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A New 4 Act Opera in Development
Vespa - Music and Libretto by Don DiNicola - Reading Workshop June 4th at The National Opera Center
A young girl and her pet wasp lead some friends on a journey into the mysterious world of insects. Their surprising encounters are hilarious
and sometimes alarming, causing the humans to re-evaluate their relationship with the natural world.
Workshop Reading Performance at The National Opera Center
With Music Director Robert Frankenberry and Ilvi Dulack, Dramaturge
Cast (in alphabetical order)
Litha Ashforth, Michael Celentano, Alize Francheska, Dana Kinney,
Joelle Lachance, Matt Mueller, Daniel Rosenberg, Julie Schoonover
with Ilvi Dulack reading stage directions
For more information please email VespaOpera@gmail.com
Petina Cole's latest artistic creation combines music with equestrian arts in live performance with other artists, therapeutic settings and video.
see also - YouTube
Her 2020 performance with "Free Walk" entitled, "Death by Civilization" was a collaboration featuring penny whistle, dancer, ridden horse, electric guitar and spoken word. The Orange County Post called it, “Ethereal, elegant, beautiful, unsettling and disturbing”.
For many years, Cole performed on tour and recorded flutes, voice and original music for stage, film and television.
Her work as a music supervisor, producer, writer and performer appear in the films, "The Man on Her Mind", "Reunion", "The Warrior Class" and "Nola". Cole produced the music documentary, "Nowhere Now: The Ballad of Joshua Tree" which aired on PBS and features Eric Burdon and Victoria Williams.
During 2010, in California, she met Russell "Buddy" Helm and his partner Cathy Javier at "Seasons" in Santa Monica. Following many joyful, healing hours of drumming meditation sessions with Buddy and Cathy. Buddy honored Petina by inviting her to perform on his Drumming Meditation Introduction CD.
In 2006 Cole co-wrote a song for the soundtrack of the film "Reunion" with Daryl Kojak, Wendy Wall and Tom Brian Thompson. The song was performed in the soundtrack by Phoebe Snow. The soundtrack includes music by Cyndi Lauper, Mr. Complex and Monkey Bowl.
In 2003 composer Walter Skolnik wrote "Sonata for Flute and Piano" for Miss Cole, which sonata she debuted in 2004 and performed at the Donnell Library in NYC with pianist Elise Sobol.
Cole received the “Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement” at the 28th International Congress on Arts and Entertainment in 2001, Cambridge, England for her performance with world-renowned pianist Elise Sobol. Their work as a duo included educational programming, such as “A Gentlewoman’s Pursuit”, featuring works by women composers.
Cole toured across the country with the world-famous “Tim Janis Ensemble” and with “Lenny K” in his debut season of new age-classical music. Her rock vocal recording “Hazel Lord”, produced by Daryl Kojak and written by Anthony Biale, was released to critical acclaim in 2002. The NYROCK Street Beat praised her “strong” vocals and PHASE9 Entertainment said “What Hazel Lord seems to have done is go back to the seventies where lyrics and melody once ruled the music world.”
Having graduated magna cum laude from NYU, Petina is a founding member of numerous arts organizations bringing education outreach and performance to diverse venues.