Graphic Design: Emma Brigaud
By Niccolo Bechtler
Fall 2020 offered little relief from the pandemic, and ongoing lockdowns were seriously threatening the livelihoods of many professionals in the performing arts sector. But in one of the great successes of their mission, Operanauts adapted to covid restrictions to employ an entire cast and crew in the US to film and stream a presentation of Amahl and the Night Visitors for an audience in Kinshasa.
Although live performances faced a host of challenges during lockdown, Operanauts saw an opportunity to employ out-of-work talent and build community through music. Highly sought-after singers and musicians from the New York metro area, who had previously been overwhelmed with gigs, found themselves struggling for work. Venerated directors, audio engineers, and videographers had newly free schedules. It was the perfect moment for Operanauts to unite musicians in the US and Kinshasa.
With the idea of filming and streaming a presentation of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, creative director Joy Bechtler was able to recruit her favorite singers, musicians, and production professionals. They all agreed, and began their work individually, at home. At first, musicians and singers rehearsed their parts in virtual one-on-one sessions. As December 1st, the stream premiere date, approached, they began to rehearse in person at the Princeton, NJ amphitheater where the opera was to be filmed. The stage director maintained careful covid safety guidelines, complete with masking and social distancing. The sound technicians learned to work around the noise of airplanes, dry leaves, and passing traffic.
For the stream in Kinshasa, Operanauts director of production Samuel Niaty organized an opera music fête, including food, drinks, and a live performance featuring music by Mozart. Then, the stream began, and ran uninterrupted, no small feat in a city that struggles with blackouts. The young audience was inspired. Click here for “Operanauts Fête for Young Musicians” https://youtu.be/RlcGR-RKgDM
When production had finished and the fête was over, the bonds of empathy that the performance had formed remained behind. Operanauts was able to employ out-of-work singers, musicians, and crew members in the US, and the music community in Kinshasa got to benefit from their work. In doing so, Operanauts was able to fulfill its mission better than ever before.
Operanauts would like to extend their deepest gratitude to everyone involved in the production in the U.S. and Kinshasa. The team took on a challenging project during an uncertain moment, giving countless hours to the benefit of people they had never met, in a country they had never seen. Their selflessness and professionalism is exceptional. Click here for the webpage “Operanauts presents Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors” https://www.operanauts.org/latest-news/operanauts-presents-menottis-amahl-and-the-night-visitors-streaming-free-worldwide/