ARTISTIC DIRECTOR -- Mrs. Donna Hailey

MANAGING DIRECTOR -- Mr. Steven Hailey

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR -- Ms. Kate Van Essendelft

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR -- position open

ACCOMPANIST -- Mr. John Eyre

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT -- Ms. Lauren Edwards

GUEST CONDUCTOR -- Mr. Garrett Fujarski

sypow.opera@yahoo.com

(631) 589-8534

Click here to access the program copy for last year's presentations.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF 2010's PERFORMANCE

AUDITIONS

for the 17^TH ANNUAL

Sayville Young People's Opera Workshop

Summer 2012:

for singers grade 7 and up

A Night at

the Operas

Monday July 2 and

Tuesday July 3

at Sayville High School

20 Brook Street, West Sayville, NY

from 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Performances

August 9 & 10

featuring Arias, Duets, Ensembles, and Choruses

From --

La Traviata,

La Boheme,

Die Fledermaus,

The Magic Flute,

The Marriage of Figaro,

The New Moon,

The Mikado,

A Hand of Bridge,

Les Miserables,

Tommy, and

Jesus Christ Superstar

for additional information go to

http://sypow.tripod.com

PROPOSED PRODUCTION SCHEDULE:

COMPANY AUDITIONS --

Mon July 2 7:00 - 9:00 Sayville High School

Tue July 3 7:00 - 9:00 Sayville High School

REHEARSALS AT SAYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL--

Mon July 9 7:00 - 9:30

Tue July 10 7:00 - 9:30

Wed July 11 7:00 - 9:30

Mon July 16 7:00 - 9:30

Tue July 17 7:00 - 9:30

Wed July 18 7:00 - 9:30

Mon July 23 7:00 - 9:30

Tue July 24 7:00 - 9:30

Wed July 25 7:00 - 9:30

REHEARSALS AT SAYVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL--

Mon July 30 7:00 - 9:30

Tue July 31 7:00 - 9:30

Wed Aug 1 7:00 - 9:30

Mon Aug 6 6:00 - 10:00 Technical Rehearsal

Tue Aug 7 6:00 - 10:00 Dress Rehearsal 1

Wed Aug 8 6:00 - 10:00 Dress Rehearsal 2

PERFORMANCES AT SAYVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL --

Thu Aug 9 Call: 6:30 p.m./Curtain: 7:30 p.m.

Fri Aug 10 Call: 6:30 p.m./Curtain: 7:30 p.m.

Sayville Young People's Opera Workshop Wows Audience

Remarkable company performs excerpts from three operettas.

By Tara Lamberti | Email the author | August 16, 2010

The Sayville Young People's Opera Workshop (SYPOW) has been culling Long Island's young talent since its inception in 1996. Last week, the company put on three short operas at the Sayville Middle School David M. Jones Auditorium.

The performers range in age from 11 to 24 and have less than six weeks to learn their material and 74 hours of rehearsal. The SYPOW exemplifies what hard work, dedication and passion can produce and it's evident that this troupe really has their act together.

"It's a workshop, and we do the best we can and we hope you enjoy it," said managing director Steven Hailey.

The show started with a rendition of Aaron Copland's opera The Second Hurricane, a story of high school students stranded in Louisiana after the hurricane of '37. Blending together in haunting harmony, their voices lure the audience into their harrowing tale. Each soloist proved that not only do these kids have a great set of lungs, but they've got some acting chops as well.

Injecting some levity into the lineup, Act II presents the satirical oratorio, Oedipus Tex by P.D.Q. Bach. Set in Thebes Gulch, Texas, the western version of famed Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex will have you happily slapping your knee at their calamities. James Brewer, 15, plays lead Oedipus Tex as if he hailed from the lone star state. With a natural swagger he charismatically hooks his thumbs in his belt and delivers a big performance. Tex's leading lady is Billie Jo Casta, played by Naomi Goldman, 20. She vocally ensnares the audience with her southern charm. Elvira Razzano, 17, is witty as Madame Peep and mystifies as a seer and songstress.

The final number performed was an excerpt from well-known opera, Carmen, by George Bizet. The players take you back in time to a tragic love story in 1830s Spain. Joseph Hailey, 19, lends his booming voice to bring Don Jose to life. Hailey takes the audience through Don Jose's ups and downs as easily as he carries a tune. The role of the seductive Carmen is played by four different actresses: Brianna Mikolich, 16; Samantha Dwyer, 14; Lauren Edwards, 21 and Elvira Razzano. Each girl gave the part a piece of themselves and executed the songs wonderfully. From fanning themselves flirtatiously, to swaying their hips, the young cast interacted with the dashing young men who vied for their attention with vigor.

"It's amazing what they do in six weeks," said Debbie Dwyer, whose daughter, Samantha Dwyer plays one of the Carmens. "They have incredible devotion."

"They have unbelievable talent," conductor Garrett Fujarski proudly stated. "The talent pool never runs dry. They leave it all up on the stage. But the smiles on their faces are what make it great."

The workshop is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing an educational and performing experience for the community's youth.

SYPOW

Who We Are --

The Sayville Young People's Opera Workshop (SYPOW) was organized in the summer of 1996 when voice teacher Donna Hailey said to drama teacher Steven Hailey, "We need somewhere to introduce opera and operetta to young people." That summer SYPOW, assisted by pianist extraordinaire Stephen Abrams, produced Gian Carlo Menotti's short opera The Telephone and his short two act opera The Medium featuring area high school students in the Sayville High School Little Theatre. The following summer open auditions were introduced as we prepared The "Little" Magic Flute, which was an adaptation of W. A. Mozart's The Magic Flute. In the summer of 1998 we opened auditions to middle school children as well as we prepared Samuel Barber's short opera A Hand of Bridge and Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta Trial by Jury which was performed in the Sayville Middle School.

Since then we have produced former Sayville resident Rick Besoyan's operetta Little Mary Sunshine, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, Mikado and again Trial by Jury also at the Sayville Middle School. In the summer of 2003 we did four performances at the “Common Ground” gazebo in Sayville’s Rotary Park of an adapted version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance and excerpts from Luc Plamondon and Richard Cocciante’s new dramatic opera Notre Dame de Paris in August and an encore performance in Sayville High School’s Little Theatre in September. The following summer we did three performances in the Sayville Middle School and one at the “Common Ground” of Jesus Christ Superstar and followed the same schedule the summer after with our workshop presentation the Who’s Tommy (with a full orchestra for the first time!).

In the summer of 2006, we returned to classical opera with a full production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, again with a full orchestra, and in the summer of 2007 we presented the classic early 20th century operetta The New Moon by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II. In 2008 we took a two-pronged approach to the workshop featuring an abridged version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel followed by a Salute to Stephen Sondheim; in 2009 ,we featured three dissimiliar works: Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury, Kurt Weill's Down in the Valley and an abridged version of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Medium; in 2010 we presented Aaron Copland's The Second Hurricane, P.D.Q. Bach's Oedipus Tex, and excerpts from Bizet's Carmen; and last summer saw abridged versions of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and, again, Plamondon and Cocciante's Notre Dame de Paris.

Mrs. Hailey has a degree in vocal performance and has taught voice in both private and public school although now she teaches only privately out of her studio. She also sings professionally and has belonged to various regional choral and opera societies (including Opera on the Sound, the Long Island Repertory Opera Company, the Long Island Philharmonic Chorus, the Babylon Chorale, the New York Choral Society, and the Long Island Symphonic Choral Association) and has performed in various and regional theatre companies, as well.

Mr. Hailey has been dramatics director for Sayville High School since 1978 where he directs the drama program and co-directs the spring musical. He also taught drama in the Sayville Elementary Summer School and public speaking, debate, and theatre arts at the Long Island University Center for Gifted Youth on the campus of C.W. Post. He has performed and directed semi-professionally and regionally as well as locally.

SYPOW is a non-profit/zero budget operation and neither of the directors nor any other member of the “staff” receives a salary. Production costs, including royalties, are covered by the materials fee and voluntary donations.

Why We Are --

Young people are talented. These young people are capable of amazing things when they are given the chance. Being the parents of three boys ourselves, we are convinced that the more opportunities young people are given to perform, the more often they will amaze those around them, as well as themselves, with not only the quality of their dedication but also the quality of their talent. That is why we originated the opera workshop and why with Trial by Jury we began the policy of multiple casting where we can. We are not looking to create "stars"; we want every deserving youngster to get as big a chance as possible to experience performing on stage.

What We Expect --

We know it's summer and we want this to be not only an educational experience but an enjoyable experience, as well. Consequently, we try to keep our summer workshops as realistic as possible considering that people have families and summer obligations. We hope that everyone can make all of the full cast rehearsals, but when one cannot we are as understanding as we can possibly be. Communication is extremely important and our names are in the phone book if something comes up at the last minute that you must miss a rehearsal. However, by the time we get to full rehearsals, if any company member does not know his or her music and/or lines and/or staging, there is no way that person can expect to be allowed on the stage.

Also, please note that in order to cover production expenses, we do ask that each participant pay a nominal production and materials fee of $100.00 (which includes an accompanist fee of $20.00) with a sibling discounted fee of $60.00. These fees are payable as of the first rehearsal.

Questions or comments? Get in touch with us at:

sypow.opera@yahoo.com

or

631-589-8534