What?

What's that all about?

(n.)

Mark your Maker

I'm trying to get Makers Mark to sponsor the Collusions Festival. Turns out lots of alcohol companies don't accept unsolicited requests for sponsorship. Go figure. My current plan is to write a note to Makers Mark everyday...presumably until they cave and offer us sponsorship. Perhaps it would help, though, if everybody who's interested enough to be reading this go over to Makers Mark, click on "contact" and leave them a note telling them that they should sponsor the Collusions Festival. I promise that if it works, and if you come to Chicago, you will reap the fruits of your labor.

cheers.
(n.)

Has everybody seen this?

I think Opera Cabal should apply for a grant to go to Antarctica.

I don't know what our "official" business would be, but that's besides the point - maybe to study the musical-theatricality inherent in the mating rituals of Emperor Penguins?

(n.)

And while you're at it...

Lisa didn't mention that while you're being ordained as a card-carrying minister, you can also have your sins instantly absolved. In fact, it might be a good idea to start your ministry with a clean conscience, yes? And it's plenty easy. No need to get on your knees and actually admit that it was YOU who fed the fatal peanut butter to your best friend's tragically anaphylactic crisis-prone guinna pig, and then go off and say 5o rosaries (which is like what, 2500 Hail Marys or so?). Just click and be free.

Has anybody done any research/study on the obsessive and/or compulsive need for online absolution of sins?

(n.)

Let's get married

February is upon us. The month of love. Grab the nearest person for a hug. And by all means, in the spirit of romance, join us in getting ordained as a minister so you can honor and share in other people's first special moments of united bliss. It's fast, as all life changing things should be, and it's free, as all romantic things should be. Just go to www.themonastery.org - you won't regret it.

Name the Opera Competition (Round 2)

Because the last event was so successful, Opera Cabal has decided to take another whack at the "Name the Opera Competition."

The framework is simple:
1.You propose the best name for my opera*
2. You win the prize.

Guidelines:
1. All of the words/phrases listed in yesterdays post are ineligible for submission.
2. Submissions must be made by Feb.20.
3. Submissions will be accepted only in the form of comments posted to this blog, or comments posted to our myspace spot.

Last time the prize was a delicious cheesecake from Eileen's in Soho....which nobody won. This time the prize will be a 20oz. (yes, well over a pound) tray of...

BBQ Baked Beans w/ Beef Brisket

(or 10 servings of Potatoes au gratin - for the vegetarians. Before awarding a prize to a vegan/raw foody/macrobiotic, special arrangements may be made.)

And again, if you're looking for clues to what the opera is about, read the blog or send an email (operacabal@gmail.com).

Good luck. Do it for the beans and brisket.

(n.)

*"Best" to be determined entirely subjectively by me, perhaps in consultation with my usual consultants (Lisa, Majel, Mark...y'know...). Opera Cabal reserves the right to determine that no submissions qualify as "best," but we'd really rather that it didn't come to that.