If you don’t have plans this weekend, Jane Cormier would like to see you at the Audi.
It could be Friday night or Saturday night, it doesn’t matter to her, as long as you etch out a couple hours to sit in one of the 900-plus seats. ‘Cause as Cormier put it, ‘if they sit in the seats, we’ve got them.’
Cormier, the artistic director and founder of Piccola Opera, has been preparing a long time for these two nights and wants everyone to share in all the hard work. You see, this weekend her opera company will put on its first main stage performance since settling in Concord, Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
“This is the big kickoff for us,” Cormier said. “And Flute is great for the person just coming in to opera ‘cause it’s funny, but at other times there’s drama.”
Piccola Opera officially opened at the beginning of 2015, but an opera competition last fall is what got the ball rolling for what you’ll see at the Audi – that is if you accept Cormier’s invitation. About 40 singers took part in the competition, and most of the lead roles were cast at that time. The rest of the roles were filled during two open auditions in May.
“We wanted to make sure we got the right singer for the right role,” Cormier said.
In addition to the two main stage performances, which will each consist of two acts with an intermission, lasting about two and a half hours, there will be a condensed youth performance Saturday afternoon with current students and others who auditioned.
Cormier has been involved in opera for many years, first as a singer and now as a voice teacher and director. Up until last year, Just Love to Sing in Alton was where she did most of her work. But with a desire to move to Concord, the board of directors of the non-profit felt a name change with the move might not be a bad idea.
“I think it’s big for Concord,” Cormier said. “It’s the state capital, we need a thriving opera company.”
They wanted to focus more on the opera side of things and including opera in the name of the organization was a good place to start. And when you think of opera, what comes to mind first? Outlandish costumes, Viking hats and people singing in a foreign language? While we haven’t seen the costumes yet, we’re pretty sure there won’t be any horns at Piccola Opera, and English is the language of choice.
“We’re here for two reasons; to help the younger singers and to educate and enlighten people to what opera is,” Cormier said. “Our mission is to educate.”
In addition to the 30 member cast for the main stage performance, there will be an orchestra of 14 led by musical director Carlos Martinez, Cormier’s husband. But with the cast and orchestra coming from all over New Hampshire and beyond, getting together for rehearsals was not easy. That’s why the full cast began rehearsing as a group just 10 days before opening night, and the orchestra had even less time then that to pull everything together.
Yet despite the time crunch, these are professionals, and ones that Cormier guarantees will put on a top-notch performance.
“It’s going to be very high quality because my husband and I won’t let it be any other way,” Cormier said.
The youth performance is actually a condensed version of the larger performance, which was rewritten by Cormier. There will be a narrator off to the side painting the picture for the audience.
“We’re telling it like a fairy tale,” Cormier said.
But to be a part of Piccola, you don’t just have to sing opera. In fact, you don’t technically have to be able to sing at all. That’s because Cormier gives lessons for just about anything you’re interested in singing.
“We teach all styles except screaming rock. It’s just not our style,” Cormier said.
Currently she’s just about booked solid Monday through Wednesday, but she’ll make sure there’s time if you’re interested in a lesson.
“If someone can sing in tune and they have the desire, there’s nothing we can’t do,” Cormier said.
This year’s annual open sing will be held Oct. 3, and starting this fall will be a music theatre youth competition, where the finals will be held during the intermission in the open sing.
The main stage production of The Magic Flute will be held Friday and Saturday, July 24 and 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Audi. Cost is $25 for adults and $20 for seniors and children. The youth performance will be Saturday, July 25, at 2 p.m. General admission for the youth show is $12. Tickets may be purchased at Gibson’s Bookstore, by visiting piccolaopera.net prior to the show or at the door.
For more information, call 781-5695.
