Today we begin rehearsing for the fourth show of the season – actually, the fourth AND fifth. We will be presenting the professional stage premiere of John Musto and Mark Campbell’s Later the Same Evening, along with the world premiere of Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner’s A Blizzard On Marblehead Neck.

You won’t find these shows in the New Grove Dictionary of Opera — or even Wikipedia! For my money, that’s a good thing. How often do you have the opportunity to sit in an opera house and be completely surprised as a new opera unfurls itself before you? Speaking for myself, I would say: not often enough!

At the same time (again, speaking for myself) having a little bit of background can be fun. Follow these links to learn more about the art and artists that inspired A Blizzard On Marblehead Neck and Later the Same Evening.

LATER THE SAME EVENING

A New Yorker piece about Hopper and a Hopper retrospective at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (2007). Includes a slide show.

This scrapbook, compiled by the staff of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, offers a glimpse into Hopper’s life, his friends, and the paintings that have fascinated art lovers worldwide ever since Hopper first came to prominence during the mid 1920s.

Avis Berman  writes in Smithsonian magazine on Hopper.

The official website of  composer John Musto includes bio, work list, article, and links to audio clips.

Resources assembled for the Hopper retrospective at the National Gallery of Art, which co-commissioned Later the Same Evening for the occasion.  Includes a short film on Hopper, a discussion of the creation of the opera, a timeline, and a variety of other materials.

A BLIZZARD ON MARBLEHEAD NECK

On the PBS site, you’ll find a documentary transcript, clips of actors performing and talking about works of O’Neill, short articles on important people and events in the playwright’s life, gallery, timeline and more.

The American Theatre Wing hosts a discussion with Jeanine Tesori, Tony Kushner, and cast members of Caroline, or Change.

Enjoy!

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