Take Note
January - 2008
Season 53 Member of Opera Volunteers International Volume 3
From the President
Sandi Hodges
2008 promises to be an exciting and eventful year for the Guild of Tulsa Opera.
The Guild Board met January 10, at the home of Sandy Stava. Thanks, Sandy, for hosting us and for the delicious lunch!
The next General Membership Meeting will be Friday, January 18, at F & M Bank, at 11:30 a.m. Caroline Johnson from Riverview Country Day School will present the program. Call Lyndsey Morris at 298-2049 for reservations.
The Guild is looking forward to meeting several Guild members from St. Louis who here along with to see one of the productions of “Lakmé.” We anticipate showing them our Tulsa hospitality!
“BRAVO” is in its final planning stages and we are close to celebrating the evening which will be jam-packed with fabulous food, entertainment and auction items. Plan on being at “BRAVO” on February 8th. Invitations are in the mail.
Even with changes taking place within the Tulsa Opera staff, it is proving to be one of strength and competency. Kudos to Dixie, Kostis et al for their dedication!
Happy New Year and I’ll see you at the Opera!
BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO
BRAVO is here, and we are pleased to tell you we have four fabulous chefs, Michael Fusco, Anthony Card, Jason Smith, and Jacob Hartlieb. Our fabulous dessert of Chocolate - we are keeping it as a surprise - will be prepared especially for us by Jason Smith, Executive Chef of the Doubletree Hotel Warren Place. Creating their magic for our "Lakmé" Celebration, will be Don Ryan and his quartet, as well as our "Lakmé" artists, sharing their beautiful voices. The Auction is turning out to be Fantastic; you don't want to miss BRAVO!
We have cruises, we have beautiful art work, we have many items to include, jewelry, silver, art, and beautiful rugs., etc. Join us for the Best of the Best.
This year we are honoring Ms. Lucy Rooney for her great support of Tulsa Opera.
February 8th, 6:00 p.m., at the Doubletree Hotel Warren Place. Call Lyndsey Morris at 298-2049 for reservations.
$100.00 PER PERSON. Please encourage your friends to join us.
Carolyn Polston - Gala Event Chairman
Three Weeks to “BRAVO”….and we need YOU!
A kick off meeting was held Thursday, January 8, at the Michael Fusco’s Riverside Grill hosted by Carolyn Polston, (thank you Carolyn) regarding our up and coming exciting event, “BRAVO.” Since The Guild of Tulsa Opera fund-raiser is known as the great event of the year, we all need to jump in and help make it bigger and better than last year. At this meeting, a list of 51 donations were reported by Orpha Harnish and Lyndsey Morris. We are off to a good start, but many more items are needed for our auction. It’s really not too hard to get people to contribute to such a worthy cause. After I left the Board Meeting, I visited the Interiors Market a few doors down from Michael Fusco’s just to visit their new store. Since I was there, I asked the manager for a contribution, he was excited to do so. I explained to him what the donation would be used for, gave him a Donor Form and will return to pick up his donation. The next store I visited and asked for a donation was Seasonal Concepts. I was given a BBQ Basket full of items and they also seemed happy to be part of our fund-raiser. So you see how easy it is to ask for donations during your normal daily routine. We have three weeks until BRAVO auction time, so please help obtain items for the auction. Donor Forms may be requested from Orpha Harnish. Remember, the more items we have for our auction, the more we make for our fund-raiser. Let’s challenge ourselves to make this the best ever “BRAVO” event.
HONORING OUR LATE
FRANK BOTTOM
Earl "Frank" Bottom died Tuesday, October 30, 2007. After attending the University of Oklahoma, where he studied voice with the British opera star, Dame Eva Turner, he moved to California in the 1950s, living for over three decades in Glendale, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. During that period, he sang with the Persian Garden Quartet and had the leading role of Count Almaviva in a 1967 production of Rossini's "Barber of Seville." Frank moved to Tulsa in 1989, became an active volunteer with the Tulsa Opera Guild and serving as its president from 1994-96. He also took great joy from sharing one of the largest collections of 78 rpm, LP, and CD operatic recordings in the country with friends, whom he invited countless times to his home for evenings of selected favorites, providing background and anecdotes to introduce each. Many items from Frank’s collection have been donated to the “BRAVO” Auction Fund-raiser. Frank will truly be missed.
BIGA ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Monday, February 25, 2008, 6:00 p.m.
4329 South Peoria
Experience a delicious Italian dinner
Prepared by Chef Tuck Curren
Four special wines will accompany
A four-course dinner.
Between courses,
Be regaled by beautiful singing.
This gourmet wine dinner is always a popular party, so make your reservations early!
Price per person $50
($25 tax deductible)
For Reservations call Lyndsey Morris 298-2049
N O T I C E
It is the time of our Guild year to be thinking about nominees for the Board of Directors.
As Chairman of the Nominating Committee, I would like to hear from you about willing candidates who are, of course, Guild members. The Nominating Committee reports to the membership in February with a list of candidates for office. Elections take place in
April. Please give this careful thought and submit possible candidates for the committee's consideration. Many thanks.
Lacy McCarty - 749-5060.
Memorial Contributors to the Endowment Fund
Jean Roberts
Marice and Sandra Hodges
Orpha Harnish
Pat McCune
Tom and Carol Ashcraft
Guild of Tulsa Opera
Challenge Grant Tops Out………………….
The most recent challenge grant from Tulsa Community Foundation has reached the goal of $15,000, and counting! They have given all participants an extension of two months to complete their efforts, so we will have a final total after the closing period. Since we met our goal, we will receive the extra $3,000.00 from TCF at the minimum.
We say: "Thank You" to all who sent contributions to the Fund, and hope that you will continue to keep this "fund for the future of Tulsa Opera" in your financial
planning. It's always good business to plan ahead, which is the basic premise for the Endowment Fund. Again, many thanks.
Orpha Harnish, for the EF Committee
MEMBERSHIP
Membership in The Guild of Tulsa Opera is open to anyone interested in its programs. Basic annual dues, Regular and Amici di Opera, are $40.00 for individual members and $60.00 for couples or households. Additional membership levels include Diva/Divo ($75.00) and Diva/Divo Emeritus ($150.00). Life membership is attained by a one-time payment of $1,000.00. Guild members have an opportunity to give beyond membership through The Guild of Tulsa Opera Endowment Fund, which was established in 2002 for the purpose of promoting opera education among all ages for present and future generations.
GUILD OF TULSA OPERA COOKBOOK
Kay Miller & Aline Wisher have consented to volunteering their time to putting together a “Guild of the Opera” cookbook. This is a lot of work and takes a lot of time out of our busy schedules, but we are willing to do it! It will be a really good fund-raiser for the Guild. So, please take a few minutes of your time and send us some of your favorite recipes. We have received some but not enough yet to start on the cookbook. You may send them in the mail to Kay Miller, 11315 S. Hudson Ave., Tulsa, OK 74137, or e-mail ekaymiller@aol.com or Aline Wisher at 14638 S. 52nd E. Ave., Bixby, OK 74008 or e-mail alinewisher@olp.net. There are some really great cooks out their so please share your recipes.
Come on, let’s get it going!
Azalea Brunch
Saturday, April 26
11:00 – 1:00 p.m.
3212 E. 73rd St.
Enter gate at Guier woods,
Veer to the right and curve to the left
Gaze at fresh spring blossoms
As you visit with friends
Enjoy a delightful spring brunch catered again by RITA in the beautiful home of these long-time opera supporters.
Hosts: Joan and Bob Hunt
Number of people – 20
Price per person $50
($25 Deductible)
For Reservations call Lindsey Morris 298-2049
EARLY BIRD PREVIEW
Some of the items in the “BRAVO” Auction are:
Two Jay O'Meilia Bronzes
"The Meal Ticket," a bronze of Carl Hubbell, baseball player (pitcher) and Hall-of-Famer.
The sculpture features Hubbell as the famous pitcher that he was. It is approximately 10", with fine patina.
“Earning His Keep" is a sculpture of a black Labrador dog with his catch in his mouth.
Size is approximately 10 x 8" and very appealing for all dog lovers.
We are fortunate again to have some very nice Persian carpets for auction. This year they are a bit smaller-sized ones that most any one can use in their home. There is a beautiful 5x7 Lilihan in blues and brick colors, two Kazaks in 6x10, and 3x5 multi-colored, and a antique Persian serapi (circa 1880-90) which is approximately 6x9. Bidding on these items can result in your acquiring a fine carpet and helping a good cause--The Guild--at the same time.
Kentucky Derby Party
Saturday, May 3, 2008, 3-6 p.m.
“Run for the Roses” – 5:00 p.m.
Oaks Country Club
Horseplay & Horsepower – Featured at Derby Day 2008
A festive Kentucky Derby fund-raiser will be a beautiful traditional occasion with some exciting new twists. Yes, it will be a beautiful traditional occasion! Exquisite hats, mint juleps, sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and a bon vivant attitude will prevail as people watch the Run for the Roses on a giant screen television. Be a part of elegant horse play!
Tickets are $100.00 per person. ($75.00 Tax deductible) Guests will be given play money and drink tickets, plus enjoying a wonderful traditional Oaks Kentucky Derby hors d’oeuvres. Start working on your hats to wear to this exciting occasion! Some colorful Jockey silks would be lovely and appropriate to wear. All the fun and fanfare will help create a marvelous atmosphere. (This dress is not mandatory, if you would rather not)
Make your reservations, as soon as possible, with Lyndsey at 298-2049. There may be limited seating.
Lakmé Composer Léo Delibes wrote his hit opera Lakmé in 1883, for a premiere at the Opéra-Comique in Paris.
The story of the Brahmin girl Lakmé was based on a novel by Frenchman Pierre Loti, who had traveled in the Orient and brought back stories filled with exoticism. Librettist Edmond Gondinet suggested the story to composer Léo Delibes. Gondinet wanted to write a libretto specifically for a young American soprano named Marie van Zandt who had starred in another French opera, Ambroise Thomas's Mignon, in 1880. Gondinet gave Delibes a copy of Loti's novel, to read on a train ride, and Delibes loved it. He composed the score in a year's time.
Lakmé brings together many popular themes of opera in the 1880s: an exotic location — already in vogue thanks to Bizet's The Pearl Fishers — mysterious religious rituals, the beautiful flora of the Orient, and the general novelty of Western colonials living in a foreign land. Composers Jules Massenet and Giacomo Meyerbeer wrote operas with similar elements, and those dramas were also popular in Paris during the mid and late 19th-century.
Cultures collide in Leo Delibes’ mystical and sumptuous tale of ill-fated love. Lakmé, the sheltered daughter of a Brahmin priest, falls hopelessly in love with the British officer Gerald, against the wishes of her father and her religion. When Gerald unwittingly breaks a sacred taboo, their fate is sealed and these star-crossed lovers are forced to defy all for the sake of their love. This enchanting and magical opera abounds with exotic and beautiful melodies, including the famous Flower Duet and Lakmé’s virtuosic Bell Song. In recent years, this 19th-century romantic treasure of the French repertoire has captivated audiences through productions by opera companies in Seattle, Detroit, Montreal, Sarasota, Baltimore, and Minnesota. Lakmé stars Oklahoma native Sarah Coburn in her Tulsa Opera debut. Lakmé is sung in French with English translations projected above the stage.
Calendar of Events
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Docents - 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Board Meeting – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
& OPERA INSIGHTS
Harwelden, 2210 S. Main
5:00 p.m. Meeting
5:30 p.m. Wine & Cheese
6:00 p.m. Opera Insights
Chairman, President’s Advisory Council
Program: Lakmé
Presenter: Dr. Joseph Kestner
Valet Parking provided
Thursday, February 14, 2008
GATHERING OF THE PRESIDENTS
AT Harwelden 2210 South Main
4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Docents - 10:00 a.m.
Monday, February 25, 2008
SPECIAL OCCASION – Biga Ityalian Restaurant
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Docents – 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Board Meeting – 11:30 a.m.
Friday, March 14, 2008
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
& LUNCHEON
11:30 a.m.
BancFirst, Host
Oaks Country Club
4101 W. 71st St.
Chairman: Nancy Ahrens
Program: Volunteer recognition Month
Reservations Required
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Docents – 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday, April, 1, 2008
Docents – 10:00 a.m.
TBA
SPECIAL OCCASIONS – Designer showcase
Thursday, April 3, 2008
BOARD MEETING – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
& OPERA INSIGHTS
Harwelden, 2210 S. Main
5:00 p.m. Meeting
5:30 p.m. Wine & Cheese
6:00 p.m. Opera Insights
Chairman, Docents
Program: The Magic Flute
Presenter: Dr. Donald Armstrong
Valet Parking provided
Saturday, April 26, 2008
SPECIAL OCCASION – Azalea Brunch
Thursday, May 1, 2008
BOARD MEETING
11:30 A.M.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
SPECIAL OCCASION – Kentucky Derby Party
Thursday, May 8, 2008
SPECIAL OCCASION – Lunch with Peggy
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Docents Graduation – 11:30 a.m.
Friday, May 16, 2008
MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON
11:30 A.M.
Marilyn Strange, Hostess
9822 S. Knoxville Ave.
Chairman: President’s Advisory Council
Program: Membership Luncheon and
Officer Installation
Presenter: Sandi Hodges
Thursday, May 22, 2008
SPECIAL OCCASION – Lunch with Peggy
SUPPORT TULSA OPERA
The Guild of Tulsa Opera, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote opera in the Tulsa community and region. While certainly affiliated with Tulsa Opera, the guild is a separate group of men and women who volunteer their time and talents in many ways. One might see the Guild hosing a luncheon or dinner for visiting artists, sponsoring a preview seminar for upcoming Tulsa Opera productions, hosting special fundraising events, or even helping Tulsa Opera staff stuff envelopes for a patron mailing.
One of the Guild’s long-time passions is music education. The Guild believes that giving children the opportunity to experience professional quality music-making only augments the critical thinking skills developed in schools. The Guild often donates monies to allow children to participate in Tulsa Opera’s events. For instance, the Guild donated money for costumes for last season’s production of Carmen in order that more children could be on stage.
This year they have developed the slogan “Heart of a Child” which reflects their belief that hearts and lives are touched and changed though the arts, especially though music education. This slogan has been placed on tee-shirts which were purchased by the Guild and were given to all the children in the Tulsa Youth Opera. The TYO music director is Dr. Donald Armstrong and the TYO director is Tresa Waggoner. Christina Maxwell is Tulsa Opera’s director of education and outreach.
The Guild hosts 18 Special Events during the Opera Season, giving members and friends the opportunity to donate their time and talents in many ways. Many members host these events in their homes, while others work to organize events at various venues throughout the city---some musically oriented while others are designed with a wider interest—and always with gourmet refreshments. For event information and reservations, call 918-298-2049.
For more information about joining The Guild of Tulsa Opera and supporting Tulsa Opera’s 2008-2009 season: 61 Years of Music worth seeing, contact TulsaOperaGuild@cox.net.
