As we look forward to the January 8-9, 2016, Washington DC premiere of fully staged performances of A Roadkill Opera, we look back at the “stand and sing” workshop at Artomatic 2012 and the many people who made it happen. Video of the 2012 workshop concert is now available at http://youtu.be/g0K6Il7m1W4.
A Roadkill Operawas workshopped at Artomatic 2012 on June 9 in Crystal City, Virginia, under the baton of Maestro Jeffrey Dokken. It went so well that a 2013 studio recording made in Montgomery County, Maryland, was released on July 4, 2013, and the Roadkill Opera creative team was invited to attend the Grammys in 2015 (we sat across the aisle from Weird Al. He won Best Comedy Album for Mandatory Fun. But I digress…)
Yes! Weird Al Yankovic wins the Grammy for Best Comedy Album for Mandatory Fun as Jeffrey Dokken of A Roadkill Opera applauds at the February 2015 ceremony
The first fully staged performances will be on January 8 & 9, 2016, at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001. Special thanks to the late Jaylee Mead for her generous support of the Mead Theatre Lab. Tickets will go on sale in October 2015.
If you plan to attend a performance of A Roadkill Opera, you might want to come dressed as Harrison Ford–you’ll be glad you did!
Music from 1804 by Ferdinando Paer. Action set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in 1988. A new opera (in English) in just 59 minutes. The story: the hour before opening night for the first professional gig for the “rude mechanicals” in the comedy improv troupe Roadkill On A Stick Frozen Foods Theatre Company. Glorious music from one of Beethoven’s direct competitors (Paer’s Leonora from 1804, from which the music for A Roadkill Opera was transcribed, told the same story as Beethoven’s Fidelio from 1805…but that’s another story…)
The sheet music for A Roadkill Opera is available through your local bookstore and online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes&Noble. For special pricing on performance packages, ask for A Roadkill Opera DIY from Stephan Alexander Parker at roadkillopera@icloud.com.
Credits for the Artomatic 2012 workshop concert of A Roadkill Opera:
Jeffrey Dokken, Music Director & Conductor
A Roadkill Opera‘s Stephan Alexander Parker and Jeffrey Dokken with photographer/merchandising director DJ Choupin at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards
Laura Wehrmeyer as Holly
Andrew Webster as Eddie
George Spelvin as Marvin
David Timpane as Stephan
Krista Monique McClellan as Debby
John Dellaporta as Dave
Laura Wehrmeyer (Holly) and David Tmpane (Stephan) are all smiles after the first workshop concert performance of A Roadkill Opera at Artomatic 2012 on June 9 in Crystal City, VirginiaKrista Monique McClellan (Debby) and John Dellaporta (Dave) celebrate after the 2012 Artomatic workshop concert performance of A Roadkill Opera on June 9 in Crystal City, VirginiaHarvey Berlin congratulates flautist Martine Micozzi after the Artomatic 2012 workshop concert performance of A Roadkill Opera on June 9 in Crystal City, Virginia. Micozzi introduced the score and libretto to Maestro Jeffrey Dokken, leading to this workshop, the 2013 studio recording, the 2015 Grammy Awards trip, and the 2016 fully staged performances. Scrim crew member Nat Scholl can be seen examining the conductor’s score at bottom right.
Martin Micozzi, Flute
Jeannine Altavilla, Clarinet
Sarah Robinson, Bassoon
Michael Thompson, Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Frank Peracchia, Violin I
Holly Petty, Violin II
Kendall Isadore, Violin III
Kathy Augustine, Cello
Allan Decipulo, Piano (rehearsal)
The chamber orchestra’s violins warm up for A Roadkill Opera‘s Artomatic 2012 workshop concert in the green room on June 9 in Crystal City, Virginia. From left: Holly Petty, Frank Peracchia, and Kendall Isadore. Check out the chucks!Kathy Augustine (Cello)Andrew Webster (Eddie)Michael Thompson (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)Jeannine Altavilla (Clarinet)Sarah Robinson (Bassoon)Photographer and merchandising director DJ Choupin (center) got hands on at Hatch Show Print in Nashville, Tennessee, in June 2015. Hatch’s legendary letterpress artists designed and printed the posters for the Artomatic 2012 workshop concert of A Roadkill Opera. That poster was the basis of the covers for the sheet music and CD released in 2013.Hatch Show Print provided the poster for the June 2012 workshop performance. Pictured at Hatch in March 2013 is Jim Sherraden, manager, curator, and chief designer of Hatch Show Print, advising on how to best incorporate the poster design into the covers of the CD and sheet music for A Roadkill Opera.
Camera: Ben Ganz
Production Assistants: Jason Ganz, Nina Parker Ganz
Audio: Angelo Avellana
Audio Supervisor: Mary Diaz
Lighting: George Spelvin
George Spelvin hangs lights for the Artomatic 2012 workshop concert of A Roadkill Opera
Scrim Crew: Cyndi Moran, Eric Scholl, Nathaniel Scholl, Rosalyn Scholl
The scrim crew allowed the video of the 2012 Artomatic workshop concert of A Roadkill Opera to have a consistent black-and-white background for the singers and musicians to comfortably stand out.Three of the scrim crew examine the conductor’s score after the 2012 Artomatic workshop concert of A Roadkill Opera. From left, Cyndi Moran, Roz Scholl, and Nat Scholl.
Retail Merchandising: DJ Choupin
Apparently they survived: Nat, Roz, Cyndi, and Eric the day after they served as scrim crew for the 2012 Artomatic workshop concert of A Roadkill Opera
Roadkill logo: Eric Scholl
The multitalented Eric Scholl has his back to the camera. From designing the original 1988 logo for the Roadkill On A Stick Frozen Foods Theatre Company to hanging the black background scrim at the June 9, 2012, Artomatic workshop concert performance of A Roadkill Opera, Scholl’s drollery has been a continuing influence. Cyndi Moran is stabilizing the ladder as Stephan Alexander Parker hangs lights and Ben Ganz takes light readings for the forthcoming video. The art in the background was hidden by scrim in the video.
Music from 1804 by Ferdinando Paer
New English Libretto by Stephan Alexander Parker
If you see roadkill, think opera.
roadkillopera.com
Special thanks to Artomatic
Angelo Avellana (at the audio board, far right) provided support to record the audio at the Artomatic 2012 workshop concert of A Roadkill Opera
Please note: A Roadkill Opera was workshopped at Artomatic 2012 on June 9 with 8 musicians and 5 opera singers. It sounds pretty good for the first ever workshop. For the 2013 studio recording, we added a second cello for the killer solo that is missing from the workshop performance. And timpani for three numbers.
An early training mission at a 4-D theatre at a Washington DC museum for the future video crew for A Roadkill Opera. From front to back, Jason Ganz (now with Canvas and Agora VR), Ben Ganz (now with Fox Broadcasting Company) and Stephan Alexander Parker.Backstage view of first vocals rehearsal for A Roadkill Opera at Artomatic 2012 in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia. Allan Decipulo is at the keyboard
