For years Opera Composers have sent out press kits to Opera houses and performance groups. In them, they would include a CD of the audio track, a DVD, a synopsis and the Libretto for the opera. When Anthony Davis and Allan Havis, composer and librettist for the opera “Lear on the 2nd Floor,” wanted to market their opera, they decided to try and do so online. They initially contacted me to create a website; but as we discussed their needs, we decided to expand the online marketing to include Social Networking. The Opera, a contemporary version of Shakespeare’s King Lear, addresses the issue of Alzheimer’s and the impact on both patient and relatives. With SEO and Social Media, the opera is reaching out to the global Operatic, Shakespearian, and Alzheimer communities. This is one of the first online marketing campaigns for an opera composition. In addition to marketing the Opera, the website was used by the Composer for lectures around the world.
Lilith was the second online opera press kit. Like Lear, the composer will also use it for lectures. Lilith was more complex in that it integrated a SoundCloud playlist of the Opera. Like Lear all the scenes were separated. Unfortunately, the only video of the complete performance was the concert. In order to break it down into scenes, the composer had to follow along with the sheet music and instruct where the breaks should be for each scene.
The Lilith Opera had two timelines: one in the Garden of Eden the other in modern times. The feel of the site needed to capture this using Edvard Munch’s Madonna (the “logo” for the Opera) as a background and modern font and look for the website.
Lilith
The music page with the SoundCloud playlist embedded in the Lilith website.