Usually the story is about the usher, but you will all be astounded at the Usher Mom story. Some of you know my son, long time Kansas City resident Opera singer Nathan Granner. He was the artistic director of the first non Kauffman Center resident production about composer Virgil Thomson’s music sung by a variety of Kansas City produced by an Atlanta PBS station. (The production was never aired.) Being the mom of the artistic director and singer, I got a backstage pass and sat in the green room during rehearsals pretending to be a famous person. I also got to sit on the Helzburg stage during a UMKC Conservatory performance where Nathan was one of the singers. I had no idea that I would be an usher in late 2012.
Nathan left Kansas City to get a Masters of Music at UCLA. Turns out, that was the winning ticket for his opera career. UCLA music professors can help navigate a student’s opera career, during and after their student status. Most of the Nathan’s professors are also opera singers. Win Win for referrals!
His career sustained the cost of living in LA, even during the pandemic. Two years ago, the big blast came. Nathan got a call to ask if he would take a role in a movie! The original plan was to produce an opera, but everything locked down when Covid hit. Restrictions loosened but opera venues were still closed. It was decided to make a movie instead of an opera!
Your Kansas City boy is the star of Mr. Chips! The book was written in 1939 and two movies were made of it. This version of Mr. Chips is the first ever OPERA MOVIE!
Yours truly got to watch two days of filming. When I was there, 3 people were filmed with a movie crew of 54 people! Movies are filmed in San Francisco Treasure Island in huge WW II Air Force hangers! (HUGE). The crew are professional set designers, sound people, 6 people on the camera crew, producer, director etc! Nathan had his own trailer in the hanger!
Wow so interesting thank you for sharing
You must be such a proud mother