Yes, folks, I know you don’t hobnob with the rich and famous close personal friends with Elton John ,Rufus Wainwright but I certainly do. Indeed, I am so close to Rufus that sometimes he gets me on the blower and asks if he can borrow a tenner till he gets paid.
No, really.
Or at least some variation thereof.
Indeed, we are so close he not only refers to me as friend but also as the “last grand chorus” -the last a little patronizingly to be honest, but hey I’ll take it. And any way, why all this new found buddy buddy bromance stuff? Because he wants me to help finance a recording of his spectacularly bad Opera “Prima Donna”. Needless to say, I have no intention of doing anything of the sort; the man is so rich it is a little on the Icky side. Really, how much can it cost to record an orchestra? Say he goes berzerk and top of the line than maybe $100K? $150K… Or as Rufus would call it, chump change.
So here is Rufus letter to the great grand chorus:
“Dear
friends,
We are about to embark on an exciting project which will fulfill a powerful
desire of mine — to properly record my first opera, Prima Donna with a fabulous orchestra and
release a double CD and vinyl of that recording. I would love for you to be a
part of this journey as we move through the process and create a magnificent
product.
Prima Donna, was
written and performed during the most dramatic period of my life to date, and
considering my life, that’s pretty dramatic! New arrivals, death, terrible
defeat and glorious triumph line the tale of this work both on stage and off, a
tale that is still unfolding and that I would both like you to know and even
more importantly, be a part of. From the early rocky days with the Metropolitan
Opera, the valiant premiere at the Manchester International Festival, sold out
shows in London and Toronto and finally the firestorm involvement with the New
York City Opera at BAM, the tale of Prima
Donna‘s coming to life is already well deemed for a grand opera
legend and seems to be growing still.
This is where you come in, the final great chorus!
It is vitally important to me that Prima
Donna be properly recorded and released so that I can tour a
concert version of it in the coming year, and I have decided to do this with
the help of both PledgeMusic
and the incredible BBC Radio Orchestra which in turn requires your generous
support. Quality studio opera recordings are extremely expensive and too time
consuming to pull off these days, and it seems that a once vibrant recording
industry is no longer what it was and new methods are needed to get the music
out. Though sad, the upside is that everyone in the field agrees that this is a
great time to bring the audience into the wonders of the creative process and
the myriad of stages the recording of an opera requires. Exciting rehearsals,
deep conversations, strange and colorful characters, not to mention many a
silly moment, all of this I’m truly excited to experience with you until that
glorious moment when the conductor, myself the composer, the orchestra, the
singers and the recording crew turn on the red light and put down for posterity
my first magnum opus, Prima
Donna.
Supporters that pre-order the album will receive access to exclusive behind the
scenes updates. Another part of the campaign is that Pledgers have access to
exclusives that include signed CDs, scores, name listings in album liner notes,
dinner with the cast at the London Wrap Party, going to an opera of your choice
with me, VIP concert access and even a private concert at one of the lucky
Pledger’s homes.
I’m appealing to you, my loyal and esteemed fans, for help to achieve this
dream. Pledge your
support here.
For those who don’t know, the opera is a two act affair set on the day in the
life of a great diva who is deciding whether or not to continue her career.
With Paris as a backdrop, the opera both borrows from operatic myth and legend
as well as my own very contemporary personal experiences as a singer. The
themes of loss, fear, hope and ultimately acceptance are deeply explored in
this work by both the soloists and the orchestra, and I’m very proud that for a
first venture into the operatic world I love so much, though not a masterpiece
perhaps (that will come much later in my life), Prima Donna is a solid and viable offering
that both people love performing in and audiences enjoy watching and listening
to. It’s vitally important we get a quality recording for generations to come.
Thanks for taking the time to consider this unique offer and rest assured that
if you decide to come along for the ride, it’s gonna be a blast, opera
style….which is big.
-Rufus