Donald Gramm (The Magic Fish), Costume by Patton Campbell 1970 Image courtesy of the Sarah Caldwell Collection, Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University.
Trip to the Gotlieb Archives at BU reveals many treasures from Sarah Caldwell’s collection, and there are tapes of the film! The one containing the majority of the opera (Scenes I – IX, so including the scene with the infamous tape) was damaged. It is with their restoration people – fingers crossed they can save this precious archive.
Also at BU – Wonderful pictures of the original production, costumes. Scores, a libretto with Sarah Caldwell’s notes, scads of articles, reviews. Fortunately she seems to have kept everything. But no tape – more evidence it was never made?
And I have seen the film of the final scenes. The Magic Fish costume is quite spectacular – Donald Gramm completely engulfed in fins – no sign of him at all. And the best part is that the mouth moves when he sings. A note in the libretto next to his first entrance is ‘mouth moves?’ Great idea! Love the fish lips :).
Post by Linda Osborn, Artistic Administrator for Odyssey Opera.
For tickets, visit www.bmop.org or call 617-585-1260.