Student Spotlight – Madison Finocchiaro – Les MisĂ©rables
Ovation Theatre Company opened its premiere season in splendid form with “Les MisĂ©rables School Edition” on Friday, May 24th. The all-student ensemble was perfectly cast. My student Madison Finocchiaro was suitably slovenly and greedy as the wicked Madame Thernadier. I am so proud of Madison whose vocalism and especially her acting were spot on…she never…
Read MoreStudent Spotlight – Max Orio – South Pacific
Timberlane Regional High School in Plaistow, NH presented this weekend Rogers & Hammerstein’s classic musical “South Pacific.” There were 2 casts, and my student, baritone Max Orio, was cast as Emile DeBeque. Max and I have worked on Emile’s gorgeous songs (“Some Enchanted Evening” and “This Nearly Was Mine”, among others) for several months and…
Read MoreCantor Shira Nafshi – From Bimah to Broadway
On Saturday evening, March 9, my student Shira Silverman Nafshi  performed a benefit concert at Temple Israel of Portsmouth (NH) with her colleague Cantor Micah Morgovsky. These two lovely and talented women presented a concert cleverly called “From Bima to Broadway”. The first half consisted of traditional pieces mostly sung in Hebrew with liturgical texts. Both cantors had…
Read MoreStudent Spotlight – Madison Finocchiaro – Singin’ in the Rain
Pinkerton Academy’s recent production of the musical based on this classic movie was a huge success the weekend of March 22-24. Madison appeared as Lady –in-Waiting in the ensemble. The director was Rachael Longo and Music Director was Candace Gatzoulis – my former student AND a former Miss New Hampshire. “Watch this space” for a…
Read MoreJanice’s Fantasy Trip to Bayreuth,
Which Became a Reality in the Summer of 2008
Here is a personal account of my fabulous vacation in Germany. I hope this will give you a taste of my experience. My reflections cover both the artistic (the music and singing) and the logistical (getting there/being there/returning) aspects, and as you will see, I switch gears without warning! So sit back and enjoy… About…
Read MoreStudent Spotlight – Janet Wittenberg, Nashua Choral Society
Janet Wittenberg will be a featured soloist in the “Domine Jesu Christe” movement of Mozart’s Requiem. This monumental oratorio will be presented by the Nashua Choral Society jointly with the Granite State Choral Society, conducted by Ann Watson Born. Performances are on May 5 at 3:00 PM in Nashua at Immaculate Conception Church and May 18 at 7:30…
Read MoreWagner Immersion
On March 25th and March 30th , 2019, I gorged myself on my favorite Wagner opera, Die WalkĂĽre (The Valkyrie). Some may consider this an indulgence, or an obsession. I consider it wallowing around in one of the most emotionally draining and intellectually challenging operas ever written. My dear friend and voice student Anne Orio and I spent…
Read MoreStudent Spotlight: Cantor Shira Nafshi, Temple Beth Jacob
Temple Beth Jacob’s Purim Spiel Another of my talented students, Shira Nafshi, serves as Cantor at Temple Beth Jacob in Concord, NH. One of the more interesting aspects of TBJ is their annual event called Purim Spiel (pronounced “shpeel”). The Purim Spiel is an annual fundraiser for TBJ. It was started in 1998, and has a…
Read MoreStudent Spotlight: Max Orio
Spring of 2019 brings much to be proud of, with my talented students participating in both musical theatre and community chorus events. First… On May 4th and 5th, Timberlane Regional High School presents Rogers & Hammerstein’s classic musical, South Pacific. My student, baritone Max Orio, is double-cast as Emile DeBeque in Timberlane’s fully staged production,…
Read MoreClassic Broadway Performance Class
Sign up today for Classic Broadway Performance Class Registration Fee $20 Due by Feb. 22nd Explore the Great American Songbook and the founders of the “Golden Age” of American musical theatre Sunday, March 10, 2019 2:00 – 5:00 Grace Episcopal Church – Great Hall 106 Lowell St., Manchester, NH Elizabeth Blood, Accompanist
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