Eric Einhorn News

Well, three cheers for On Site Opera, for completing its trilogy of works based on Beaumarchais' 18th century 'Figaro' plays and digging deep into the repertoire to deliver some lesser known works. First, a BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA not by Rossini (theirs, by Giovanni Paisiello) and then a FIGARO not by Mozart (instead, Marcos Portugal). This week, the whip-smart company presented the American premiere, in partnership with the Darius Milhaud Society, of Milhaud's LA MERE COUPABLE (THE GUILTY MOTHER), based on the least known and, to some, the unknown, among the Beaumarchais plays.

It had a great score but an unmanageable book. So the director had it reshaped, cut and done in a creative environmental production that sent the singers scampering throughout the audience. No, I'm not talking about Hal Prince's famous reinvention of Leonard Bernstein's CANDIDE, but On Site Opera's (OSO) charming new take on Mozart's THE SECRET GARDENER (LA FINTA GIARDINIERA), a coproduction with the Atlanta Opera, which just opened in a New York garden before heading south.

On Site Opera's (OSO) new production of THE SECRET GARDENER--better known to Mozart aficionados as LA FINTA GIARDINIERA--debuts in New York, as part of the New York Opera Alliance's New York OperaFest, in Manhattan's Westside Community Garden on Thursday May 11 for three performances. It was created and produced in conjunction with the Atlanta Opera, which present it in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens next week, marking the start of a series of “beautiful friendships” for the spunky New York company, which is known for its unique, immersive, site-specific productions of often-unfamiliar works.

The Atlanta Opera closes its 2016-17 season with an outdoor production of Mozart's early opera The Secret Gardener (La Finta Giardiniera), a story of love, madness and redemption that plays out in a lush garden.

Known for staging “the ultimate in intimate productions” (The New York Times), On Site Opera (OSO) presents the U.S. premiere and new site-specific production of Darius Milhaud's La mère coupable (The Guilty Mother). For the premiere, OSO partners with the Darius Milhaud Society and the award-winning International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). The site-specific production celebrates the 125th birthday of Milhaud and is dedicated to Katharine Warne, composer and founder of the Darius Milhaud Society. La mère coupable also marks the completion of OSO's three-year Figaro Project, in which the company is staging lesser-known operatic adaptations of French playwright Beaumarchais' (1732-1799) famed trilogy of Figaro plays.

On Site Opera is excited to announce the appointment of its new Executive Director, Piper Gunnarson. A seasoned nonprofit arts administrator, Piper has extensive experience in theater administration for organizations spanning all manifestations of the art form, including classical plays, new work, musicals, and children's theater. 

Known for staging 'the ultimate in intimate productions' (The New York Times), On Site Opera (OSO) presents a trio of exciting new site-specific opera productions in 2017, beginning May 11-13 with Mozart's rarely-performed early opera The Secret Gardener (La finta giardiniera) at the West Side Community Garden.

 A season of superb music and spectacle is now on sale to Lyric subscribers - including three new mainstage opera productions, three new-to-Chicago opera productions, one new musical production, and one new-to-Chicago chamber opera production.

Known for staging "the ultimate in intimate productions" (The New York Times), On Site Opera (OSO) will present a trio of exciting new site-specific opera productions in 2017.

Presented during The Austin's Opera's 30th anniversary season, THE FLYING DUTCHMAN commands the historic Long Center's stage with a diverse, collective cast and belting operatic sequences. The origins of the story of The Flying Dutchman are rather skewed between timelines. The story first appeared in Travels in various parts Europe, Asia, and Africa in 1790 by John MacDonald, and again when Richard Wagner's operatic rendition came to life in 1843, after being adapted from an episode of Heinrich Heine's satirical novel The Memoirs of Mister von Schnabelewopski. More modernly, the story of The Flying Dutchman is told through the highly loved film series, The Pirates of The Carribean. Regardless of the interpretations by creative minds, one fact remains true - The Flying Dutchman refers to a ghostly ship destined to sail the seas for all eternity. Richard Wagner's rendition, sure to please both critics and audiences alike, is bringing this haunted tale to life with the reputation of precision that precedes The Austin Opera.

Known for staging “the ultimate in intimate productions” (The New York Times), On Site Opera (OSO) announces the world premiere of Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt, a new site-specific opera for family audiences with music by John Musto and libretto by Eric Einhorn. Co-commissioned and co-produced with Lyric Opera of Chicago's Lyric Unlimited and Pittsburgh Opera, Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt is based on the real-life experiences of Rhoda Knight Kalt and her trips to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) with her grandfather Charles R. Knight, the famous naturalist artist who was commissioned to create paintings and sculptures of prehistoric creatures – many still on display at the AMNH today.

Known for staging 'the ultimate in intimate productions' (The New York Times), On Site Opera (OSO) announces the world premiere of Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt, a new site-specific opera for family audiences with music by John Musto and libretto by Eric Einhorn.

On Site Opera is one of New York's most endearing little companies, under Artistic Director Eric Einhorn, frequently giving us a chance to hear unfamiliar works in congenial settings and get up close and personal with the performers. For its first benefit dinner, the company presented a double bill of LA MORT DE CLEOPATRE and MISS HAVISHAM'S WEDDING NIGHT, simply and surely directed by Einhorn, in a ballroom of the Harmonie Club on East 60th Street in New York.

Vonnegut's World," a new week-long celebration of Vonnegut-themed special events leading up to the World Premiere event of "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" at Indianapolis Opera, was announced today and will be held at an array of Indianapolis venues fromSeptember 7th-14th. Presented by Indy Opera in partnership with Indianapolis Art Center, Butler University, Indy FilmFest, Bluebeard Restaurant, and Indy Reads, the festival represents a unique collaboration of area arts organizations and local venues to explore the many facets of the famed Hoosier and iconic literary figure. The schedule of events includes an opening reception, panel discussion, film screening, reading, "brunch of champions," special music performances, and final dress rehearsal of the new opera, written by Kurt Vonnegut and composed by Richard Auldon Clark. Vonnegut completed the libretto just two weeks before his death in 2007.

Vonnegut's World," a new week-long celebration of Vonnegut-themed special events leading up to the World Premiere event of "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" at Indianapolis Opera, was announced today and will be held at an array of Indianapolis venues fromSeptember 7th-14th. Presented by Indy Opera in partnership with Indianapolis Art Center, Butler University, Indy FilmFest, Bluebeard Restaurant, and Indy Reads, the festival represents a unique collaboration of area arts organizations and local venues to explore the many facets of the famed Hoosier and iconic literary figure. The schedule of events includes an opening reception, panel discussion, film screening, reading, "brunch of champions," special music performances, and final dress rehearsal of the new opera, written by Kurt Vonnegut and composed by Richard Auldon Clark. Vonnegut completed the libretto just two weeks before his death in 2007.

Vonnegut's World," a new week-long celebration of Vonnegut-themed special events leading up to the World Premiere event of "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" at Indianapolis Opera, was announced today and will be held at an array of Indianapolis venues fromSeptember 7th-14th. Presented by Indy Opera in partnership with Indianapolis Art Center, Butler University, Indy FilmFest, Bluebeard Restaurant, and Indy Reads, the festival represents a unique collaboration of area arts organizations and local venues to explore the many facets of the famed Hoosier and iconic literary figure. The schedule of events includes an opening reception, panel discussion, film screening, reading, "brunch of champions," special music performances, and final dress rehearsal of the new opera, written by Kurt Vonnegut and composed by Richard Auldon Clark. Vonnegut completed the libretto just two weeks before his death in 2007.

Known for staging “the ultimate in intimate productions” (The New York Times), On Site Opera begins their sixth annual season on September 29-30 with an evening of powerful monodramas including Dominick Argento's Miss Havisham's Wedding Night and Hector Berlioz's La Mort de Cléopâtre (The Death of Cleopatra) in the exquisite grand ballroom at The Harmonie Club. The evening stars soprano Leah Partridge as Miss Havisham and mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert as Cleopatra and features the string quintet SYBARITE5 at the center of a chamber orchestra. Conducted by OSO's Music Director, Geoffrey McDonald, and directed by the company's General & Artistic Director, Eric Einhorn, the site-specific production features lighting design by Shawn Kaufman and costume design by Fay Leshner. OSO invites audiences to join as Miss Havisham's wedding guests for the evening – there's champagne and cake for all!

“Bride's side or groom's? I'm Count Almaviva,” said the elegant actor as we entered what, we are told, is the Count's summer palace. “Bride's side or groom's?” says the seductive brunette in a bath towel, stepping out of the tub. She introduces herself as the Countess, Rosina. Upstairs, downstairs, in my lady's chamber (and the atrium), we are cordially invited to the world of THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO--the name of the event as well as the opera--joining the Jack of all trades and the lovely Susanna, compliments of the ever-creative On Site Opera.

Although the solstice doesn't officially appear for another week or so, the summer opera clock is already ticking. There's a plethora of performances going on all over New York City, in addition to interesting, entertaining and fascinating productions that are just a hop, skip and jump away. Among them: Lincoln Center's Lincoln Center Festival and Mostly Mozart and On Site Opera's West Village venue, to the more bucolic realms of Bard SummerScape in Dutchess County (NY) for Mascagni and Caramoor in Katonah (NY) for Rossini and Beethoven.

On Site Opera (OSO) announces today that soprano Jeni Houser has been added to the cast of the North American premiere of Marcos Portugal's The Marriage of Figaro (1799).