#OperaCo Debut With Don Giovanni
Virtual opera company’s concert performance for Edinburgh
By Thom Dibdin
A virtual opera company which organises its productions through Twitter is to hold its first ever performance in Edinburgh this week.
The Hashtag Opera Company – or #OperaCo – is to stage a concert performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Augustine United Church on Thursday, 11 July.
Soprano Rochelle Hart told Æ: “We organised everyone through twitter, then had further in-depth conversations about plans on Facebook – where the character limit is longer!”
The company started in early 2012 when a group of Twitter friends set about organising the first OperaTwala – a gala event planned solely via Twitter.
That grew into #OperaCo, which is run with the intention of bringing talented young musicians from Twitter together, to perform concert versions of popular works, building up exposure and experience for the performers.
If the organisation is virtual, there are still live meet-ups for rehearsal, according to Hart: “Some of us know each other personally, so have met up to run through bits of it over the last few weeks. As far as getting the whole cast together, we’re having a rehearsal the afternoon before the show so we will have a chance to iron out any musical niggles and make sure all our ensemble pieces are together.”
Not all the cast have public twitter handles, but the production consists of:
Don Giovanni – Richard Arundel (@RichardArundel)
Donna Anna – Laura Wolk-Lewanowicz (@prima_donnaanna)
Donna Elvira – Rochelle Hart (@raketje)
Don Ottavio – Michael Doroszenko (@tenor_top_D)
Zerlina – Shiona Cormack
Masetto/Commendatore – Dan Woodhouse (@DanWoodhouse)
Leporello – Richard Mein
Accompaniment by Guy Middlemiss (@MiddlemissGuy)
Speaking of the decision to stage their first production in Edinburgh, Hart adds: “Several of the cast have ties to Edinburgh, or live there, or nearby, so we figured it was the easiest place to start out with. We can then take it elsewhere if it’s a success!”
Full details of the production and a link to purchase of tickets through paypal are on the #OperaCo website: hashtagoperaco.weebly.com
Listing:
Don Giovanni (concert performance)
Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Thursday 11 July 2013, 7.30pm.
ENDS
