Intelligence vs Education

After several months spent learning it, five weeks rehearsing it and another two performing it Intelligence at Houston Grand Opera is finally wrapped along with its recording for Apple Music Classical.  I’m already on to the next project – a Verdi Requiem in beautiful Charlotte NC – but more about that in the next post.

To commemorate my incredible time in Houston which included a delicious southern style BBQ with the cast (thanks Mike!), a very boozy premiere party and the discovery of erasable highlighter pens (thanks Jamie!), I just had to share one particularly mind-blowing experience from the schools performance, held for a couple thousand very engaged high-schoolers about halfway through the run.

I had a feeling that they would enjoy the suspenseful plot of Intelligence, but at the apex of the drama when the bad guy is finally killed to thwart a rape, they absolutely lost it!  The death is actually underscored by a huge climax in the orchestra which I couldn’t hear at all standing right in front of it! 

Here’s the proof:

#mindblown