Comments on: Live at the Metropolitan Opera…in Elgin http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/ Fri, 18 May 2012 13:25:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: RS http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-50708 RS Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:39:54 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-50708 yeah, that is a big deal. i wish him success! here's the article for those who are interested: http://couriernews.suntimes.com/news/3277755-418/opera-pfortmiller-elgin-york-300.html yeah, that is a big deal. i wish him success!

here’s the article for those who are interested:

http://couriernews.suntimes.com/news/3277755-418/opera-pfortmiller-elgin-york-300.html

]]> By: rm http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-50705 rm Sat, 15 Jan 2011 01:48:19 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-50705 The Sun Times yesterday had a short story about Elgin native Kyle Pfortmiller who is appearing as Marquis d'Obigny in the Met's production of La Traviata. It's not a big role and Kyle hasn't yet eclipsed the Pride of West Aurora, opera bass Eric Halfvarson, but Eric has several years on Kyle whose voice should only grow richer with age. Just getting onstage at the Met in any singing role is a huge achievement. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though La Traviata is part of the Met's HD broadcast package this year. The Sun Times yesterday had a short story about Elgin native Kyle Pfortmiller who is appearing as Marquis d’Obigny in the Met’s production of La Traviata. It’s not a big role and Kyle hasn’t yet eclipsed the Pride of West Aurora, opera bass Eric Halfvarson, but Eric has several years on Kyle whose voice should only grow richer with age. Just getting onstage at the Met in any singing role is a huge achievement.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as though La Traviata is part of the Met’s HD broadcast package this year.

]]> By: Common Sense Clarence Hayward http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-48603 Common Sense Clarence Hayward Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:52:32 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-48603 Thanks for the input rm. I am only familiar with one Coldplay song. That Viva song when I hear it I enjoy it so much and I can't get it out of my mind. I don't know what it really means but the music for it is so enjoyable to me. I was watching an awards program where they performed that song. At first it started with a guy at the piano and it didn't seem like much was coming from him but then the whole band appeared and I was hooked on that one song. I think they might have some type of connection to Paul Mccartney as he was in the audience and they were dressed sort of Sergeant Pepperish. So I guess based on that I should be able to enjoy some opera but except for maybe one or two very popular opera songs I just don't want to get into reading subtitles. Our Senior Pastor, Jeorge Holmes at my church, Highland Fellowship Church in Elgin is a member of the Elgin Opera. I heard him and some of the other Elgin Opera singers at Festival Park in the days when you could go there for free and listen to music. In his teen age days before he met the Lord he was a professional Elvis impersonator. I should keep an open mind about opera as I did not expect to think I would enjoy R&B band Street Corner Blue but I was wrong as they were very enjoyable. There are a couple of singers coming to the Allstate Arena in May that are from my generation. James Taylor and Carole King. I would really like to go to hear them but I am afraid that money restraints will keep me away. Did I ever mention that to protest the mayor wanting to tax all dog owners in Elgin a year or two back so that he could have the money for a full time animal control officer I went to the council meeting and during the citizen's portion I sang a couple lines of Beatle George Harrison's song Taxman and then added a line "if you own a dog I'll tax the leash" that I thought George would have added if he wrote the song while living in Elgin. Fortunately, the other council members never thought the mayor's idea was a good one and they found money for a full time animal control officer in the police budget. I would hate to have my beloved poodle Marcy be a revenue generator for the city. Thanks for the input rm. I am only familiar with one Coldplay song. That Viva song when I hear it I enjoy it so much and I can’t get it out of my mind. I don’t know what it really means but the music for it is so enjoyable to me. I was watching an awards program where they performed that song. At first it started with a guy at the piano and it didn’t seem like much was coming from him but then the whole band appeared and I was hooked on that one song. I think they might have some type of connection to Paul Mccartney as he was in the audience and they were dressed sort of Sergeant Pepperish.

So I guess based on that I should be able to enjoy some opera but except for maybe one or two very popular opera songs I just don’t want to get into reading subtitles.

Our Senior Pastor, Jeorge Holmes at my church, Highland Fellowship Church in Elgin is a member of the Elgin Opera. I heard him and some of the other Elgin Opera singers at Festival Park in the days when you could go there for free and listen to music.

In his teen age days before he met the Lord he was a professional Elvis impersonator.

I should keep an open mind about opera as I did not expect to think I would enjoy R&B band Street Corner Blue but I was wrong as they were very enjoyable.

There are a couple of singers coming to the Allstate Arena in May that are from my generation. James Taylor and Carole King. I would really like to go to hear them but I am afraid that money restraints will keep me away.

Did I ever mention that to protest the mayor wanting to tax all dog owners in Elgin a year or two back so that he could have the money for a full time animal control officer I went to the council meeting and during the citizen’s portion I sang a couple lines of Beatle George Harrison’s song Taxman and then added a line “if you own a dog I’ll tax the leash” that I thought George would have added if he wrote the song while living in Elgin.

Fortunately, the other council members never thought the mayor’s idea was a good one and they found money for a full time animal control officer in the police budget.

I would hate to have my beloved poodle Marcy be a revenue generator for the city.

]]> By: rm http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-48599 rm Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:49:40 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-48599 "It makes no sense to me to listen to singers who are singing in a language I do not understand." Not an unreasonable position, Clarence, but you should know that almost all significant opera groups today perform with supertitles (translations of the singing displayed over the stage) or some other medium for making the performance accessible to those who don't know the lingo, i.e. almost every American. Broadcasts will have subtitle translations, too. It's made a big difference for appreciating the performance and drawing in a broader audience. BTW, on another opera/Elgin note, the Courier had a nice article a couple weeks ago on Amy Johnson, a 1981 Larkin grad who who has had a pretty sound operatic career in New York, at the BBC Proms and elsewhere. She's been nominated for the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame. Brava! “It makes no sense to me to listen to singers who are singing in a language I do not understand.”

Not an unreasonable position, Clarence, but you should know that almost all significant opera groups today perform with supertitles (translations of the singing displayed over the stage) or some other medium for making the performance accessible to those who don’t know the lingo, i.e. almost every American. Broadcasts will have subtitle translations, too. It’s made a big difference for appreciating the performance and drawing in a broader audience.

BTW, on another opera/Elgin note, the Courier had a nice article a couple weeks ago on Amy Johnson, a 1981 Larkin grad who who has had a pretty sound operatic career in New York, at the BBC Proms and elsewhere. She’s been nominated for the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame. Brava!

]]> By: rm http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-48598 rm Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:40:54 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-48598 "Do opera lovers enjoy Beatles music too?" Yep, Clarence, opera lovers like all kinds of old stuff... Beatles, Stones, Buddy Holly, Benny Goodman, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Bobby Zimmerman, Howlin' Wolf and some newer items, too..., Coldplay or Brad Mehldau. Not sure about Owl City. “Do opera lovers enjoy Beatles music too?”

Yep, Clarence, opera lovers like all kinds of old stuff… Beatles, Stones, Buddy Holly, Benny Goodman, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Bobby Zimmerman, Howlin’ Wolf and some newer items, too…, Coldplay or Brad Mehldau. Not sure about Owl City.

]]> By: Common Sense Clarence Hayward http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-48579 Common Sense Clarence Hayward Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:28:19 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-48579 The show I am referring to last night was the Liverpool Legends benefit for Hope Fuller at the Hemmens last night. I just copied and pasted from the Daily Herald article post of mine too fast. Do opera lovers enjoy Beatles music too? The show I am referring to last night was the Liverpool Legends benefit for Hope Fuller at the Hemmens last night. I just copied and pasted from the Daily Herald article post of mine too fast.

Do opera lovers enjoy Beatles music too?

]]> By: Common Sense Clarence Hayward http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-48578 Common Sense Clarence Hayward Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:25:20 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-48578 I once saw Paul Simon perform at I believe the Chicago Opera House. He was good but nothing compaired to Simon and Garfunkel. That is about the closest I get to opera. It makes no sense to me to listen to singers who are singing in a language I do not understand. I took my wife, son, and sister-in-law, to the show last night. What a wonderful way to relive the songs of our youth while helping Hope and her family with funds for her cancer. I would like to thank all who supported this show with money, time, etc. All the bands donated their performance. The 50-50 raffle winner so generously donated his 600 some dollars winning ticket proceeds as well. Liverpool Legends are an excellent clone for the Beatles in all ways. A COMPLETE Beatles experience for all that leaves you with all you expected and more. Street Corner Blue, an R&B band exceeded my meager expectations. I have never been into R&B so I was taken by surprise by my enjoyment of their set. I had to appreciate them just for their musicianship but when they started playing some 60 or 70 arrangement by the Animals I was hooked. I did not get a chance to listen to This Is This in the lobby but appreciated that they were donating for Hope. If you would like to contribute or get more information and updates on Hope go to: www.alwayshavehope.org Our prayers are priceless and I would suggest we all pray for a cure for Hope and others. I once saw Paul Simon perform at I believe the Chicago Opera House. He was good but nothing compaired to Simon and Garfunkel. That is about the closest I get to opera. It makes no sense to me to listen to singers who are singing in a language I do not understand.

I took my wife, son, and sister-in-law, to the show last night. What a wonderful way to relive the songs of our youth while helping Hope and her family with funds for her cancer.

I would like to thank all who supported this show with money, time, etc. All the bands donated their performance. The 50-50 raffle winner so generously donated his 600 some dollars winning ticket proceeds as well.

Liverpool Legends are an excellent clone for the Beatles in all ways. A COMPLETE Beatles experience for all that leaves you with all you expected and more.

Street Corner Blue, an R&B band exceeded my meager expectations. I have never been into R&B so I was taken by surprise by my enjoyment of their set. I had to appreciate them just for their musicianship but when they started playing some 60 or 70 arrangement by the Animals I was hooked.

I did not get a chance to listen to This Is This in the lobby but appreciated that they were donating for Hope.

If you would like to contribute or get more information and updates on Hope go to:

http://www.alwayshavehope.org

Our prayers are priceless and I would suggest we all pray for a cure for Hope and others.

]]> By: rm http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-48566 rm Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:51:21 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-48566 These broadcasts have been available in Elgin for a couple years, and are a great venue to see broadcasts that are often sold out in closer-in Chicago theaters. And RS... don't be too quick to dismiss the rest of this season's broadcasts because you think you're not interested in the operas. These broadcasts are a wonderful way to sample major works of art you may not know or think you care about at a fraction of the cost in time or money that a Chicago Lyric ticket would cost, let along schlepping over to Lincoln Center for the Met. I can assure you the broadcast sound is great, and the views of the performance infinitely better than you'd get at the Met or Lyric for ten times the price. Today the broadcast was "Carmen." Sex, violence, intrigue, cigarette smoke... everything you'd get at the Roadhouse with much better tunes. Check it out. These broadcasts have been available in Elgin for a couple years, and are a great venue to see broadcasts that are often sold out in closer-in Chicago theaters. And RS… don’t be too quick to dismiss the rest of this season’s broadcasts because you think you’re not interested in the operas. These broadcasts are a wonderful way to sample major works of art you may not know or think you care about at a fraction of the cost in time or money that a Chicago Lyric ticket would cost, let along schlepping over to Lincoln Center for the Met. I can assure you the broadcast sound is great, and the views of the performance infinitely better than you’d get at the Met or Lyric for ten times the price. Today the broadcast was “Carmen.” Sex, violence, intrigue, cigarette smoke… everything you’d get at the Roadhouse with much better tunes. Check it out.

]]> By: Scott http://elginite.org/blog/2010/01/06/live-at-the-metropolitan-operain-elgin/#comment-48537 Scott Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:08:52 +0000 http://elginite.org/?p=2464#comment-48537 This is pretty cool. The Marcus is also hosting other Fathom events including a Prairie Home Companion broadcast, Bill O'Rilley and Wayne Dyer (not all together...)---something for everyone! http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/ This is pretty cool. The Marcus is also hosting other Fathom events including a Prairie Home Companion broadcast, Bill O’Rilley and Wayne Dyer (not all together…)—something for everyone!

http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/

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