Opera for Everyone is a radio show and podcast that makes opera understandable, accessible, and enjoyable for all. Pat Wright hosts the show, inviting guest co-hosts to participate in the mission she and Keely Herron developed after lively discussions of operas they had enjoyed seeing together. Music soars. Epiphanies abound. Hilarity ensues. The show airs Sundays from 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. on 89.1 KHOL in Jackson, Wyoming. Cover artwork by illustrator Rosie Brooks (www.rosiebrooks.com)
Episodes
Monday Dec 23, 2019
Monday Dec 23, 2019
Join the world of fairy tales as two lost, hungry, playful, and resourceful children spring forth toward adventure and danger. Engelbert Humperdinck first began to write these songs to accompany his family's production of a holiday show. Before long he developed it into a tuneful, lush, and perennially successful opera, a staple of the holiday season. This third annual holiday special is hosted by Keely and Pat.
Saturday Dec 07, 2019
Saturday Dec 07, 2019
Elvira has it all... youth, beauty, and three determined suitors. But her blessings turn into a curse as passion and power collide. It is good to be king... and emperor too. Based on a story by Victor Hugo, this opera was the first of many collaborations between Verdi and librettist Francesco Maria Piave. Hosted by Keely and Pat.
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Thirty-three centuries ago, a doomed visionary Pharaoh tried to remake the world in honor of his god. Thirty-five years ago, a brilliant composer created a powerful opera that explored the wonder and the tragedy of that ancient dreamer. Philip Glass's Akhnaten combines modern music with a libretto in ancient languages to break through the centuries and tell a timeless tale. Hosted by Pat and guest co-host Grant.
Thursday Oct 31, 2019
Thursday Oct 31, 2019
With Orfeo ed Euridice, Christoph Willibald Gluck turned to an ancient story to show that he could create a new kind of opera. Powerful music displays powerful emotion, and this story tells us that the strongest emotion of all is love. You may know the myth of Orpheus and Euridice, but this Classical opera presents a version of the story in which love and music team up to change the will of the gods. Hosted by Pat and guest co-host Petria.
Tuesday Oct 15, 2019
Tuesday Oct 15, 2019
In Puccini’s final opera, the icy princess Turandot inspires The Unknown Prince to risk his life in the hope of winning her hand. His quest does not require the usual feats of derring-do... Instead, he must battle wits with her. Though he ultimately triumphs, the cost is terrible.
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
In Giacomo Puccini's first major hit, Manon Lescaut, we meet the adventurous young Manon as she is headed to a convent to live out the rest of her days. Soon, however, she finds herself torn between a man she loves, and a man whose wealth she loves. Based on the novel by Abbé Prévost, this story found its home in opera, serving as the basis for two wildly successful versions. Come hear how magnificently the "medium of excess" tells a story of a woman who wants it all. Hosted by Pat Wright with special guest Petria Fossel.
Friday Sep 06, 2019
Friday Sep 06, 2019
Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette is an operatic take on Shakespeare’s timeless and tragic tale of young love bursting through old hatreds. Gounod’s sumptuous music exquisitely transports us into the world of the Juliette Capulet and Roméo Montague. Just say yes to this timeless love story's sweet sorrow. Hosted by Pat Wright and Keely Herron.
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
Hector Berlioz’s opera “Les Troyens” is an opera on a truly epic scale, with a story based on the oldest and most successful fan fiction ever written: The Aneid, Virgil's take on the great warrior from the siege of Troy presented in Homer's Illiad. This opera’s tale includes three continents, two legendary founders of empires, and one love story that definitely doesn’t go according to plan. If roaming Romans romancing roving refugee rowers is your thing (or maybe if you just like operas that give costumers a lot to work with), you will love “Les Troyens!” Hosted by Pat and guest co-host Grant.
Saturday Jul 27, 2019
Saturday Jul 27, 2019
Even if you think you don’t know Opera, you know something of Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen. The tunes pervade our culture, and for good reason, popping up in films, television, and advertisements. They not only convey the passion and identity of characters who seduce and beguile, but the melodies remain long after the show has ended. Join us for Bizet’s masterpiece, the story of woman who insists on freedom, but cannot escape her fate. Hosted by Pat Wright and special guest co-host Greg.
Saturday Jul 13, 2019
Saturday Jul 13, 2019
This episode we present, Handel’s Xerxes, an opera that initially failed at the box office for being too silly and unorthodox. Today’s audiences love it. . . for being so silly and unorthodox. This Baroque opera features the ancient king of Persia, mistaken identities, disguises, and an unusually seductive tree. This work is distinguished by its unusual arrangement of vocal parts: a woman singing as a man, a man singing in the female range, and one part whose casting requirements are totally different now than they were 300 years ago. With Pat and special guest co-host Grant.