THE OPERA ON TAP MANUAL FOR NEW CHAPTERS © 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 4 
CHAPTER I: Getting Started 5 
 
 
CHAPTER II: Finding Venues, Booking Venues 
And Communicating with Booking Managers 7 
 
CHAPTER III: Recruiting Performers 10 
 
CHAPTER IV: Communicating with All Artists 12 
 
CHAPTER V: Communicating with Possible Donors 14 
 
CHAPTER VI: Maintaining Databases of Performers 15 
 
CHAPTER VII: Talking to the Media 16 
 
CHAPTER VIII: Fundraising, Donor List & Communications 17 
 
CHAPTER IX: Press Releases 21 
 
CHAPTER X: Controlling Finances 22  
 
CHAPTER XI: Coordinating Staff and Communicating  
with National 23 
 
 
CHAPTER XII: Communicating with the Media  
(General Director) 24 
 
CHAPTER XIII: Composing Flyers for Performances 25 
 
CHAPTER XIV: Technical Duties 26 
 
CONCLUSION: 28 
 
APPENDIX I: OOT Email List Template 29 
 
APPENDIX II: Press Release Sample 30 
 
APPENDIX III: Setlist Samples 31 
 
APPENDIX IV:  History & Mission of Opera on Tap 38 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
Greetings future Opera on Tap managers! On behalf of our entire staff and 
our Board of Directors, I thank you for so valiantly taking on the responsibility 
of organizing an OOT Chapter in your locale. With your help we can spread 
the word of opera’s rocking-ness all over the country! Here is a 
comprehensive guide on how our business operates so that you may 
successfully set up an OOT Chapter quickly and efficiently and at the same 
time keep the integrity of our intellectual property as an organization. 
Depending on how experienced you are in Arts Administration, you may find 
some of the information provided to be common sense. Please don’t read it 
as patronization. Having had so little experience with administration myself, I 
thought it would be great to gear this towards a beginner like myself. A clear 
guide on some basic nuts and bolts of business is something I certainly would 
have appreciated when we started OOT. I hope you find the information 
useful, and if anything needs further clarification, don’t hesitate to contact me 
for further assistance. I’m all ears! 
 
 
Sincerely, 
 
 
Anne Hiatt 
General Managing Diva 
 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER I
GETTING STARTED

I. BASIC ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP

Any chapter must be led by a designated General Managing Diva/Divo. The
preferred candidate is someone with great communication skills who is either a
singer with experience in administrative work or a professional working in the opera
field. The basic duties of the administration are listed here. Currently Opera on Tap
NY is administrated by 5 people: A General Managing Diva, two co-Managing
Divas, and two co-Orchestra Managers. Duties can be delegated according to the
specific strengths of your individual staff members. Below are the 3 fundamental
duties of the administration. The sub-categories listed below each fundamental duty
will become chapters of their own. Read on!

• ARTISTIC DIRECTORIAL DUTIES

• EXECUTIVE DIRECTORIAL DUTIES
• TECHNICAL DUTIES

ARTISTIC DIRECTORIAL DUTIES

• Finding venues, booking venues and communicating with booking managers
• Recruiting performers including singers and instrumentalists
• Planning, advertising and coordinating auditions
• Communicating with all of the artists to plan shows
• Communicating with possible donors
• Maintaining the database of performers including pianists and orchestra
• Talking to the media

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORIAL DUTIES

• Fundraising, maintaining the donor database and communicating with
donors
• Assisting the organization in grant research and grant writing on a local level
• Write and Send out press releases once to twice a month for upcoming shows
• Controlling revenues
• Coordinating staff
• Talking to the media
• Composing flyers for every upcoming show

TECHNICAL DUTIES

• Allocating necessary props and other equipment

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 • Being responsible for sound equipment as well as sound and stage set-up at
performances

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 CHAPTER II
FINDING VENUES, BOOKING VENUES AND
COMMUNICATING WITH BOOKING MANAGERS

Ideal OOT Venues

Over the years we have discovered that the ideal venue for an Opera on Tap event
is a bar that promotes and encourages music as a central form of entertainment
within the bar. For example, one of our favorite venues is a very small venue
called Barbes. A live performance at Barbes is the music that streams through
the entire bar. Everyonewho patrons Barbes knows that music is the central form
of entertainment there. The Barbes booking manager does a great job of
promoting performers on the Barbes website and sends out press releases of his
own to major publications in the city. Because the bar assists in the promotion of
our event and encourages a respectful attitude toward performers, we almost
always bring in twice the amount of revenue we usually receive by passing the
Viking Helmet at our other venues. This is DESPITE the fact that Barbes is a
very small venue.

Barbes is a dreamy place, however there are plenty of other venues that rock too.
Our two residencies are at bars with backrooms that are separate from the main
bar. Both venues also rely on live performances in their backrooms to draw in
patrons and promote live performers on their websites and in press releases.

The other important fact to note is that our venues our places where struggling
bands get showcased. They are slightly dive-like and casual. We don’t want
anything too shee shee. Our whole concept is to throw the elitist stigma of opera
on its own head for our listeners. We never pay a rental fee for performing.

Crappy OOT Venues

• SPORTS BARS
Anyplace where the game is more important than the live entertainment is
very bad for audience attentiveness.
• BARS PRESENTING SPECIFIC MUSIC GENRES
Always aim for venues where they book eclectically. You’re trying to sell a
very eclectic product. A venue that focuses on heavy metal will probably not
be interested (although, opera has its heavy metal moments…). All of our
New York venues program diverse acts. For instance, at The Parkside
Lounge in Manhattan, OOT follows a comedy hour. At Barbes we are
followed either by a Brazilian jam band or an accordian act. Galapagos is
considered to be more an art space/ bar and Freddy’s has an event called
Diarama where women recite passages from their teenage diaries. I kid you
not.

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 Researching Venues

Always investigate possible venues before contacting them about a

performance. Start by checking out your locale’s hip periodical (i.e.: Time
Out, or The Village Voice) that lists music around town. If you notice a
venue gets listed constantly for its performances, check out its website and
calendar of upcoming shows. Make sure it satisfies the venue criteria listed
above. If it does, it’s time to visit the bar. If you like the venue and the outlay
of the performance area, it’s time to make contact!

Contacting Venues

The most effective way to contact a venue is in person. Upon studying the
venue’s website, you should be able to decipher who the booking manager is.
If you can’t decipher his or her name from the website, ask the bartender who
the booking manager is and if you can speak with him or her. Always have an
OOT press packet on hand to disperse. If the booking manager is
unavailable to speak with you, ask the bartender if you can leave it. Confirm
the booking manager’s contact info with the bartender and if you don’t hear
from the booking manager in a week, follow up and make sure he or she
received the press packet.

The second most effective way is to contact the person in the way they prefer.
This is very often noted on the venue’s website. If by phone, explain who you
are and what kind of event you’d like to present. Refer them to the Opera on
Tap website highlighting the fact that we have received a good amount of
press, promote ourselves well and feel confident that we can pack the bar.
More than anything the bar needs to know that the act will draw in a good
drinking crowd. That’s where they make their money. We are also a great
weeknight act! We don’t need to perform on Saturday night.

*By the way, it’s always good to become a familiar face at a venue. Sit down,
relax have a drink, talk to the regulars, talk to the staff! You’ll love it!

The OOT Press Packet

A press packet contains copies of articles written about OOT, a brief letter of
introduction detailing the type of performance we would like to present as
well as some materials about the history, mission and administration and one
or two press photos. All of this stuff is held together in a shiny folder with an
OOT sticker on the outside. Voila!

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 Booking at the Venue

If your charms and persuasive powers have wooed the booking manager and
he or she would like to book you, congratulations! Book a date that gives you
plenty of time to put together a great show.

Communicating with the Booking Manager

Well, this is common sense. Be polite, professional and attentive. Respond

promptly to any request he or she may have and be very sure to thank them
post-event for a grand time. Add in a line stating your interest in booking
there again. Of course, this is only if you had a good experience!

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 CHAPTER III
RECRUITING PERFORMERS INCLUDING SINGERS
AND INSTRUMENTALISTS
(Planning, advertising and coordinating auditions)
As a singer/ opera professional you most likely already have a broad network of
singer colleagues you know and would like to work with. Why not start with
“who you know”? Opera on Tap started with a mass email to every singer I had
in my address book. I notified them of the venue I had found, the date, and what
the event was all about. I received a healthy response. From there, I encouraged
those who participated in the first event to forward my email detailing the second
event to every singer within their own network.

Eventually we reached a point where we began screening prospective singers so

that we could maintain a level of quality for our shows. We advertise auditions
through Classical Singer magazine and Opera America. How we run auditions is
also of extreme importance to clarify.

Part of our mission as a company is to promote singers in a way that they can
comfortably and safely develop their craft. At auditions, we make a point of
putting the performer at ease. Converse with them like a colleague not a judge.
Also, be sure to have them communicate to you what they are singing and ask
them to pretend as if they were explaining their piece to a crowd of drinking bar
patrons. If the performer is comfortable directly communicating with you they
most likely will be the same at OOT performances. This is a VERY important
skill for an OOT performer to possess. Of course, they also have to sing and
perform well!

If you feel your network is limited and you will be relying on auditions to draw
artists, be sure to emphasize the benefits of being an OOT performer in your
audition notices. Once they are accepted into the organization, they can apply
for our scholarship program and promote them on our website. They also get to
drink beer and wear jeans while they perform. The pressure for perfection is
completely alleviated. Most likely you’ll find a large pool of performers interested
in taking part in such a relaxed and supportive environment.

THE ORCHESTRA

In order to build a roster of orchestral players, you will need to designate

someone to become the orchestra manager. That person will take on the
responsibility of contracting instrumentalists and attaining music for all the
players. Most likely this person will be an instrumentalist with a network of
colleagues that might be interested in taking part in our project. Depending on
the size of your chapter budget, you can offer a stipend as compensation or the
option of picking up their drinks during the show. The orchestra is not
incremental to every OOT show. They are only there to play one, maybe two

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 pieces on the program. We find that our New York players are generally satisfied
with free drinks and an opportunity to perform in a casual environment.

If you find it difficult to find players interested in performing for charity, you can
always go to your local university and recruit students that need the performance
experience. Contact the career office of the music department at any given
university and they will most likely be able to help you get the word out to
students who might be interested in taking part.

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 CHAPTER IV

COMMUNICATING WITH ALL ARTISTS TO PLAN

SHOWS
Planning the show is your most important duty as an artistic director. This is
how an OOT program shapes up.

The entire performance is emceed by a dynamic and fun-loving singer who is

very comfortable communicating directly with the audience. That person may be
you, but it doesn’t have to be you. You want to put someone up there who will
represent OOT'’s hip and casual dynamic. It’s OK if they swear, provided they’re
comfortable swearing. The emcee is responsible for introducing each performer
and giving some kind of breezy explanation of what they are singing. The
emcee then encourages the singer to briefly go into a further detail about the
piece. Basically, the emcee is the principal player in setting the vibe of the
performance. His or her job is to put the audience in as comfortable a state as
possible. We like laughing to be a regular and organic occurrence at OOT
shows! The emcee is largely responsible for allowing that to happen.

Once the emcee is chosen (that person is your permanent emcee- you want your
emcee to be a familiar face for your regular audience and be a constant “face” of
the company), you can begin planning the musical program. The first thing you
and your staff need to do is pick a theme for the show (i.e. Baroque night, or
French night). We encourage you to be funny and creative with your themes.
One of our NY favorites was “Menstrual theme/ the grumpy women of opera and
the men that love them”. That show was a big hit, and unleashed the
imagination of our singers in terms of the rep they chose to present. Out came
Electra, Vitellia, Baba the Turk, the Tempest, Cavalleria Rusticana! Despite, the
majority of the pieces being non-greatest hits material, the audience ate it up.
Regardless of its familiarity, anything goes at OOT. You can pair Mozart and
Berg and the audience will listen to both with open ears. They are in a
comfortable environment where they feel free to be themselves and react to and
absorb the music as they wish.

Note the important fact that the singers participating choose the repertoire that
they will sing for the show. The administrators set the theme and decide on the
choruses and ensembles that will be performed. Allow the singers to be very
broad in their interpretation of the theme. We promise it makes for a much more
interesting and diverse show. We are open to art song at our shows in addition to
opera arias. A large part of our mission is to allow classical singers to recover a
sense of spontaneity and at the same time, control over their performances. So
rarely do classical singers have the opportunity to hold the creative reins! The
image of struggling singers finding the strength to pull together and produce a
show themselves strikes a cord with the media.

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 In terms of overall structure, when there is an orchestra, it begins the show with
an overture, and does the same if there is a second half to the program. A very
talented sight-reading and fun-loving pianist plays everything else and can even
be convinced to fill in parts on the orchestra overture if need be.

Each set is concluded with a “group sing”. You and your staff pick a chorus for
the evening. All the singers are notified in advance as to what the chorus is, and
what part they are assigned to sing. At the performance, someone on your staff
hands out extra copies of the chorus to audience members encouraging them to
sing along. Some decline, but many do not. Then every one raises their glasses
and sings a rousing opera chorus! One unforgettable night for OOT NY was
when we put together the Agnus Dei from Verdi’s Requiem. The soprano and
mezzo soloists led the call and response, the audience sang back the melody at
the appropriate time, and the other singers filled out the harmonies involved.
The music was owned by everyone in the room, including novices to opera. It
counted as a triumph to those of us on the OOT staff in making opera more
accessible to a broader American audience.

*A NOTE ON HOW WE PROMOTE OUR THEMES

One of our promotional strengths as a company is our unconventional manner of

presenting themes. Included at the end of this manual are examples how we
have promoted our themes to the press and email list.

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 CHAPTER V

Communicating with Possible Donors

As Artistic Director you have a very important role to play in communicating with
possible donors. If your are valiantly taking on both roles of artistic and general
director, you’ll get more out of the GMD chapters regarding fundraising. But
never mind that stuff right now. We’re talking Artistic Director stuff!

As Artistic Director, you and your dynamic personality represent the company
more than anybody else. It is extremely important that you don’t take donors for
granted. More often than not, donors will want to get to know you. Your chapter
will raise more money if you take the social side of mingling with donors
seriously. Keep your donors informed of exciting goings-on in your chapter and
the company as a whole. Much like investors, donors like to see some kind of
“return” on their investment. A lot of this is common sense, but, oh well, I’m
writing a manual, might as well try and not leave anything out. The best advice
I’ve ever received from a fundraising professional was this: “ The key to
successful fundraising is common sense and good manners”. We’ll de-construct
this quote in the GMD Fundraising chapter, but I think the implications for the
Artistic Director’s duties toward fundraising are apt too. Be friendly with those
that keep your head above water!

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 CHAPTER VI

MAINTAINING DATABASE OF PERFORMERS

INCLUDING PIANISTS AND ORCHESTRAL PLAYERS

As Artistic Manager, you are the chief coordinator of a lot of people! Part of our
mission as a not-for-profit is that we will aid as many artists as possible through
our organization. OOT NY has over 50 artists on its roster, including singers and
instrumentalists. As your list of performers expands you have to make sure that
you keep track of everyone’s contact information, and are able to communicate
with everyone efficiently and effectively. Before that list gets out of hand, create a
“group” list in your email account entitled OOT Artists or something like that.
Add every artist that takes part in your show to that list. Depending on your
email account, you may have to break the group up if it gets really large in order
to send email blasts to all artists.

If you are able to bring in an orchestra manager to your Chapter, he or she may
be able to help you maintain your orchestra database.

You should also start and maintain a simple ‘artists contact sheet’ using Excel or
some other database/ word-processing program you may be more familiar with.
The sheet should include a column for email addresses, phone numbers, and
physical addresses. With Google Apps you can create the sheet online at the
Opera on Tap Google page and share it with your other organizers.

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 CHAPTER VII

TALKING TO THE MEDIA

So here is the fun part. Talking to the media! Here at OOT we love media
attention, and have been highly successful in getting it. The fact that our
program is so unusual makes for a great news story. Both you and the General
Managing Diva/o are chiefly responsible for telling the OOT story. Of course
you’ll most likely be focusing on publicizing your own Chapter, but if you are
asked questions about the national organization, you can refer to our “History
and Mission” appendix at the end of this manual. Our website also details the
OOT story.

Here is another common sense tip: Be polite and attentive with prospective
interviewers and be yourself! You can never be casual enough for Opera on Tap.
We want to put the image out there that opera singers are normal people with
senses of humor and casual senses of being (well, at least OOT opera singers
have these qualities…).

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 CHAPTER VIII

FUNDRAISING, DONOR LIST & DONOR COMMUNICATION

As General Managing Diva/o of your local OOT chapter, one of your most important
responsibilities is to raise funds for the company. Being the resident GMD puts you in the
strongest position in the company to strengthen your Chapter. As a 501(c)3 company, OOT is a
tax-exempt organization. For the most part, the company relies on the generosity of corporate
sponsors, private donors and grant funds. On the national level, we will assist you as much as
possible. Here are some basic OOT fundraising tips.

I. Know your audience

Those regulars that keep coming back for more OOT may be your most important supporters in
the long run. Make sure you keep track of familiar faces, and introduce your face (and self) to
them. At every performance, have an email list circulating around the room. We will provide you
with the template. Soon after the show, enter the email addresses and whatever information you
are able to get, into the email marketing system we use. With this system, you will be able to
monitor who opens your email blasts about upcoming OOT performances. You’ll be surprised to
see the consistency of who opens your emails. The name of our free-to-use system is Vertical
Response. We will set you up on the system if you want to use it. Otherwise you are free to use
other systems like Mailchimp if desired. Pricing varies depending on the size of your email list.
There are many and I encourage you to do your research. The benefit of using an email
marketing system is that it allows you to send one email to a very large list of addresses without
having to break it up. You also can create professional looking press and performance
announcements using the system’s templates. Constant Contact and other e-marketing systems
like it, make deals with major domains like hotmail, yahoo , gmail, earthlink and aol so that your
email won’t be considered junk.

II. Make your public aware of your company’s not-for-profit status

At every show, have OOT donation envelopes available and obviously placed around the room.
We will provide you with the OOT donation envelope template. You never know who might be
feeling generous in the moment, and throw a few buckaroos your way! The envelope includes
an area where the donor can provide name and address information. With that information, on
the national level we can provide the donor with a thank you note/ tax letter that qualifies as a
receipt he or she can hold onto for tax purposes. On the Chapter level, it would be VERY smart
to write a thank you letter yourself, and stipulate to the donor that the official tax letter will come
from OOT national.
 III. Research local grant organizations and private foundations

The Foundation Center has a fantastic website where you can sign up for a
membership and have access to their online grant/foundation search system.
From there, you can type in your own locale and find possible local donors. Also,
your local arts council can be incredibly resourceful and helpful. Make a point of
introducing yourself to the Council and setting up a meeting with one of the
administrators. Friends in high places are never a bad thing!

IV. Fundraising events

Hold fundraising events! Part of the requirements in organizing an OOT

Chapter is that you have to organize an Oktoberfest Fundraiser once a year.
Beyond that, you can brainstorm fun and creative ways of putting on shows
geared toward possible donors. New York has had success with “salon” type
performances, where we perform in someone’s home for a small, targeted
audience (people who give to charities). This can be made possible by
examining your network of contacts. Who do you know that might have
connections to philanthropist-types? Think broad. You never know who
someone you know knows!

V. Online donations

We can provide you with an online donation link for your Opera on Tap page.

VI. Maintain a Donor Database

VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Keep track of those who give! On your donor database
system make sure you have captured name, address, email, phone and when they
last donated. You want that list to grow, so that every year you have more and
more people to send fundraising letters. The simplest system and most basic to
use is Excel. With Excel you can use information about your donors and merge
it with a Word document to create a form letter. Donor database systems become
more innovative and convenient the more you are willing to pay. Once you have
a considerable list, you may want to consider investing in donor database
software that is specifically designed for Not –for-Profit organizations. The price
is higher, but the benefits of such systems are incredible! You can document all
kinds of information about your donors. It’s a little scary! Check out
www.donorperfect.com if you would like to see an example of such
software.

VII. Fundraising letters

At least once a year, send your donors a fundraising letter. In this detailed and
personal letter, you want to include as much information as possible about your

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 upcoming performances and/or projects, your Chapter’s growth, and it’s
continued impact on the opera industry and your audiences. Give a sense of
what your projected expenses for the year will be. If you are very ambitious and
have taken on specific projects (such as producing an opera in a bar) that require
a separate budget, include that as well. Make sure to personalize your form
letters. If someone on your staff has a personal contact with the donor, make
sure they include a little note in ink at the top of the letter, or initialize the return
address at the top of the envelope. With the letter include an OOT donation
envelope. As the years go on, make sure to encourage donors to give more than
last year! This is something donors expect to hear, so fear not! Here is where we
dissect the phrase: “ The key to successful fundraising is common sense and
good manners”. If you are looking to ask for major money from someone, be
sure to solicit him or her close to when the fiscal year ends. That is when most
donors start making donations in order to increase their tax deductions and that
is when they expect to be hit up. Use your common sense to not over-solicit
someone in a given year. If a donor makes a contribution, spend some time
showing your appreciation and investing some time conversing with him/her
before soliciting again. This is why it is important to maintain information in
your donor database about the date someone last donated. You can gauge better
when it would be most appropriate to ask for money again.

If you don’t get what you asked for, don’t express your disappointment too
loudly! Perhaps you need to cultivate the relationship more with this individual
than you had initially thought. Keep this person informed as to what’s going on
with the company. Who knows? He or she might jump aboard next year!

Be prepared for rejection by both grant organizations and individuals. If you are
a singer, I’m sure you are more than prepared for this situation! Try and make
something good come out of it. Perhaps your materials about the company need
to be strengthened. If a foundation or individual is willing to provide feedback,
this is a wonderful tool! It also shows prospective funders that you are serious
about developing the company.

VIII. Communicating with Donors

Be extremely courteous and friendly with your donors! A wise piece of advice I
received from the General Director of a major opera company: “They’re not
giving to your cause, they’re giving to you”. You are the best representative of
the company, through your personality and sincerity. Communicate with your
donors beyond company matters. Drop them a friendly line. Show you care for
them as individuals as much as you care for their checkbooks. Also, keep them
informed of exciting new events and projects coming up. The more they feel they
are in the loop and part of the organization, the more they’ll be willing to
contribute.

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 IX. Materials to Prepare for Donors and Corporate Sponsors

Regular donors and corporations expect to see certain materials from

organizations soliciting them for money. The website is most helpful, but in a
face-to-face meeting or in an email interaction, you want to be able to show them
materials immediately about your organization. The national organization will
provide you with examples of such material. The OOT General Business
Description is something you can use as the basis of your Chapter business
description. You can then tweek it to localize it more. You also will want to
include a summary of the history and mission of OOT (we will provide you with
this and you can add on the history of your own Chapter) as well as a document
outlaying upcoming projects for your Chapter. Sponsors and donors love to see
that your business has prospects.

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 CHAPTER IX

PRESS RELEASES

Yes, sometimes the press comes to you, but more often than not, you have to
seek it out! Send a press release out once a month to every publication in your
area detailing your upcoming OOT performances. A press release is a one-page
document written in a specific format that the press is used to seeing. As part of
the appendix section, I am attaching an example of a press release. We can also
provide you with a template for an OOT press release.

I. Contacting the media

The best way to find out information on to whom you send your press release is
to call the publication. Ask the operator who in the arts department reads press
releases regarding opera events. Usually, you’ll be connected to the writer’s
voicemail. Sometimes, the writer will include in his or her voicemail message the
best way to make contact. If not, re-connect with the operator and ask for the
email address of that person. The second best way to find out information is the
publication’s website. More often than not, on the “contact” page, there will be a
masthead list of staff writers with possible contact information. Take whatever
contact information you find and include it in your press database. Yes, you need
a press database too. OOT NY has over 200 press contacts now that receive a
monthly release from us.

II. Methods of sending press releases

Depending on the publication’s preference, you can send the press release via
email or snail mail. Most publications prefer email nowadays. Using the email
marketing system detailed in Chapter VIII, you can customize a press release
using one of the system’s templates. We will provide you with examples of
templates we’ve used to create NY press releases. Using the system allows you to
see who in the press opens your emails. It’s always good to know who is the best
candidate for writing a feature on you eventually! Sometimes the writer prefers
receiving press releases via regular mail. The press release provided in the
Appendix can serve as a template for snail mail press releases.

Once you’ve been listed in a publication, you may want to extend a personal
invitation to the writers in the arts department to attend one of your upcoming
shows. You therefore increase your chances of having a feature story written on the
Chapter. If writers do write you up, be very thankful and appreciative and keep in
contact with them. Keep them updated on cool things happening in the company.
It’s always nice to have relationships with the press. It keeps you visible!

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 CHAPTER X
CONTROLLING FINANCES

We have national bank accounts at a few of the major banking institutions to which you can
deposit your revenues.

As a Chapter administrator, you are responsible for depositing all revenues into the bank
account, and National is responsible for paying out your expenses upon request. We share
expense/revenue tracking for each Chapter on an Expense/Revenue sheet that is made
specifically for your Chapter. It is your responsibility to note all expenses and revenues on the
sheet that your Chapter incurs and to also email us with payout requests.

Keep track of every transaction you make and hold onto every receipt! In order to maintain
clean books, be sure to document whom you pay (pianists for example) and what services they
rendered. The expense/revenue sheet we will create for you will have clear column descriptions
for you to use.

On the national level we will create an account code in our books so that we too can track your
Chapter’s banking activity. More detailed information on finances will be sent via email to you
and you are always welcome to email Anne Hiatt (​anne@operaontap.com​) with questions. Our
bookkeeper’s email address is ​finance@operaontap.com​.
 CHAPTER XI
COORDINATING STAFF AND COMMUNICATING
WITH THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Here is where you get to show off your amazing leadership skills! As General
Managing Diva/o, you are chiefly responsible for anything and everything that
happens to the Chapter. If a show is cancelled, it is you who needs to let
everyone and their mother know about it. If there are any major problems within
the Chapter, you need to feel compelled to solve them. Your signature is the
most important one on your donor thank you letter and is necessary at the end of
every grant application. Be comfortable delegating when there is someone on
your staff who is in a better situation to handle a certain task.

You are also the only person that will be directly responsible for communicating
with the national organization. Any correspondence will come first through you
and then be distributed to whomever can take action on the correspondence.
This is with the exception of the annual Board meeting. You may wish to
appoint someone other than yourself to be on the National Board. If that is the
case, Board-related matters will be communicated directly to National Board
members, not necessarily through you as executive director.

In staff meetings, you are responsible for creating the meeting agenda and
making sure that the points are all covered before the meeting adjourns. That’s
right, you get to hold the gavel and maintain order! It’s fun for all of us control
freaks!

At meetings, you need to designate someone to take notes. This document can
be extremely useful in making sure that any decisions made or projects conceived
are acted upon as set forth during the meeting. Save all of your meeting notes in
a file. There will always be situations where you’ll need to remind yourself what
happened or what’s supposed to be happening!

Opera on Tap Chapter Manual 22

 CHAPTER XII
COMMUNICATING WITH THE MEDIA

Same as with the Artistic Director! Be kind be courteous, and over-stress the fact
that OOT is a not-for-profit organization that ACCEPTS DONATIONS! You are
the chief representative for the business of OOT. So make sure the press
understands that you represent a business as well as an opera troupe!

Opera on Tap Chapter Manual 23

 CHAPTER XIII
COMPOSING FLYERS FOR EVERY UPCOMING SHOW

In the event you have a creative type on your staff, you may want to delegate this
task to him or her. You will need to either have or gain, some basic know how on
computer design software. If you don’t have that already, it’s really simple! The
main flyer can be developed on the email marketing system, using the templates
they provide and customizing them as needed. Constant Contact even has a
“wizard” who can take you through the basics of HTML to better personalize
your flyer. Examples of NY flyers will be sent to you via email. If you would like
to design a poster-type flyer to hand out or post around town, these can be
designed using Word, Pages, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop or whatever
design software you prefer. Examples of NY posters will be added to the
Appendix and will be provided as templates for creating your own posters.

On every flyer you want to make sure that this information is clear:

Date of show
Venue’s address and contact information
Suggested donation
Performance theme
The link to your OOT Chapter page

Be concise but LOUD with your marketing! Don’t cower from bright colors,
especially on posters that you are posting around town. You need to catch their
eye more than anything then reel them in with a short but catchy message.

Opera on Tap Chapter Manual 24

 CHAPTER XIV
TECHNICAL DUTIES

I. Allocating necessary props and other equipment

Part of your very important technical duties is to make sure the Viking Helmet
has been purchased and is being worn properly. I’m not kidding. Stop laughing!
The helmet is a part of the OOT image! It is also what we use in place of a hat to
pass when we ask the audience to contribute money ! You also are responsible
for acquiring a digital piano for your shows. If you don’t have one lying around
or a kind friend who offers one up to you for OOT performances, you may have
to purchase one. Do research before purchasing a piano. Make sure it has
quarter-inch cable adaptor ability and that the sound of the piano is up to your
standards. The prices on these things can really range. NY purchased a nice one
for $700, but it lacks a quarter inch cable insert (we had to purchase an adaptor
for it). But really good ones can be as expensive as $2300.00. Whatever works
with your budget! The least expensive option is to find venues where there are
already pianos. This can limit your venue choices considerably and I would
encourage you to pick the right venue for the look and feel of OOT rather than
pick a venue based on whether or not it has a piano.

II. Being responsible for sound equipment as well as sound and stage set-up
at performances.

Whoever assumes the role of technical director on your staff needs to have a
strong memory! He or she is responsible for such important items as your digital
keyboard and all of its small accessories. He or she is also the go-to person for
setting up equipment at every venue. Keep in mind that every bar has a different
set-up, and the technical director should always check ahead of time with the
booking manager at the bar about the technical set-up. Is there a PA system we
can plug into? Is there a real piano? How out of tune is it if it’s there? Does the
bar have microphones and cables with which to plug in microphones and
keyboards? These are all good simple questions that can alleviate possible
nightmare situations.

The technical director is also responsible for organizing the transport of any and
all technical equipment. Ideally the keyboard at any given venue will be on site
and set up approximately a half of an hour before showtime. Of course, if there is
another act ahead of you, that cuts set-up time by half, but oh well, that’s the
reality of singing opera in bars! Sometimes things can be a little chaotic and
behind schedule. Patience is a virtue and it’s good to remember that poor
fledgling bands put up with these situations all the time and still love performing
when they can.

Opera on Tap Chapter Manual 25

III. Updating and maintaining the webpage

Someone on your staff must be responsible for maintaining and updating your OOT webpage.
We use a simple web development software system that anyone with computer proficiency can
use to update his or her website’s content everyday. We will work with whomever you appoint to
this task to keep your page constantly current.

The OOT website is one of your most important assets as a Chapter. Currently the website
receives thousands of hits a day. This company was found on the internet more than any other
way. We have garnered a lot of fans and a lot of media attention through our website. The site is
also where you can best promote your artists. The website includes an Artist page where you
can post headshots, and bios for each artist. You can also link individual artists’ websites to
your page.
 CONCLUSION
Well, you made it to the end. Hopefully you’re not sleeping or worse, deterred
from forging ahead with your very own OOT Chapter! At the national level, we
will always be there to assist you, and again, we thank you for taking part in our
small revolution. We look forward to the day when there exists a large, diverse
and supportive community of classical performers that share the same desire of
seeing the art form they celebrate everyday be celebrated by more people than
ever imagined. Thanks again, and as they say in Valhalla… Ho jo to ho!

Opera on Tap Chapter Manual 27

 APPENDIX I 
OOT Email List 
 
 
FIRST NAME  LAST NAME  EMAIL ADDRESS 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
 APPENDIX II 
PRESS RELEASE SAMPLE: 
 
 
Please visit this link to see a sample press release and the pertinent types of 
information you should include when creating your own for your Chapter events: 
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/659834/ca614a1de0/284029319/4c1fd169db/ 
 APPENDIX III 
SETLIST SAMPLES 
 
 
 Home Brewed Opera Presents:
Opera Dinner Theater!
Featuring:
Hannah Goodman, soprano | Rachel Duval, soprano
Brittany Fowler, mezzo-soprano | Heather Jones, soprano
Nick Hay, bass-baritone | Eric Sedgwick, pianist extraordinaire

PROGRAM:

Sing for Your Supper from The Boys from Syracuse Rodgers & Hart
Rachel

Nobles seigneurs, salut! from Les Huguenots G. Meyerbeer

Heather
I Understand (Pitkin’s Song) from On the Town L. Bernstein
Nick

Seguidilla from Carmen G. Bizet

Brittany
Be Kind and Courteous from A Midsummer Night’s Dream B. Britten
Hannah

SHORT INTERMISSION

If Music Be the Food of Love H. Purcell

Brittany
Art is Calling for Me from The Enchantress V. Herbert
Hannah
Habanera from Carmen G. Bizet
Heather

Poison Aria from Romeo et Juliette C. Gounod

Rachel

Song of the Drunken People T. Khrennikov

Nick




Upcoming Opera on Tap Events:

OOT New Brew: Home Brewed Opera
Friday, Feb 1st – 8pm Thursday, March 14th – 9pm
Barbès Freddy’s
376 9 Street, Brooklyn
th 627 5 Ave., Brooklyn
th

$10 Suggested Donation $10 Suggested Donation

What’s Opera on Tap?

Opera on Tap is the premiere divebar opera company of New York and
beyond. Started in Freddy’s Bar in Brooklyn, Opera on Tap is now the largest
network of operatic performing artists in the country.

Where do we perform?
Anywhere people will let us. But not really so much in concert halls and opera
houses.

So… why?
We want to find those people out there that have never heard an opera, never sat
inside of a concert hall, are intimidated by the mere mention of classical music and
think its only for rich white people, and then we want to sing for them and blow
their minds.

Like us on Facebook or follow @OperaonTapNYC on Twitter!

To learn more about us, go to OperaonTap.org/NewYork



 Home Brewed Opera Presents:
!
Featuring:
Mithuna Sivaraman, soprano | Rachel Duval, soprano
Samanthan Nahra, soprano | Sidney Weberndörfer, mezzo soprano
Nick Hay, bass-baritone |Eric Sedgwick, pianist extraordinaire

PROGRAM:

Or sai chi l’onore from Don Giovanni W.A. Mozart
Samantha

Infelice! E tuo credivi from Ernani G. Verdi

Nick
Hab’s mir’s gelobt from Der Rosenkavalier R. Strauss
Mithuna, Rachel, Sidney

Come now aroundel from A Midsummer Night’s Dream B. Britten

Mithuna
Brindisi (The Drinking Song) from La Traviata G. Verdi
Rachel and Ensemble

SHORT INTERMISSION

Superbo è luom from Il riturno d’Ulisse in Patria C. Monteverdi

Nick
Tornami a vagheggiar from Alcina G.F. Handel
Mithuna
Sola perduta abbandonata from Manon Lescaut G. Puccini
Samantha

Habanera from Carmen G. Bizet

Sidney

Three Ladies Trio from The Magic Flute W.A. Mozart

Sidney, Mithuna, Samantha



Upcoming Opera on Tap Events:

Home Brewed Opera: New Brew
Thursday, March 21st – 8pm Friday, April 5th – 8pm
Inwood Local Barbès
4957 Broadway, Manhattan 326 9 Street, Brooklyn
th

$10 Suggested Donation $10 Suggested Donation

What’s Opera on Tap?

Opera on Tap is the premiere divebar opera company of New York and
beyond. Started in Freddy’s Bar in Brooklyn, Opera on Tap is now the largest
network of operatic performing artists in the country.

Where do we perform?
Anywhere people will let us. But not really so much in concert halls and opera
houses.

So… why?
We want to find those people out there that have never heard an opera, never sat
inside of a concert hall, are intimidated by the mere mention of classical music and
think its only for rich white people, and then we want to sing for them and blow
their minds.

Like us on Facebook or follow @OperaonTapNYC on Twitter!

To learn more about us, go to OperaonTap.org/NewYork



 Opera on Tap’s NEW BREW
Presents:
Dirty, Sexy, Jazzy 3.0
December the 1st – 8pm at Barbès

Featuring:
Vocalists: Joanie Brittingham, Kayleigh Butcher, Alex Guerrero, David
Gordon, Anne Hiatt, Michael Hoffman, Sara Noble, Cameron Russell,
Kamala Sankaram, and Krista Wozniak

The Dirty Sexy Ensemble: Ezra Gale, Jeff Hudgins, Mitch Marcus,
Kamala Sankaram, Jesse Simpson and Adam Smale
.

When in Rome (I do as the Romans do) Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh/arr, Christopher Berg

Anne, Ezra, Jesse, Mitch
Deh vieni, non tardar from Le Nozze di Figaro W.A. Mozart/arr. Kamala Sankaram
Sara and the band
E lucevan le stele from Tosca G. Puccini/ arr. Kamala Sankaram
David and the band
Tu che le vanità from Don Carlo G. Verdi/ arr. Mitch Marcus
Krista and the band
Gypsy Dance from Carmen G. Bizet/arr. Ezra Gale
Kayleigh and the band
The Flower Duet from Lakmé L. Delibes/ arr. Drew Fleming
Joanie, Kayleigh and the band

SHORT INTERMISSION
Queen of the Rumba W.A. Mozart/arr. Kamala Sankaram
Kamala and the band
O tu che in seno agli angeli from La Forza del Destino G. Verdi/arr. Mitch Marcus
David and the band
Im wunderschönen Monat Mai R. Schumann/H. Heine/arr. Kamala Sankaram
Michael and the band
No More Toots Camarata/Bob Russell/ arr. Jeff Hudgins
Kamala, Jeff, Adam, Mitch
Una furtiva lagrima from L’elisir d’amore G. Donizetti/ arr. Mitch Marcus
Alex, Ezra, Mitch, Jesse
Santa Baby Davits, Springer & Springer
Anne, Cameron, and the band
 Upcoming Opera on Tap Events:

Catch Opera-on-Tappers caroling Home Brewed Opera

around Brooklyn this month: Thursday, January 11 – 9pm
Freddy’s
Saturdays, December 2, 9, & 16 on 5th 627 5 Ave., Brooklyn
th

Avenue in Park Slope from 3-5pm No cover

Wednesday December 13 in Cobble Hill
from 5:30-7:30pm
Friday December 15 on Myrtle Ave in
Ridgewood from 2-4pm

What’s Opera on Tap?

Opera on Tap is the premiere divebar opera company of New York and beyond.
Started in Freddy’s Bar in Brooklyn, Opera on Tap is now the largest network of
operatic performing artists in the country.
Where do we perform?
Anywhere people will let us. But not really so much in concert halls and opera
houses.
So… why?
We want to find those people out there that have never heard an opera, never sat
inside of a concert hall, are intimidated by the mere mention of classical music and
think its only for rich white people, and then we want to sing for them and blow
their minds.
Like us on Facebook or follow @OperaonTapNYC on Twitter!
To learn more about us, go to OperaonTap.org/NewYork
 APPENDIX IV:  
HISTORY & MISSION 
 
Opera on Tap (OOT) is a women-led organization that was born in 2005 at Freddy’s 
Bar and Backroom in Brooklyn and incorporated in 2006 to promote opera as a 
viable, living and progressive art form and to support the developing artists who 
continue to keep the art form alive. What began as a small monthly gathering of 
ambitious, classically trained singers looking for more performance opportunities, 
has grown into a producing organization that has gained a loyal audience base and 
national recognition as an innovative force on the classical music scene. Through its 
Chapter program, which now has twenty-five vibrant national (and international) 
chapters, OOT has created a large network of performers, creators, supporters and 
audiences. We enjoy support from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York 
State Council on the Arts, Opera America, The Seth Sprague Educational Charitable 
Foundation, and the Dr. Lee MacCormick Edwards Charitable Foundation among 
others. We have gained international recognition as an innovative force on the 
classical music scene with features in such media outlets as The NY Times, NPR All 
Things Considered, The Wall Street Journal, NY1, USA Today, NHK/ Japan National 
Public TV, Tagesspiegel, The NY Daily News, WNYC, Boston Globe, Chicago Today, 
Chicago Reader, the LA Times, LA Weekly, and Seattle Weekly among many others. 

Mission 
Opera on Tap (OOT) is a not for profit corporation with 501(c)3 status. Our 
organization is formed for educational purposes including: 
1) Educating the public on culture and the arts 
2) Providing support and performance opportunities to young opera singers and 
classical instrumentalists. 
Our mission is to: 
● Expose new audiences to opera and classical music by taking opera and 
classical music out of the concert hall and performing it in alternative venues 
● To aid young performers in their development by giving them the opportunity 
to perform and to promote and support them through our organization 
● To help promote new classical works of contemporary classical and operatic 
composers