Mid-Season Office Update

Apologies for the prolonged quiet spell here on the blog, it's been a while! Since The Threepenny Opera, things have been a bit hectic around the office, so here are a few items of note to catch you up:

• Last Tuesday, we bid adieu to our general director of six seasons, Allan Naplan. It was of course sad, and we had fun reflecting on the growth of Madison Opera over the past six years, but we also know that Allan has a great opportunity ahead as the new president and general director of Minnesota Opera.
• Speaking of the general director, our search for Allan's replacement has been under way for some time now and it is going very well. The fantastic Catherine French Group has been working closely with our Board of Trustees to review top-notch candidates and to ensure a smooth transition period for the company.
• While February has mostly been about our seven sold-out performances of Threepenny, the real action in the office right now is all about the 2011-2012 season! Before Allan's last day, we were busily finalizing plans for next season, and it is going to be a thrilling one, for many reasons that I cannot share at this point in time (shameless teaser, I know). All forces here are working hard on everything that needs to come together before the season announcement, from grant applications to brochure design, so stay tuned!
• And of course, we have La Traviata coming up in April. And our Golden Anniversary Gala. And the launch of OUT @ THE OPERA, our new LGBT geared affinity group for Madison Opera fans. Needless to say, all of this is also contributing to the pace around here!
• Last but not least, we have to offer a hearty congratulations to our marketing and development associate Laura Albrecht. Laura is currently completing her MBA at the Bolz Center for Arts Administration in the Wisconsin School of Business, and she originally hails from Austin, Texas. Needless to say, after just a year and a half in Madison, she has earned a lifetime supply of Midwestern street-cred by doing the polar plunge this past Saturday!

Marketing and development associate Laura Albrecht (far left) jumps into a freezing Lake Monona this past Saturday. You can't do that in Texas!