PORTopera’s Maine’s Emerging Artists Program Supports Maine Singers Who Seek a Career in Opera

Shortly after PORTopera was founded in 1994, the company inaugurated a Young Artists Program. The program was designed to give young singers on the verge of careers an opportunity to be in a mainstage production with PORTopera and to perform in a separate traveling company in smaller opera productions given within the state of Maine. In 2000, then Artistic Director Bruce Hangen and Maine soprano, Ellen Chickering had another idea: With the wealth of singing talent developing in Maine through the University of Southern Maine School of Music and elsewhere, the program should be focused on singers who live in Maine, or attended school in Maine, or who had any other meaningful connection to the state. Thus was born the Maine’s Emerging Artists Program.

The singers in the program perform in the mainstage production in the chorus or in other roles for which they are suited and, as did the Young Artists before them, present their own touring production of a smaller opera in various locations around the state. The program is directed by Ellen Chickering, a noted soprano herself and a member of the voice faculty in the USM School of Music.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY
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Too Many Sopranos

In 2008, the Maine’s Emerging Artists program presented Too Many Sopranos, a comic opera in English by Edwin Penhorwood. Directed by Ellen Chickering, there were five performances in Maine and New Hampshire.

Photos by Martha Mickles

Synopsis:

Act I - The Parlor of Heaven. Four divas arrive in heaven to learn there is not enough room for them in the Heavenly Chorus. Because too many tenors and basses are in Hell, only one of the sopranos will be allowed in the chorus. The sopranos are appalled they must audition, but they submit. After their impressive auditions, St Peter can make no decision. Gabriel then mentions the "Redemptive Clause".....If the Sopranos go to Hell and do a selfless deed, they can take back to heaven as many tenors and basses as needed.

Act II - The Caverns of Hades. The Divas, St. Peter and Gabriel arrive in Hell and listen to the stories of some of the tortured souls there. Just Jeanette meets Nelson Deadly and they fall in love. The Sandman arrives with Orson, the stage director, and presents a challenge to the couple. If they don't fall asleep listening to Orson, they will win. They fail the test, but because of a selfless act on their part, they are granted the release of as many tenors and basses as they need to take back to heaven. There is general rejoicing and all promise St Peter they will never sing opera again!

'Too Many Sopranos' hits the high notes - Read the review by Christopher Hyde of the Portland Press Herald.  Click Here

The MEA program is sponsored by
The Robert and Dorothy Goldberg Charitable Foundation.

CAST LIST