Cartoonists in the Portland Opera
On September 20th, the Portland Opera invited a handful of cartoonists to attend the final dress rehearsal for their production of Pagliacci and Carmina Burana and draw whatever our hearts desired. The hopes with this project was to get some cross-pollination going between the opera world and Portland's wealth of cartoonists. Here is their press release and here is The Examiner's write up on the cartoonist invasion.
This is my little sketch journal I kept that night.
(I'd only gone to the opera once before when I was 12, as part of a public school program)
Man, I felt hella scruffy.
The fine opera folks wined and dined us! In their invitation email, I only got as far as the line saying they'd be feeding us before I RSVP'd.
Because I'm classy like that.
I didn't get to finish this sketch, but everyone (besides me) looked pretty swank. This is the beginings of a drawing of Natalie Nourigat, Emi Lennox, Joelle Jones and Terri Nelson.
As part of the special cartoonist package, we got a backstage tour of the opera house. It's really pretty gorgeous and interesting, even in the places where the general audience can't see.
No sooner had we gotten settled into our seats than they lowered the lights and there was pretty much a universal "Oh!" as all us cartoonists realized we had no light to draw with. And then, as in a dark field when all the fireflies start to light up, a dozen little cell phone lights flicked on so we could keep scribbling.
Since the entire opera is in, you know, Italian, they kindly project the English translations on a screen above the stage.
So many kids! A couple gorgeous, 1950-style bikes!
From Pagliacci, the travelling clown troup arrives in town.
Some of the villagers.
Mind you, I had absolutely no idea what Pagliacci is about.
Poor, poor Nedda.
Nedda singin', wanting more out of this life than traveling like a hobo from town to town, performing for villagers with a husband she doesn't love.
Because it was a dress rehearsal, they were still working out some kinks.
HELLA MAKE OUTS.
It's so hard to be a man.
During the intermission for Pagliacci, we got to play with the albino boa constrictor that would be appearing in the second half of the show for the Carmina Burana segment.
Nedda sitting.
Nedda appears in the play within a play as Colombina.
Tonio appears in the play within a play as Taddeo. With his chicken dick.
Oh. My. God.
Transitioning from Pagliacci to Carmina Burana, the tree rises up from the stage and rotates while a gorgeous full moon drops down from the rafter and a lady dances with a real albino boa constrictor.
This gave me goosebumps, it was so gorgeous and unreal.
Dancer from Carmina Burana.
So many little kids!
A dancer picks up and carries a fully grown man. I was pretty impressed.
Okay, the end!
----------------------------------------
Other Portland Opera Cartoonists' Artwork from That Night:
NEW- Comics Alliance: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/09/24/comics-opera-pagliacci-portland/
Sarah Oleksyk: http://velvetgrindstone.blogspot.com/2010/09/comics-at-crossroads-comics-at-opera-it.html
Jesse Hamm: http://sirspamdalot.livejournal.com/72772.html
Steve Lieber: http://www.stevelieber.com/thank-you-portland-opera-pdxoperacomics/
The Portland Opera's sketch collection: http://www.portlandopera.com/comic%20artist%20night
Mike Russell: http://www.webcomicsnation.com/culturepulp/culturepulp/series.php?view=archive&chapter=46295
"Trixie Biltmore": http://www.meencomics.com/works-in-progress/
Natalie Nourigat: http://tally-art.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-believed-in-you.html
Colleen Coover: http://www.colleencoover.net/?p=1371
Ron Chan: http://www.ronchan.net/wordpress/?p=363
Cat Farris: http://cattifer.com/blogalog/?p=279
(post links to more in the comments!)
----------------------------------------
Thanks so much to the Portland Opera for having us cartoonists in to document our experiences!
Really guys, this production was amazing. Mind you, I am not what one would call "an opera person", and yet I'm totally going back on opening night to see this again with my husband. If you are in Portland, I really recommend going to see this for yourself.
It opens this Friday and runs from September 24 - October 2.
This is my little sketch journal I kept that night.
(I'd only gone to the opera once before when I was 12, as part of a public school program)
Man, I felt hella scruffy.
The fine opera folks wined and dined us! In their invitation email, I only got as far as the line saying they'd be feeding us before I RSVP'd.
Because I'm classy like that.
I didn't get to finish this sketch, but everyone (besides me) looked pretty swank. This is the beginings of a drawing of Natalie Nourigat, Emi Lennox, Joelle Jones and Terri Nelson.
As part of the special cartoonist package, we got a backstage tour of the opera house. It's really pretty gorgeous and interesting, even in the places where the general audience can't see.
No sooner had we gotten settled into our seats than they lowered the lights and there was pretty much a universal "Oh!" as all us cartoonists realized we had no light to draw with. And then, as in a dark field when all the fireflies start to light up, a dozen little cell phone lights flicked on so we could keep scribbling.
Since the entire opera is in, you know, Italian, they kindly project the English translations on a screen above the stage.
So many kids! A couple gorgeous, 1950-style bikes!
From Pagliacci, the travelling clown troup arrives in town.
Some of the villagers.
Mind you, I had absolutely no idea what Pagliacci is about.
Poor, poor Nedda.
Nedda singin', wanting more out of this life than traveling like a hobo from town to town, performing for villagers with a husband she doesn't love.
Because it was a dress rehearsal, they were still working out some kinks.
HELLA MAKE OUTS.
It's so hard to be a man.
During the intermission for Pagliacci, we got to play with the albino boa constrictor that would be appearing in the second half of the show for the Carmina Burana segment.
Nedda sitting.
Nedda appears in the play within a play as Colombina.
Tonio appears in the play within a play as Taddeo. With his chicken dick.
Oh. My. God.
Transitioning from Pagliacci to Carmina Burana, the tree rises up from the stage and rotates while a gorgeous full moon drops down from the rafter and a lady dances with a real albino boa constrictor.
This gave me goosebumps, it was so gorgeous and unreal.
Dancer from Carmina Burana.
So many little kids!
A dancer picks up and carries a fully grown man. I was pretty impressed.
Okay, the end!
----------------------------------------
Other Portland Opera Cartoonists' Artwork from That Night:
NEW- Comics Alliance: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/09/24/comics-opera-pagliacci-portland/
Sarah Oleksyk: http://velvetgrindstone.blogspot.com/2010/09/comics-at-crossroads-comics-at-opera-it.html
Jesse Hamm: http://sirspamdalot.livejournal.com/72772.html
Steve Lieber: http://www.stevelieber.com/thank-you-portland-opera-pdxoperacomics/
The Portland Opera's sketch collection: http://www.portlandopera.com/comic%20artist%20night
Mike Russell: http://www.webcomicsnation.com/culturepulp/culturepulp/series.php?view=archive&chapter=46295
"Trixie Biltmore": http://www.meencomics.com/works-in-progress/
Natalie Nourigat: http://tally-art.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-believed-in-you.html
Colleen Coover: http://www.colleencoover.net/?p=1371
Ron Chan: http://www.ronchan.net/wordpress/?p=363
Cat Farris: http://cattifer.com/blogalog/?p=279
(post links to more in the comments!)
----------------------------------------
Thanks so much to the Portland Opera for having us cartoonists in to document our experiences!
Really guys, this production was amazing. Mind you, I am not what one would call "an opera person", and yet I'm totally going back on opening night to see this again with my husband. If you are in Portland, I really recommend going to see this for yourself.
It opens this Friday and runs from September 24 - October 2.