Opera Maine

OPERA MAINE PRODUCES CREATIVE INSPIRING AND PROFESSIONAL OPERA PERFORMANCES OF ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE. WE FOSTER YOUNG OPERATIC TALENT, PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND ENGAGE OUR AUDIENCE, SUPPORTERS, AND COMMUNITY IN COLLABORATIVE WAYS THAT EXCITE ENTHUSIASM FOR THE ART FORM.

OPERA MAINE HAD A LANDMARK SEASON IN 2022 IN PRESENTING THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, THE FIRST OPERA BY RICHARD WAGNER EVER PERFORMED IN THE STATE. ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR 2020, THE PRODUCTION WAS DESIGNED TO HONOR MAINE'S BICENTENNIAL. THE DRAMA UNFOLDED ON THE COAST OF MAINE IN 1820, WITH SETS AND COSTUMES AUTHENTIC TO BOTH PLACE AND PERIOD, THANKS TO A COLLABORATION WITH MAINE MARITIME MUSEUM AND THE RESEARCH HELP OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS. WITH A LARGE ORCHESTRA AND A CAST OF INTERNATIONAL STARS, THE FLYING DUTCHMAN REPRESENTED A FULL RETURN TO PRE-PANDEMIC PRODUCTION STANDARDS. EVERYONE IN VOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION FOLLOWED STRICT PANDEMIC PROTOCOLS THROUGHOUT THE REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE PERIODS. ALTHOUGH ATTENDANCE AT MERRILL AUDITORIUM EXCEEDED THAT OF 2021, IT REPRESENTED ABOUT 62% OF AVERAGE PRE-PANDEMIC AUDIENCE LEVELS, DEMONSTRATING THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WERE STILL RELUCTANT TO GATHER TOGETHER IN LARGE INDOOR SPACES. THE FLYING DUTCHMAN RECEIVED POSITIVE REVIEWS IN BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL PRESS.

OPERA MAINE'S STUDIO ARTIST PROGRAM (SAP) CONTINUES TO OFFER SINGERS WHO ARE JUST BEGINNING PROFESSIONAL CAREERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM ALL ROLES IN THE COMPANY'S SECONDARY OPERA PRODUCTION. IN 2022, THE STUDIO ARTISTS PRESENTED TWO LIVE PERFORMANCES OF THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, A CONTEMPORARY OPERA BY PHILIP GLASS. OPERA MAINE MAINTAINED THE PRODUCTION VALUES SET IN 2021 BY PERFORMING THE WORK WITH A 13-PIECE ORCHESTRA, ALSO COMPRISED OF EMERGING YOUNG ARTISTS, AND BY STAGING THE WORK WITH VIDEO PROJECTIONS. ATTENDANCE EXCEEDED THAT OF THE 2021 SAP OPERA, AND THE PERFORMANCE WAS ALSO AVAILABLE AS A LIVE STREAM, WHICH WAS VIEWED 748 TIMES IN A TWO-WEEK PERIOD. FOR THE FIRST TIME, AN OPERA MAINE SAP PRODUCTION WAS REVIEWED IN THE LOCAL PRESS. STUDIO ARTISTS ALSO PRESENTED A CONCERT AND PARTICIPATED AS CHORISTERS AND ROLE COVERS IN THE FLYING DUTCHMAN.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: OPERA FOR ALL IS OPERA MAINE'S MULTI-FACETED INITIATIVE TO MAKE OPERA INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS ACHIEVED THROUGH A COMBINATION OF FREE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FREE TICKETS TO PROFESSIONAL OPERA PERFORMANCES PROVIDED TO MEMBERS OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND FREE COMMUNITY LECTURES, CONVERSATIONS, AND WORKSHOPS. TO PREPARE AUDIENCES FOR OPERA MAINE'S SUMMER SEASON, DRAMATURG CALIEN LEWIS GAVE THE FOLLOWING PRESENTATIONS: TWO TALKS ABOUT THE OPERAS AT THE PORTLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY, ONE TALK AT CURTIS MEMORIAL LIBRARY IN BRUNSWICK, A CLASS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE ON THE HISTORY OF OPERA, AND TWO CLASSES, ONE ON GERMAN OPERA AND ONE ON THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, FOR THE OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE. PRIOR TO EACH OPERA MAINE PERFORMANCE, MS. LEWIS GAVE A PRE-SHOW TALK AS A WAY OF ENHANCING THE AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE. FREE TICKETS TO PRODUCTIONS WERE PROVIDED TO OVER 300 PEOPLE (MOSTLY THOSE UNDER 25 AND ACTIVE AND RETIRED MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERS). IN=SCHOOL PROGRAMMING REACHED OVER 300 STUDENTS IN FIVE PUBLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE.

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE PROPERLY ALLOCATED TO PROGRAMS