Aqua Net & Funyuns

Guest host and celebrated author A.M. Homes leads a diverting discussion amongst the four Aqua Net & Funyuns librettists Jason Cady, Cara Ehlenfeldt, Daniel Shepard, and Annie-Sage Whitehurst as they look back on the process of writing their episodes of Aqua Net & Funyuns.

Aqua Net & Funyuns composers Tariq Al-Sabir, Jason Cady, Kamala Sankaram, Aaron Siegel and Michi Wiancko sit down to talk about their experiences making the podcast opera and their reflections on having shared it so widely over the last five months.

Libretto by Annie-Sage Whitehurst; Music by Michi Wiancko; Eric McKeever as Arthur; Rachel Doehring as Audrey; Rocky Duval as Margaret; Joanie Brittingham as Isabel; The Fish Chorus - Kamala Sankaram, Eliza Bonet, Brandon Snook, and Joshua Jeremiah; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds); Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b); Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing.

Libretto by Annie-Sage Whitehurst; Music by Michi Wiancko; Eric McKeever as Arthur; Rachel Doehring as Audrey; Rocky Duval as Margaret; Joanie Brittingham as Isabel; The Fish Chorus - Kamala Sankaram, Eliza Bonet, Brandon Snook, and Joshua Jeremiah; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds); Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b); Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing.

Libretto by Annie-Sage Whitehurst; Music by Michi Wiancko; Eric McKeever as Arthur; Rachel Doehring as Audrey; Rocky Duval as Margaret; Joanie Brittingham as Isabel; The Fish Chorus - Kamala Sankaram, Eliza Bonet, Brandon Snook, and Joshua Jeremiah; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds); Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b); Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing.

Libretto by Daniel Shepard; Music by Tariq Al-Sabir; Joanie Brittingham as Karen; Rachel Doehring as Lucy; Rocky Duval as Tonya; Eliza Bonet as June; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Tariq Al-Sabir, drum machine; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing.

Libretto by Daniel Shepard; Music by Tariq Al-Sabir; Joanie Brittingham as Karen; Rachel Doehring as Lucy; Rocky Duval as Tonya; Eliza Bonet as June; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Tariq Al-Sabir, drum machine; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing.

Libretto by Daniel Shepard; Music by Tariq Al-Sabir; Joanie Brittingham as Karen; Rachel Doehring as Lucy; Rocky Duval as Tonya; Eliza Bonet as June; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Tariq Al-Sabir, drum machine; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing.

Libretto and music by Jason Cady; Joanie Brittingham as Mel; Eliza Bonet as The Narrato; Joshua Jeremiah as Officer Dunphy; Rachel Doehring as Yolanda; Rocky Duval as Mel's Mom; Brandon Snook as Curtis; Kamala Sankaram as Mrs. Bloom; Eric McKeever as Mel's Dad; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Jason Cady, modular synthesizer and drum machine; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing

Libretto and music by Jason Cady; Joanie Brittingham as Mel; Eliza Bonet as The Narrato; Joshua Jeremiah as Officer Dunphy; Rachel Doehring as Yolanda; Rocky Duval as Mel's Mom; Brandon Snook as Curtis; Kamala Sankaram as Mrs. Bloom; Eric McKeever as Mel's Dad; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Jason Cady, modular synthesizer and drum machine; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing

Libretto and music by Jason Cady; Joanie Brittingham as Mel; Eliza Bonet as The Narrato; Joshua Jeremiah as Officer Dunphy; Rachel Doehring as Yolanda; Rocky Duval as Mel's Mom; Brandon Snook as Curtis; Kamala Sankaram as Mrs. Bloom; Eric McKeever as Mel's Dad; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Jason Cady, modular synthesizer and drum machine; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing

Libretto by Cara Ehlenfeldt; Music by Aaron Siegel; Brandon Snook as Alden; Kamala Sankaram as Janelle; Rocky Duval as Alden's Mom; Dmitry Glivinskiy, music director; Jeanann Dara, viola; Jeff Hudgins, reeds; Pat Swoboda, bass; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing

Libretto by Cara Ehlenfeldt; Music by Aaron Siegel; Brandon Snook as Alden; Kamala Sankaram as Janelle; Rocky Duval as Alden's Mom; Dmitry Glivinskiy, music director; Jeanann Dara, viola; Jeff Hudgins, reeds; Pat Swoboda, bass; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing

Libretto by Cara Ehlenfeldt; Music by Aaron Siegel; Brandon Snook as Alden; Kamala Sankaram as Janelle; Rocky Duval as Alden's Mom; Dmitry Glivinskiy, music director; Jeanann Dara, viola; Jeff Hudgins, reeds; Pat Swoboda, bass; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing

The Understudy, Act III Libretto by Jason Cady and Cara Ehlenfeldt; Music by Kamala Sankaram; Rocky Duval as Pat Dickson; Kamala Sankaram as Donna Pearlbottum, private eye; Rachel Doehring as Wanda, the Impresario; Eric McKeever as Rich Lexington; Joshua Jeremiah as Manny, the Stage Manager; Eliza Bonet as Missy, the Mezzo; Brandon Snook as Tony, the Tenor; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Kamala Sankaram, drum machine and samples; Cara Ehlenfeldt, sound design; Jeff Cook, mixing

The Understudy, Act II Libretto by Jason Cady and Cara Ehlenfeldt; Music by Kamala Sankaram; Rocky Duval as Pat Dickson; Kamala Sankaram as Donna Pearlbottum; Rachel Doehring as the Impresario; Eric McKeever as Rich; Joshua Jeremiah as Manny; Eliza Bonet as Missy; Brandon Snook as Tony; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Kamala Sankaram, (samples); Cara Ehlenfeldt, (sd) ; Jeff Cook, (mx)

The Understudy, Act I Libretto by Jason Cady and Cara Ehlenfeldt; Music by Kamala Sankaram; Rocky Duval as Pat Dickson; Kamala Sankaram as Donna Pearlbottum; Rachel Doehring as the Impresario; Eric McKeever as Rich; Joshua Jeremiah as Manny; Eliza Bonet as Missy; Brandon Snook as Tony; Dmitry Glivinskiy (pn and md); Jeanann Dara (vla, vln); Jeff Hudgins (rds) ; Drew Fleming (gtr); Pat Swoboda (b) ; Kamala Sankaram, (samples); Cara Ehlenfeldt, (sd) ; Jeff Cook, (mx)

This concludes Aqua Net & Funyuns. If you haven't already, please start with the first episode and listen in order. Mel encounters her parents and doppelgänger in a parallel universe. June finds out who the other woman is. Isabel and Margaret reconcile while Arthur comes to understand Audrey. --- Another One Bites, Act 3, music and story by Jason Cady Beauty Shot, Act 3, music by Tariq Al-Sabir, story by Daniel Shepard Arkana Aquarium, Act 3, music by Michi Wiancko, story by Annie-Sage Whitehurst --- Experiments in Opera is a New York City-based community of artists looking for unconventional ways to bring together stories and music.  For more information about our work and a full list of performers who made Aqua Net & Funyuns, visit experimentsinopera.com.

June threatens her friends with a gun. Janelle helps Alden come to terms with his mother. Donna Pearlbottum reveals “who dunnit.” --- Beauty Shot, Act 2, music by Tariq Al-Sabir, story by Daniel Shepard Ships that Pass, Act 3, music by Aaron Siegel, story by Cara Ehlenfeldt The Understudy, Act 3 music by Kamala Sankaram, story by Jason Cady and Cara Ehlenfeldt --- Experiments in Opera is a New York City-based community of artists looking for unconventional ways to bring together stories and music.  For more information about our work and a full list of performers who made Aqua Net & Funyuns, visit experimentsinopera.com.

Janelle reads the Sherlock Holmes fanfiction that Alden's mother had written. Mel discovers that the porta potty she hid in is a portal to a parallel universe. Arthur realizes that his deceased wife has reincarnated into the body of a fish. --- Ships that Pass, Act 2, music by Aaron Siegel, story by Cara Ehlenfeldt Another One Bites, Act 2, music and story by Jason Cady Arkana Aquarium, Act 2, music by Michi Wiancko, story by Annie-Sage Whitehurst --- Experiments in Opera is a New York City-based community of artists looking for unconventional ways to bring together stories and music.  For more information about our work and a full list of performers who made Aqua Net & Funyuns, visit experimentsinopera.com.

Arthur starts a new job as a custodian at an aquarium and hears the voice of his deceased wife. Tonya shares gossip with her friends about June leaving her husband Frank. Donna Pearlbottum, private eye, is forced to sing in this opera-within-an-opera. ---- Arkana Aquarium, Act 1, music by Michi Wiancko, story by Annie-Sage Whitehurst Beauty Shot, Act 1, music by Tariq Al-Sabir, story by Daniel Shepard The Understudy, Act 2 music by Kamala Sankaram, story by Jason Cady and Cara Ehlenfeldt --- Experiments in Opera is a New York City-based community of artists looking for unconventional ways to bring together stories and music.  For more information about our work and a full list of performers who made Aqua Net & Funyuns, visit experimentsinopera.com.

Aqua Net & Funyuns is a podcast of five different operas connected by dozens of hidden Easter Eggs. Each episode features three stories. Donna Pearlbottum, private eye, goes undercover as an understudy to a soprano. Alden and his cousin, Janelle, sort through his deceased mother's possessions and make a surprising discovery. Mel ditches an anti-drug assembly to smoke pot. --- The Understudy, Act 1, music by Kamala Sankaram, story by Jason Cady and Cara Ehlenfeldt Ships that Pass, Act 1, music by Aaron Siegel, story by Cara Ehlenfeldt Another One Bites, Act 1, music and story by Jason Cady --- Experiments in Opera is a New York City-based community of artists looking for unconventional ways to bring together stories and music.  For more information about our work and a full list of performers who made Aqua Net & Funyuns, visit experimentsinopera.com.

Aqua Net & Funyuns is a podcast of five different operas connected by dozens of hidden Easter Eggs. --- Another One Bites A high school student ditches an anti-drug assembly to smoke pot and hides from a cop in a porta-potty—which becomes a portal to a parallel universe. Arkana Aquarium A widowed janitor at an aquarium becomes convinced his wife has been reincarnated. As the newly acquired fish. Beauty Shot What starts out as a simple trim turns into a murderous trial of infidelity at a quiet hair salon in Kansas. Ships That Pass When Alden discovers that his deceased mother authored queer fanfiction, he reexamines his high school memories and his reluctance to tell her about his own queer identity. The Understudy An opera company hires a private eye to go undercover as an understudy to a soprano. --- Experiments in Opera is a New York City-based community of artists looking for unconventional ways to bring together stories and music.  For more information about our work and a full list of performers who made Aqua Net & Funyuns, visit experimentsinopera.com.