share insights and backstage stories gleaned from the myriad of shows we present annually in our 480-seat restored theatre in the heart of downtown Napa, CA. I am fortunate to have the support of a wise and experienced board of trustees who, through a shared vision, allow me to book dance, theatre and music both mainstream and a little less so… For the past four years, the NVOH has been “re-imagined” as a venue that can flaunt both the big names (i.e. Willie Nelson) and those less well-known (Dengue Fever). It’s been the site of shows with animals (Jungle Jack Hanna) and fake nuptials (“Tony n Tina’s Wedding”) and stars from Broadway (Bebe Neuwirth) and Off-Broadway (“Spelling Bee”—coming up in November). From all over the performing arts specter, the NVOH has been a player both for our presentations and those of renters who choose the theatre for their own presentations. An intimate setting plus terrific acoustics, a location near some of the best restaurants the Napa Valley has to offer and free parking nearby (yes, free), helps make my job just that much easier – it’s called seduction. Through this blog, I hope to share some of the more interesting aspects of presentation, and I welcome your comments. Evy Warshawski, Artistic Director, Napa Valley Opera House
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