Macbeth Act II

Posted on by Thor

Macbeth with music by Giuseppe Verdi was presented by the Orlando Opera at Steinmetz Hall in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Perf0rming Arts.  During the intermission I finished up adding watercolor washes to my first sketch.

The second Act opened up once again in the witches cave. I am loosing sight in my left eye which causes me to see two overlapping images. I decided to use my opera glasses to do a second sketch. The advantage of the opera glasses is that the double vision is no longer a problem. One actor or actress fills my vision as I sketch. The problem is to keep my head still as I sketch and resist looking don at the sketch. Both of my fountain pens failed as I sketched and I found that colored pencils became blunt too fast. Despite the technical issues I enjoyed sketching each with in turn, knowing full well it would be a quirky result. I think I will do drawings more often using the opera glasses. It puts me right on top of the action.

Macbeth

Posted on by Thor

Orlando Opera presented Macbeth with music by Giuseppe Verde at Steinmetz Hall in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts ( 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL), on October 25 and 27, 2024.

The opera opened with the conductor walking out and conducting the small orchestra in the pit.  A witches cave which had a black scrim with 2 openings at the top of the two ramps. I suspected there must be more behind the scrim so I resisted sketching the openings, instead sketching the audience. The theater went pitch black, so I used my iPhone to illuminate the sketch. The witches predicted the future to two generals.

The scrim opened to show the kings castle. Lady Macbeth convinced her husband that he must murder the king to rise to the throne. He had a vision of a dagger and realized that this was his future. The king was murdered in a large projected silhouette, and Macbeth walked on stage with very bloody hands.

The lyrics were in Italian. Since I was sketching, I didn’t have time to read the subtitles above the stage. The emotion behind every aria however was clear. I have seen several productions of Macbeth as written by Shakespeare, so the story line was familiar. I let the music guise my hand as I struggled, putting lines on the page in the dark.

Come Alive

Posted on by Thor

Encore presents Come Alive, in Steinmetz Hall in the Doctor Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Friday August 19th at 8 PM to Sunday Aug 21, 2022 at 11 PM. Tickets are $19. I went to sketch a rehearsal in Steinmetz Hall. It seemed to be their first time in the venue since much time was spent trying to arrange the seating for the hundreds of singers in the chorus. All of the singers could not fit on the second level, so twenty five volunteers went to an even higher level to sing. There are 135 singers in the chorus and 60 in the orchestra.

It’s time to celebrate 20 years of Encore. Come see Encore alumni from across the country collaborate with new talent to perform songs from some of their favorite movies and musicals. In this exciting concert, you’ll hear the highlights from Encore performances across the years and fantastic new selections from the stories that currently capture their hearts. Join Encore as they take a fond look back at the past and an enthusiastic leap into the future!

We walked back stage to get to our seats in the hall. This is a truly awesome venue and I hope to someday to have the chance to sketch the amazing structures we walked past back stage. One structure looked like a two story tall fire hose reel and I cant figure out what it might do. There is more to this hall than what first meets the eye.

There were so many powerhouse singers in the cast. The show moves from one musical number to the next in quick succession with each song more uplifting than the last. It was an inspiring evening. When the full chorus joins in on a number you can feel all the voices as they reverberate in your chest.

COVID-19 Warning: An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that may result in personal injury, severe illness, and death. By visiting the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and or attending the Dr. Phillips Center shows, events, education programs, classes or other activities, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19. All visitors must follow the Center’s health and safety protocols. Please help keep each other safe.