Calling all arts and culture enthusiasts: Annapolis Opera recently launched “In The Wings”, a new weekly video series intended to give patrons something to sing about in this unprecedented time. Kathy Swekel, General Director of Annapolis Opera, provided insight into the inspiration behind this new web series and how Annapolis Opera plans to move forward.
New to the world of opera? “I like to remind people that opera is not what they think,” emphasized Swekel. “When it was first created, it was really the art of the everyday person to tell stories. Even with contemporary opera, we talk a lot about the human condition.” Swekel considers opera to be “the original type of multimedia art” since opera involves live performances from musicians, vocalists, and dancers as well as the visual artistry of scenery and costumes.
In The Wings
“In The Wings” provides a unique backstage look into some of Annapolis Opera’s past productions in short vignettes (around 5 minutes per video). “We have so many things in archive but we can’t use them all,” Swekel remarked, “so we were able to pick through some stuff that we thought would be interesting and would help our patrons stay connected to us.”
Currently available episodes of “In The Wings” go behind-the-scenes of Annapolis Opera’s past productions of The Barber of Seville, Little Women, and La Traviata. More performance-focused episodes are to come: Swekel is particularly looking forward to the release of the final two episodes of “In The Wings” featuring Annapolis Opera’s production of Tosca.
“In The Wings” also spotlights an important leadership transition for Annapolis Opera. On July 1st, Craig Kier succeeded Ronald Gretz as Artistic Director of the Annapolis Opera after Gretz’s 37 years of leadership. “In The Wings” features filmed conversations between Gretz and Kier including a discussion of the history of Annapolis Opera (Celebrating the Past) and the impact of the pandemic on their organization (The Present Moment).
You can watch all episodes of “In The Wings” on Annapolis Opera’s YouTube Channel.
Performance of “Little Women”. Photo courtesy of Annapolis Opera.
Supporting The Arts
Kathy Swekel hopes that the content in “In The Wings” will inspire members of the Annapolis community to advocate for arts organizations. “I hope that you watch these little tidbits and get interested enough to want to support the arts in Annapolis,” stated Swekel, “whether it’s Annapolis Opera, the symphony, the chorale, or the ballet.”
Additionally, Swekel urges the Annapolis community not to forget the direct impact that contributions to the arts have on the local economy. “We are directly linked to supporting all of those other businesses where revenue is made. The restaurants, the parking garages, the people that we employ, all the musicians that we employ, and the singers we employ. It’s an amazing reach.”
Looking Forward
In addition to producing “In the Wings”, Annapolis Opera is actively organizing their future programming and plans to announce their upcoming season within the next month. Annapolis Opera aspires to return to the stage in the spring of 2021 depending on conditions at the time, and is notably planning to co-produce an opera with another company. In the meantime, Annapolis Opera is considering a variety of performance options including outdoor performances and virtual programming.
Performance of “Tosca”. Photo courtesy of Annapolis Opera.
About Annapolis Opera
Annapolis Opera is one of the oldest non-profit arts organizations in the city of Annapolis and in Anne Arundel County. Now in its 48th season, Annapolis Opera has enriched the Annapolis arts community since 1972. Annapolis Opera is a resident company at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, just minutes away from the historic district of downtown Annapolis.
Annapolis Opera is well known for high-quality performances as well as their annual vocal competition. Works from both the traditional operatic canon as well as contemporary pieces can be found in Annapolis Opera’s season.
Learn more about Annapolis Opera at www.annapolisopera.org
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