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![]() 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. ![]() NEXT PERFORMANCE May 9-11: Join us at Recent performance: #trial by text An uproarious courtroom comedy -- here's a brief excerpt: 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:
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
Cellular World. The story of four people with limited attention spans and unlimited data plans. Will their lives ever recover from constant exposure to smart-phone technology? Libretto by Janice Leber / Music by Daniel Steven Crafts And the Winner Is ... A "Ms. American" Beauty Pageant on live TV goes hopelessly wrong. A vicious yet hilarious satire on "meat market" beauty pageants. Libretto by Thomas B. Woodward / Music by Daniel Steven Crafts #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. Excerpts from "Cellular World"
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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! |