Liege Opera Royal de Wallonie

Palais Opéra de Liège

Tonight my dear friend Jacques Ogg whisked me to the nearby city of Liege for an opera that for me was a true tour de force:

I CAPULETI E I MONTECCHI: a TRAGEDIA LIRICA IN TWO ACTS. Music by Vincenzo BELLINI. Libretto by Felice ROMANI.

First performed at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice, on 11 March 1830. Editions Ricordi.

From their website:

The story is that of Romeo and Juliet, drawn from the work by Shakespeare, which has been the subject of many musical versions since the Renaissance. However, Bellini and his librettist Romani were inspired by the great English playwright only indirectly, basing their work instead on some Italian texts from the 15^th century. The result, however, can be considered as one of the masterpieces of the Sicilian composer, who died prematurely at the age of thirty-four.

In this work, melody reaches perfection, offering pages of sublime music that is unparalleled in the entire history of song. The orchestration is simple and serves as a back-drop for the voices.

Liège welcomes two bel canto stars for this opera: Patrizia Ciofi, Giulietta, and Laura Polverelli, Roméo. After her magnificent performance of Maria Stuarda here, Patrizia Ciofi moved on to the role of Giulietta at the Opéra Bastille. She will soon be at La Scala for Il Viaggio a Reims and will sing the title role in La Traviata at the Chorégies d'Orange in summer 2009 and at La Fenice in September. Her schedule is unbelievably busy…

Alongside her, we will welcome Laura Polverelli for the first time. This pair of exceptional performers will undoubtedly lift this essentially beautiful music to its peak. To direct a work of such sensitivity, we can rely on the delicate, flowing direction of Luciano Acocella. We will also experience for the first time the work of Cristina Muti, founder and leading light of the prestigious Ravenna Festival. In parallel with this important role, the artist is currently pursuing a very successful career as a director.

Pecha Kucha Maastricht

Susan Schaefer performs

The Poetry of Change @

PechaKucha Night Maastricht

Sat 20 Feb 2010 @ 20:20

Location: AINSI, Kanaaldijk 112-113, 6212 NA Maastricht
Start: 20.20 hours, be in early!
Door: €5

20x20 What is PechaKucha?

PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.

It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide.

Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat", it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

Needless to say I'm nervous and excited to be one of the 12 presenters. What a great opportunity to get back on stage after so long an absence. Years ago I was ringleader of a group of poets known as 'The Star Bards' taking our name from the alternative newspaper that i ran with my then-hubby, Bob Ingram, The South Street Star of Philadelphia.

In this poetic homage to change, I will weave my own and other’s poetry along with established theories of human development hoping to inspire the audience to consider their extra ordinary qualities to embark on self-transformation.

Pecha Kucha Maastricht is managed by a really cool group of local creatives who professionally video tape each presentation and post it to their incredibly professional website. Check out who and what has come before.

I will miss not having my far-flung friends in the audience, but at least you'll be able to catch the 'act'.

Green Card!

Mother-in-Law Geri, Marcel and I at Dutch Immigration seconds after receiving my permanent resident card. Martijn would have been so pleased.

We all agreed that Martijn is smiling upon and with us on this big event.

Today Geri and Marcel took me to the city of Eindhoven, an hour north of Maastricht, where the officials of Dutch immigration (IND) handed me my official permanent residency permit. Still a U.S. citizen, but now I can come and go from my second home, the Netherlands, freely and have full permission to work. As you can see I was very happy and so lucky that my family decided to come along for this big event. Tonight I sorely missed not having my dear 'frog' to wrap his arms around me, but truthfully his love is shining all around and deep within.