Come October, The Glimmerglass Festival brings its acclaimed production of The Music Man to Oman, a country located on the Arab peninsula between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The recently-established Royal Opera House in Muscat, the capital city, will host the company for a four-performance run.
“As the trip gets closer, we’re all getting more excited,” said Abby Rodd, Director of Production.
While costumes and sets from Glimmerglass productions are frequently rented out, the company has never before toured a production. This inaugural trip will include more than 100 company members, with artists, musicians, and members of the production staff.
The company will travel in three waves. First to depart are the performers, who will attend rehearsals in Oman before performances begin. Production staff will arrive next to prepare the stage at the opera house. The musicians––who take part in final rehearsals––will make up the third and final wave.
Then there’s the set. With a 29-day ocean voyage from New York City to Muscat––plus the time needed to go through customs––to ship the original set would have been impossible. To enable an earlier departure, an exact duplicate of the scenery currently onstage in Cooperstown was constructed and packed in shipping containers for the month-long trip.
Keep an eye on the Glimmerglass Blog for updates from abroad.
Put me on your mailing list! I loved coming to the festival last week and I am crying because it’s over.
I loved every performance this year. Was thrilled to see “The Music Man” photo in our New Yorker! I saved it for a friend of his who could not be there, along with his autograph for her. I think that the chorus this year was the BEST I have ever heard there. Of course, it was filled with stars in their own right. Loved the set for “The Music Man” and also hearing Dwayne Croft sing again was exciting. He lived in our home town of Van Hornesville when he was a YAP and we heard him practicing as we walked or drove by. I saw Aida twice and thought the student performance was the best! Do not tell “The Grown-ups.” Trying to convince a friend to organize a bus trip from downstate for next year. DCV