SOLD OUT!

That's right, ladies and gents...last night we performed to a sold out house. (HUZZAH!) We had 29 tickets left when we opened the doors, and were sold out in 8 minutes. We barely managed to pack in people on the waiting list (thanks to those of you who didn't show, BTW - everyone who did show up got to see it!).

It was pretty warm in that tiny theatre, but there was a great energy in the room, and the Diva cast pulled out their best performance yet. I was so incredibly proud of them all.

And so I reiterate...if you don't have your tickets already, get them now. We fully expect more sold out houses this weekend. Don't make me say I told you so. :)

See you at the show!

Jeanine
Artistic Director

Anxious

Today is day three of our hiatus from the theatre. We go back tomorrow night for the final four-day run, and I am SO ANXIOUS to be back at the theatre! I miss it so much already, which does not bode well for the post-show depression that hits most of us on the closing of a show.

But, in very exciting news, we sold over 100 tickets for this weekend over the last two days, so it's looking like we'll be ending with four very full houses. Good news indeed (for performers, producers, and audience alike!) as a fuller house often means more contagious laughter.

We have all but forgotten the struggles it took to get to this point - there is talk of putting on a reduced version of Hansel and Gretel this winter, and plans are in the works for our full production next summer to be Massenet's Cinderella! More details on both of those to come!

Cheers,
Jeanine
Artistic Director

Halfway through, and still alive!

Well folks, we're halfway through Iolanthe's run. Our cast is enjoying as few well-deserved days off, and catching up on some sleep. I wanted to share part of an email we received from a patron who came to see the show this weekend...

"We saw the show last evening and oh, my gosh, what an awesome production! Excellent singing, good costumes and sets...If this production was to take place at the Queen E, it would have cost five times more to attend. It certainly was worthy of being shown there because it was every bit as good as any production I've ever seen at the Queen E."

I've heard from quite a few people that they are planning to come this weekend, and I HOPE they have already bought their tickets, for I fear there won't be many at the door. We have had an excellent response and many people who saw it this weekend are returning for a second viewing!

I'm so glad that it is being well received, and that people are just plain having fun at our performances. I really hope that everyone who wants to see it is able to get in!

Jeanine

Reviews of Iolanthe are in!!!!!!!

This is very exciting for us, our fist review! Check out the review here.

John Arsenault,
Music Director

Opening Night was a Success!

Last night was the night...the opening night of Iolanthe. Dragon cast. And they rocked the house. I was so incredibly proud of everyone - the cast was hilarious and poignent and sounded beautiful; John did an awesome job conducting; the costumes were breathtaking; the technical side went smoothly; and best of all, the audience ATE IT UP! They loved it! People weren't just giving the requisite "I'm really enjoying it" that I often hear. They were raving. Several people said they'd be returning to see it again. One woman told me she was a huge G&S fan, and had seen D'Oyly Carte do this show, and ours was more fun. Than D'OYLY CARTE! We weren't sold out, but had a really good sized house for a Thursday opening. I'm expecting to sell out a couple shows. Tonight is already pre-sold to 65% and we'll see more at the door.

John and I were talking afterward (as we do after every rehearsal and show) and realized that we still have seven shows and were SO EXCITED because we loved it so much last night that we don't want it to end!

Hope you all get a chance to see it! It will make your night.

Jeanine

Well, we've arrived!

Last night was our final dress rehearsal for Iolanthe. Despite a few glitches, I think we're in very good shape!

This is a talented group of people, for sure! We have everything in this show from a high school student right up to emerging professional opera singers. Everyone brings their own set of skills and experience to the stage, and it makes for a great product!

It's interesting as the conductor of a show, you do all sorts of work at the beginning, rehearsing the music, letting the singers know what you want, fixing the notes, the rhythms, the dynamics. Then you kinda of become secondary to the director for a while. It's not that you don't have the chance to continue to improve the music, but that you are doing it on someone else's time. So, you have to pick and choose the most important points to discuss and rehearse.

Then, you get to the dress rehearsal and the show is yours again. Conducting is a lot like being a manager. You facilitate the singers to sing the best that they can sing. You give them peace of mind about their entrances. You help them if they forget the words. You shape the music, you control the dynamic. And make no mistake... different gestures produce different results! We're not just waving our arms up there.... really...

Do you want to know what it's like to be driving a bus that large? It's a bit scary. But honestly, it is the most amazing feeling, when you really connect with the cast and they are really connected with you, and you make the most amazing music just with a small gesture. It's sublime. I LOVE it. I love it. I can't say that enough. I feel like I've found my home. I still have lots to learn, but I know this is the right place for me.

So, this is a time of great excitement for me. I get to lead these incredibly talented performers through 8 performances of Iolanthe.

Lucky me! I have the best job in the house!

John Arsenault
Music Director

Checking out the other guys...

On a side note, Jeanine and I went to check out another small company in Vancouver this weekend. They are called Fighting Chance Productions. They are currently running the musical RENT at the Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver. I LOVED it. I loved everything about it. I left it with that wonderful feeling, that "high" you get when you have seen a great show.

I have renewed energy because I know that we can produce that high! Our cast is certainly capable of it. We have all the right ingredients. Our sets are great, our costumes are great, and our cast is GREAT. There's so much talent there.

Also, we are very lucky to have the AMAZING Angus Kellet at the piano. He is a staff pianist at Vancouver Opera and is one of the finest pianists in the city. And, I don't even need to comment on my co-founder Jeanine Fynn's directing abilities. She's a very gifted director.

Combine all of the above with a fantastic and enthusiastic board (all but one are filling key roles in the production, both on and off stage), and we have a winning combination. I'm so excited to see what happens on stage!!

John Arsenault
Music Director

Obsessed? Not at all...

So here is my first foray into the blogosphere as a producer/director. We are three days from opening night. I am literally vibrating, I am so excited for the opening! I can't concentrate on anything but the show and am dreaming of the moment where I sink into my seat and the house lights dim. John and I are so obsessed that we keep checking the email inbox. 10 minutes ago we responded simultaneously with the exact same answer to a cast member's question. Obsessed. Which, I guess, is good for a producer.

We had our first dress rehearsal on the weekend, and it was thrilling. There were certainly a couple of snags along the way, but that's what dress rehearsals are for, right? I actually teared up a little because I was so proud of the work our team has put in both on and offstage. They are a talented and funny group of people. The set looks amazing. (I kind of want to plunk a bed, couch and hotplate in the middle of it all and call it home. Is that bad?) The costumes are breathtaking. We've had a lot of good press, and sales are good. Now all I need is to make it through the next 72 hours!

See you there!
Jeanine Fynn
Artistic Director

It's all coming together now

Tonight was a tech rehearsal. I spent 8 hours at the theatre. It was worth it.

The lights are up. The curtains are hung. The theatre has been cleaned and is ready to use. We've seen the costumes. Well, part of the costumes, but man are they amazing. We have agreed upon and set the lighting for most of Act I. We will finish lighting the show tomorrow. We will have most of the costumes complete and ready to use.

I think this show is going to look fantastic. I can't say anymore about it than that. I really feel that in some ways this is going to be our best show yet. I certainly think it is going to be our best looking show yet.

I'm excited to see what happens over the next few days!!

John Arsenault
Music Director

The final stretch

Well, we're here. All we have left is tech rehearsals, cue to cue, and dress rehearsals. The first tech is tomorrow night and I have to admit, I'm pretty excited. The show is getting better and better all the time. I had no idea how FUNNY some of our cast members are. I've only seen some of them do more serious roles, but comedy suits them very well!

Tomorrow we will see the costumes for the first time. I'm stoked. They make all the difference in a show. Until you see them, it's just a bunch of people running around in their street clothes being funny.

The workthrough for Act II last night went pretty smooth. There were some bumps along the way, but a very valiant effort for the first time through from beginning to end. I am so proud of our casts for how far they have come in the last two weeks. This city is so full of great talent.

I'll let you know how the rest of the rehearsals go ;-)

John Arsenault
Music Director

Another milestone reached

Well, this is it. We have reached the point where we have done what we can. I've given all the musical notes, and Jeanine has staged the entire show. We now launch into workthroughs, tech rehearsals, and dress rehearsals.

I think we're in good shape. There's nothing for us to do now but leave it in the hands of our performers and encourage them to set their personal bar as high as they can.

The show is definitely starting to "gel". It has a little way to go, but now that we are rehearsing big chunks of the show at once instead of little pieces that will come soon enough.

We got to see our new set pieces at work yesterday as we rehearsed the Act I finale, and I have to say the stage looks awesome. I can't wait until we are closer to the finished product, with all the costumes, lighting, painted stage, etc.

John Arsenault
Music Director

Sets, sets ,sets!

I have been remiss in my blogging! I've been a very busy boy. There is so much to do when preparing for a show. Last Friday, our Director, Jeanine Fynn and our stage manager, Christine Dibble went shopping. They picked up all the little things that we needed, paint, supplies, primer, tape, sponges, staplers, and a host of other things we needed.

Saturday, we had an all day painting party. Several members of our cast came out, and we accomplished a lot! We painted our Act II backdrop on the wall at the back of the stage, and we primed the giant 10 X 20 piece of canvas we are using for our Act I backdrop.

The party continued on Monday... a whole different set of cast members came out, and we hung the canvas and painted an amazing forest scene for Act I. I suck at painting, and I kind of feel like the kid in grade school who sucks at art class.

Today, we went to pick up the set pieces that the Fraser Valley Gilbert and Sullivan Society is kindly lending us. There are fairy trees, stumps, and giant rocks you can stand on. There is also a sentry box and giant fence for Act II. All in all, this is going to be a great looking show, complimented by the amazing costumes that our costumer Alex Hansen is making for us, which we got a sneak peek at last week.

We still have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but I'm starting to get really excited for opening night!

John Arsenault
Music Director