Central City Opera Podcast

Central City Opera is the fifth oldest opera company in the United States. The company produces a summer Festival every year in Central City, Colorado, featuring singers, musicians, designers, directors, and conductors at the top of their fields from all over the world. Join host Emily Murdock as she interviews the movers and shakers of the Central City Opera summer Festival.

Season 8, Episode 4 - Cecilia Violetta López, Soprano on her role as Desdemona in Othello 08/01/2023

Season 8, Episode 3 - Kameron Alston, Developing Artist, on his role in Romeo & Juliet 07/27/2023

Season 8, Episode 2 - Isaiah Feken, Developing Artist, on his role in Kiss Me, Kate 07/18/2023

Season 8, Episode 1 - Maestro John Baril & CEO Pamela Pantos on the 2023 Summer Festival 06/23/2023

Season 7, Episode 8 - David Duffield, Historian, on TWO REMAIN 07/28/2022

Season 7, Episode 7 - Rebecca Caine and Diana Newman, Principals in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA 07/26/2022

Season 7, Episode 7 - Rebecca Caine and Diana Newman, Principals in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA On this episode, we hear from sopranos Rebecca Caine and Diana Newman, principals in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. Rebecca plays the role of Margaret Johnson, and Diana plays the role of Margaret’s daughter Clara. This is the first time they’ve worked together, and watching them onstage, you’d think they were old friends. Rebecca shares how much she loves playing a woman of a “certain age,” and Diana talks about how she approaches Clara’s neurodivergence. You’ll hear more about how the perfect costume helps get an actor into character, how much Rebecca and Diana love being onstage with each other and their castmates, and how the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe versus Wade influenced how they thought about this story. This interview was recorded on July 7, 2022. Canadian soprano Rebecca Caine has had a career divided between Opera and Musical Theatre, making her West End debut at age 19 as Laurey in OKLAHOMA! She then sang the role of Eliza in MY FAIR LADY on the National Tour. While at Glyndebourne Opera Festival, she was asked to join the Royal Shakespeare Company where she created the role of Cosette in LES MISERABLES. She was also part of the original cast of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as Christine. Her long career continues to span the realms opera, musical theatre, straight theatre, and cabaret in the UK, United States, and around the world. American soprano DIANA NEWMAN brings “fresh and intense” performances to opera houses and concert stages across the United States and Europe. She has recently appeared with the Dallas Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. A recent graduate of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center, she returned this season for the company’s Ring Cycle. Diana was also recently a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl for AMERICA IN SPACE in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Have questions or want to provide feedback? Email us at . To hear more stories from inside Central City Opera and buy tickets to the shows, visit us at . /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/23859108

Season 7, Episode 6 - Brandon Eldredge and Tessa McQueen on TWO REMAIN 07/15/2022

Season 7, Episode 5 - Dan Wallace Miller and Curt Olds on TWO REMAIN 07/15/2022

Season 7, Episode 4 - Edina Hiser, Costume Designer for THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA 07/12/2022

Season 7, Episode 3 - Kira Dills-DeSurra and William Ferguson, Principals in DIE FLEDERMAUS 07/08/2022

Season 7, Episode 2 - Joachim Schamberger and John Baril on DIE FLEDERMAUS 07/05/2022

Season 7, Episode 1 - Ken Cazan and Adam Turner, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA 07/01/2022

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 7 - Behind the Scenes with Kerry Cripe and Angela Turner 07/30/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 7 - Behind the Scenes with Kerry Cripe and Angela Turner Kerry Cripe, Technical Director Angela Turner, Stage Manager One of my favorite episodes to produce every season is the “Behind-the-Scenes” episode with folks on the production side of the magic that is Central City Opera. This year, Technical Director Kerry Cripe and Stage Manager (Rigoletto) Angela Turner joined me over Zoom to talk about this extraordinary summer. Kerry is also the Senior Technical Director for Yale Undergraduate Production at Yale College, overseeing hundreds of performances at Yale venues each year. Here’s the link to his page on . He also spent many seasons with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Boulder and the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. Here are photos of those permanent outdoor venues. Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Boulder, CO Utah Shakespeare Festival, Cedar City, UT We first thought we’d be relocating the 2021 Festival to the Gilpin County Fairgrounds in Black Hawk, Colorado. Here’s a photo of that venue. Gilpin County Fairgrounds, Black Hawk, CO But because wildfire is a real threat in drought-prone Colorado, the county ultimately did not approve our permit request so the fairgrounds could be reserved as an emergency evacuation zone for livestock and other large animals in the case of wildfire. So – back to the drawing board. You all know, of course, that we ended up at in Littleton, which is adjacent to the South Platte River, southwest of Denver. The next six photos are from the set-up process in early June 2021, taken by our Director of Production, Karen Federing. Setting up the tent at Hudson Gardens Tent is up! Starting to erect the lighting truss Truss is completed Hanging the lighting instruments Custom-built stage deck, shared by both Carousel and Rigoletto CCO’s original supertitle system was a DOS-based system, a system which became available to personal computers back to 1981. For those young folks out there reading this who have never seen a hard drive disk, let alone know what DOS is…here’s some . :-) How much are outdoor-rated flat-screen TVs now? Plan on spending at least $3,000.00 for a . Angela and Kerry described the torrential rain that invaded the Denver metro area – and specifically Hudson Gardens – during our tech weeks in late June. Here are three photos by Director of Production Karen Federing that show the conditions. And what IS a monsoon? to find out more about this weather phenomenon from the Colorado Climate Center of Colorado State University. Set design elements by David Martin Jacques I learned a lot more about Gilda’s swing than I expected – everything is just a LITTLE more complex in theatre than anyone realizes. Here’s a photo by Amanda Tipton showing the swing in Steven Kemp’s design for Rigoletto. Photo by Amanda Tipton Kerry and Angela also talked about how the orchestra area evolved over the rehearsal period. Here’s a photo when there were only three patio umbrellas (we ended up with twelve). Photo by Karen Federing Angela and I are both former flute players! You never know how your music degree will translate into a career, and this reminds me of this on ten reasons to let your kid major in music. Angela mentioned the organization Opera America, a non-profit service organization that promotes the creation, presentation and enjoyment of opera in North America. It has proven to be a huge resource to all of us in the opera industry during the pandemic. Find out more at . Finally, Kerry commented on how excited he is about the huge outpouring of creative work that was born during the pandemic. I likened it to the Renaissance after the medieval Black Plague. Here’s an interesting article from published in July 2020, titled “How Pandemics Wreak Havoc and Open Minds.” It was so great to talk with Kerry Cripe and Angela Turner. Congratulations to them and the entire Festival company and staff of Central City Opera on a memorable, extraordinary summer! -Emily Murdock, Host & Producer /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/19977929

Season 6, Episode 7 - Behind the Scenes with Kerry Cripe and Angela Turner 07/30/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 6 - Young Artist Spotlight - Bernardo Medeiros, Michelle Monroe, and Marin Tack 07/23/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 6 - Young Artist Spotlight - Bernardo Medeiros, Michelle Monroe, and Marin Tack Bernardo Medeiros, Baritone Michelle Monroe, Mezzo-Soprano Marin Tack, Soprano It’s always so fun to sit down and talk with some of the current class of singers. Audiences do not get a whole lot of exposure to these singers in normal times – and THIS summer, there’s even less interaction between the public and the young artists, because of necessary performance eliminations due to Covid restrictions. So I really loved being able to talk with Bernardo, Michelle and Marin for a half hour over Zoom about what’s going on in their lives. Michelle was here back in 2019, and her most prominent assignment was The Narrator in Debussy’s THE BLESSED DAMOZEL, which was staged in Central City’s only Catholic church, Saint Mary of the Assumption. Here’s a photo of Michelle in that production. Michelle Monroe, right, in Central City Opera's THE BLESSED DAMOZEL in 2019. Photo by Amanda Tipton When asked about the role of “Louise” in CAROUSEL, Marin mentioned that she had dance training listed in her special skills section of her resumé. That got me curious – what special skills can be found in Bernardo and Michelle’s resumés? Highlights from Bernardo’s special skills include fluent Portuguese, conversational Spanish, piano and stage-combat, and Michelle’s include music education, endurance athlete, soldier skills, martial arts, piano, brass instruments, AND ballet, tap and jazz dance! Definitely a multi-talented group. Michelle dropped a couple contemporary opera titles as she was talking about the importance of presenting diverse, contemporary work to gain new audiences. AS ONE by Laura Kaminsky and Mark Campbell has been performed in over 40 different productions around the world since it premiered in 2014. Find out more and listen to excerpts . Seattle Opera commissioned AN AMERICAN DREAM by Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy-Moo in 2015, and you can find out more about it . Marin mentioned that she became active on TicTok during the pandemic…and yes, I found her account. Turns out she’s kind of a big deal on TicTok! See her videos and follow her here: . Keep up with Michelle Monroe through her on Facebook and her website, . Bernardo isn’t super active on social media, but I did find a profile about him on Opera in the Heights’ . It was so nice to talk with Bernardo, Michelle and Marin on the podcast! Bernardo stars as “Rigoletto” in the Nina Odescalchi Kelly Family Matinee of RIGOLETTO at Hudson Gardens in Littleton on July 27, and Marin and Michelle appear in CAROUSEL and RIGOLETTO, respectively, through August 1st. Get your tickets now at . Bravi tutti! -Emily Murdock, Host & Producer /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/19904912

Season 6, Episode 6 - Young Artist Spotlight - Bernardo Medeiros, Michelle Monroe, and Marin Tack 07/23/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 5 - Dan Wallace Miller, Director of DIDO AND AENEAS 07/20/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 5 - Dan Wallace Miller, Director of DIDO AND AENEAS Dan Wallace Miller Buckle your seatbelts and get settled in for a wild ride through an EPIC Show Notes post! Director Dan Wallace Miller dropped so many references to movies, opera productions, and other tangential goodies during his interview, many of which you'll be able to find below, not necessarily in the order mentioned in the episode. Here we go! Dan started off by sharing how he first saw Wagner's Ring Cycle at Seattle Opera when he was four years old. One of the leading opera companies in the United States, Seattle Opera has been producing the Ring Cycle since 1975, with the most recent production in 2013. to read more about the company's history with Wagnerian opera. The first production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas that Dan directed was with his former company in 2011. He staged it in the Sylvan Grove Outdoor Theater on the University of Washington campus in Seattle. You can see all the production photos of this imaginative production . Gilpin Room in our Lanny and Sharon Martin Foundry Rehearsal Hall in Central City was where Dan thought he was going to stage his CCO production of Dido. Ken Cazan's Acis and Galatea, Central City Opera, 2018. Photo by Amanda Tipton Instead, the 2021 production of Dido and Aeneas is in the Opera Garden, just downhill from the Central City Opera House. Opera Garden, Central City. Photo by Amanda Tipton Dan pulls a lot of inspiration from film, having a degree in comparative literature (film studies) from the University of Washington, and the movie that inspires this summer's Dido and Aeneas is the 1976 Carrie, directed by Brian De Palma. Dan has also been inspired by Italian giallo horror movies (read this about the 10 best giallo movies for beginners), and currently is "obsessed" with Jacques Demy's 1963 film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. You can watch this entire French movie , with English subtitles, and join in Dan's self-proclaimed obsession! I brought up Dan's recent production of The Combat with Seattle Opera and his interview on the Seattle Opera Blog. Read that interview , and click on the video below to see an excerpt from that production. He also very recently directed Seattle Opera's filmed version of Tosca, which streamed live this past June. I've included the trailer below, and you can with Dan about this reimagined version of one of the most beloved operas of all time. Some tidbits mentioned in this episode: 17th-century theater music (link to article on ) Political commentary in Mozart's The Magic Flute (link to San Francisco Opera's ) Nabucco, Verdi, and the Risorgimento ("reunification" of Italy - link to article on ) Kentucky's shockingly high rate of sexual assault, stalking, and intimate partner violence (read stats ) Gian Carlo Menotti's 1951 film version of his opera The Medium (see a clip , read more about it , and buy the DVD ) Francesco Rosi's 1984 movie of Bizet's Carmen, filmed on location in Seville, Spain (see the full movie ) Powell and Pressburger's 1951 movie version of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann (see the HD trailer ) The BBC's 1995 movie version of Dido and Aeneas, starring Maria Ewing (see the full movie ) The Santa Fe Opera production of Mason Bates' The (R)Evolution of Steve Jobs, for which Dan was Assistant Director (see a highlights video ) Kendrick Lamar's performance at The Grammy Awards in 2016 - unfortunately, I couldn't find a video online, but here's a about it from online video news community The Grio which shows a few highlights Finally, here's an excerpt from Dan's production of the Britten adaptation of Poulenc's Les mamelles de Tirésias, which he directed for Vespertine Opera Theater in 2013, vaudeville-style. A huge thank-you to director Dan Wallace Miller for being on the Central City Opera Podcast this season! This was a fascinating interview. Dido and Aeneas will be performed on July 17, 20, 22, and 28, 2021 in the Opera Garden in Central City. Although the shows are sold out at the time of this post, call the CCO Box Office at 303-292-6700 or email to see if you can snag last minute tickets. -Emily Murdock, Host & Producer /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/19865654

Season 6, Episode 5 - Dan Wallace Miller, Director of DIDO AND AENEAS 07/20/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 4 - Anna Christy and Steven LaBrie, Principals in CAROUSEL 07/16/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 4 - Anna Christy and Steven LaBrie, Principals in CAROUSEL Anna Christy, soprano, and Steven LaBrie, baritone CAROUSEL principal singer-actors Anna Christy ("Julie Jordan") and Steven LaBrie ("Billy Bigelow") joined me over Zoom a week after their opening night. I had already seen the production a few days before - it is so deeply moving. (By the way, I mentioned in the episode that I was sitting in 90-degree heat while watching the performance. Since then, Central City Opera has moved almost all matinee productions of CAROUSEL and RIGOLETTO to evening performances to save audiences and performers from Colorado's hot summer temperatures. Visit to find the updated schedule.) I asked Anna how her roles upon the Central City Opera House stage had influenced her as an artist. Here are photos from the productions and roles she mentioned: As "Tytania" in Britten's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Central City Opera, 2002. Photo by Mark Kiryluk. As "Emily" in Rorem's OUR TOWN, Central City Opera, 2013. Photo by Mark Kiryluk. (On the right, tenor Will Ferguson as "George" - and he plays Enoch Snow in this year's CAROUSEL!) As "Susanna" in Mozart's THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Central City Opera, 2014. Photo by Mark Kiryluk. As "Baby Doe Tabor" in Moore's THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE, Central City Opera, 2016. Photos by Amanda Tipton. Since this episode was recorded and released after production photos of CAROUSEL were taken, here's a great one featuring Anna and Steven in their roles "Julie" and "Billy." Photo by Amanda Tipton. Steven mentioned how the Panama Canal was not finished at the time this musical was set - and this got me curious. The Panama Canal was finished in 1914, and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote this musical in 1946. HOWEVER - it is indeed set in 1873, which means that yes, construction on the Panama Canal had not even started. As CAROUSEL is set in 1873 coastal Maine, of course I went looking for photos or paintings of that time and place. The closest I found was a beautiful painting by American watercolor painter Winslow Homer entitled "A Basket of Clams." Homer painted this in 1873, not in Maine, but in Gloucester, Massachusetts, just down the coast. You can read more about Homer and this painting . Winslow Homer's "A Basket of Clams." 1873 It's important to note that the topics discussed in this episode and in the musical CAROUSEL can be triggering. If you are a victim of domestic violence, find help by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). My deepest thanks to Anna Christy and Steven LaBrie for joining me on the Central City Opera Podcast. To follow the careers of these exciting and incredibly talented singer-actors, visit their websites: and . You can also follow Steven on Instagram . -Emily Murdock, Host & Producer /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/19829237

Season 6, Episode 4 - Anna Christy and Steven LaBrie, Principals in CAROUSEL 07/16/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 3 - Alisa Jordheim and Galeano Salas, Principals in RIGOLETTO 07/13/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 3 - Alisa Jordheim and Galeano Salas, Principals in RIGOLETTO Soprano Alisa Jordheim ("Gilda") and tenor Galeano Salas ("The Duke of Mantua") were able to squeeze in a podcast interview at the beginning of their tech week, a few days before opening night of RIGOLETTO at Hudson Gardens and Event Center in Littleton, Colorado. They set up on Alisa's porch in Central City so that the conversation wouldn't disturb Galeano's young son who was napping. It was a ton of fun with only a little bit of wind and cars driving by on Eureka Street. Early in the interview, we took a walk down memory lane, reminiscing about the performances Alisa and Galeano were in as Apprentice Artists with Central City Opera. Here are some photos from some of those productions (all photos by Mark Kiryluk): OUR TOWN, 2013. Galeano is part of the chorus and is seated in the second position of the second row. THE TURN OF THE SCREW, 2012. Alisa as "Flora." OKLAHOMA!, 2012. Galeano, part of the chorus, is on the far left holding his hand out - his face is partially blocked by a castmate. THE TURN OF THE SCREW, 2012. Alisa as "Flora" on the right. Galeano and I also talked about the unique concept for the character of "Parpignol" in Kevin Newbury's production of LA BOHEME in 2012. Here's a photo of tenor Nicholas Nesbitt in that role - Galeano was his cover (understudy). "Parpignol" is the clown dressed in white in the center of the photo. Alisa and Galeano also pointed out that one of their RIGOLETTO castmates, John Paul Huckle, the bass who plays "Sparafucile," was also a former young artist with Central City Opera. I investigated and found out that John was here in 2006 as a CCO Studio Artist. But alas - I could not find any production photos with him. In case you're curious, the 2006 Central City Opera Festival featured the productions The Ballad of Baby Doe, Don Giovanni, L’Incoronazione di Poppea, and The Face on the Barroom Floor. When asking Alisa and Galeano if they had any significant experience with singing outdoors, Alisa brought up On Site Opera's co-production of Mozart's LA FINTA GIARDINIERA with The Atlanta Opera in 2017. I found a promo video for that production! Look for Alisa at 0:37 seconds wearing clear-rimmed glasses and at 1:25 riding piggyback on a castmate. I mentioned that RIGOLETTO's conductor, CCO Music Director John Baril, was featured on one of our springtime Lunch & Learn virtual lectures, talking about what to listen for in RIGOLETTO. Here's a on our Facebook page. I also shamelessly plugged Episode 2 of Season 6 of the podcast, which features RIGOLETTO's stage director Jose Maria Condemi as well as John Baril. If you haven't already, you can listen to that episode . Thank you again to Alisa and Galeano for taking the time to be on the Central City Opera Podcast. This was such a fun interview! -Emily Murdock, Host & Producer /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/19791920

Season 6, Episode 3 - Alisa Jordheim and Galeano Salas, Principals in RIGOLETTO 07/13/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 2 - Jose Maria Condemi (Director) and John Baril (Conductor) on RIGOLETTO 07/09/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 2 - Jose Maria Condemi (Director) and John Baril (Conductor) on RIGOLETTO Jose Maria Condemi (left) and John Baril (right) June in Central City is an incredibly busy time, the schedule jam-packed with rehearsals and this summer, commuting to and from our outdoor mainstage location at Hudson Gardens and Event Center in Littleton, Colorado. So I was thrilled to find a time sandwiched between rehearsals on June 24 to interview Rigoletto's director Jose Maria Condemi and conductor/CCO Music Director John Baril. They joined me on Zoom from their respective housing in Central City. Jose Maria mentioned the New Orleans Opera production of Rigoletto designed by Steven Kemp, which was the intended design had we been able to produce this opera in 2020. Here is a photo of that design, and you can find more photos . Rigoletto Set Design by Steven Kemp for New Orleans Opera A big reason why our 2021 production was reimagined and updated to modern times is because of the hot temperatures. Here's a graph of average temperatures in Littleton, Colorado, where Hudson Gardens and Event Center is located. Note that the hottest day of the year usually falls on July 10 - which is Opening Night for Rigoletto! John mentioned Le Roi S'Amuse, the Victor Hugo play upon which Rigoletto is based. You can buy the English translation . Near the end of the episode, Jose Maria commented on how opera singing (and singing in general) is considered a dangerous and high-risk activity in the context of Covid-19. from the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) that digs deeper into the science of singing in Covid times. John has been a guest on the Central City Opera Podcast many times, and Jose Maria was a guest back in 2017 when he directed Carmen for the company. Here are the links to those episodes: John Baril: John Baril: John Baril: Jose Maria Condemi: John Baril: Photos: CCO production of Carmen, 2017 (left) and John Baril conducting a rehearsal of Billy Budd in the Central City Opera House orchestra pit, 2019. Photos by Amanda Tipton Photography. Finally, we didn't mention it in this episode, but John Baril was a presenter on CCO's virtual Lunch & Learn series this past spring. He talked about what to listen for in Rigoletto, and you can watch it on our Facebook page . It was great fun to interview Jose Maria Condemi and John Baril! Visit to buy tickets to the 2021 production of Rigoletto at Hudson Gardens and Event Center in Littleton, Colorado. -Emily Murdock, Host & Producer /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/19726100

Season 6, Episode 2 - Jose Maria Condemi (Director) and John Baril (Conductor) on RIGOLETTO 07/09/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 1 - Ken Cazan, Stage Director of CAROUSEL 07/06/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 6, Episode 1 - Ken Cazan, Stage Director of CAROUSEL Stage Director Ken Cazan is back this summer at Central City Opera, directing Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical Carousel. Ken has been a guest on the Central City Opera almost every summer since its inception in 2016, and he always delivers an incredible interview. This year was no different. The interview was conducted over Zoom due to Covid restrictions, so I missed giving Ken a welcome-back hug, but we still had a great time! Read on for the show notes. Correction Alert – When I asked Ken about his history of directing musicals here at Central City Opera, I said that he directed The Sound of Music in 2015. That was incorrect – he actually directed it in 2014, the same summer that he directed Dead Man Walking. Talk about a busy summer! Photos: The Sound of Music, right, and Dead Man Walking, left. Photos by Mark Kiryluk. When talking about Rodgers and Hammerstein’s collaboration and impact on the American musical genre, Ken mentioned Tin Pan Alley. He teaches a course at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where he is the resident stage director of opera, called Musical Theatre Song Interpretation: Tin Pan Alley Era. This era spanned from the mid-late 19th century to the mid 20th century, and the music and lyrics written during this era created contemporary Broadway. Find out more about Tin Pan Alley I brought up Ken’s vast range of work with Central City Opera during this interview. Here are some photos from a few productions that Ken directed in the past (not an exhaustive list): Photos: 1. Billy Budd, 2019; 2. Acis and Galatea, 2018; 3. The Burning Fiery Furnace, 2017; 4. The Ballad of Baby Doe, 2016; 5. Our Town, 2013; 6. Oklahoma!, 2012 Photo credits: 1-4, Amanda Tipton Photography; 5 -6, Mark Kiryluk. When talking about depicting traumatic moments onstage, Ken brought up how it is important for performing arts organizations to connect to their communities. A local organization that assists victims of domestic violence is , formerly known as the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV). If you are a victim of domestic violence, find help by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). Ken mentioned famed choreographer Agnes De Mille, who choreographed many shows with Rodgers & Hammerstein, including Carousel. Read more about her on the American Ballet Theatre’s . Ken has been featured several times on the Central City Opera Podcast before. You can listen to his previous episodes at these links: ; ; and . It was so much fun to talk with Ken again! Visit to buy tickets to the 2021 production of Carousel at Hudson Gardens and Event Center in Littleton, Colorado. -Emily Murdock, Host & Producer /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/19711754

Season 6, Episode 1 - Ken Cazan, Stage Director of CAROUSEL 07/06/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 5, Episode 9 - Ana Luna Uribe, Lisa Young and Teila Theisen 04/30/2021

SHOW NOTES: Season 5, Episode 9 - Ana Luna Uribe, Lisa Young and Teila Theisen Opera Central and the Central City Opera Podcast proudly host the heads of two leading equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) organizations in Colorado: Founder Lisa Young and Director Ana Luna Uribe. They talk with CCO Audience Development Manager Teila Theisen about their goals for our local arts community, “working out” or “exercising” inclusivity, the importance of stepping outside your bubble and much more. ABOUT OUR GUESTS: Ana Luna Uribe-Leteinturier Ana Luna is a French-Colombian violinist, born and raised in the United States. She is currently based in Denver and is an avid performer, teacher and arts administrator. As a multi-faceted performer, Ana Luna is currently experimenting with arranging, electronic music and loop pedaling. Interested in serving her community through the arts, Ana Luna is currently the Director of the and the Site Coordinator at El Sistema Colorado. Ms. Uribe has also been an active part of the Next Festival of Emerging Artists in New York City since March of 2020. One of her main focuses is new music and collaboration and she has worked to bring new works to life with composers such as Lisa Bielawa, Ryan Lindveit, Samantha Wolf, Andrew Dewey and Sergio Herrera, among others. As an orchestral player, she has appeared with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, the Sinfonia Gulf Coast Orchestra, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and the Boulder Symphony. Recent festivals attended include the Domaine Forget Academy in Quebec, the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC and a Violin Fellowship at the Texas Music Festival in Houston, TX. She has performed under the batons of great conductors such as Brett Mitchell, Yoav Talmi, Andres Franco, Gerard Schwartz and Ari Pelto. As a chamber musician, she has played with groups at the Domaine Forget Academy, the Texas Music Festival, the Eastern Music Festival, the Florida State University and the Lamont School of Music. She has studied under artists such as Neal Carey, Basil Vendryes, Shannon Thomas, Elizabeth Phelps and Qing Li. Most notably, in 2014, she was chosen as the second violinist for the Miami Music Project String Quintet. The group travelled to Paris, France to bring the works of Cuban, Haitian and Brazilian composers to the International St. Denis Festival. Her string quartet was also given an honorable mention for their performance of the Barber String Quartet at the 2020 Lamont Chamber Music Honors competition. Ms. Uribe holds a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from the Florida State University’s College of Music where she studied with Corinne Stillwell as well as a Master's degree in Violin Performance from the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music where she served as teaching assistant to Linda Wang and Igor PIkayzen. Lisa Young Lisa Young is an actor-vist, director, singer, teaching artist and founder of , a grassroots movement for theatre that uses the philosophy we are all accountable for inclusion, diversity, equity and access in the arts. She has served on the Colorado Theatre Guild Board since 2013 and 30+ years in community and professional theatre. In addition, Lisa is a drama-teaching artist at Boston P-8 in Aurora Colorado. IDEA Stages’ Story & Purpose: IDEAs was founded by actor-vist Lisa Young, (a Black Woman who is a stroke survivor), in May 2020 after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and countless other Black people. In 2020, as we considered the impact of COVID-19, and the mobilization and out-cry for justice from people supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, we also asked ourselves "What are we prepared to do to dismantle racism, anti-Blackness and inequalities in theatre?" IDEAs is a grassroots outreach organization providing activism, resources, and accountability for the work of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) in theaters to our members. We serve our membership of individuals, companies, and communities by granting IDEAs designations to organizations which fulfill guiding principles - called Pillars of Inclusion - within their policy and infrastructure. We are Change Agents, who are making demonstrable advancements, real and effective. Teila Theisen Teila Theisen joined the Central City Opera as Audience Development Manager, the newest member of the Marketing and Communications team, in 2020. Teila has an extensive background in performing arts and began studying dance, opera and choral music at age seven. She has a bachelors in fine arts, cum laude, from Northern Illinois University and has been working in the nonprofit sector for nearly ten years. Teila is a three-time AmeriCorps Alum, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from The Gambia, West Africa and has worked with several national nonprofits, including Girl Scouts and The Boys & Girls Clubs. Teila has a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion work, community development, travel and music. She is very much looking forward to working with the entire Central City Opera team to create unique and memorable experiences throughout Colorado! SHOW NOTES: EDI or EDIA and IDEA are acronyms for inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility. Diversity is presence of difference within a given setting. In this case the workplace is the setting, and the differences typically refer to identity like race and gender and sometimes ethnicity, religion, nationality or sexual orientation. A person isn’t diverse. They’re unique. They can bring diversity to a group though. You’re not looking for a diverse candidate. Diversity is about a collective or a group." Inclusion has to do with people with different identities feeling and/or being valued, leveraged and welcomed within a given setting (whether that’s a team, workplace or industry). Longtime diversity, equity and inclusion educator, Verna Myers, said: 'Diversity is being asked to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.' Inclusion isn’t a natural consequence of diversity. You can have a diverse team of talent, but that doesn’t mean they feel welcomed or valued or are given opportunities to grow. Equity is an approach that ensures everyone has access to the same opportunities. Equity recognizes that we don’t all start from the same place because advantages and barriers exist. It’s a process that acknowledges uneven starting places and seeks to correct the imbalance. Diversity and inclusion are both outcomes. Equity is not. It refers to the process an organization engages in to ensure that people with marginalized identities have the opportunity to grow, contribute, and develop. Access/Accessibility is giving equitable access to everyone along the continuum of human ability and experience. Accessibility encompasses the broader meanings of compliance and refers to how organizations make space for the characteristics that each person brings. The definition of accessibility is broadening beyond public accommodations and job opportunities. It’s not just about the physical environment: it’s about access to and representation in content for all. Read more: and This interview was recorded on the heels of anti-Asian shootings in Atlanta, April 2021: Further reading: NOTES ON INTERVIEW INTRODUCTIONS: Central City Opera’s staff shared a public statement and commitment fall 2020: Lisa and Ana introduced themselves using physical descriptions to help audience members with limited sight access this conversation. They also stated their preferred pronouns, which helps create a safe space for gender inclusion. Finally, the speakers shared acknowledgements of indigenous land on which they live and work. Learn more about pronouns: Learn more about land acknowledgements: WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THIS CONVERSATION: Ana: “White bodies live with trauma of white supremacy too” Lisa: “(IDEA) doesn’t just take three months” Lisa: Comparing working on IDEA to physical exercise: “If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not working out!” “Anti-racism hurts (in a good way)” Lisa talks about influential and decorated author Dr. Ibram X Kendi. Learn more about him at OPERA America offers a great list of Industry Resources covering IDEA work in opera, grants, story-telling, innovations and databases of opera repertoire modern and historical: Lisa talks about Phamaly Theater Company, “A creative home for theatre artists with disabilities.” Learn more at /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/18920510

Season 5, Episode 9 - Ana Luna Uribe, Lisa Young and Teila Theisen 04/30/2021

SHOW NOTES - Season 5, Episode 8 - Stephen Brackett and Gail Bransteitter 03/03/2021

SHOW NOTES - Season 5, Episode 8 - Stephen Brackett and Gail Bransteitter Left to right: Stephen Brackett and Gail Bransteitter and emcee/lead singer Stephen Brackett talks about music as a tool for liberation, working with young people through his nonprofit and the state of music in Colorado with CCO Director of Marketing and Communications (and longtime friend) Gail Bransteitter. From the halls of George Washington High School to leadership of the Colorado arts world, Stephen and Gail have both been dedicated advocates and artists making a difference in our community for decades. Learn more about the and the word of both Stephen and previous Colorado Music Ambassador Shawn King of DeVotchKa. Stephen co-founded the rap/rock experimental band, the , nationally known for songs like and and their focus on social and political consciousness. Check out their music and mission at . Watch for new songs dropping every three weeks in 2021! The Flobots created the Denver nonprofit offering for-credit music classes in music production, poetry and ethnic studies during the school day in high schools and middle schools. Stephen sat on the board for about ten years, acted as board chair for two and stepped off the board to become Director of Special Programs last year. During the interview he mentions the Denver Children’s Home, learn more at . Youth On Record offers free and open to the public, virtual programming five days out of the week. Explore their offerings and sign up at . About Youth On Record, Stephen says: “What started as an attempt of a band to do more than just soapbox but to actually live our lyrics and create pathways to challenging the power and agency that our songs were about, it actually grew into something that far exceeded our expectations. It has been the best contribution that could have come out of my musical career...That is the thing I’m most proud of.” “We’re using (music classes) as a delivery method for liberation. We’re not teaching music classes for music’s sake, we are teaching music classes so that during the school day, these students have the opportunity to speak their world, their perspective, their view, and to do so with the excellence that the arts kind of require of you.” “When you’re battling perfection, that means that you never win, but the grit that you earn in trying to meet the impossible gives you a kind of resilience that you can then leverage against the rest of your academic day. That’s what I believe when I’m talking about how music can be a great medium for liberation and a great leverage point for somebody becoming a life-long learner.” Stephen has been all over the news in Colorado for more than a year! Check out some of the headlines below: B-boy: Someone involved with hip-hop culture, especially a breakdancer Shout out to George Washington High School in Denver, where Gail and Stephen got to know one another and established a love of the arts. Stephen on his influences: “My influences right now are any of the students who are bold enough to get on stage during the talent show. When I see young creatives doing things when they haven’t learned the rules yet, and the kinda stuff they come out with when they are unafraid, is always a humbling lesson for me.” A list of local artists we should know about from Stephen: , formally , now performs as Lucy (music and visual arts) , singer/songwriter , singer/songwriter/producer of various mediums , self-described as “a wee group of theater-making humans based in Denver. We’ve worked together for over 18 years, making new stuff.* We work collaboratively—without ‘official’ writers, directors, designers, janitors. We do all the stuff. Because we love it.” Rodney Mullen, Colorado Country Hall of Fame The Downy Sisters, “dynamite songwriters” is an award-winning artist, activist and educator who lives in Denver, Colorado. Her background is in opera! Stephen also draws inspiration from Disney songwriters and . Learn more about , an opera commissioned by and premiered at Central City Opera in the 1950s, based on the famous figure of Colorado history . Watch the video version of this interview and more at . /episode/index/show/ccopodcast/id/18169835

Season 5, Episode 8 - Stephen Brackett and Gail Bransteitter 03/03/2021

Central City Opera Podcast

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