Dear Vloggers,
The day we have been dreaming of has finally come. The Village Light Opera Group (VLOG) is returning to the main stage en force!
I am more than excited to share with you the slate of shows we have for our upcoming season!
From our summer membership meeting and previous newsletters, you are aware that our theme for the season is “Something Borrowed, Something New”. For the past three seasons, the Artistic Direction Committee has gone through the process of researching and choosing slates of shows that they presented to the board which, due to the pandemic, we were ultimately unable to perform. In order to respect and honor their work, we’ve combed through those slates and chosen three of their previous suggestions.
Our show selections for the 2022-23 season will be as follows:
November 18 - 20, 2022
Sunday in the Park with George (concert production)
February 10 - 11, 2023
Iolanthe (concert production)
June 9 - 11, 2023
A Tale of Two Cities (fully-staged production)
We are returning to the stage, but we can’t do it alone. They say that it takes a village, but I believe it takes a Village Light Opera Group. Please see below for opportunities to volunteer with VLOG and for information about upcoming auditions, membership events, and more! We also have an important update about Vermont from Lauren Trapido and Michael Thomas.
It’s almost showtime!
Andrew Roberts
Visit the website at vlog.org to sign up for an audition for Sunday In The Park With George!
September 16-17, 2022 - Sunday in the Park with George - Auditions
September 18, 2022 - Sunday in the Park with George - Callbacks
September 22, 2022 - Sunday in the Park with George - First Rehearsal
November 18-20, 2022 - VLOG presents Sunday in the Park with George
February 10-11, 2023 - VLOG presents Iolanthe
June 9-11, 2023 - VLOG presents A Tale of Two Cities
Hello VLOG Friends,
It has been over three years since we last performed together in Vermont. Michael and I know that we are not alone in stating how much we were looking forward to getting back on stage, back in the pool, and back with friends who have become like family after so many years of singing together.
Sadly, our time in Vermont has come to a close. After decades in West Dover, VT, VLOG Life Members Ned and Royal Wilson have sold the Mountaineer Inn. We are excited for their next chapter, but it is an undeniable truth that we will all miss this beloved tradition.
Not ones to give up, of course, we are looking to you for leads on where we can start the tradition anew.
If you have any leads on music festivals, concert series, or lodging that can accommodate at least 30 singers (plus a handful of crew/family), please get in touch with Lauren at lauren.trapido@gmail.com. We are optimistic that we can find a path forward.
Hail poetry!
Best,
Lauren Trapido, Producer
Michael Thomas, Music Director
We are looking for YOU!
If you are interested in any of the following areas, please reach out to vlog@vlog.org to volunteer!
Membership Committee
Help VLOG engage our membership through digital and in-person events, assist with VLOG auditions
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Help VLOG curate DEI outreach efforts, create DEI newsletter content and events, serve as DEI representative in VLOG auditions
Production Committee
Help VLOG produce shows, serve on the Artistic Direction Committee, serve on the Director’s Choice Committee, help locate spaces for VLOG productions
Marketing Committee
Help VLOG market our events via social media, work on VLOG’s website, create marketing materials for specific productions
Fundraising Committee
Help VLOG connect with our existing lifetime members and members, work on VLOG’s Giving Tuesday and other fundraising campaigns, work on grant writing
Archive Committee
Help VLOG to digitize and make materials from VLOG’s archives available online
Our dear “Dame Wilkes” passed away on June 27, 2022, in the UK where she had been living with her sister, Tommy, since leaving the US. A much loved and sought-after performer, Jocelyn mastered and sang all of the G&S leading contralto roles for VLOG and toured and sang nationally with many professional companies throughout the US and Canada. One can hardly forget her ferocious Katisha and her hysterical Lady Jane, her domineering Lady Blanche, her magical, mystical bumboat woman, Little Buttercup; to name but a few. Not only a gifted performer she was also a skilled and accomplished seamstress working closely with resident Costume designer, Barbara Sabel, providing costumes and props for many theatrical companies. When not performing Jocelyn was also a nurse and a midwife! And…a faithful and enthusiastic baseball fan…quoting player’s stats as easily as lyrics to a song!
Please take a moment to raise a glass and a HAIL POETRY in memory of one who touched so many with her talent and unforgettable personality…..indelibly imprinted in our memories.
Rest in peace, Dear Jo.
In friendship’s name,
SA/Sally Noll
Cathy Markoff is looking for a few volunteers to help for a brass band concert on Monday, Sept. 12th from 5 to 7 pm in the Gramercy Park neighborhood. For more info email cmarkoff111@gmail.com asap.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15 every year, and serves as a time to celebrate and appreciate the contributions of
Hispanic Americans in all aspects of American life and culture. Below are some links with more information about the month itself, as well as information
on the wider contributions of our Hispanic family and friends.
National Today: Hispanic Heritage Month, September 2022 https://nationaltoday.com/hispanic-heritage-month/
National Museum of the American Latino
Latin American Recipes from allrecipes.com
A Wikipedia article about Latin American poetry
International Day of Peace
Peace has been an aspiration since…well, since the advent of conflict. As we as a species continue to learn and grow, the idea of a perpetual state of peace—political
or otherwise—continues to be an overarching theme in many aspects of our culture. The International Day of Peace is observed on September 21 each year and serves as
a day to acknowledge Peace as something that is indeed achievable. Below are links with more information on the IDP and some tools and references on understanding
different cultures. (Yes, art and food)
National Today: International Day of Peace, September 21, 2022
Theatre Without Borders: Theatre Without Borders (TWB) is a global, all-volunteer, grass-roots, virtual community that shares information and builds connections between individuals and institutions interested in international theatre and performance exchange.
The Capitol Theatre: National Day of Peace—20 Songs About Peace
The Yale ISM Review: Building Peace Through Music
Mappr: Top 10 Countries Have the Best Cuisine in the World
Last.FM - World Music Artists
Have you renewed your membership yet?
Contact Us: vlog@vlog.org, president@vlog.org
The Village Light Opera Group (VLOG) and its membership are actively and enthusiastically committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This encompasses age, cultural background, education, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, physical ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background. We are actively committed to diversity in casting, and encourage performers, directors, designers, and crew of diverse backgrounds to join us. VLOG is committed to being a group that tells a diverse portfolio of stories which reflect the human experience and demonstrates the remarkable spectrum in our community. We are committed to creating a safe space for everyone. It is through diversity that we are made stronger, smarter, and more compassionate.
Comments