| Something like 3% of all adults in this country | | | | on their second visit to the performance. That |
| attends the opera, according to the National | | | | speaks not only to the Nashville Opera's |
| Endowment for the Arts. It's always been | | | | impressive creativity in folding technology into |
| thought of as an elite art form and it's popular | | | | their productions, but their marketing acumen as |
| following remains miniscule. The municipal opera | | | | well. |
| company based in Nashville has undertaken a | | | | Interviews with attendees who took advantage |
| number of steps to expand interest in its art | | | | of the podcasts for the Romeo and Juliet |
| form. Nashville is the home and commercial center | | | | productions showed mixed reactions. For many, it |
| for country music - there are thousands of | | | | was not so much an annoyance as a sensory |
| musicians in the area and the odds are that, | | | | overload. Many with an appreciation for the drama |
| outside of the opera performers, none of them | | | | and the magnificent singers had trouble absorbing |
| sing in Italian. | | | | the voice in their ear and the face in their lap. The |
| The Nashville Opera has focused on | | | | Nashville Opera marketing director has a viable |
| contemporizing its product by developing | | | | concept in the notion that the commentary would |
| educational programs in the community and by | | | | add an extra dimension to a second viewing of a |
| performing distinctly non-classical compositions in | | | | production. |
| opera format, including one written by a | | | | Some viewers loved the addition of the |
| country-western artist. One of the interesting | | | | commentary, particularly those portions provided |
| things they have undertaken at the end of their | | | | by the players themselves. It has to be a |
| current season is providing podcasts with the | | | | fascinating dichotomy, listening to a |
| director's commentary. These podcasts are | | | | mezzo-soprano deliver a complicated aria with |
| downloaded from the Opera Company's website, | | | | astonishing expertise while her everyday voice is |
| one for each of the three acts of their last | | | | describing the experience in the other ear. |
| production of the year, Romeo and Juliet.iPods in | | | | The role of podcasts as an adjunct to live events |
| hand and ear bugs in place, opera goers are | | | | remains to be established. But what the Nashville |
| instructed to start their MP3 rolling at the sound | | | | Opera has done is an impressive step in bringing |
| of the act's first note. They are then provided | | | | their musical presentations authored hundreds of |
| with an audio and tiny video podcast of | | | | years ago into the entertainment world of the |
| commentary from the director as the opera | | | | twenty first century. It's conceivable that what is |
| progresses through its scenes. Members of the | | | | an overload for an opera veteran might be a |
| cast are involved too, describing what it is | | | | natural combination for a child of the technical age. |
| happening onstage as the wired audience member | | | | Kids who have grown up with iPods may find a |
| listens to the cast member describe what it's like | | | | second audio component in the ear as natural as |
| to be going through the paces. | | | | sitting in class and listening to tunes. With some |
| The Nashville Opera understands that an iPod in | | | | persistence, the Nashville Opera may be able to |
| your ear while you're watching a classical | | | | make their combination of classical music and |
| production sung in a foreign language can be | | | | drama with handheld media the next product in |
| distracting. That's why they are suggesting the | | | | the Apple iStore - or the next market Bill Gates |
| viewer use the commentary as an enhancement | | | | tries to corner. |