Nearly ten years ago we opened the 2000-2001 COT season with Monteverdi's Orfeo, the earliest opera in the history of the art form to take any kind of place in the general repertoire of serious opera companies. It was written in 1607 - just ten years after opera was "invented". For COT it was an ear opener musically and an eye opener in terms of production approach and values. It was in short an huge hit, and went on the be part of the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Monteverdi fest in 2002. The musical side was in the hands of yesterday evening's dinner guest Jane Glover, and the director was Diane Paulus (seen here at a COT production presentation in 2008) undertaking her first opera project.
This early success sent COT in a good direction. Jane and Diane eventually completed for COT the three opera Monteverdi cycle, as well as undertaking productions of Mozart's three da Ponte operas. And we have another epic project in store for this team in the next three years. So watch out!
Today's NYT has a piece about Diane's work at Harvard's American Repertory Theater (ART). This is something for you all to read.
Meanwhile on the family front this beautiful Sunday, sunshine at last, has been celebrated at our long time favorite R J Grunt's. This is the original Rich Melman restaurant, the beginning of his great empire. It is in the building on Lincoln Park West where were living when our child was born. So she has been going there since her first week of life!
Chicago is really looking beautiful today. What a great city - those of you have never been here come and visit!
R J Grunt's 12.30 pm Sunday February 7 2010
1607, not 1507.
Posted by: Jordan Friedman | February 09, 2010 at 12:09 AM
woops! thanks!
Posted by: BD | February 12, 2010 at 06:51 PM