Assistant Artistic Director-David MacAdam, Ottawa Pocket Opera
Executive Director/PR & Marketing- Eileen Breen
Outreach- Sylvia Volk
Technical/Artistic Advisor- James Price, Hawaii Opera Theatre
Executive Director of the Riviera Theatre Partnership w/NCO- Frank Cannata
NICKEL CITY OPERA began as a vision by Valerian Ruminski, one of the few singers to become a living legacy of the former defunct Greater Buffalo Opera Company run by Gary Burgess from 1986-1997. In fits and starts NCO grew in meetings, parties and fund raisers until after a fortuitous article ran in the summer of 2007 in the Buffalo News discussing the future of opera in Buffalo the Riviera Theater called Mr. Ruminski to thank him for his kind words about the Riviera Theater and extend a hand of cooperation in finally staging live opera in Buffalo once more.
Frank Cannata and his staff have been wonderful and the working relationship between NCO and the Riviera is one that hopefully will thrive to bring more opera to WNY.
The mission of NCO is to present fully staged operas in the month of JUNE as a sort of Summer Opera Festival. Ideally 2 operas would be performed in the 2nd and 4th weeks of June bringing in talent from abroad, local talent and people from all over as spectators.
Furthermore, NCO plans to go to the schools in outreach, bring young talent from Buffalo into the fold to learn the art of stagecraft and singing and to, finally, establish itself as a thriving industry within the Buffalo community.
PRESS RELEASES
Valerian Ruminski to Stage ‘The Barber of Seville’ as his
Nickel City Opera’s Premiere Production
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Buffalo, NY—Buffalo native Valerian Ruminski is taking time out between seasonal engagements at The Metropolitan Opera to stage Rossini’s comedic farce, The Barber of Seville, June 26th and June 28th at The Riviera Theater in North Tonawanda, NY. As the first full production of his Nickel City Opera company, in addition to performing in the show, he has also taken on the role of Artistic Director. The production is a partnership of The Eastern Festival Symphony Orchestra of Westchester, NY and the opera repertory company Ottawa Pocket Opera from Ottawa, Ontario.
When The Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, NY received a grant from Governor Pataki, director Frank Cannata aspired to bring opera to the majestic theatre. He recalled an article from The Buffalo News quoting Mr. Ruminski regarding the future of opera in WNY in which he had looked to the landmark movie house as a potential base for his Nickel City Opera company. Due to its beauty, space and the acoustics of a European opera house it seemed to Mr. Cannata a perfect fit and a meeting was scheduled.
“Traditionally, opera was never performed in theatres over 2,000 seats,” recalls Valerian. “It’s not what the composers intended. Many of the historic opera houses in Europe are under 2,000 seats. The Riviera Theatre has 1,100 seats and the audience is able to experience, historically, how the art form was meant to be heard. There is something visceral about hearing the human voice unadulterated because you hear the voice from the singers’ mouth to the listener’s ear and there are no microphones.”
Valerian is a product of Buffalo’s former opera company, the Greater Buffalo Opera Company (GBOC), and was essentially raised by people in the Buffalo Arts Community. “I’m the only Buffalo native to go through the process of growth in the WNY opera scene and come out with a career. Now it’s my turn. I was given and now I must give back. One of my goals with Nickel City Opera is to premiere new operas in addition to staging operas in repertory. I have affiliations with exciting new opera composers who are in desperate need of venues to showcase their work. Most prominent of these is Buffalo composer Persis Vehar who had her opera ‘Hill of Bones’ premiered at Lockport’s Kenan Center back in 1995.” Valerian envisions staging two operas every June to create a local summer opera festival using a mixture of talented local and international singers. In addition, Nickel City Operaplans to do outreach to expose young talent to the art of stagecraft and singing as well as establishing itself as a thriving industry within the WNY community.
PRESS
BUFFALO NEWS
Nickel City Opera's 'Barber of Seville' deserving of accolades
By Mary Kunz Goldman
NEWS CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC
June 29, 2009
Want some popcorn with your opera? You can have it at the Riviera Theatre, where the new Nickel City Opera is in residence this weekend doing a bang-up job with Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.”
With so much good news surrounding the company’s first production, knowing where to begin is difficult. Friday’s performance of the slapstick opera by Gioachino Rossini featured tremendous voices, fine comic timing, lovely sets, sumptuous 18th century costumes and a competent orchestra. It topped the opera productions I have seen at the Chautauqua Institution. That was how good it was.
Earthy humor abounded. Directed by University at Buffalo graduate David MacAdam, the opera is being presented mostly in English, with a couple of arias in the original Italian. The words fit the music well, and the jokes were nonstop. This “Barber” had a youthful, populist feel, probably the way it did when Rossini wrote it.
From the beginning, you got the idea that the opera was in good hands. Benjamin Brecher, as the Count Almaviva, radiated the appropriate confidence. He navigated the twists and curlicues of the Count’s lines with clarity and panache.
This is high praise, but John Packard was the best Figaro I have ever seen, and others said the same thing. His singing is lusty, on the mark and marvelously expressive. He even does his own guitar playing, accompanying the count’s serenade.
As Rosina, Nadia Petrella is world class — beautiful and funny. Her high notes were clear as bells, her demanding lines dazzling. Even in the face of the treacherous “Una voce poco fa,” she projected humor and ease. That’s the crowning challenge of Rossini — you not only have to pull off challenging vocal derring-do, but you have to enjoy it.
A special bravo to Christopher Mallory, who made Don Bartolo a delight to watch and to hear. Making a bad-guy role consistently entertaining is challenging. Your eyes were always drawn to him.
Valerian Ruminski brought his usual vocal power and off-the-wall comedy to the role of Don Basilio.
Rosemaria Serrano was a fine Berta, and Brian Cheveries and Kendrew Heriveaux also distinguished themselves. The balance was good, and the ensemble work sparkled. One crowd scene involving a police force got as hilarious as a Marx Brothers movie. In a superb comic touch, one figure on stage slept all through it, his walking stick by his side. That is the kind of production this is. Nothing is neglected.
The Eastern Festival Symphony Orchestra, led by Zachary Israel Nobile Kampler, played well, especially considering it is a student orchestra. The violins’ pizzicato, the horns’ touches of color — it all admirably followed the breathless action on stage.
Finally, the Riviera itself was a star. It is a great place for opera, not too big or too small. The acoustics were good. A few members of OperaBuffs, who were out in force, pointed out that it reminded them of elegant European opera houses.
Opera Review
“The Barber of Seville”
Presented by Nickel City Opera, Friday night in the Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda. Another performance at 2:30 p. m. today. For more information, call 692-2413 or visit www.rivieratheatre.org.
I recently spoke on the phone with Valerian Ruminski, the bass baritone who has gone forth from Buffalo to make a noise in the opera world. That is Valerian smiling at left.
It is always fun to hear about Valerian's fast-paced life. He was recently hired as a professor voice at SUNY Westchester. And he is fresh back from two months in Hawaii, where he sang in "Carmen" and "Manon Lescaut" for the Hawaii Opera Theatre. He will be returning to Hawaii shortly to sing "The Marriage of Figaro." Valerian draws praise wherever he goes. One reviewer, covering a performance of Handel he gave last year in Avery Fisher Hall, pointed out his "outstanding coloratura facility."
And here is good news for us back in his hometown: Valerian has returned to his dream of arranging opera productions in the Buffalo area. For years, he has been kicking around the idea of a production company called Nickel City Opera. And now, he is arranging a co-production between this entity and a Canadian company, Ottawa Pocket Opera. They are planning a production of "The Barber of Seville" at North Tonawanda's Riviera Theatre on June 26 and 28.
Singers are still to be announced, but the production will feature the Eastern Festival Symphony, a student orchestra from Westchester. "They're good," Valerian says, "and they want the experience."
Mark your calendars, because this should be fun.
--Mary Kunz Goldman- THE BUFFALO NEWS
Ruminski, member of Wagner Society
Bass Valerian Ruminski, the Cheektowaga native who just returned from performing at the Hawaii Opera Theatre in Honolulu, recently performed and was accepted into the Wagner Society in Washington, DC.
Ruminski said the Emerging Singers Concert at the Austrian Embassy in Washington was his first foray into singing Wagner. Ruminski sang for American soprano, opera singer, and Grammy Award winner Evelyn Lear. He said she assured him that his voice “is equal to the task.”
Ruminski said as a member of the Wagner Society he will have unlimited access to Ms. Lear as guide and contact in the Wagnarian opera world. “I’ll be establishing myself as a Wagnarian bass,” he said. “I’m invited back. My next concert is in October ‘09 at the German Embassy in DC.”
Ruminski said singing Wagner is “a whole other kettle of fish for me.”
He struck up a rapport with Ms. Lear. For Ruminski, she autographed a program and gave her email to WNY priest Rev. Daniel Myszka. “So he can have access to an opera diva,” Ruminski said with a smile. Ruminski said he became friends with Rev. Myszka when he was assigned to Assumption Church in Black Rock and Ruminski was the organist there.
Locally, Ruminski is working on a one week production of Barbara of Seville with his Nickel City Opera company that will be performed at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda. It will be a co-production with Ottawa Pocket Opera and the Easter Festival Symphony Orchestra on Fri., June 26 at 8 p.m. and Sun., June 28 at 2 p.m. Nickel City Opera is currently looking for corporate sponsorship for the show.
Also in his future are performances with Ottawa Lyric Opera in Canada, Opera Ireland in Dublin, a return to Hawaii and performances with the Calgary Opera in Canada.
Ruminski will return to the Met in 2010-11 in Boris Godunov. –Roger Puchalski ‘Am-Pol Eagle’ Newspaper
# # #
BUSINESS FIRST ARTICLE- TRACY DRURY May 15, 2009
THE BRIDGE- June 2009 issue
BUFFALO SPREE - JUNE 2009
THE CHEEKTOWAGA BEE- JUNE , 11 2009
Valerian Ruminski’s Nickel City Opera
Achieves Overwhelming Success with first production
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Buffalo, NY-With a limited budget and a small staff and crew, Nickel City Opera staged “Barber of Seville” with tremendous audience turnout heralding glowing reviews and accolades, June 26th and June 28th at The Riviera Theatre in Buffalo, NY.
Nickel City Opera managed to secure a beautiful historic theatre, acquire sets, assemble major singers, a full orchestra and market the performances with the majority of the funding coming from advance ticket sales, small donations, fundraising events and ad sales for the program; all based on the faith of a good production.
Valerian Ruminski, Artistic Director and Founder of NCO is elated about its success, “The achievement of everyone involved in the Nickel City Opera production of ‘The Barber of Seville' cannot be understated. With the state of the national economy and the depressed state of the Western New York economy we actually hoisted up a new arts organization with a show that was a critical success artistically and, amazingly enough, financially viable. This past year saw the demise of 3 major opera companies....Orlando Opera, Opera Pacific and, most shockingly, Baltimore Opera. Nickel City Opera, I am proud to say, was built on old fashioned business ethics. A hard day’s work by a few committed people equaled an overwhelmingly positive outcome.”
Valerian Ruminski performed the role of Basilio in ‘The Barber of Seville’ and has performed in major opera houses around the world including The Metropolitan Opera, Miami Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera de Monte Carlo and Opera Montreal. The stellar cast also included, Baritone John Packard as Figaro of ‘Dead Man Walking’ fame and noted for his acclaimed performances at New York City Opera, Semper Opera in Dresden, Vienna, Teatro Comunale in Bologna and Modena and Theatre Erfurt in Germany. In addition, Tenor Ben Brecher as Almaviva, has performed with The New York City Opera, Opera de Montreal and the Chautauqua Opera.
Nickel City Opera is currently in the planning stages for its 2010 Summer Opera Festival and has announced Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’ to start the season in late June.
# # #
For More Information:
Eileen Breen
Nickel City Opera
PR/Marketing
646.294.3634
DONATIONS that matter! Please support Nickel City Opera via our secure PayPal link. OR send donations to:Nickel City Opera * 331 Hicks Street * Brooklyn, NY 11201
