Comments on: always look on the bright side

By: Melanie

Melanie — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:39:30 +0000

Ever since I heard the news of Mortier, I thought of Darren. He is both visionary and a lover of opera’s great tradition. He’s also great at parties!

By: Patricia

Patricia — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:03:26 +0000

Will: Fort Worth Opera fully staged “Angels in America” like la cieca said. Read the review of the season yourself from Opera News http://www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/review/review.aspx?id=2493&issueid=325

By: Brooklynpunk

Brooklynpunk — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:53:27 +0000

I dunno much about Mr. Woods, or his finesse at running a Company—but I gotta say, FWO has one of the coolest websites I’ve checked out in some time—so if he’s had any imput with that—he has to be doing SOMETHING right……

By: High C's @ 4:20

High C's @ 4:20 — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:39:44 +0000

Hey yall… that probably was THE (not A) Darren Woods at post 16… i contacted FWO to let them know about the post…

You stay right there, DW… and keep bringing DFW great operas… and singers… ill come over there to hear Liz and Stevie and Eugenie and Kim anytime. And the shuttle for subscribers from Dallas is a great idea.

By: Burke Estate

Burke Estate — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:00:08 +0000

Khachaturian, surely you’re talking about some other Darren Woods! The guy in Fort Worth just turned 50 (contrary to your baffling reference to “this late stage of his professional life”), and he’s turned FWO around with savvy programming, aggressive fund-raising, innovative marketing and community outreach. He knows NYCO intimately, having sung for years with the company. Aren’t these precisely the qualifications the next director of NYCO will need? (And precisely those that Mortier lacked?) You remind us that NYCO is a bigger outfit than FWO, but apart from that you don’t justify your dim view of Woods’ prospects. The comparison to Palin only underscores your lack of seriousness — unless, as I say, you have some other Darren Woods in mind.
City Opera was lucky to lose Mortier, and they’d be luckier if they could hire Woods.

By: aghast in the USA

aghast in the USA — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:02:54 +0000

mortier is the touch of death.

post Karajan: We need no stars. He says. Salzburg one of the greatest musical festivals in the world succumbs to bland nothing, outcome: done. OVER. still has yet to recover.

Paris Opera: Horrid new view riche, I mean the mispelling, and the company did horridly under him. Finished. They have no opera tradition there anyway. OUTCOME: survives because the government funded his sorry ass.

THANK GOD he didn’t come here.

By: Triptych

Triptych — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:46:16 +0000

Khachaturian, you’re either wrong or just misinformed. I thought about writing something snarky here, but the simple fact is he’s one of the smartest people currently working at the helm of any American opera company. Especially for those of us who work full-time in the biz, American opera as an industry needs all the sharp, enterprising minds and energizing leadership it can get right now. DW is a bright star among that leadership — and one whom you could hardly label as “provincial.” He knows how to successfully reorganize, program, cast, and fund multiple seasons at a significant American opera company — which, apparently, is more than you can say of the intendant of the Paris Opera. And furthermore, your implication that bringing in “a” Mortier (someone running a major international house) will automatically prove better than “a” Darren Woods (someone running a regional U.S. company) has just been proven altogether groundless by Mortier’s nixing the deal after nearly 2 years of preparing painstakingly for his arrival, so your point is moot anyway.

By: Darren

Darren — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:59:35 +0000

Ouch! I kinda hate being compared to Sarah Palin and if you’ve known me for 25 years, I’m sorry about that too, obviously.

By: Khachaturian

Khachaturian — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:49:40 +0000

Despite assumptions the contrary from Tryptich, I’ve known the person at hand for 25 years. I’m sure he’s a competent fundraiser for a company of this size, but there is a world of difference here. It’s sheer provincialism to assume that he can at this late stage of his professional life could transfer his limited experiences to the kind of visionary business leadership that will be required to bring NYCO back from the dead at this point in an unparalleled financial crisis. Again, I’m sure Sara palin was a heckuva mayor in Wassilla. The basic point of this post is naive to begin with. Darren schedules a gay themed opera, therefore he has the vision to take over NYCO. Can we get real? I applaud his willingness to take a risk in a part of the country that is remarkably intolerant, but this hardly marks him as a genius. And he’s hardly quiet about it, btw.

By: La Cieca

La Cieca — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:40:09 +0000

Arianna: Note that La Cieca said "a Darren K. Woods," not "the Darren K. Woods."

By: Arianna a Nasso

Arianna a Nasso — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:34:24 +0000

Here we go with the New York centrism again. A New York company needs an administrator, so Fort Worth is expected just to give up the man who is transforming that company. Maybe Mr. Woods and Fort Worth are the perfect match for each other? Not all administrators work equally well at all companies. Pamela Rosenberg was ideal for Stuttgart but many felt not for San Francisco.

By: The Fanned Inquisitor

The Fanned Inquisitor — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:36:56 +0000

Couldn’t find a natural place for this info but here’s the latest revelations re Katherine Jenkin’s party favour past:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1083975/The-vice-angel-Shocking-pictures-opera-diva-Katherine-Jenkins-influence-drugs.html

By: Triptych

Triptych — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 06:10:10 +0000

Khachaturian — you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. NYCO would be lucky to have Darren Woods, and if they know what’s good for them, Fort Worth will not let him go. I know him personally and professionally: he’s a great, brilliant man and very, very good at running opera companies (especially when it comes to that pesky “raising money” thing).

By: Will

Will — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 05:38:24 +0000

I’m not quite sure what Fort Worth means or how it could have staged Angels in America more fully than we had it in Boston in June of 2006. Steve Maher directed, Gil Rose (Boston Modern Orchestra Project) conducted and Tom Meglioranza sang Prior in a fully staged production at the Calderwood Pavilion of the Boston Center for the Arts. They may have had a bigger stage or more expensive scenery, but Boston had a completely staged and very effective prouction.

By: jatm2063

jatm2063 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:03:56 +0000

Thank you High C’s. I’ll check it out. I was listening to Joan’s early Lucia recording myself today. I’ll have to hear some Gwyneth before I head off to bed.

By: High C's @ 4:20

High C's @ 4:20 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:31:41 +0000

http://www.operabase.com/index.cgi?lang=en

This site is a treasure trove of info like bdays, premiers and current schedules all over the place…

By: jatm2063

jatm2063 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:19:54 +0000

How remarkable that they share a birthday. I don’t suppose that La Cieca has a clip of them singing together, or chatting on some talk show or something?

By: High C's @ 4:20

High C's @ 4:20 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:09:56 +0000

some one told us, jatso… and the other great Dame, Gwyneth…

Im spending my Friday nite with Joanies Norma.

By: jatm2063

jatm2063 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:02:25 +0000

Does everyone know, today (November 7th) is Dame Joan Sutherland’s birthday. She is 82. I hope she is doing well.

By: smartone

smartone — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:11:46 +0000

Before Night Falls is occupying a spot that was supposed to hold another new commission from Thomas Pasatieri which was bumped and them bumped again into oblivion.

By: Khachaturian

Khachaturian — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:55:34 +0000

Well, in the age where Sara Palin is a viable candidate for VP, I suppose it’s not a surprise that someone would suggest that this man could run City Opera………

By: High C's @ 4:20

High C's @ 4:20 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:41:57 +0000

Ive said it before ill say it again… the FWOpera did themselves a world of good changing to a spring festival… Check out the schedule… Beth Claytons Carmen, Isobel Leonards Cenerentola and Daniel THE FLY Okulitch’s Dead Man Walking (w/ Robynne Redmonn!) Im excited…

By: Patricia

Patricia — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:11:31 +0000

No sir…we are keeping Darren down here in our neck of the woods of Fort Worth.