User:Softlavender/SDT

Speed Dating Tonight! is a 2013 comic opera in one act by American composer Michael Ching, with a libretto by the composer. The opera, which depicts a night of two-minute speed dates at a night club, consists largely of a series of optional vignettes, so that the work itself is customizable to varying numbers of singers and voice types, and can be performed in productions of widely varying length.

Composed to be accessible even to non-opera audiences and non-professional singers, it has been performed by numerous university opera groups and small, regional, or amateur opera companies. Ching has also expanded the opera since its premiere, often adding at least one aria relevant to the region of each new production. A highly popular work, the opera has been cited as as "the most-performed American opera within a year of its premiere" and from 2013 through the end of 2018 received _______ productions.

WP:WikiProject_Opera/Article styles and formats

Inception and overview
Composer and librettist Michael Ching was commissioned for the opera in 2013. It was conceived by Dean Anthony, director of the Janiec Opera at the Brevard Music Center and premiered there in July 2013, produced and directed by Anthony at the Brevard Music Festival. The official production notes state that

"[Speed Dating Tonight!] is conceived as a show that can be easily produced by young artist training programs, colleges, and university opera programs. It can be presented in a formal theatre or black box, or performed in a bar. Because of its flexible casting requirements, it allows for maximum participation by available singers. Vocal demands of the opera are not strenuous – rather the show is an exercise in characterization. The centerpiece of the opera is a series of 90 second "dates" which can be put together in whatever order or key desired."

The opera for up to 45 singers or more can be adapted for varying numbers of singers, voice types, gender ratios, and length of time, by cutting, re-ordering, or transposing the keys of the vignettes. Additional 2013–2014 production venues included Amarillo Opera, Southern Utah University, Ithaca College, University of Central Florida, Microsopic Opera (Pittsburgh), Poor Richard's Opera (Philadelphia), and elsewhere, and it has been cited as "the most-performed American opera within a year of its premiere".

Synopsis
The opera is divided into three sections – the opening, the dates, and the finale.

Event announcements

 * , Northern State University, at a restaurant with diners
 * , . Stanford
 * ,, University of Central Oklahoma
 * , Southwestern University
 * ,, , , Fargo-Moorhead Opera
 * , University of New Mexico
 * ,, Kansas State University
 * Adelphi University
 * ,, Vanderbilt University
 * Ithaca College
 * West Texas A&M University
 * Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
 * ,  Ouachita Baptist University
 * Arkansas State University
 * , University of Texas at San Antonio
 * University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
 * , Humboldt State University
 * Texas State University
 * University of Texas at El Paso
 * Mississippi State University
 * , Kennesaw State University
 * , Sam Houston State University

Companies with Wikipedia articles

 * , Tri-Cities Opera Company
 * ,, , , Gulfshore Opera


 * ,, , Savannah VOICE Festival
 * Crane School of Music
 * , Butler School of Music

Other venues/companies

 * ,
 * Amarillo Opera
 * https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2018/03/24/soaring-50th-jubilee-gala-palm-springs-opera-guild-desert/447955002/
 * high-school student production
 * https://www.idahostatesman.com/living/article211325539.html
 * winery

Major media

 * https://denver.cbslocal.com/2016/02/14/try-speed-dating-and-enjoy-a-night-at-the-opera/
 * Opera Roanoke. "Has been performed at a lot of restaurants".
 * http://citymagazineonline.com/opera-roanoke-presents-speed-dating-tonight/
 * http://operaroanoke.org/speed-dating-tonight/
 * https://www.iowapublicradio.org/post/ipr-presents-speed-dating-tonight-sneak-peek Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre
 * https://www.hooplanow.com/things-to-do/45295-cedar-rapids-opera-theatre-young-artists-speed-dating-tonight-brucemore
 * http://www.panhandlepbs.org/blogs/play-here/wt-opera-students-are-loving-blind-in-new-production-of-speed-dating-tonight/
 * https://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/274850491.html
 * https://www.abqjournal.com/867896/speed-dating-tonight-operatic-musical-chairs-for-lovers.html
 * http://www.tpr.org/post/operatic-date-night-takes-stage
 * https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/communities/the-banner/2017/02/10/sopranos-speed-opera-drops-singles-bar/97688906/
 * https://www.kmfa.org/pages/2454-the-southwestern-university-opera-theatre-presents-speed-dating-tonight
 * https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/music-stage/article/Opera-addresses-the-ups-and-downs-of-dating-12223992.php San Antonio Express-News
 * https://www.aberdeennews.com/entertainment/catch-dinner-and-a-show-about-dating-this-week-at/article_e16e6553-cc96-5d18-ab2f-b80efadd6efd.html The American News
 * "There are about 65 scenarios to choose from" (January 2019)
 * https://www.dosavannah.com/entertainmentlife/20180807/savannah-voice-festival-stages-chings-speed-dating-tonight
 * https://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/one-act-operas-target-speed-dating-marriage/article_f0824cf8-1455-5a59-91f5-1f51e14baca1.html
 * https://thesunbreak.com/2014/09/18/opera-on-taps-speed-dating-tonight-makes-operatic-fun-for-drinkers/

Reviews

 * https://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/274850491.html
 * http://phindie.com/speed-dating-tonight-poor-richards-opera-fringe-review-5277/ Poor Richard's Opera, Philadelphia
 * (announcement)
 * (announcement)
 * http://themercury.com/features/arts_and_leisure/ksu-s-speed-dating-tonight-great-skit-great-score-great/article_e54f5bf7-b181-522e-b4b6-20bd59602a93.html
 * https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/music-stage/article/Opera-addresses-the-ups-and-downs-of-dating-12223992.php San Antonio Express-News

Good information

 * http://encompassarts.com/artist/speed-dating/ OVERVIEW
 * http://hsumusic.blogspot.com/2016/03/speed-dating-tonight-notes-and-bio.html Good overview
 * 
 * https://www.facebook.com/SpeedDatingTonightOpera/
 * https://www.facebook.com/pg/SpeedDatingTonightOpera/about/
 * https://www.northern.edu/news/nsu-opera-presents-michael-chings-speed-dating-tonight EXCELLENT
 * https://www.dosavannah.com/entertainmentlife/20180807/savannah-voice-festival-stages-chings-speed-dating-tonight
 * https://www.abqjournal.com/867896/speed-dating-tonight-operatic-musical-chairs-for-lovers.html
 * https://www.visitbemidji.com/event/speed-dating-tonight-opera-experience/2017-03-05/
 * http://www.tpr.org/post/operatic-date-night-takes-stage
 * https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/communities/the-banner/2017/02/10/sopranos-speed-opera-drops-singles-bar/97688906/
 * https://pac.adelphi.edu/au_event/adelphi-opera-theatre-7/
 * https://naples.floridaweekly.com/articles/gulfshore-opera-invites-audiences-to-try-speed-dating-tonight/
 * https://www.tricitiesopera.com/portfolio/speed-dating-tonight/
 * https://www.nashvilledowntown.com/do/speed-dating-tonight
 * https://www.nats.org/_Library/Event_Documents/2016ConvGrid.pdf#page=5
 * https://www.suu.edu/pva/pdf/press/2014/2014-12-05-opera-competition-2014-victory-pr.pdf
 * https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/cedar-city/2014/12/07/suu-opera-bags-prestigious-prize/20041013/ The Spectrum
 * http://www.panhandlepbs.org/blogs/play-here/wt-opera-students-are-loving-blind-in-new-production-of-speed-dating-tonight/
 * https://thesunbreak.com/2014/09/18/opera-on-taps-speed-dating-tonight-makes-operatic-fun-for-drinkers/
 * https://www.pressconnects.com/story/entertainment/2015/02/25/tco-stages-comedic-speed-dating-opera-weekend/23991769/
 * https://www.aberdeennews.com/entertainment/catch-dinner-and-a-show-about-dating-this-week-at/article_e16e6553-cc96-5d18-ab2f-b80efadd6efd.html
 * https://www.steamboatpilot.com/explore-steamboat/audience-will-engage-with-speed-dating-tonight-presented-by-steamboats-emerald-city-opera/ site=specific lyrics
 * https://faculty.ithaca.edu/bdemaris/news/opera-workshop-presents-new-opera:-speed-dating-tonight-37193/
 * http://themercury.com/features/arts_and_leisure/ksu-s-speed-dating-tonight-great-skit-great-score-great/article_e54f5bf7-b181-522e-b4b6-20bd59602a93.html
 * https://www.coastalbreezenews.com/articles/gulfshore-opera-presents-speed-dating-tonight/
 * https://www.kstatecollegian.com/2018/03/16/k-state-theatre-presents-evolving-opera-speed-dating-tonight/
 * https://obu.edu/news/2017/11/01/ouachita-opera-theatre-present-speed-dating-tonight-nov-16-19/
 * https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2977196
 * https://www.uwsp.edu/ucm/news/Pages/OperaWorkshop17.aspx
 * https://www.fmopera.org/speed-dating-tonight
 * https://www.wpr.org/speed-dating-tonight-opera
 * https://events.shsu.edu/event/opera_performance_speed_dating_tonight_by_michael_ching_2387#.XHMjPaJKjcs

Number of productions

 * https://www.newmusicusa.org/profile/michael-ching/
 * https://www.nats.org/_Library/Event_Documents/2016ConvGrid.pdf#page=5
 * https://ecspublishing.com/composers/c/ching
 * http://www.tpr.org/post/operatic-date-night-takes-stage
 * https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/communities/the-banner/2017/02/10/sopranos-speed-opera-drops-singles-bar/97688906/
 * https://www.operaamerica.org/applications/nawd/newworks/details.aspx?id=1815
 * https://soundcloud.com/michael-ching-3

Awards

 * https://www.noa.org/competitions/opera-production/2013-2014-winners.html
 * https://www.txstate.edu/news/news_releases/news_archive/2015/December-2015/Opera120415.html

Musical theatre

 * https://www.naplesillustrated.com/event/gulfshore-opera-presents-speed-dating-tonight/

Etc.

 * https://www.iowapublicradio.org/post/june-july-ias-features-texas-tenors-authors-festival-and-more Is this broadcast available?
 * https://www.worldcat.org/title/six-songs-from-speed-dating-tonight/oclc/1006309144

Etc. about Ching

 * https://ecspublishing.com/composers/c/ching
 * https://events.ucsb.edu/event/ucsb-opera-theatre-presents-noa-dominick-argento-chamber-opera-competition-finalists/
 * https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwopera/article/Opera-Grants-For-Female-Composers-Awarded-To-Eight-Composers-20180313
 * https://www.broadwayworld.com/houston/article/Fort-Worth-Opera-Announces-Eight-Artists-Selected-For-The-201819-Fort-Worth-Opera-Texas-Christian-University-Lesley-Artist-Program-20180823
 * http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2003059516/