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Ever tried opera-oke?

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norman lebrecht

January 14, 2011

There’s a chance to sing your own aria next Tuesday at English National Opera, stand up there an melt 2,000 hearts.

The ctahc in the proposition is that it has to be an opera by Benjamin Britten, but at least you won;t have to break teeth in Italian or manage any tricky quarter-notes in Czech.

I might try it myself. Aschenbach, for starters?

Here’s the straight take on it:

We are delighted to invite you
to Opera Preview on Tuesday
18 January 2011, at
the London Coliseum
from 7.00-10.00pm

Opera
Preview returns to provide an opportunity for audiences to experience opera and
familiarise themselves with ENO’s exciting Spring / Summer programme. Once again
ENO’s poet in residence Ian McMillan will read eight new poems commissioned to
celebrate each production, audiences can speed-date an opera character, and
receive an opera makeover from the ENO wigs, make-up and wardrobe department.
New to Opera Preview, audiences will be offered the opportunity to learn a
chorus, with ENO’s Assistant Chorus Master
Nicholas Chalmers, from Gilbert & Sullivan’s beloved opera The Mikado as well as the chance to be
the star in the Gilbert and Sullivan or Benjamin Britten Operaoke. Opera Preview will also provide the
very special chance to hear members of ENO’s orchestra perform repertoire
associated with the season, including Fugue and Chanson
de Brander from Berlioz’s
The Damnation of Faust.

If you would like press
tickets please RSVP to presstickets@eno.org

Comments

Marie Lamb says:

January 14, 2011 at 12:23 pm

Well, Syracuse Opera has had “opera-oke” as a fundraising activity. However, they have not specified which composer one gets to sing! Since it’s ENO, though, it makes sense that they want operas in English. Best of luck with Aschenbach! Too bad I’m over here, or I might chime in with Katisha, Little Buttercup, or something from “The Rape of Lucretia.” Sounds like fun!