Opera Theatre of Montclair allows both artists and audiences to engage in the beautiful art form of opera.
The Opera Theatre of Montclair is a non-profit arts organization that was put together in January 2013. It is made up of artistically inclined and dedicated individuals who present full-length, fully-staged operatic productions. The main goal of the organization is to bring professionally created performances to the community and local audiences.
The company believes in “open-minded casting,” meaning that they are committed to bringing in people from all different walks of life and will not discriminate against anyone based on their age, race, sexual orientation or religion. The Opera Theatre of Montclair also prefers to steer clear of tradition auditions; instead, they cast individuals based on referrals and their other personal experiences with the art form. The producers believe that a typical audition does not truly captivate what a performer can do on stage. In some cases though, these auditions may be scheduled upon request – and it’s never too late to get involved.
”It’s not unusual for small companies to do casting at the very last minute,” said Mia Riker-Norrie, General Director for the Opera Theatre of Montclair. “And then the singers have to go and learn the role in a month or six weeks. I think it’s imperative to have a minimum of six months to get the role into the body. It’s so physically demanding, and very athletic, to master the subtleties of the language and the music. It’s impossible to give the complete artistic experience if you don’t have the time.”
The Opera Orchestra of Montclair plays a dynamic role in the Opera Theatre as well. The orchestra is comprised of highly advanced and well-experienced musicians who strive to mentor those who may be less experienced. The theatre aims to serve people who obtain a genuine love and appreciation for opera as well as those who are looking to become involved and acquire a love for it. A current mission for the Opera Theatre is bringing the productions to public schools in order to build audiences through education. Education is very important to these individuals in the way that they can bring their talent and passion for opera to educate younger generations and continue to allow this art form to grow over time.
Over the years, the theatre has been actively fundraising and raised enough money to produce its first full length production in January 2015. Since then, they did 12 touring performances in March 2015 along with a large-scale production this past February. The shows are presented in a variety of venues including schools, libraries and churches.
Want to become a part of the Opera Theatre of Montclair? It’s not too late to get started. Visit www.operamontclair.org for more information on getting involved, donating and much more!
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