This past weekend, Rachel, our Production Manager, Clint, our Technical Director, and I traveled to Charleston, SC to take a look at the Spoleto Festivals production of Romeo and Juliette. For those of who have subscribed to the 2006-2007 opera season you will be treated to this festival production. For those of you who haven't decided as of yet to subscribe, you will want to in order not to miss a very exciting season.

We arrived on Friday afternoon after first flying to Charlotte, NC and then on to Charleston in a succession of airplanes that I like to refer to as puddle-jumpers. We rented our car and headed to the hotel. Charleston was hot. During our three day trip the temperature was 100 degrees plus. Temperature aside, the city of Charleston was beautiful. It has that old southern charm that you just can't beat. The food was excellent as well. If you get a chance and go to Charleston, you should have a meal at the Rue St. Jean on St. John Street. They are famous for their mussels and they are spectacular!

The production sets and costumes, of Romeo et Juliette were designed by Carol Bailey. Those of you who remember the Opera Center productions of La Clemenza di Tito and Ritorno D'Ulysses will be familiar with her work. The stage direction for the production is somewhat unique in that it was directed by the French tandem of Jean-Philippe Clarac and Olivier Deloeuil. They are Artistic Directors of L'Opera Francais of New York. The lighting design was by Rick Martin.

As Romeo et Juliette is a timeless story of star-crossed lovers, Jean-Philippe and Olivier have chosen to move the story forward to 1960s and set it in a funeral parlor that is run by the Capulets. The significance of this setting is to focus more closely on the element of death that constantly surrounds Juliette and impacts her relationship with her family and with Romeo. By focusing on this darker side of the story Jean-Philippe and Olivier succeed in heightening the relationship between not only Romeo and Juliette, but also the tension between the Capulets and the Montagues.

Those of you who passed through the 1960s on the way to 2006 will get a kick out of the costumes and hairstyles for the production. I didn’t think anyone made polyester leisure suits anymore. The chorus ladies were sporting some great beehive hairstyles too.

After the final performance Saturday night, Clint worked with the technical department of Spoleto to take possession of the production. The stage crew began breaking down the set and putting it into trucks for the trip to Pittsburgh working until 3:00 AM. They continued later the next day, but had to stop at 3:00 AM so they could begin to setup the dance floor for Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras: Sabores which was to perform in the theater the next evening! The set will ship in four 53’ semi trailers. The costumes will be cleaned by the Spoleto festival and will be shipped at a later date.

Rachel, Clint and I all were amazed at the ability of the festival to cram in more than 20 separate events each with numerous performances in a two and one-half week period. By comparison it makes our hectic season tame!

Next week St. Louis, and Opera Theater of St. Louis. I’ll see productions of Jane Eyre, Street Scene, Barbiere, and Hansel and Gretel. I’ll also get a chance to hear the young artists audition. These auditions will be very important. It will be a chance to gauge the young artists who may audition for the Pittsburgh Opera Center this fall.