Podcast 67: Joseph Martin Waters, Dr. Daniel Pate and Rodolfo Giron

Indie Opera Podcast’s co-hosts welcome Joseph Martin Waters, Dr. Daniel Pate and Rodolfo Giron for a fascinating conversation about the new opera they’ve been developing, El Colibri Magico (The Magic Hummingbird) – “A California Story” which is an update of the story of St. Francis set in modern day San Diego and Tijuana that follows three upper middle class So Cal teenagers as they interact with a community of Honduran refugees marooned at the border who have connections to ancient Mayan rituals and secrets.

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LISTEN TO EPISODE 67

NOTES

TO COME

Credits

Performance date: Oct. 13, 2019
Venue: Smith Recital Hall, SDSU, San Diego
Act one of opera-musical, an updating of St. Francis. It involves a trio of sheltered, upper-middle class So Cal teen rockers headed to TJ to perform at a punk club and to explore TJ nightlife.

Their partying adventure takes a surreal turn when supernatural events hurl them headlong into a community of refugees, who bear ancient secrets.

The weekend jaunt becomes a life changing journey. The teens are drawn in and find themselves on a vision quest, entangled with the perils of the dispossessed. In the end they risk their lives to help the stranded cross the border through a magic tunnel, the body of a giant snake placed under the mountains thousands of years ago by the goddess of the moon. The path is dangerous and the outcome uncertain.

It is a collaborative effort with content creators from San Diego & Tijuana, who are also a consortium of LGBTQ and straight folks. The story addresses all of the above.

The cast of over 20 actors, dancers and singers and an orchestra of nine, comprises NYC and San Diego professionals, as well as musical theater and opera students at SDSU.

Though technically a workshop, the actors are off book, and there is staging, choreography and projection design.

Credits

  • Music and Lyrics by Joseph Martin Waters
  • Book by Joseph Martin Waters, Gustavo Alcoser, Michael Gillis
  • Contributions by Lauren Haughton & Amy Hecht
  • Director & Choreographer: Lauren Haughton
  • Co-Music Director & Conductor: Richard Morrison
  • Co-Music Director and Chorus Maser: Sonya Schumann
  • Projection Design: Scott Boynton
  • Lighting Design: Bernardo Cervantes, David Siegel
  • Sound Design: Maddi Baird
  • Stage Manager: Jamie Boyd

CAST

Francisco ……………. Rodolfo Giron
Clara …………………… Cat Rojo
Franklin ……………….. Jackson Shaffer
Maria Sabia …………. Karen Garcia (Karen is an opera student at SDSU, and is Mexican-American, with family in Tijuana)
Elias ……………………. Gabriel Igtantoc
Ixazaluoh …………….. Laura Sandoval
Francisco’s Mother .. Sarah Hernandez
Apollonia ……………… Sonya Schumann
Chorus …………………. Danan Pacheco, Danielle Bongulto, Francesca Lemus, Hunter Katz, Jackson Wright, Joseph Durant, Lexi Vierra, Maddie Darr, Marissa Rodriguez, Phaul Fishman, Ross Graham,Shelby Wuitschick, Vivia Romero

Orchestra

Percussion: Daniel Pate *, Jeffrey Mossier, Donovan Newkirk
Piano: Geoffrey Burleson *
Alto Saxophone: Todd Rewoldt *
Tenor Saxophone: Ian Buss *
Guitar George Svoboda
Bass: Harley Magsino
Rehearsal Pianist: Leigh Petit, Sonya Schumann

Swarmius Ensemble members*

Musical Numbers

Prologue……. Swarmius and Friends
“Chase The Shadows”….. Francisco
“Fake” ……… Clara, Franklin, Ensemble
“Chase The Shadows Reprise” ………. Francisco
“We” ………. Maria Sabia
“Chase The Shadows Reprise” ……….. Francisco
“Circle of Pain” …. Francisco, Clara, Franklin
“Flower” ………. Elias
Saint Children ………. Apollonia and the Acolytes
“Swim In The Immense” …………. Ensemble
“Who Will Win” ……………. Ensemble
“The Answer” ……………. Elias, Francisco
“El Pajaro Carpintero” ………. Ensemble
“Shouldn’t” ……………… Clara

Production Staff
• Photographer: David Maung
• iPhone videographer: Amy Hecht
• Assistant Director: Gabriel Igtanloc
• Assistant Stage Manager: Chase Thompson
• Head of Videography: Tim Powell
• Head of Sound : Joe Kucera
• Lighting Advisor: Stephanie Lasater
• Faculty Lighting Advisor: Anne McMills
• Musical technical Tech Support: Tim Nunnink
• FOH: Garret Eckyl, Chris Bravo, Jesse Tello, Joshua Jackson
• Sound crew: Jake Goldberg, Ella Markus

Photo: Clockwise, from upper left: Franklin (Jackson Shaffer), Francisco (Rodolfo Giron), Apollonia’s Acolytes 1 & 2 (Philip Gomez & Emmy Farese), Clara (Cat Rojo), Acolyte 3 (Sarah Hernandez). Photo credit: David Maung

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