(Photos: courtesy of the artists)

Chamber opera is growing in appeal. Not only with composers, such as Missy Mizzoli and Nico Muhly, but also with producers such as Pocket Opera and West Edge Opera looking for small and untraditional venues in which to present their work. Minimalist opera in small halls invariably attracts new, young, inquiring audiences and companies such as San Francisco’s Opera Parallèle to expand their reach through chamber-sized innovation and adventurous collaboration. Side-stepping costly sets and full-size orchestras, scaled-down opera pushes creative imagination while building new fans.

In the small Bay Area community of Santa Cruz, Lori Schulman and Jordan Best, two conservatory-trained singers recently took the entrepreneurial leap and began staging intimate versions of works such as Bach’s “Coffee Cantata” and Puccini’s “La Bohème” in coffee houses, wineries, breweries, and church fellowship halls. Initial success spurred future plans. Word-of-mouth continues to spread two years after their premiere performance.

OperaWire visits with Schulman and Best in this exclusive interview.

OperaWire: How did you two find each other?

Lori Schulman: Jordan and I met in 2020, right before the pandemic, at an audition for “Candide”—we were both auditioning for the same role. We hit it off right away, but of course the production was canceled due to COVID.

The following year, we found ourselves at another callback for the same role, this time for “The Pirates of Penzance.” After the audition, we ended up talking in the parking lot for about three hours. During that conversation, we realized how much we had in common—our deep passion for opera, and our shared concern that its audience base was shrinking.

We also connected over our experiences as mothers in an industry that isn’t always conducive to parenting. Rehearsal schedules can be challenging, and there aren’t always systems in place to support artists with families. We talked, too, about the many incredibly talented women in the field, and how often they’re competing for a very limited number of roles.

That conversation was really the beginning of everything.

Jordan Best: We first met at a callback for “Candide” with Cabrillo Stage. We were called back for the same role and I really liked Lori from the start. I was remembering how much I did not enjoy the competition aspect of auditions and was wishing there were more parts for women in the show (and almost every show) so that we could actually sing together. Lori got the part (and then it got cancelled from Covid) and I met her again at a callback for “The Pirates of Penzance” – again for the same role. Her voice was again a better fit for the part, and I knew she would get it, but I really wanted the chance to perform with her. We talked in the parking lot for a very long time afterward and both let it all out.

OperaWire: Any particular inspirations for this project? Chamber opera, performances in alternative spaces? Condensed adaptations?

LS: From the beginning, we knew we wanted to create our own adaptations. As we planned our first production, our goal was to bring new audiences into the art form. We spent a lot of time talking about why so many people—especially our friends outside the arts—felt opera wasn’t for them. There are many barriers: lack of arts education, language, cost, and even attention span in a world that is full of digital distractions.

JB: I think that it started from Lori and I being frustrated with the gatekeeping that goes on with the industry and how elitist and snobby it can come across. We truly believe that opera offers something that is felt deeper than a lot of theater or musical theater and can be felt viscerally. You do not need any special education or understanding of music if it’s done well. Mozart is hilarious (and exciting and even a bit naughty at times), and not at all boring.

Opera wasn’t originally intended to be an elite or overly formal experience, so we asked ourselves: how can we stay true to the tradition while presenting it in a way that resonates today? At its core, opera is storytelling through incredible music.

With “Figaro,” we focused on strong singer-actors, a chamber ensemble, and a venue that felt comfortable and inviting. We wanted the audience to feel included in the action, not distanced from it. We added elements like themed drinks and a narrator to help guide the story. We truly didn’t know if anyone would come, and were nervous about how it would be received—but it sold out! We realized we were on to something, and that gave us the confidence we needed to keep it going.  Soon after, we became a 501(c)(3) and have continued building on that model, taking more creative risks with each production.

OperaWire: What worked better than expected? What didn’t?

JB: I was surprised by how well it worked to sing Italian opera in English (“La Bohème”). I was quite against it because singing in Italian feels so much better than English. But when we performed the duet from “Bohème” in English for a sneak peek at a fundraiser, we all felt something special in the room—the listeners didn’t have to look at a translation and flip the meaning to English while taking in the melodies. We were all more “in the moment” together, more connected, which is the whole reason Lori and I set out to do this to begin with. It’s not about showing off what our voices can do or preserving a vintage art form. It’s about connecting and feeling and humanity and all of that seems to happen a bit easier when we are speaking the same language. That is also a big part of what we mean by “accessible” opera.

LS: Our immersive productions have consistently exceeded expectations. Audiences really want to feel like part of the experience—especially now, when there’s so much high-quality content available at home. When people go out, they’re looking for something unique and engaging.

Another format that’s been especially successful is our “Opera Uncorked” or “Opera on Tap” events, where we partner with local wineries or breweries. Each wine or beer in a tasting flight is paired with a singer performing a piece that shares similar “notes.” It’s a fun and accessible way to introduce newcomers to opera, while also offering something fresh to seasoned listeners.

JB: Also in “Bohème,” it felt like a huge risk to have a female Rodolfo. We had swapped genders for a supporting role in “Figaro,” but swapping the lead tenor for a soprano was rather bold. We were excited to make the choice because we had such an excellent artist (Diane Syrcle) up for the role and we knew that we would never find a tenor that could act and sing as well as her. We also loved the idea of putting a same-sex love story front and center in an opera and not having it be about that. It was so well received and we loved it so much, we went out of our way to cast a soprano for our Rodolfo in June.

LS: One concept that didn’t land quite as strongly was our “Opera Open Mic,” where we experimented with presenting opera in the style of an open mic night, including genre mashups. The idea had potential, but I think it needed a bit more refinement to fully connect with audiences.

JB: Taking on too much didn’t work. Producing a show and performing in it at the same time is not for the faint of heart. It feels like having to flip a switch in my brain to go on stage and be in the moment, and I do think that I would enjoy the performances better if I had to do less before. We are learning and doing our best to delegate so that we can at least use the time right before a performance to think about the actual performing and less about whether there are enough seats or a ticketing snafu.

OperaWire: What in your own backgrounds as singers served you well to create and perform in Opera Project programs?

LS: My background as a performer has shaped the way I approach the work we do with Santa Cruz Opera Project. I’ve done a wide range of things—opera, musical theater, concert work, and chamber music—which has made me pretty comfortable moving between different styles and settings. That flexibility has been crucial for the kind of productions we create, especially in non-traditional spaces.

I’ve also spent a lot of time performing in more intimate settings as a concert soloist and chamber musician, which has influenced how I think about storytelling. When the audience is close, everything has to feel more immediate and real, and that’s exactly the kind of experience we’re trying to create.

Teaching has also played a big role. It’s helped me learn how to communicate more clearly and meet people where they are, which is such a big part of what we do—making opera feel accessible and engaging, no matter someone’s background or experience with it.

JB: I have been studying/singing opera since I was 16 and then got Bachelors and Masters degrees in Voice/Opera Performance, but I think beyond that what pushed me to create my own thing was my frustration with the industry. I have always enjoyed starting new things and doing them my own way, especially if a road or door was blocked to me or others. I had already started two other performing arts non-profits with success and I knew from these experiences that it could be done, but also learned that it is only sustainable through collaboration with like-minded colleagues.

OperaWire: How do you divide responsibilities? Venues, fundraising, crafting libretti?

JB: Lori now acts as our Managing Director where I thrive more on the creative side. Nothing would get done without Lori. She is now paid (not enough) for her role, and we are learning to delegate duties and have learned that hiring a stage manager is essential if Lori and I are performing in the show. Our volunteers and board get asked to help out, especially with fundraising, and we still rely mostly on word-of-mouth for publicity beyond social media.

LS: I handle production management, venue scouting, and fundraising. We also bring in a stage manager and director for each production.

Jordan has an incredible eye for design and is very creative—she leads our costuming and graphic design, and while we collaborate on adaptations, she does the bulk of the writing. For “Die Fledermaus,” the adaptation was a collaborative effort between Jordan, me, and our director, Andrea Hart.

For our production of “La Bohème,” Jordan created the entire adaptation herself. It’s fantastic—deeply connected to our community and tailored specifically to Santa Cruz. It’s set in a contemporary context and even shaped around the specific venue, Woodhouse Brewery, which makes the experience feel especially immediate and relevant.

We work together quite seamlessly. Our ideas are often aligned, and we greatly respect each other’s artistry. We each bring different strengths to the table, which allows us to cover all aspects of running the company while still collaborating closely on the artistic vision.

OperaWire: How do you handle the editing of selections?

JB: This has been one of the most fun parts of the job for me. The freedom that we have to change the story and cut the piece is essential to keep the stories fresh, relatable and relevant. Opera is not kind to women and the characters themselves have (mostly) been created by and written by men. The music is too good to let it go, so editing and finding the balance of holding up the integrity of the work and making it something that I am proud to stand behind is an exciting challenge.

We first wrote our own English translation with “Die Fledermaus.” Andrea Hart, Lori and I all wrote it together. A lot of that was done (after an initial creative meeting where we brainstorm ideas) on a shared google doc that we would individually translate and then revise and work on tricky parts together. I was set on making sure that we had all the flexibility we desire for our upcoming “Boheme,” so I wrote a new translation on my own so that we would have at least a bare bones version to mess with as we go through the creative process. As we get in the room together and sing the work, the singers and directors will have the flexibility to change it up if needed and find words that sing well and feel authentic to each of them (within the parameters of the rhyme schemes that have been carefully and painstakingly retained). I enjoy this part of the job very much and have at least four other opera translations/concepts in the works on my own that may or may not take off. Lori brings in her own ideas and we choose what we think will fit and work the best, and what we have the time/energy to pull off.

OperaWire: Any special parameters that shape the finished product?

JB: Our goal is always to keep our performances under two hours. Often, we have cut some of the characters and/or large choruses and that is enough to tighten it up.  It’s important to me that making anything shorter isn’t “watering down” the material in any way, so it can be tricky knowing what gets cut and what doesn’t. I don’t have much interest in doing opera “light.” I want all the drama and passion and elements that the composer originally crafted. We have to consider many factors to find the right balance dramatically.