Search Results for: Angela Meade
Vocal Fireworks: Angela Meade on Singing Norma
A Night in the Life of Angela Meade
https://youtu.be/4WnPpQdshQI
What A Night in the Life of Angela Meade above
Seven Opera-Themed Halloween Costumes for 2017
This Halloween, don’t settle for a costume that’s stale or subpar. Using LA Opera as your inspiration, find the perfect get-up that’ll both wow the crowd and allow you to stand out!

La Belle et La Bête
Student’s Corner: LA Opera 90012 – 2015 Season Begins

Katie Lee, Marita Bos- Villalobos, Elizabeth Surman, and Antonia Sterns at LA 90012 2015 Orientation on October 27
Word is spreading among Los Angeles teens that opera is not what they think it is. The productions are not dusty and dull, but instead are gloriously alive – full of passionate drama that’s sure to entertain even the most skeptical audience member. When LA Opera 90012 kicked off the new season with an orientation this past October, the room was buzzing with anticipation.
Don’t know about LA 90012? It’s one of the coolest contests in town. Students in grades 7 – 12 are invited to enter a competition for the chance to win a mini subscription, for themselves and a chaperone, to see four operas, absolutely free. It’s a great program made possible by a donation by Fred Rheinstein, who knew how opera is a great way for teens and parents to connect. While Rheinstein passed away two years ago, we are so grateful for his contribution and his legacy lives on.
As a Student Ambassador, I arrived early to help set up for the orientation. Once everything was ready, we split up to do our different jobs. Along with my fellow Ambassador Marita Bos, I stood outside at the backstage entrance to welcome participants.
#WordWednesday: Cavatina

Angela Meade as the title character in Norma (2015); Photo: Ken Howard
CAVATINA (13 Scrabble Points) – Italian – Cavatina is a short operatic aria in simple style without repeated sections. Norma’s famous aria “Casta diva” is a classic example of this. Short and simplistic or long and melodic, Norma’s incredible cast will surely blow you away.
Can’t get enough of Norma? We’ve collected some articles to get you in the druid spirit below.
Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma is arguably the ultimate girl power opera, with a fiery and dramatic plot that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. To help everyone get in an empowering mood, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 girl-power anthems for you to listen to until the opening night of Norma this Saturday. Here’s a list of 10 stellar girl power songs.
Directing Norma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6oGBJbok64
“My dream is to become a little old lady opera director.”
– Anne Bogart
Norma is arguably Vincenzo Bellini’s masterpiece. It’s a vocal fireworks of an opera, where singers utilize every tactic in their vocal range to express the deepest of emotions: love. Director Anne Bogart and designer Neil Patel understand this implicitly. Their Norma is a version that removes the frippery, “the spectacle of the mis en scene” and in turn fuels the vocal energy at the core of Bellini’s storytelling.
This is a style of theater that Bogart advocates as the Co-Artistic Director of the famed New York theater institution, SITI Company, which she founded with Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki in 1992.
In Norma, Bogart brings her minimalist vision and unique acting technique to the operatic world. It’s a medium that serves Bogart’s vision well. She believes that “the kernel at the heart of the theatrical experience is terror,” but in theater the struggle is “how do we create a moment that creates that ancient terror while also having some restraint?”
Norma’s Girl Power Playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WnPpQdshQI
Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma is arguably the ultimate girl power opera, with a fiery and dramatic plot that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Norma tells the story of Druid High Priestess Norma (Angela Meade), who loves and has two children with her greatest enemy – Pollione (Russell Thomas), the leader of an occupying Roman army. It turns out that Pollione’s affections have shifted to a younger priestess named Adalgisa (Jamie Barton).
I know what you’re thinking – what’s so girl power about that? Well, after discovering that they both love the same man, Norma and Adalgisa put their differences aside, team up, and set out to unravel their tangled situation before their Druid tribesman revolt and declare war against the Romans.

Norma; Photo: Craig T. Mathew
To help everyone get in an empowering mood, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 girl-power anthems for you to listen to until the opening night of Norma this Saturday. Here’s a list of 10 stellar girl power songs.
Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JRgHol94Xc
Respect – Aretha Franklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0POmdK18WU
Fighter – Cristina Aguilera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PstrAfoMKlc
Girl On Fire – Alicia Keyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J91ti_MpdHA
I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I
Music Monday: Norma’s “Casta diva”

Angela Meade as the title character in Norma (2015); Photo: Ken Howard
“Casta diva” from Bellini’s Norma is one of the most recognizable soprano arias, found in pop culture from many soundtrack appearances (Mildred Pierce, anyone?) and legendary renditions by the likes of Maria Callas (see below), Joan Sutherland, and Beverly Sills. Norma takes place on a Druid temple mountaintop during the Roman occupation of Gaul. It follows the heartbreak of Druid priestess Norma, who unbeknownst to her followers, fell in love and has two children with Pollione, the leader of the Roman forces. The Druids call for her to declare war on the Romans. Yet, Norma does not want to destroy the man she loves. During “Casta diva,” she prays to the Goddess for peace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rjGwS20V94
Placido Domingo Announces LA Opera’s 2015/2016 Season
Plácido Domingo has announced LA Opera’s 2015/16 season, which is dedicated to you, the audience, and our community! This exciting 30th Anniversary Season is filled with audience favorites, with plenty of LA Opera flair thrown in for good measure. The season … Continue reading