photo credits: Travis Chantar and Brooks Peterson

April Seller’s presents
The Erratics
October 21st and 22nd at 8pmPatrick’s Cabaret
3010 Minnehaha Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN

Alice in Wonderland: Story Time and Cookie Decoration
10:30am Saturday
November 5th 2011

Minneapolis Central Library
300 Nicollet Avenue,
Minneapolis

Upcoming events to enjoy! 

Many in our company have been hard at work preparing music and pageantry  for the annual BareBones Productions Halloween puppet extravaganza.  Check out this years’ production, A Fistful of Dirt: Or How the Death Was Won, performs at Hidden Falls Park in St. Paul, October 22nd through 31st.  Check out the link here!

BareBones Productions
A Fistful of Dirt: Or How the Death Was Won
7pm October 22nd through 31st
Hidden Falls Park, St. Paul

Our fiscal agent, the Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts, is presenting a Joy: A Holiday Cabaret!  (November 18th through December 17th) at the Lab Theater in the Warehouse District.  This award winning company presents original musical theater with a mixed cast of artists with and without disabilities in a spirit of “radical inclusion”.  Mixed Precipitation’s artistic director, Scotty Reynolds, has called Interact his artistic home for seven years.  We hope you can come check out this festive show, featuring Kevin Kling and Eriq Nelson!  Check out the link here!

Interact Theater Company
Joy: A Holiday Cabaret
November 18th through December 17th
The Lab Theater, Minneapolis

Also, our Alcina, Laura Hynes Smith, is singing the wonderful role of Despina in the University Opera Theatre’s production of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte at the Ted Mann Concert Hall November 17th through 20th.  Check out the link here!

University Opera Theatre
Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte
November 17th through 20th
Ted Mann Concert Hall, U of M West Bank

And everyone’s favorite “friendly lion” Paulino Brener has received a Jerome Fellowship for performance art, and he’ll be presenting a new piece at the  Pillsbury House Theatre for Naked Stages December 7th through 10th.  Check out the link here!

Naked Stages
Paulino Brener’s Don’t Cry for Me
December 7th through 10th
Pillsbury House Theatre, Minneapolis

If you are in our audience, please say hello!

And if you’re hungry…

Don’t forget the amazing sponsors who helped us make the Picnic Operetta happen.  The fresh local taste lasts all year long at these great establishments.  Stop in for a tasty bite and say hello.  Let them know you love opera… and trucker songs!

And if you want to get cozy with a trucker… 

Watermelons may be out of season, but the watermelon truck from Alcina’s Island is still a hit!  Textile artist Annabella Miller Sardelis has created a special pillow to commemorate the production.  You can find them at local boutique, I Like You and on etsy. Or you can buy directly from the artist at her studio! Click on the pillow below to find out more!

Come to this festive benefit supporting the 3rd annual Picnic Operetta!
August 8th, 2011 6:30 to 10:00

Wise Acre Eatery, 5401 Nicollet Avenue South,
next to Tangletown Gardens

Suggested Donation:  $25

Join us for music, food, drink and camaraderie as we toast the opening of another season presenting opera in the Urban Eco-System. The amazing chef Nick Schneider will assemble a loco-vore nosh table and we’ll feature great music by The Hummingbirds (your favorite ukulele quartet) and our singers bring down the house with a sample of music from Alcina’s Island: A Picnic Operetta

© 2011 Clare Pix Photography www.clarepix.com

Check Nick Schneider’s Menu for A Midsummer Swig!

And a menu of refreshing signature drinks crafted by a dandy bar staff!

Your support will help us bring a free community event to community gardens throughout the metro area. Help us bring musical excellence and shared deliciousness to these amazing green spaces.

ENJOY FOOD, DRINKS, MUSIC and GREAT COMPANY!

We are so excited to have Wise Acre Eatery as a partner presenting this benefit and celebrating our commitment to music, food and the joys of the Minnesota harvest.  Many thanks to owners Scott Endres and Dean Engelmann.  We hope you will stop by this beautiful restaurant, enjoy a bite, meet the friendly staff and relax on the fabulous patio.

Many Thanks to our presenting partners!

It takes a lot of people and groups to make the picnic operetta happen!  We are so glad to have the continued partnership of Gardening Matters, the Seward Co-op, the Wedge Co-op, the Lindon Hills Co-op, and The Aliveness Project!

What is Mixed Precipitation?

We are performance group dedicated to exploring text, space and form in theatrical events that create opportunities for social engagement.  We are excited about work  that bends genres and brings together communities to honor the spaces and the times that we share.  

It’s time to kick up your heels!  Yee-ha!

In our colorful re-imagining of Handel’s 1735 opera, the garden becomes a truck stop on the American highway.  Scheming sorceresses Alcina and Morgana become truck stop waitresses luring brave truckers astray.  We combine Handel’s early baroque with trucker songs and classic country.  The magic of this Island will be all the more savory, with Chef Nick Schneider’s five course sampling menu of locally sourced treats created especially for this performance.  And, of course, the glory of love and music conquers all!

Check our awesome listing of gardens for the 2011 Picnic Operetta!

All performances are at 4pm unless otherwise noted!

We can’t wait to sing for you in the garden!

This performance is made possible, in part, by Metropolitan Regional Arts Council  and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4th, 2008

Mozart and the Freemasons: A Trilogy of Operas Too Small to Fail

We also perform Saturday and Sunday for the the BRECHTACL, hosted by Maren Ward and Bedlam Theater to celebrate performances of Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children by the Bricklayers of Chicago.

Join us Saturday February 12th at 10:30 or Sunday February 13th at 7:30 at the Lab Theater in the Warehouse District in Minneapolis.

The Lab Theater is located at 700 North 1st Street in Minneapolis.

The line-up of performers for the cabaret is very impressive, featuring of a host of wacky theater companies, visonary puppeteers and charming music, including Dreamland Faces and Live Action Set.

photos by Joe Sullivan

Mozart and the Freemasons:  A Trilogy of Operas Too Small to Fail

Inspired by the music and boyhood adventures of
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn and John Phillip Sousa

Music Arranged by David Phillip Norris
Text by Scotty Reynolds and David Phillip Norris
Directed by Scotty Reynolds

Featuring Lauren Drasler, Meredith Cain-Nielsen, Jim Ahrens and Daniel Greco
Puppetry Created by Jennifer Arave, Welles Emerson, Ms. Scottie Hall,
Rosie Jablonsky and Andrew Csavoy

This satirical toy theatre collage made its premiere on January 20th, 2011 at the Minnesota Orchestra as a prelude to their concert presentation of The Magic Flute.  Thanks to the Crescendo project for hosting us at their pre-concert reception.

You can relive the moments of this opera thanks to Chef Daniel Klein and Perennial Plate.

Check out the link HERE!

Forward it to friends!

We have many people to thank for this successful season.  We brought delicious food, glorious music and theatrical merrymaking with us to community gardens throughout the metro.  We reached over 1,000 people of all ages–many people in our audience had their first experience with opera and community gardens.  And we couldn’t do it without your support.

Following is a listing of great local businesses whose contributions were instrumental to our success this year.  Please support these businesses as you’re able.  They stood by us this year by donating food, vegetables, beverages, rehearsal space, networking capacities and other monetary contributions. We think they represent the pinnacle of generosity (and we’re proud to call them friends)!

Gardens of Eagan

Local D’Lish

Bradstreet Crafthouse

Sip N Sample

Chakra Kahn Massage
and Asian Body Work

MediaShelf LLC / CodeSpace
Host of our MidSummer Swig
Solstice Benefit

Interact Center for Visual and
Performing Arts
Our fiscal agent!

Our performance would not be possible without the support of the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the City of St. Louis Park Arts and Culture Grant

Also, special thanks to our presenting partners:

Gardening Matters, First Lutheran Church of the Reformation St. Louis Park, Bronx Park Neighborhood Association, Hamline-Midway, Neighborhood Association, East Side Arts Council, Dayton’s Bluff / District 4 Community Council, Urban Farming, Permaculture Research Institute, City of Minneapolis Parks and Recreation, Augsburg College Campus Food Program, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences

These gardeners and advisory board members were instrumental in helping us build our production and audience:

Dr. Bill Beemann, Romi Sloviak, Welles Emerson, Yolanda Cotterall, Karin DuPaul, Soozin Hirschmugl, Delaney Collins, Mary Lynn Pulscher, Cherry Flowers, Brian Noy, Sandy Moore, Courtny Tschida, Sarah Testen,  Laurie Krivitz, Brian Cooper, Susan Melbye, Jim Vaughan and Pastor Tom Mundahl

Lauren Drasler as Olympia the Automaton!

Nick Schneider's creations pass through the audience during the finale act of the opera.

We have four performance remaining in our regular performance schedule… and a very special added performance at noon on FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17th…. more about that performance soon.

ALL SHOWS at 4:00PM

September 18
Swede Hollow Park
East Beaumont Street and Payne Avenue, St. Paul

September 19
Bronx Park Community Garden
2500 Georgia Avenue and Cedar Lake Trail, St. Louis Park
**Audio Description Provided

September 26
Cornercopia Student Organic Farm
West Dudley Avenue and Lindig Street, U of M St. Paul Campus

We are very lucky to have so many wonderful partners working on this project, including the Chair of the Anthropology Department at the University of Minnesota, Bill Beeman.  I’ve included some photos of the discussion Bill lead at the WeeQuah Canue Club on Lake Phalen and the home of Romi Sloviak.

Bill Beeman speaks about ETA Hoffmann, Jacque Offenbach and the history of opera!

Nearly 40 patrons and east side residence came to learn about our marriage of food and music.

Beverages and conversation with members of the cast, including Carmelita Guse.

Quien: Director Scotty Reynolds en colaboración con director de música Erik Pearson, coreografía de Nancy Nair, colaborando con chef Nick Schneider y once cantantes y músicos!

Cuando: Estreno sábado 21 de agosto a las 4pm en el Jardín Communitario de Eat Street. Luego todos los sábados y domingos hasta el 26 de septiembre.

Donde: Doce jardines en Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis Park y Falcon Heights (ver listado abajo)

Boletos y más información: Llame al 612.619.2112 reservas, localidades limitadas.  El espectáculo requiere un poco de movimiento de la audiencia. Donaciones voluntarias al terminar la función, nadie será rechazado por falta de dinero.

Thanks to Gene C Tsao for the photos!

(Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis Park, Falcon Heights MN) En una singular simbiosis de las artes escénicas y los alimentos sustentables, Mixed Precipitation presenta “Cuentos de Hoffmann” la obra maestra de Jacques Offenbach, una opereta que recorrerá doce jardines comunitarios durante la temporada de cosecha 2010.Nuestro tratamiento irreverente de esta ópera es perfecto para los amantes de la ópera, los jardineros, los niños, y gourmets, ya que muestras de comida preparadas artísticamente con recursos locales frescos serán servidas para ilustrar los eventos de la historia. Este original evento comunitario se está convirtiendo en una tradición en los barrios.

La opera es en francés e inglés con supertítulos en inglés y español. El actor argentino Paulino Brener participará en la funciones de septiembre 4 y 5 añadiendo un sabor latino y algo de español a este evento único.

Esta actividad es posible en parte por una subvención concedida por Minnesota State Arts Board a través de una apropiación de dinero por la Asamblea Legislativa del Estado de Minnesota de los fondos para artes y patrimonio cultural de Minnesota votado por la gente de Minnesota el 04 de noviembre 2008.

Mixed Precipitation presenta
Cuentos de Hoffmann: una opereta picnic
21 de agosto – 26 de septiembre
Donaciones voluntarias  $ 10 – $ 20

a friendly crowd at the Eat Street Community Garden

We rode the coast tails of the 5th annual Parade of Community Gardens.  Staff memeber Harleigh Gabrielson, Emily Anderson and I visited many garden on Saturday morning, sampled a variety of heirloom tomatoes and visited with community gardeners from around the metro.  Thank to GARDENING MATTERS for putting on such a great event.

Walter Gies commands the action with passion, thanks to Joe Sullivan for the photos!

Thanks to the TC DAILY PLANET and Sheila Regan for the amazing review!  Only 5 weekends left to get in on this incredible experience.

Saturday we will be at the BIRCHWOOD COMMUNITY GARDEN in St Louis Park and Sunday Hoffmann’s story unfolds at the JD RIVERS CHILDRENS’ GARDEN in Theodore Worth Park.  Both performance are at 4:00pm.

Come for the delicious romance and wonderment! Meredith Cain-Nielson Guilietta and John Zeiler as Hoffmann the poet

The BIRCHWOOD COMMUNITY GARDEN is immediatly behind the St. Louis Park Lutheran Church of the Reformation (near Highway 100 and 394).  Our performance will begin at the West side of the garden, near 27th ad Vernon Avenue.

Nick Schneider inspired creations compliment the action of the opera.

For directions to Theodore Wirth Park and the JD Rivers Childrens’ Gardn, check out this WEB-SITE.  Click where it says MAP LOCATION.

Stephen Houtz as Coppelius and John Zeiler as Hoffmann

Call to RSVP and receive direction to the Weequah.

Click here to read the article in EAST SIDE PRIDE.

Click here to read more about Professor William Beeman, Chair of the Anthropology Department at the University of Minnesota.  Professor Beeman has specialized in variety of disciplines, including linguistics, Central Asian Studies and Performance Studies.

Join us for a great view and beautiful music!

We are gearing up for our opening in a couple weeks… and we’re excited to invite all of you to a special preview performance on FRIDAY August 21st at 6:00pm with SIP n SAMPLE.

SIP n SAMPLE is a network of foodies and dedicated restaurant goers who love trying new culinary adventures.  It will be a treat to introduce them to our garden / dinning / opera excursion, especially at the EAT STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN.

You can reserve a spot on-line through their site.

Here’s a video with SIP n SAMPLE founder Delany Collins speaking about our project.

SIP n SAMPLE

Erik Pearson leads singers from TALES of HOFFMANN through a program of music at the Mill City Farmer's Market