The Score

Happy Wednesday, Scorekeepers! It's time for another installment of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE ! This week, we realized that we never actually had a chat about Lizzo and the crystal flute! So first up, we give Lizzo her flowers, which naturally leads to a lively discussion about the current, bewildering political divide here in the US. But then comes a breath of fresh air in the form of this...

Happy Wednesday, Scorekeepers! That's right; new episodes of THE SCORE will now be released every other Wednesday. And have we got a guest to break in our new schedule! This week, we're joined by musician, activist, tastemaker, radio presenter, and host of the deservedly popular Trilloquy podcast: Garrett McQueen ! Tune in for a lively and informative discussion about Garrett's life in music, the...

So sorry, we're late Scorekeepers! And thank you for bearing with us during this crazy summer! We're back with a quick (for us, at least) and guestless episode this week. First, we have a little catch up and then dive into some current events, namely this loud and long overdue global conversation about decolonization we are all finally having out in the open. What a blessing! Then, we play another...

Happy Virgo Season, Scorekeepers! On this week's episode of THE SCORE , we are without the indomitable Lee Bynum, but fear not, because Rocky and Paige are joined all show by violinist extraordinaire and our first returning guest, Emilia Mettenbrink , who also just so happens to be the brand new EDI Coordinator at MN Opera!!! After a reading from the Book of Renaissance and quick catch up, Emilia...

It's a been a long summer without you, dear Scorekeepers, but we're finally back with a new episode of THE SCORE ! This week, we start with a conversation about what did on our summer vacations (0:00:53) before we have a chat about gender identity and transphobia in opera education, sparked by some brutal comments leaked from an Opera America listserv earlier this summer (0:29:06) . We're then joi...

Greetings, Scorekeepers! It's another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE ! This week, we've got a very special show for you. In honor of our second Juneteenth together, we've brought together a group of Black women leaders and scholars from around the globe for a conversation that is equal parts empowering, hopeful, tactical, and provocative (0:16:10) . We asked what organizatio...

Happy Pride, Scorekeepers! And welcome to our Pride Extravaganza 2022! This week, we talk about some of our favorite Pride memories and play another round of Icebreakers. This time around, we get real (meet) cute as we each share the story of how we met our partners. Awwwww... <3 After that, we're honored to be joined by Jane Ramseyer Miller and Kymani Kahlil of One Voice Mixed Chorus , one the...

Well, hey there, Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE ! Lee can't be with us today, so we decided to try something a little different. With all the miserable, awful things going on in the world, we decided we desperately need to take a little time to shine a spotlight on some of the good things happening around us. And there are some, we promise! And I me...

G'day, Scorekeepers! Welcome back to THE SCORE and if you like light Lin-Manuel Miranda shade, have we got an episode for you! This week, we are joined by multi-hyphenate mezzo-soprano Mia Athey , who is currently singing Mercédès in MN Opera's new production of Bizet's Carmen through May 22. She talks to us about working with the legendary Denyce Graves as well as how colorism and her biracial id...

What more is there to say, Scorekeepers? Today on THE SCORE we are joined by the incomparable Denyce Graves : world-renowned opera singer, recording artist, philanthropist and, now, stage director. Be sure to catch her directorial debut when the curtain goes up on MN Opera's new production of Bizet's Carmen from May 7-22! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds Guest: Denyce Graves Music: Da...

It's another beautiful fake spring Monday here in Minneapolis, so you know what that means! It's time for another episode of your fave podcast, THE SCORE ! This week, we've learned that when it comes to equity, diversity, inclusion and access work, you've got to celebrate the victories when they come along. So up top, don't mind us as we toot our own horns and those of our colleagues at MN Opera f...

Guten morgen, dear Scorekeepers! It's another beautiful Monday in Post-Slap America! Y'all... we tried. I swear we tried. We tried so, so hard not to dip our toes into The Slap Discourse, but after a chat about the grace of soon-to-be-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, we just couldn't resist (0:02:40) . But the good lord invented timestamps for a reason, so for those of you who just can't, we have th...

Happy Monday, Scorekeepers! And happy Women's History Month! We've got a humdinger of an episode for your listening pleasure this week. First up, one thing I bet you didn't know about Paige is that she's been training to become a doula, and recently, she experienced her first birth. She talks about this glorious, life-altering event and why doulas and midwives are so important when it comes to add...

What a glorious day, Scorekeepers! It's the first anniversary of THE SCORE and we're celebrating with two saucy, provocative and heartfelt conversations about representation with two brilliant artists! First, we're joined by MN Opera President and General Director, Ryan Taylor , who's here to talk with us about MN Opera's just-announced 2022-23 season, the new Luminary Arts Center, and why the IDE...

Greetings, dear Scorekeepers! It's time for episode 26 of THE SCORE ! This week is the first time we've all been together since the tragic death of Amir Locke, here in Minneapolis. So we invite you to process with us and invite you to join us in a conversation about what artists and arts organizations can and should do in the face of such senseless tragedy (0:04:16) . Then, it's the conclusion of...

En garde , Scorekeepers! In honor of The Anonymous Lover , the first opera by a Black composer to be performed on MN Opera's mainstage, we're back this week with the second episode of our Joseph Bologne trilogy! This week, we are joined by George N. Gianopoulos, Stephen Karr, Leila Núñez-Fredell, and Mishkar Núñez-Fredell, all members of Opera Ritrovata, an amazing company of artists dedicated to...

G'day, Scorekeepers! So... this weekend is an incredibly special and exciting one for us, because MN Opera is producing a live opera on our mainstage for the first time in almost two years! And which opera, you ask? The Anonymous Lover by Joseph Bologne (aka Chevalier de Saint-Georges), the first mainstage opera by a Black composer in MN Opera's nearly 60 years history! But who was Joseph Bologne...

Happy New Year, Scorekeepers! Our Sagittarius Season Sabbatical is officially over, so we're back, back, back again with a brand new episode for a brand new year! This week, we're honored to be joined by the incomparable, legendary Janinah Burnett! Broadway actress, Metropolitan Opera performer, teacher, advocate, what can't she do? The list of her accomplishments goes on and on, plus she's lovely...

Happy Kwanzaa, dear Scorekeepers! We hope you're all safe and healthy, having a lovely, festive time with family and friends and/or taking some time to rest and get yourself ready for the year to come. This week, we're coming at you with the second installment of our 2021 retrospective. This year we've had some provocative conversations, met some amazing people, and had a lot of fun. So come along...

Hey hey, Scorekeepers! Oh lord, it's a blizzard! It's officially snowing here in the Twin Cities, so we thought it appropriate to start the winter and end the year on a cozy and nostalgic note. It's Part 1 of our Best of 2021 series! This year we've had some provocative conversations, met some amazing people, and had a lot of fun. So come along as we take a look back at this wild and wonderful yea...

Happy Monday, dear Scorekeepers! We hope you are refreshed and rejuvenated after that hectic holiday week. As you know, Paige, Lee, and Rocky are beginning their Sagittarius Season Sabbatical, but we didn't want to leave you hanging! For your listening pleasure, we offer this dope conversation with Minnesota fashion designers and Project Runway alums, TIM+THOM! Through their incredible designs and...

Greetings, Scorekeepers! We're back back back again with episode 19 of THE SCORE and today we are honored to be joined by living legend and Twin Cities icon, T. MYCHAEL RAMBO (0:24:20) ! Star of stage and screen, singer, activist, educator, the list goes on and on. Join us for a funny, entertaining and at times poignant chat about his illustrious career, what he feels makes the arts scene here in...

Oh my goodness, we're back for episode 18 of THE SCORE ! Can you believe it? We're all grown up and after a month apart, all of three of us are reunited in the Pod Closet and it feels so good. This week, after a quick catch-up (0:00:59) , we dive into Professor George E. Lewis' essay "New Music Decolonization in Eight Difficult Steps" (0:17:43) . We chat about how some of his ideas could be used t...

Hey there, Scorekeepers! It's episode 17 of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE ! This week, Lee is away, so we invited back our dear friend, Frankie Charles, for a spirited, freewheeling convo all about artistic freedom by way of NYT 's messy "Bad Art Friend" saga, Dave Chappelle's transphobia, and, naturally, problematic operas (0:05:14) . Then Paige takes center stage with a fascinating look into...

Welcome to the 16th episode of MN Opera's New York Times -very-briefly-mentioned podcast, THE SCORE ! This week, to celebrate our Sweet Sixteen, we are joined by a dear friend, a brilliant colleague, and our favorite Cubano, Frankie Charles, the Impact Department Coordinator here at MN Opera (0:00:27) . This episode is a little different. Given Frankie's background in technical theater, things sta...