Seattle Opera's Pop-up Blood Drive

The Opera Center. Photo by Sean Airhart

Donate blood, support community at Seattle Opera’s pop-up blood drive, a collaboration with Bloodworks Northwest: 9 a.m.–5 p.m., August 18, 20, 25 & 27 at The Opera Center: 363 Mercer St. 

As summer historically signals a dip in the blood supply, Seattle Opera is offering a blood drive to provide a lifeline for local patients. In partnership with Bloodworks Northwest, Seattle Opera will utilize its Tagney Jones Hall at the Opera Center to host a pop-up center for donating blood this August 2020.

During the global pandemic, social distancing recommendations have put a strain on opportunities for people to donate blood. In the temporary absence of traditional blood drives and bloodmobiles, Seattle Opera, along with other arts groups such as Seattle Rep, are providing short-term donation locations for Bloodworks Northwest. The larger space allows for a higher level of safety for donors and staff.

“Seattle Opera is honored and happy to join others from the arts community in hosting a donation site for Bloodworks Northwest,” says Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann. “Partnerships with community organizations are a key part of our vision for the Opera Center, the civic home that we share with KING FM. As we all actively work together to fight the global pandemic, giving blood is an important and crucial way to take care of our community and contribute to healthcare readiness.”

In addition to saving lives, donors at the Opera Center will receive tickets to a future event at either the Opera Center or McCaw Hall—or enjoy a free video stream through December of 2021. Donors will also receive a Dick’s Drive-In gift certificate.

Donors of all blood types are still needed every day to make an appointment to give blood in support of cancer patients, trauma victims, premature babies, or to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients, among others.

“A strong blood supply is vital to critically ill and injured patients in our community,” said Bloodworks Northwest President and CEO Curt Bailey. “Blood donations are down at a time when the need has never been greater. Seattle Opera is turning that around by graciously opening its doors to allow an ovation worthy 365 community members to save lives in August.”

First-time and repeat donors are urged to make their one-hour donation appointment today as a safe and essential action to support local patients. In accordance with current social distancing guidelines, only scheduled appointments will be allowed. No walk-ins, guests, or people under age 16 are permitted on site. Donors are asked to bring a mask/face covering to their donation. All blood types are urgently needed, but Type O is especially in demand.

For more information and to sign up, go to seattleopera.org/bloodworks.

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Mary Elizabeth Williams to perform in 'Songs of Summer'

Mary Elizabeth Williams (Abigaille). Philip Newton photo 

Seattle Opera announces upcoming KING FM broadcasts and online recitals 

Seattle Opera is announcing the final singers to perform in its online recital series, Songs of Summer. Artists include beloved soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams—star of Tosca, Nabucco, and Mary Stuart. The “vocal phenomenon and immense actress” (classiquenews.com) performed at McCaw Hall most recently as Serena in Porgy and Bess (’18), when she sang the show-stopping rendition of “My Man’s Gone Now.” For Williams’ portrayal of Elizabeth I in Mary Stuart, The Seattle Times wrote: “Feisty and mighty, Williams’ soprano was equally impressive when she lightened it in moments of highly effective refinement. She knows how to command the stage and how to establish the power of her personality through gesture and movement, as well as with her voice.”

Scheduled to stream on Seattle Opera’s Facebook, YouTube, and website on August 27, Williams’ program includes three new-to-her arias that she’s always dreamed of debuting.

“Despite the fear and uncertainty of this moment, creating this recital has helped me focus and remember why I dedicated my life to music,” Williams said. “What better time is there than this very moment to look forward to the future? To be brave and reinvent myself as an artist? Share this journey with me—digitally for now, and hopefully in person in the very near future."

Seattle Opera launches Supply Drive

Soprano Tess Altiveros and Elisabeth Ellis will perform for Seattle Opera's inagural Community Serenade at Plymouth Place.

UPDATE 7/17/20: Due to Gov. Jay Inslee's recent live entertainment ban to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the Community Serenades performances are postponed until further notice. The Seattle Opera Supply Drive planned for July 21-22 will continue, however. Information on how to donate can be found below.  

Seattle Opera is launching a new performance series meant to bring joy to vulnerable community members. Community Serenades will bring an opera singer and pianist to perform in various settings for seniors and people experiencing homelessness. The artists will maintain a recommended distance and practice safety protocols, while residents listen from the safety of their homes/rooms or in large outdoor spaces.

Songs Of Summer Continues With Tess Altiveros

Tess Altiveros photo by Pinehurst Photography

Seattle Opera's recital series—Songs of Summer—continues with Tess Altiveros. Equally at home in repertoire ranging from the 17th century to the 21st, the American soprano is best known to Seattle Opera audiences for her bold and affecting work in our three groundbreaking chamber productions: The Combat (2017), O+E (2018), and The Falling and the Rising (2019). A native Seattleite, her “pure gold” (Opera Magazine) voice has charmed audiences from the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts to Carnegie Hall. Framing her recital with selections from Poulenc’s Tel jour telle nuit song cycle, Altiveros and pianist Elisabeth Ellis take us from morning to evening with pieces that trace daily thoughts and rituals. Highlights include three shorts songs from Emerson Eads’s “Love Is” cycle using poetry by children responding to the question is “What is love?”

What’s been helping you to get through this very challenging time for all of us? 

There are a number of comforts I've leaned on recently: Zoom reunions. Wine. Trying to keep my comparatively low-key quarantine problems in perspective. Unexpected opportunities to create beauty with others are high up on that list, but the most significant comfort is my daughter. In "normal times" I am on the road often, so I have been relishing all the time we now spend together. I've learned so much about this little 9-year-old these past weeks, and I am just in awe of her resilience and maturity despite the sadness of missing friends and grandparents and teachers and her regular activities. I often feel that she is far more adept at finding acceptance and peace than her mother, and that strength surprises and inspires me every day.