The fevered brain child of composer Daniel Steven Crafts and cartoonist Shannon Wheeler, Gonzo Opera has become the best-kept dirty little secret of high-brow culture. Gonzo Opera productions have delighted audiences on several continents (look out, Antarctica, we're coming!), with a sweet little home base in Albuquerque.
Oct. 31 - Nov. 3:
Operas From the Crypt:
The Other Side of the Veil
Friday Nov. 1, 7 pm
Sunday Nov. 3, 2 pm Join us at Cell Theater / FUSION
700 1st St. NW
Albuquerque NM 87102
(505) 766-9412
What is Gonzo Opera?First of all, despite its subject matter, it is real opera, and not a parody of the genre as are many works over the last few years that have called themselves "opera." It uses beautiful, classically-trained voices and allows them to demonstrate all the marvelous attributes of traditional vocal technique. The Gonzo style is full of melody (something sorely lacking in most contemporary opera) -- memorable melody that shows off the voices in the best possible light.
But secondly ... Gonzo Opera takes as its subject matter outrageous comedy/satire, subjects heretofore completely foreign to opera. It is as contemporary as any movie -- no pathetic, dying heroines here. Shannon Wheeler's popular comic strip, "Too Much Coffee Man," was made into an opera with great success. It was not so much the traditional opera audience who came to see it, but Shannon's audience (20- to 40-year-old comic book aficionados). This was the first of the Gonzo operas.
Gonzo Opera is designed to be portable and inexpensive to produce. This should prove a boon to smaller opera companies as:
- * It attracts a new, young audience (which all companies are crying out to do), and
- * It can be produced with simple sets and a small combo of instrumentalists as opposed to a full orchestra.
As an art form, opera desperately needs a swift kick in the pants -- the same kind that was given it by the verismo movement in the late 1800s. When the overwhelming percentage of works in standard repertoire are 100-300 years old, something is severely wrong. One need only compare the quantity of good and memorable new operas from the second half of the 20th century with the second half of the 19th. The 21st has so far fared little better.
Gonzo Opera is intended to breathe new life into a music genre that is in danger of becoming a museum attraction, despite the enthusiasm of its devotees, and the exceptional quality of its singers.
Daniel Steven Crafts
http://www.dscrafts.net
The first Gonzo Opera was "Too Much Coffee Man," dreamed up by Emmy Award-winning composer Daniel Steven Crafts and Shannon Wheeler, creator of the wildly popular "Too Much Coffee Man" comic strip. It's the story of a hapless coffee lover and his unrequited passion for the barista who plies him each day with the nectar that makes his world complete. Can he win her over before Espresso Guy steals her heart?
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Too Much Coffee Man Music by Daniel Steven Crafts Libretto by Shannon Wheeler This lively production has regaled audiences in Oregon, California, New York and New Mexico. "Hilarious and original -- you've got to see it!"Albuquerque Journal |
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| Daniel Steven Crafts and Paul Bower talk about "Too Much Coffee Man" Albuquerque Fox 12 morning show January 2017
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| "Baby, If You Love Me" |
"There's An App For That" |
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| And The Winner Is ...: A 'Ms. American' Beauty Pageant on live TV goes hopelessly wrong -- who doesn't want to see that?! -- complete with a lecherous MC, sex-change operations, and other Gonzo surprises. A vicious yet hilarious satire on "meat market" beauty pageants. Libretto by Thomas B. Woodward / Music by Daniel Steven Crafts | 
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#trialbytext. One Act. Libretto and original story by Janice Leber. For soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, 2 baritones. Clarinet, string bass, and piano.
All the Right Moves. One Act. .. Libretto by Thomas B. Woodward from his original play, "Paul, the Proctologist." For soprano, mezzo, 2 tenors, baritone. Flute, clarinet, bassoon, string bass, piano. Duration: 50 min.
Love at the Kitty Cat Hotel. 2 acts. Libretto and original story by Janice Leber. For soprano, mezzo, tenor, baritone. Clarinet, oboe, bassoon, string bass and piano.
Baggage. 2 acts. Original story and libretto by Rick Huff. Principal roles: tenor, mezzo-soprano / also soprano, 2 tenors, 2 baritones. Flute, clarinet, string bass and piano.
Down on the Pharma: The Medicine Show. One Act. Original story and libretto by Rick Huff. Soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone. Flute, clarinet String bass and piano. (1 run in New Mexico, Fall, 2019)
Bag Lady. 2 acts. Libretto and original story by Janice Leber. For soprano, 2 mezzos, tenor, baritone. Flute, clarinet, String bass and piano.
Blind Cupid On-Line: The Dating Opera One Act. Original story and libretto by Miffy Gevar. Soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone. Flute, clarinet, string bass and piano.
The Other Side of the Veil. One Act. A Gonzo Opera From the Crypt. Original story and libretto by Jonathan David Dixon. Mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone. Flute, clarinet, bassoon, String bass and electric keyboard.
The Immature Burial. One Act. A Gonzo Opera From the Crypt. Original story and libretto by Jonathan David Dixon. Mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone. Flute, clarinet, bassoon, String bass and electric keyboard.
VS. - an opera (for the sake of argument). One act. Original story and libretto by Rick Huff. Soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone. Flute, clarinet, bassoon, String bass and piano.
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| We invite/encourage you to read the blurb at the bottom of the page to contribute to our movement to update and ultimately save the art of Opera! | ||
Join the movement to revitalize opera! While we ultimately intend Gonzo Opera to be self-sufficient, we are just starting out and contributions at this point are particularly welcome. Please send checks (earmarked "Gonzo Opera") to: FUSION c/o Jacqueline Reid, 700 - 1st St NW, Albuquerque NM 87102. Be part of the future of opera!