What's New at Sarasota Opera?

Keep up-to-date with all that is going on at Sarasota Opera

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Thank You!

More than anyone, all of you who come to the Opera and support our continued artistic excellence deserve a huge Thank You! The Sarasota Opera House is your opera house, and it is a tremendous legacy for all of us to pass on to future Sarasotans.





Labels: , ,

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Opening Night - March 1, 2008


Patrons in the theater for the first time.

Mr. and Mrs. Murphy

Victoria Leopold enjoys good company in the McCorkle Lounge.

Pat Hull, Alma Abshier, Dick Hull.

Labels: , , , , , ,

Friday, May 16, 2008

Opera House Ribbon Cutting

The Opera House is wrapped with a large gold ribbon. With a few snips from donors representing the 1500 supporters of the project, audiences were welcomed into the theater.

Virginia Toulmin

Betsy Bagby

Victoria and Harry Leopold

Bill and Casiana Schmidt

Alisa and Ernie Kretzmer



Maestro Victor DeRenzi and Susan Danis address the crowd. Jerry Waterman and Virginia Toulmin look on.



Audiences entering the Opera House for the first time.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Preparing for the Big Night






A few days ahead of March 1, 2008 a large tent is errected behind the Opera House. As the big night draws near, it is decked out for the post performance Gala.

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Opera House - Ready to Go






The Opera House, in a final quiet moment before the Re-Opening performance.

Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Rigoletto Rehearsal




The orchestra rehearses with Maestro DeRenzi in the newly expanded pit. On stage is the set for Rigoletto.

Labels: , , ,

Monday, May 12, 2008

First Notes






To celebrate the re-opening, Opera supporters were welcomed to the theater by Susan Danis and Maestro DeRenzi for a 'First Notes' dinner followed by a dress rehearsal of 'Rigoletto'.

Labels: , , , , , ,

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Va Pensiero





Early in the rehearsal period for the 2008 season, all the singers gathered on stage. The singing of Verdi's 'Va Pensiero' has been a traditional event at the Opera House for many years. It was the closing piece performed at the final concert March 4, 2007 and it seemed only apropriate to re-christen the theater with it.

Labels: , ,

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Naming the Theater

LMS Signs puts up lettering in the Marie L. Hoffberg Lobby.








Starting from a template, LMS Signs sorts and mounts the letters for the William E. Schmidt Opera Theatre on the wall.

Labels: , , ,

Friday, May 9, 2008

Seat Install - Balcony

As carpet is put down, the seat installers follow right on their heels.



Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Seat Install - Video

The final sample seat produced by Irwin Seating.


The seat installation crew from Contract Solutions places all the arms for the seats first.





All the wood seat back are lined up in rows, ready for install.



Installers go up and down each row attaching seat backs.






As one crew works from the back of the theater, another moves from the front back.

Labels: , , ,

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Main Curtain and Surtitle Install








A team from IWeiss installs the top section of the main curtain.


A team from Figaro Systems gets the Surtitle screen up and running.



The completed main curtain and surtitle screen.

Labels: , ,

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

McCorkle Lounge and Steinwachs Lobby


The McCorkle Lounge and the Paul and Sharon Steinwachs Parterre Lobby ready for opening.

Labels: , , , ,

Monday, May 5, 2008

Carpet!

Workers take a break from unrolling huge bolts of new carpet in the loading dock.

The McCorkle Lounge with its new carpet.

Labels: , ,

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Founders Lounge

Dark wood trim is installed around the coffers in the Founders Lounge on the third floor of the Opera House.

A dark wood floor is installed to match.



Dolphin Innovations works to install fabric walls in the Founders Lounge

Labels: , ,

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Courtyard Lights



The concrete infront of the Donna wolf Steigerwaldt Courtyard is torn up to install some decorative lighting.

Labels: , , ,

Friday, May 2, 2008

Tile Work


The crew from Sun Tile works across the Lobby floor.




As a final step, the tile is grouted and polished.

Labels: , , ,

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Victoria Leopold Grand Atrium



Final work progresses on the atrium.







The completed Victoria Leopold Grand Atrium in the early evening, days prior to the re-opening of the Opera House.

Labels: , , ,

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Guy-Nadel Foundation Lobby



Decorative painting begins on the ceiling in the Guy-Nadel Foundation Lobby. The Box Office kiosk on the right will open an hour before performances, while the rest of the time the box office will be in the Pavilion building next door to the Opera House.

See the full construction of the Guy-Nadel Foundation Lobby:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Labels: , , ,

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Top to Bottom






Decorative painters work on the ceilings throughout the theater, closely followed by SPC construction painting the floor.

Labels: , ,

Monday, April 28, 2008

Decorative Painters Transform the Theater

The organ lofts on the side of the theater with a coat of base paint awaiting the decorative painting team.

Work begins at creating the impression of travertine blocks on the theater wall.

Some base layers of color are put on the wall.

Two teams work across the wall darkening the faux stone.






Final details and touch ups on the columns under the organ loft openings.

The end result!

Labels: , , ,

Sunday, April 27, 2008

William G. Selby and Marie Selby Foundation Lobby

Trim work in the new William G. Selby and Marie Selby Foundation Lobby.

Electricians and decorative artists working side by side.




new carpet is rolled out.

The carpet is temporarily covered up to protect it, while speaker covers for the ceilings are laid out for painting.



The lobby just a few days before opening.

See Part 3, Part 2 and Part 1 of the Lobby construction.

Labels: , , ,

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Stage Finishing


The new wood floor is laid on the stage.

The stage floor is ready for painting, as are the columns on either side of the stage.





See the construction of the stage in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4

Labels: , ,

Friday, April 25, 2008

Decorative Painting - Video



video





The team of decorative artists from Dean Tippin Studios and Decorative Effects work on hand painting every inch of the Opera House.

Labels: , ,

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Proscenium Arch


Decorative columns are built on either side of the proscenium.










Over the course of a few weeks, the proscenium arch above the stage is built, including a slot in the center for the Surtitles screen.

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Construction Tours


Gabe Schmergel, Stan and Alma Abshier, and Valerie Schmergel after completing a tour of the Opera House.

Jack and Isabel Wright heading out for a tour.

Ken Kwiatkowski takes a break on a tour.



Susan Danis gives a tour of the renovated theater to incoming singers from the Apprentice and Studio Artists Programs.

Labels: , , , , ,

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Orchestra Pit Lift Finishing

The steel structure for the Pit lift 'car' or platform is loaded into the pit, then assembled by the crew from Gala systems.





A wood deck is built on top of the lift car.


The pit lift at its lowest position, creating a full sized orchestra pit which extends under the stage.

The entire orchestra pit lift car, as seen from the lighting positions in the ceiling of the auditorium.

see some earlier photos of the pit lift construction.

Labels: , ,

Monday, April 21, 2008

Painting Beams

Four lifts work in the theater at once, while the decorative painters begin the process of painting the ceiling of the theater to look like wood beams.




One painter works on the last corner of beams to be painted.

Labels: , , ,

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Painting the Atrium


The decorative painting crew prepares to paint the atrium by protecting the 1926 wood columns.



Lead decorative artist Martha Tippin of Dean Tippin Studios works on pickling and staining the wood columns around the atrium.


One of the decorative painting crew works on blending small cracks in the columns which have been sealed and filled.