A Day At The Circus World With Max

Max Wendt is a phenomenal photographer.  He has done our last two promotional posters, featuring Emily Morrison-Weeks and Dominick Carmine Giannattasio (I call them Em and Dom to make things easier for me).  Fresco receives a lot of positive feedback about these posters, due to the artistry of Max.                                                                                      



Print from "Ding Dong The Divas Dead" - by Max Wendt

Dueling Divas and Ding Dong The Divas Dead were solo shots - single posters.  And they were in studio.  We knew with Fresco's Big Top Opera we had an opportunity from an artistic standpoint to really stretch out creatively when it came to shooting promotional shots.  The characters of a circus lend themselves to interesting pictures.  The fact we have a U.S. National Landmark in Circus World Museum practically in our backyard was also a bonus.

Melanie and Frank Cain, along with Max, went to Circus World Museum to scope out the potential shoot.

The first thing that hits you as you walk through the doors of Circus World is history, with all of the vintage posters and props that surround you.  Our challenge was choosing among the many elements to use for a backdrop.  The trio found some very suitable shot sites.

Another element that makes our Big Top promotional pictures interesting is the costuming.  Melanie has a specific vision of the show in terms of the look.  After the day at Circus World, she came away knowing exactly the look she was after.  I won't spoil anything here by describing it.  We want you to see for yourself when the time comes.  But I will say without hesitation, that the costumes Melanie has chosen are the most interesting Fresco has ever displayed.

Dueling Divas II - Promo By Max Wendt

On a hot Tuesday in early July, Em, Dom, Frank, Melanie, Max and myself ventured to Circus World for "the shoot."  It was a very sunny day, which created tons of "hot spots" for Max to contend with, which can be very challenging for any photographer.

There is no "Auto-Shoot" with Max.  Everything he does - the lighting and settings - is manual.  I was in awe of all the gear he had in the back of his Subaru hatch back... multiple lights, cameras, lenses, filters, stands, batteries, more cameras.  It was really incredible!  I say this because even with all of that gear, he knew what he needed, when he needed it and how to use it.  Sure, we could have used our iPhones and snapped a few shots, done some photo shop work and made a poster.  But his pictures have a depth to them you don't see in a typical promotional poster.  They themselves are works of art.  You don't want to open them and say like any other posting and say "yep," only to close them and go on to looking at other posts from your friends on FB.



Max working his magic at Circus World

 Max's work pops out at you - and you have to look at his images.  I know a lot of people who have permanently "borrowed" our posters to hang up in their houses.

We spent the entire day taking hundreds of pictures.  We will most likely use only a few - the best - for our formal promotion.  These pictures capture the mood of what will be Fresco's Big Top Opera, and we could not achieve that without the tremendous talents of someone we are proud to call the official Fresco photographer - Max Wendt.

http://www.maxwendtphotography.com/

Jeff Turk
Fresco Opera Theatre

We Are The Champions - Again!

After several performances in several cities, Fresco Opera Theatre has completed its run of Dueling Divas II.  And judging by the reaction of the cast, crew and audiences, it was a complete success.

What is the key to Fresco Opera Theatre’s success? We enjoy what we do. Our passions are opera, and creating new operatic performances that engage audiences. We also want our musicians to have fun performing in the style that is uniquely Fresco.  If we accomplish these goals, we can’t lose. And so far, we have a perfect record.

Melanie Cain, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Fresco Opera Theatre, has created performances where audience members don’t have to worry about being trapped in a 4 hour study hall. Fresco audiences have been exposed to many different operatic styles within the confines of a quick-paced show. After each performance of Dueling Divas II we have heard “I didn’t know I liked opera!” which is music to our ears, and a check mark in the win column.

We have also ventured out past the Madison boundaries, with performances in Appleton WI and La Crosse WI. Our performance at the Trout Museum in Appleton was our second visit there. Last year, we took a condensed version of “Ding Dong, The Diva’s Dead” and staged it in the museum with an audience of approximately 120 people. This year with Dueling Divas II, the museum had to make a waiting list for the overflow of new opera lovers. Another check mark in the win column.

Through the connections in La Crosse of Jess Salek, our Musical Director, we were able to perform a benefit for the La Crosse Historical Society. For a crowd that rarely gets the chance to experience opera, their response to the performance was overwhelming. We were featured on the local news and in the La Crosse Tribune. I don’t know if words can convey the satisfaction we feel when an audience not familiar with the fine arts gives a standing ovation for classical music. Put one more check in the win column.

Fresco Opera Theatre is getting noticed. We will be featured in a prominent arts publication this summer and have been contacted by organizations all around the mid-west. One audience member at our Appleton show, who is associated with a well-known opera company, told us what we are doing is amazing. He went on to say he was going to a production the following day, and that after watching DDII, he knew he would be bored by that production. And this was a seasoned opera veteran. WIN!

A lot of work goes into our productions, but it is a labor of love for us all. The Directors work tirelessly to put out a high caliber performance, making it look effortless. The end result is a magical connection between the audience and performers. And thanks to the hard work and devotion of the Fresco organization, we have a perfect record.

We closed each of the Dueling Divas II shows with the cast coming out on stage and singing Queen’s “We are the Champions,” having the audience sing along. Appropriate considering the operatic nature of the popular music group, and appropriate in capping off our production of Dueling Divas II.



The Fresco Directors / Founders.  Artistic Director, Melanie Cain, pictured with Executive Director (and Announcer) Frank Cain at the Trout Museum in Appleton