THEM AND WE’LL CHECK IT OUT IN A FEW MINUTES, KAREN.
FEW MINUTES, KAREN.
>> Karen: DURING THE COVID
PANDEMIC, WE’RE SEEING THINGS WE
NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD SEE
BEFORE.
DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD SEE AN OPERA IN A PARKING GARAGE?
AN OPERA IN A PARKING GARAGE?
PAULA TUTMAN TOOK IN A
PERFORMANCE TO SHOW HOW A CRISIS
CAN LEAD TO UNEXPECTED
CREATIVITY AND EVERYONE INVOLVED
REAPS THE BENEFITS. >> Paula: I’VE BEEN TO MANY AN
>> Paula: I’VE BEEN TO MANY AN
OPERA OVER MANY A DECADE AND
IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK DOWNTOWN
AND BACK AT THE OPERA HOUSE.
AND I CAN ALSO HONESTLY SAY THIS
IS MY VERY FIRST EVER DRIVE-THRU OPERA.
♪
# MICHIGAN OPERA THEATER OPENED IN A MOST UNCONVENTIONAL WAY.
IN A MOST UNCONVENTIONAL WAY.
I’M ABLE TO SAFELY DISTANCE AND
PACK IN THE USUAL PATRONS, IT
STAGED "TWILIGHT GOD" AS A DRIVE-IN EXPERIENCE.
DRIVE-IN EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS AN ADVENTURE.
>> IT’S REALLY DIFFERENT.
IT’S A DRIVE-THRU OPERA, WHO
DOES THAT?
>> OPERA IS A WAY OF MAKING LOVE IN PUBLIC.
IN PUBLIC.
IT’S AMAZING!
IT’S IMMERSIVE AND
ALL-ENCOMPASSING, AND WAGNER IS PINNACLE.
♪[SINGING]♪
>> HE TEXTED ME AND SAID, DO YOU WANT ME TO BRING POPCORN?
WANT ME TO BRING POPCORN?
YES, THAT’S A WONDERFUL IDEA.
>> YOU DRESSED UP?
>> I DID.
IT FELT APPROPRIATE.
>> Paula: AND PROOF POSITIVE
THAT CREATIVE MINDS CAN’T BE
STOPPED, EVEN FOR A PANDEMIC.
>> I’M SO INSPIRED BY ALL OF THE
ARTISTS AND ALL OF THE
TECHNICIANS AND INSTRUMENTALISTS
AND DESIGNERS WHO REALIZED THIS
IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO
THINK DIFFERENTLY AND TO SEIZE THAT OPPORTUNITY, TO NOT JUST
THAT OPPORTUNITY, TO NOT JUST
APOLOGIZE FOR THE FACT WE CAN’T
DO OPERA AS USUAL BUT TO SAY
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
THINK OF OP BRA IN A BRAND-NEW
WAY. >> Paula: EVERY SEAT WAS A
>> Paula: EVERY SEAT WAS A
FRONT-ROW SEAT AND PERFORMED ON
A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF THE OPERA
HOUSE GARAGE. ♪[SINGING]♪
MUCH LIKE A DRIVE-IN MOVIE, WE
WERE INSTRUCTED ON HOW TO TUNE
OUR RADIOS FOR THE LIVE AUDIO. DESPITE THE DAMP CHILL, THE
DESPITE THE DAMP CHILL, THE
INNOVATION WAS CREATIVE AND
OFTEN THE ACTORS WOULD APPROACH
YOUR VEHICLE, BRINGING THE
AUDIENCE INTO THE THRILL OF IT ALL.
NO NAP, TOO MUCH GOING ON.
AND THERE’S PASSION AND LOVE,
CONFUSION, MURDER, MAYHEM, AND
MADNESS.
AND EVEN THE GARAGE ITSELF
BECAME PART OF THE SET.
IT HAD FUN, CURRENT, SNAPPY
MUSIC AND A SPECKLE FOR THE
EYES.
AND THOSE WHO TRUSTED THEIR EVENING FOR THIS GRAND
EVENING FOR THIS GRAND
EXPERIMENT WERE NOT
DISAPPOINTED. ♪[SINGING]♪
SO DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
TAKE THE WORD OF MY 17-YEAR-OLD WHO SAID, OH MY GOSH, THIS IS
WHO SAID, OH MY GOSH, THIS IS
REALLY, REALLY GOOD, I FORGOT
I’M IN A GARAGE.
BEING RELEVANT MEANS TO HOLD
YOUR SPOT, BUT THIS WAS SMART, CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE AND
CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE AND
ELEVATED THE ART FORM AND, GET
THIS, IF YOU THINK YOU MISSED
ANYTHING, YEAH, YOU DID, YOU
REALLY DID, BUT THEY’VE FIGURED
OUT HOW TO LIVE STREAM SOME OF THE LIVE PERFORMANCES AND YOU’RE
THE LIVE PERFORMANCES AND YOU’RE
ABLE TO SEE IT FOR FREE.
CONTACT THE TICKET OFFICE.
OH MY GOSH, SO MUCH FUN! >> Karen: I LOVE THIS IDEA.
>> Karen: I LOVE THIS IDEA.
I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE MY KIDS,
EXPOSE THEM TO SOMETHING THEY
HAVEN’T SEEN.
YOUR 17-YEAR-OLD, WHAT WAS HER
PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS
COOL ABOUT IT AND HOW LONG WAS
THE SHOW?
>> Paula: IT’S ONLY AN HOUR, NOT
LIKE A FIVE-HOUR OPERA. BUT SOMETIMES IT LOOKED LIKE
BUT SOMETIMES IT LOOKED LIKE
THEY WERE COMING RIGHT AT US, SO
WE WERE IN THE CAR SQUEALING.
IT WAS A GREAT FAMILY EVENING
AND ANOTHER WAY TO INTRODUCE HER
TO THE ART FORM.
AND SHE LOVED IT! >> Karen: I REALLY LOVE IT!
>> Karen: I REALLY LOVE IT!
WHAT A CREATIVE IDEA TO REINVENT
THEMSELVES.
I LOVE YOUR ENERGY, I CAN TELL