2020: What Happened, Anyway?
If I’m certain of anything, it’s that I’m not the only one anxious to leave 2020 in the rearview mirror. All relentlessly devastating things considered, however, I emerged relatively unscathed. For the moment, I remain physically (if not entirely mentally) healthy (and not to belabor a metaphor, but according to my eye doctor, somehow my vision actually improved!). I still have a roof over my head, food on the table, and the love of spouse, friends, and family. Even more miraculously, while many projects were postponed, they have not disappeared (though many have morphed), and still others came my way that I never could have anticipated. Here is how my year ultimately shook down:
THINGS THAT DID MANAGE TO HAPPEN BEFORE THE WORLD IMPLODED
The Wild Beast of the Bungalow enjoyed a terrific world premiere production at Oberlin.
If You Can Prove That I Should Set You Free was performed in excerpt at Mannes College/New School.
No Ladies in the Lady’s Book was published by E.C. Schirmer.
A SELECT LIST OF THINGS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AND DIDN’T, AND WHAT HAPPENED INSTEAD
Companionship with Virginia Arts Festival did not happen, but it will be programmed in a future season.
Source Song Festival's inclusion of "Furniture in the Hallway of Love" in their Intergalactic Night Club concert. It may appear on a future program.
Performances Ethel Smyth Plays Golf in Limbo at North Carolina State University and Carthage College. No word yet on rescheduling.
Kate Tombaugh's April 5th recital including a set of my cabaret songs; instead, Kate and Jennifer Quammen McGuire industriously made an entire series of videos of the songs.
The June 14th premiere of my new collaboration with visual artist Danielle Durchslag. We are currently reimagining the project into something much more elaborate and meant to live in a virtual format.
Staggerwing’s premiere with Opera Kansas was delayed from September 2020 to spring 2021. Fingers crossed that we stay on schedule because Lisa’s score is really quite special, and I’m excited for more people to hear it!
No Ladies in the Lady’s Book at Missouri State University has been valiantly rescheduled many times due to student illnesses, and we are holding out hope…
My world premiere with Robert Maddock on Zachary James’s Carnegie Hall recital got cancelled, but Zach released both audio and visual albums of the program.
A SELECT LIST OF PLEASANT THINGS THAT WEREN’T NECESSARILY SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN BUT DID
Resonance Works Pittsburgh performed Ethel Smyth Plays Golf in Limbo. You can still watch it here!
I co-wrote Everything Comes to a Head for Lyric Opera of the North and Decameron Opera Coalition. You can still watch it here!
Lisa DeSpain and I were commissioned to write a new yet-to-be-announced short opera that will premiere next spring.
I received another ASCAPlus Award.
And somehow, in a time when live performances are currently not even happening, there are yet more projects in progress with many new collaborators behind the curtain. I’ll divulge more as I’m able.
While I have fared surprisingly well during a chaotic and dangerous year (thanks in part to a side hustle outside the arts), if you know enough about obscure artists to be reading this, then you already know that steady work is not guaranteed even at the best of times. Consistent employment (or any employment, for that matter) during this pandemic has not been the norm for most professionals in my field, and there is potentially no discernible change on the horizon. If you have the means to lend a hand toward direct relief for artists in need, here are just a few organizations who provide such emergency funds:
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Thank you for your continued interest in the stuff I make. Please continue to wear a mask, observe science and common sense, get vaccinated once it’s available to you, and stay rested/hydrated and politically and creatively engaged in the world. I look forward to connecting with you again in 2021.
RIP our beloved Manny, 2007-2020.