Singers Maria Todaro (Mezzo Soprano), Louis Otey (Baritone), Kerry Henderson (Baritone) and pianist Jennifer Peterson took breaks from their international careers to join the Community Choir and guest artist Justin Kolb for a night of "Opera in the Park". The performance was a fund raiser for the Parish Field playground and was held on the site where the new equipment will be installed. The evening was a huge success! The performances were amazing! Professionals worked graciously with non-professionals, world class performers took the occasional wandering dog or child in stride (I bet that never happens at the Met) and even the rain didn't seem to dampen anyone's spirits. This kept a sense of fun and community alive all night long! And the music, well, it was just awesome! It was a completely joyful evening for all who attended! I myself never knew opera could be so fun! By donating their time to this great cause all the performers who participated in last night's event proved that their hearts are as big as their talent!!!
The WCA's own Ricarda O'Conner (herself a seasoned performer) joined the community chorus. Her supporters (including me) were on hand to watch her sing. Her husband, bad boy Mike Ottavi (below on right) seems to have forgotten how to treat a diva!
Kudos also go to everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this night happen (especially the Parish Field Fundraisers). There were many, many people who organized, designed ads, sold tickets, set-up, sold food, broke down and executed many, many other tasks that brought this event together. I spotted another of Woodland Valley's finest, Rebecca Ffrench selling snacks. A lot of local businesses also donated goods and services. The night was a true community effort! Our local children are very lucky to be surrounded by folks that care about them and are willing to donate their time and energy to make sure that they have a wonderful, safe place to play!!!
