Old Friends and New will introduce you to new and returning emerging artists. It is always exciting to watch the singers continually grow, thanks to their hard work and your enthusiastic support. This event takes place on Saturday , June 23, in the Oscar Seagle Memorial Theater. The concert is always a sell-out, so be sure to get your tickets early. You are invited to meet the singers after the concert at a reception in the Shames Rehearsal Studio.

Candide ignites a dynamic season on July 5, 6, and 7, and also celebrates the 100 ^th anniversary of the birth of the composer, Leonard Bernstein. Many people have said that Bernstein was the greatest 20 ^th century American composer. According to his son Jamie, this work is “often referred to as Leonard Bernstein’s valentine to Europe because of the way he affectionately raided every European song and dance form he could think of in the process of composing the music.” Bernstein never gave up his goals of brotherhood and world peace. Highlights include the famous overture, soprano stand-out aria “Glitter and Be Gay, and the soaring finale, “Make Our Garden Grow.”

Billy Goats Gruff by John Davies goes on tour in the summer and fall throughout the North Country, thanks in part to a grant from International Paper Foundation. The children’s opera will play at the Boathouse Theater in Schroon Lake on July 14 at 10 and 11:30AM. The opera addresses the issue of bullying and gives the important message that compassion and understanding help everyone get along. The final song sends the message that “kindness is contagious.”

The Seagle Colony Singers will perform in the Town Park after the 63rd annual 4 ^th of July Parade and before the amazing fireworks. Remember as always to BYOC (Bring Your Own Chairs).

Pre-Show Talks : These popular and informative talks with question and answer sessions will be held in the Shames Rehearsal Hall one hour before Julius Caesar and The Great Gatsby .

Julius Caesar by G.F. Handel takes place July 18-21. In the composer’s time, opera singers were superstars who rivaled the star athletes and screen idols of today. This baroque opera parallels the current news on CNN: scandals, corrupt politics, and power struggles. Stage director Candace Evans, who will make her SMC debut, has been described by Opera News as having a “flawless sense of timing.” She was encouraged by her elementary choir teacher to pursue a career in music. Ms. Evans has directed and/or choreographed over 80 operas, ballets, and musicals throughout the world.

The Great Gatsby, based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald and composed by John Harbison, will be performed August 1-4 . Celebrate the Roaring Twenties when you attend this show that includes many jazzy tunes. Practically every American high school student has been required to read this book, considered one of the greatest American novels. Harbison is a music professor at MIT, an active jazz pianist, and founder of MIT’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

 

Rounding out the main season is the unforgettable musical Mame on August 15-18. Among the favorite songs is, “We Need a Little Christmas.” This musical, set in the Great Depression through World War II, continues to be a smash hit. Mame Dennis, the lead, was leading a glamorous life before her young nephew enters her life by surprise. They encounter several adventures. Composer Jerry Herman is considered a master of singable tunes and straightforward plots. The show, popular for all ages, was described by Saturday Review as “The Season’s Funniest Musical.”

Vespers Concerts at 5 PM will be held on August 12 and August 19 . Circle your calendar for the two dates of these beautiful concerts of sacred solo and choral music. Be sure to come early to get a seat. The annual meeting of Seagle Music Colony, Inc. (for many years known as the Oscar Seagle Association), led by SMC President Seth Bader , will be held on August 12 immediately following Vespers. This brief meeting is an opportunity to hear about season highlights and to learn about future activities at the Colony.

The 24th Annual Seagle Music Colony Gala will be held in a grand tent by the theater on Saturday, July 14. This major fundraising event is a wonderful opportunity to mix with the guests as well as greet the Seagle Music Colony emerging artists in their beautiful and handsome attire.

You will have a chance to bid on the exciting and memorable live auction items and buy chances for the new premium item raffle. Lily and the Rose will cater the event, and the Colony singers will perform. Dancing with the popular Frank Conti Band will conclude the memorable evening. Valet parking by the Schroon Lake Lions Club will help make you feel especially welcome.

The 2018 Alumna Honoree will be the outstanding soprano Vanessa Becerra , a native of Fort Worth, Texas. She is a recent graduate of the young artist program at Los Angeles Opera. Last summer Vanessa returned to Glimmerglass Opera and sang Laurey Williams in Oklahoma! . This season she will be singing lead roles with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Omaha, and Atlanta Opera.

 

The Gala will also honor devoted Colony enthusiast and staff member Tony Kostecki , a native of Kansas. While still in graduate school, he came to the Seagle Music Colony as a piano accompanist, music director and conductor in 1996. For the past ten years, Tony has been the General Director and was the first full time year-round employee. He is active in the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce and accompanies many Schroon Lake Central School shows and concerts. Thanks to the gala chair person, Heidi Kelly , as well as her dedicated committee.

Come and enjoy the Seagle Music Colony fall season singers for a full of fun musical revue of Broadway great Cy Coleman . Coleman was a favorite American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. The review is entitled Hey Big Spender . Songs will include “Big Spender”, “Come Follow the Band” and others from shows such as Sweet Charity and Barnum . This review will also tour in Westport, North Creek, Keene Valley and Blue Mountain Lake.

 

Seagle Music Colony will tour the opera The Falling & The Rising by composer Zach Redler and librettist Jerre Dye this fall. The Colony co-commissioned this new opera that explores the experiences of wounded US Veterans. Touring locations to date include View in Old Forge, Hubbard Hall in Cambridge, Tannery Pond, The Wood Theater and Strand Center for the Arts in Plattsburgh. Several of these locations are new for Colony performances. 

Please share your news since Colony friends from near and far will be happy to cheer you on wherever you may be. The Distinguished Concerts International at Carnegie Hall featured a concert of music by Randy Bass and Mark Hayes in November. Randy did not conduct but he narrated his setting of The Nigh t Before Christmas . Jonathan Blalock is Development and Patron Services Manager at Opera Saratoga. We rejoice in the Richard Tucker Career Grants of $10,000 each awarded to Andrea Carroll and Jack Swanson , and a Sara Tucker Study Grant of $5000 awarded to Eric Ferring . Tenor Jack Swanson is one of the few singers to receive the Tucker Study and Career Grants in consecutive years. He made two recent debuts at Los Angeles Opera as Candide and at Glyndebourne as Almaviva in The Barber of Seville . Andrea has performed more than 25 roles at the Vienna State Opera and this spring she sang the role of Maria in West Side Story at Houston Grand Opera. Corey Trahan is Project Coordinator at the International Performing Arts Institute in Bangkok, Thailand. Robin Treger performed in a jazz festival in Massachusetts this winter and released a jazz album. Mark Warren wrote a nostalgic letter about how he and his wife Ann met at the Colony in 1981. He said, “It’s incredible how impactful the place and people have been in our lives.” Mark stated that his family of six are all exceptional singers.

Below is an incredible list of Colony singers who are singing in the following Opera Companies in 2017-2018:

Aspen Opera: Eric McConnell & Zaray Rodriguez ; Austin Opera: Jeni Houser ; Atlanta Opera: Vanessa Becerra ; Broadway: Erin LeCroy ( Sweeney Todd ) & Traci Baer -Off Broadway-( This One’s For the Girls) ; Central City: Nate Hill & Chris Mosz ; Chautauqua Opera: Brett Bode & Rachael Braunstein ; Des Moines Metro Opera: Kyle White, Remy Martin, Catherine Goode & James Held ; Florida Grand Opera: Mary Beth Nelson, Zaray Rodriguez, Nick Ward & Hailey Clark ; Glimmerglass Festival: Clay Thompson, Michael Miller, Michael Hewitt , & Michael Pandolfo ; Houston Grand Opera: Kerriann Otaño & Megan Mikailovna Samarin ; Los Angeles Opera: Jack Swanson ; Metropolitan Opera: Sean Panikkar & K erriann Otaño ; Minnesota Opera: Clay Thompson & Seth Carico ; Opera Colorado: Eric McConnell ; Opera Idaho: James Held ; Opera Omaha: Vanessa Becerra ; Opera San Jose: Vanessa Becerra & Jonas Marcel Hacker ; Opera Santa Barbara: Kerriann Otaño ; Opera Saratoga: Garrett Obrycki, Nicholas Yaquinto, Nathanial Mattingly, Quinn Bernegger, Meghan Deiter (Stage Director) & Raphaella Medina ; Palm Beach Opera: Andrew Simpson ; San Francisco Symphony: Vanessa Becerra ; Santa Fe Opera: Jack Swanson (Principal Singer), Nathan Milholin & Terrence Chin-Loi (Apprentice Artists); Sarasota Opera: Andy Surrena (Principal Singer), Anna Bridgman & Garrett Obrycki (Apprentice Artists) ; Seattle Opera: Michael Adams ; Tri-Cities Opera: Tascha Anderson & Scott Purcell ; Utah Opera: Michael Adams ; Virginia Opera: Dylan Elza .

In addition, congratulations to these singers who were winners in the Metropolitan Opera National Council District competitions: Thomas Petrushka , Cincinnati; Nate Hill , Milwaukee; Margaret Newcomb , Pittsburgh; Zaray Rodriguez , Connecticut; Abigail Dock , Boston; Terrence Chin-Loi (National Semi-Finalist) Indiana; Anna Laurenzo , New York; Matthew White , Philadelphia; and Shelley Mihm , North Carolina. Both Meghan Callahan and Mason Jarobe were Encouragement Award winners.

Last but not least, these Colony alumni are pe rforming overseas: Deutsch Oper Berlin: Seth Carico ; Opera Basel (Switzerland): Hailey Clark and Vienna State Opera : Andrea Carroll .

The named scholarships and their recipients will be listed in the season program booklet. You are welcome to create a scholarship as a lasting tribute to honor or commemorate a loved one.

Thanks goes to the Cloudsplitter Foundation in Saranac Lake for a grant for $5000, The main purpose of the foundation is to improve the environment, both physical and cultural.

Huge thanks are given to David and Naomi Goltzman for generously sharing their beautiful apartment in Montreal this winter for a party with friends from the Seagle Music Colony and Opera Montreal cast members from JFK, including Colony alumnus, Sean Panikkar.  

Many thanks for your generous contributions to Seagle Music Colony. With the many challenges in our world today, it is especially important to give generously to celebrate and honor the more than century-old program that brings joy to so many throughout the world. If you have not already given this year, please contribute by early June so that you will be listed in the 2018 program booklet.

Address Changes : If your email or address should change, please notify Tony Kostecki , General Director at tony@seaglecolony.org or 518-532-7875. I welcome your news for News Notes for the Seagle Colony Chronicle. Please mail or email me at the address below. Thank you.

With warm greetings and Happy 103!

Dodie Seagle

Editor of the Seagle Colony Chronicl e (518-439-7061) dpseagle@verizon.net