Houston Grand Opera is presenting a world premiere next month of a new opera called A Brief Encounter, based on
a film adaptation of a
Noel Coward play. Buccaneer that he is,
Nathan Gunn is of course portraying the male lead. And lucky us, HGO has posted
a rehearsal pic for his loyal fans (and anyone else who comes across it) to see. Go ahead, follow that link and then click
full size for the larger than life, grainy, I-can-see-all-your-pores version. Or just look here, for I borrowed their photo.
No briefs there. Or boxers either, in case you were wondering, and I know you were.
Mr. Gunn's costar is soprano
Elizabeth Futral. Yeah, I've never heard of her either but that means nothing. I'm sure she's fab or she wouldn't be singing the part.
And while I was poking around on HGO's Twitter site, I bit the bullet and made my own Twitter account. Look for me there. Of course I've already forgotten the password I came up with so don't hold your breath for updates.
7 comments:
Thanks for the blog connection to Houston Grand Opera. Look for more photos soon. Be sure to check out the HGO blog on its website www.houstongrandopera.org/intheknow
and the facebook group page for Houston Grand Opera.
Thanks for the link and the re-blog! Be sure to check out more photos as they come available at the Houston Grand Opera blog space and the Facebook group page.
www.houstongrandopera.org/intheknow
twitter name: hougrandopera
Thanks for your comments! I added you to my twitter list. I also added your blog to my blog reading list.
Wow, Gunn's looking rugged like usual!
I've been trying to understand the hat. Hers, not his. If this is the 1940's why is she channeling Annie Hall? Maybe it's just a rehearsal prop. And all that hair had better be in a prim bun, please. Of course, some of us won't even notice Nathan has a co-star LOL.
It *is* a rehearsal. However, just in case, I suggest you raise your habidashary concerns with the costume department at HGO.
"Brief Encounter" is a wonderful film. A few years ago I saw it on Turner Classic Movies when I was laid up in the hospital. The young David Lean ("Lawrence of Arabia", "Dr. Zhivago", etc.) was the director, with Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard as the ill-starred couple whom fate throws together for an all-too-fleeting romance. If you enjoy classic film, Noel Coward, or just a great work of art, by all means see this.
I saw Elizabeth Futral in the title role of Handel's "Semele" at NYCO a few years ago. She's an excellent soprano who doesn't get the recognition she deserves somehow; maybe because she tends to work at regional operas like Houston, L.A. and San Francisco, rather than houses like... well, the Met. She has done some work there, however, including the Met's recent revival of Halevy's "La Juive" and their premiere of Tan Dun's "First Emperor". She was also in Andre Previn's previous opera, "A Streetcar Named Desire".
Andre Previn started out as a session musician and film music arranger in Hollywood, and then branched out as a jazz and classical pianist. Along the way, he was married to Mia Farrow and Anne-Sophie Mutter (among others). It will be interesting to hear his music for "Brief Encounter".
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