Make Some Change

It’s no secret that the economy isn’t so great right now. And that not-so-great economy is having an extreme impact on our donors, grants and the organization as a whole. Opera Columbus almost went under three years ago and we are committed to making sure we’re around for a long time. That wouldn’t be possible without the support we’ve received from the Columbus community and our commitment to fiscal responsibility.

I’m gonna be honest with you: Opera Columbus is struggling. We need to raise $90,000 by June 30 to finish the year in the black. (In other words, we need this to meet our budget and not carry forward any debt to next year. It's a big deal.)

Have you ever uddered the phrase, “I’d love to donate to the arts but I just don’t have the money.” I know, I have, too. But even the smallest amounts add up, and this can make a huge difference for Opera Columbus.

How? So glad you asked!

We’re launching a grassroots fundraising campaign called “Make Change for Opera Columbus.” We know times are tough for everyone, but all we’re asking you to do is donate your spare change to Opera Columbus. Come on, I know you have some sitting on top of the dryer or on your dresser. Have a House Coffee instead of a Grande Double Mocha Chip Latte one day and donate the difference to the Opera. $1, $5, $10 from enough people can have a huge impact on Central Ohio’s only professional opera company.

Let me put it this way: My co-worker, Lisa (@Minxy_OperaCols) has 800 followers on Twitter. If each of those followers donated $2, that would raise $1,600 for the organization. $1,600 could pay for an ad to promote our next show, it could pay for English-language supertitles for one production, it could pay for almost three in-school touring shows, it could help pay our utilities, it could pay for hardware used to put together sets onstage for one production…basically, it will help keep us alive and sharing this wonderful artform with our community. We mean it when we say that every little bit helps.

Where can I donate? Well, friends, there are several ways:

1. Stop by the Opera Columbus offices (177 East Naghten Street) Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or Friday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. We’re up on the second floor. You can drop change off there.

2. Visit us at a community programming event:

• May 30: Opera at the North Market from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

• Check our calendar of events for other events between now and June 30.

3. Donate online to "Make Change for Opera Columbus"

• You can donate online using the Twitter application, Tipjoy. You can simply tweet "p $2 @OperaColumbus to help our cause http://bit.ly/8sfil @tipjoy" or use the tool below or in the side bar. You'll need to set up an account with TipJoy in order for your donation to reach Opera Columbus. Read more about TipJoy here.

UPDATE: Don't have a Twitter account but want to donate online? No worries. Just use the "Make Change" tool to your right. All you have to do is enter your e-mail address. Instructions for completing your donation will arrive in your inbox.

How else can I help? My, you are so thoughtful. Thanks for asking.

One simple way (besides donating) you can help: Tell others. Use the power of social media to share this cause with others. At happy hour, tell your friends. E-mail 10 of your friends and ask them to make some change for Opera Columbus.

Here's another way you can help: Put a change receptacle in your office, business, etc. The more opportunities people have to "Make Change" the more change we can make. Contact Lisa by e-mail, Twitter or phone (614.461.8101) to get a change receptacle. Our goal for "Make Change" isn't to raise the full $90,000 we need, although it would be pretty sweet if we could. Our goal is to "make change" by raising $2,000 by June 30. I believe we can do it (and we can watch the status on our goal tracker to the right). Please consider donating and helping to "Make Change for Opera Columbus." Your $.75, $1.00 or $5.00 donation will make a huge difference and will help to ensure Opera Columbus is around for a long time.

Special thanks to Huntington Bank for generously agreeing to count all the money raised to "Make Change for Opera Columbus." And, thanks to you, in advance, for your support.

Plus, how often can you say, a cow asked me to donate to the opera? It will make for great happy hour/dinner party conversation.

Press Worthy

You know your Opera Company is in good hand/hooves when your Executive Director is often recognized for his good work. And it's recognition from the well respected business community (how often does that happen in the world of arts?). The staff is thrilled that Press is being honored for being the amazing, fearless leader that we all know he is.

Guess I should get to the point and tell you about the award...

Press received the 2009 Pace Setter Executive Award at a ceremony held on May 14, 2009 at the Blackwell Inn on the Campus of The Ohio State University (OSU).

The Pace Setter Executive Award is an annual award given to a “pace setter” of the business community. The Executive Award is one of OSU Fisher College of Business’ most important awards, as it recognizes the ideals that the school strives to instill in its students. Previous award winners include Irving Schottenstein, Charles Y. Lazarus, John B. Gerlach, Sr., Katherine S. LeVeque and John H. McConnell, among others.

And here's a little background on the amazing man:

Press, 1975 OSU graduate and a Vietnam veteran, has been Opera Columbus’ Executive Director since 2006. During this time, he has helped the organization achieve a significant turnaround in its operation and financial well-being. Press is extremely committed to the success and growth of the Columbus arts community and currently serves as the president of the Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium.

From 1975 to his retirement in 2001, Press was with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), formerly Coopers & Lybrand LLP. The last 17 years, he was a partner in the firm’s financial services practice.

Throughout his career at PwC and into his retirement, Press has been active in community service. He held the position of chair/president for nine different organizations. In the mid-1990s, he received the Beta Alpha Psi (Professional Accounting Fraternity) Outstanding Alumni Award. In June 2007, he was recognized by the Ohio Society of CPAs with the Gold Medal for Meritorious Service to the Profession, its highest honor.

Congrats, Press. You rock!

The Bovine Opera

A friend just alerted me to this story about a cow making a run for it in Jamaica, Queens. All I can say is, "You go girl!"

The story of the fleeing cow is very operatic in nature: oppressed female escapes her captors, disappears into the night in a quest for freedom and along the way finds her true love, but in a tragic turn of events the lovers cannot be together (I may have elaborated, just a little). I think the first opera featuring a cow in the leading role might be in the works. I'd be happy to provide input on it's creation. Feel free to contact my agent (note to self: find agent). Oh, I can sing the lead too (note to self: brush up my singing voice) and every note would be extremely mooving.

A Columbus Celebration

On Saturday, over 175 people came out to enjoy Opera Ball 25: a Columbus Celebration. As you can see in the video montage above (done by the fabulous Amy Parrish - check out her site here, check out additional photos here and tell all your friends about her), a grand time was had by all. My favorite part of the evening? The Kahiki inspired Mai Tais - they even smoked! It was so cool. I also loved looking at the 30+ silent auction items, encouraging bidding on our seven live auction items, grazing on the food (inspired by iconic Columbus restaurants) and dancing the night away. The next morning my four hooves were still sore from dancing, but the smile was still on my face from the amazing night.

These are the first faces you see as you come into the ball.
Not a bad way to start the evening.

Eric and I took a moment to enjoy the view of the beautiful
Atrium at Nationwide Plaza.

Here Eric and I bid on a fabulous auction item (alas, we did not win).

Here I am talking up the live auction items to Bill Curlis,
one of the Ball co-chairs, and Press.

Here I am enjoying the company of 30+ bottles of wine
(this was our raffle prize of the evening - I'm bummed I didn't win)

Lisa & Ben hadn't seen the dining room, so I
gave them a little tour. It sure looked beautiful!

Chase Away the Rainy Day Blues

In case you didn't know, I'm a bit of an opera geek. I especially love hearing new talent. That's exactly why I'm so excited for our annual Irma M. Cooper Opera Columbus International Vocal Competition this weekend! Twenty-eight talented singers from across the nation, ranging in age from 22 - 35, will be coming to Columbus to compete for cash, prizes and operatic glory (and they'll probably be fighting to get their picture taken with yours truly).

The competition begins with the free semi-finals on Saturday (March 28) at 10 a.m. and lasts until 1 p.m. then it's time for a lunch break. The competition resumes at 3:30 and goes until 6 p.m. From there the judges have to narrow the field to eight singers all of whom will sing on Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday's finals cost $10 (and are free to Opera Columbus subscribers) . Tickets are available at the door the day of the finals. We're supposed to have showers all weekend in Columbus so I can think of nothing better to beat the rainy day blues than by listening to some amazing opera singers.

I promise you this year's competition will be one the best yet. We have three amazing judges: Kristin Cowdin (Artist Manager at Guy Barzilay), Diane Kesling (accomplished opera singer and director) and Lenore Rosenberg (Associate Artistic Administrator of the Metropolitan Opera). The very talented Donna Hallen Loewy will be our accompanist for the weekend (her fingers are going to be tired after playing for 28 people on Saturday and eight more on Sunday!).

Best of all, this year's competion is going to be dedicated to our dear friend, Paul Hickfang. Paul has been involved with the competition since it's inception. Paul passed away earlier this year. We miss him dearly and are looking forward to honoring him this weekend.

Special thanks to Johanna, Jeryl, Eric and all our wonderful volunteers for making this weekend possible.

Hope I see you at Weigel Hall (on OSU's campus) this weekend! Seriously, take this cow's word - you don't want to miss it!

Irish Broadway

Let me let you in on a little secret. I love (LOVE) NPR. I mean, I can't get enough. If this makes me a super geek, so be it. I would be lost with out National Public Radio.

This morning I was listening to 89.7 WOSU and I heard the most fascinating story about Naghten Street, the very street on which Opera Columbus sits! My favorite part of the story was learning that the street was once called Irish Broadway. How cool is that?!?! Picture it: lots of green, sparkly costumes, gold tap shoes, top hats... I digress. So, thanks to our friends at WOSU (and information from the historical marking on the street) here's a wee bit o' Columbus Irish history for you in honor of St. Patrick's Day:

Thousands of Irish immigrants came to Columbus to seek personal and religious freedom. With the "Great Hunger" in Ireland and the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal and the National Road, immigration to Columbus increased in the mid nineteenth century. They initially settled in the north side of the city in the swamp flats, where inexpensive land was available and work could be had on the railroads. Settlement spread to Franklinton, on Naghten Street, later known as "Irish Broadway"- part of which is now Nationwide Boulevard, and to nearby Flytown. The immigrants became domestic workers, civil servants, entrepreneurs, and served the city in police and fire departments. Others were leaders in government, law, medicine, and education. Their legacy continues today in the Irish-American population of Columbus, Ohio.

These are only a representative few of the Irish individuals and groups who were prominent in the formation of Columbus. IRISH IN COLUMBUS BEFORE OHIO STATEHOOD Lucas Sullivant, Founder of Franklinton in 1797 John Brickell, Early settler IRISH IN COLUMBUS DURING EARLY STATEHOOD Thomas Kirker, Ohio's 2nd governor, acting 1807-08 term John Kerr, 2nd Mayor of Columbus Alfred Kelley, Father of Ohio Canals, Ohio and Erie Canal Developer, and Legislator IRISH IN COLUMBUS AFTER THE GREAT HUNGER (1845) Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis, St. Francis Hospital Dominican Sisters, St. Mary of the Springs, St. Mary of the Springs Academy William "Billy" Naghten, Columbus City Council President Patrick Egan, Franklin County Coroner for ten terms Jeremiah O'Shaughnessy, Superintendent, Division of Water, Columbus, Ohio.

Cast Your Ballot

So, my blog-reading friends, I have a teeny, tiny favor to ask of you.

Columbus Monthly is a top-notch, monthly magazine here in beautiful Columbus. Each year they have a "Best of Columbus" issue where people can vote on everything from the best Columbus Chinese restaurant to TV anchor to performing arts organization (you see where this is going?). Here's where we need your help. Please take a minute and cast your vote for Opera Columbus as your favorite Columbus performing arts organization. Click here to cast your ballot. It only takes a few minutes and you could win a $100 gift certificate from one of the restaurants voted best by the readers of the poll. Plus you will receive my undying love and affection (and I know that's what everyone really wants).

Oh, and it would be pretty awesome if you voted for "Udderly Fabulous" as the best blog. Just throwing that out there (hint, hint).

For my Columbus-based readers, don't forget it's Restaurant Week! More than 40 Dine Original member restaurants, from casual to fine dining, are participating. Each restaurant has prepared a special fixed-priced menu- some restaurants at $15 and some at $30 (excluding gratuity and tax). I've already been to a couple, and take my word for it - the menus are to die for! It's such an amazing deal!

So, first, vote for Opera Columbus (and "Udderly Fabulous") then treat yourself to an amazing dinner at one of Columbus' best restaurants. You deserve it.