Ol Man River

Bellevue couple's opera careers meet in 'Rigoletto'

They are playing the opera roles of brother and sister - but in reality, these local singers are husband and wife.

Stacey Rishoi, a mezzo-soprano, and Gustav Andreassen, a bass, are singing the roles of the assassin Sparafucile and his beautiful sister, Maddalena, in Cincinnati Opera's "Rigoletto," opening today in Music Hall.

Both have prolific careers that take them to all corners of the United States and abroad to perform opera, oratorio and recitals. Although they have performed together before, "Rigoletto" will be their first production in which they will be onstage in a scene together.

Their launch pad for the past 10 years has been Bellevue, and they couldn't be happier.

"Initially, our draw (to Bellevue) was that we knew we were going to be traveling a lot, and we already had friends (living) close to the house that we purchased. So they could look after our home, and we would have sort of an instant community," said Rishoi, between rehearsals at Music Hall last week.

They came to the area for graduate studies in voice with Barbara Honn at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. The singers have been pleasantly surprised to discover that downtown Bellevue has much to offer.

"That little avenue is really up and coming," she said. "Have you seen it recently? You need to go for the day. It's got arts and crafts, home things, artsy things, a couple of restaurants, an herb shop, a coffee shop."

They don't often get jobs together - let alone in the city where they live.

"Sometimes, we have jobs that are in different places in different times. Prior to our having a son, it was hard because we just missed each other," Rishoi said.

Now Rishoi and Andreassen stroll down Fairfield Avenue with an addition to their creative team: six-month-old Owen Lucas Rishoi Andreassen. And with baby in tow, juggling two opera careers has taken on a new dimension. In fact, just finding time to conceive a baby was a scheduling nightmare for the operatic couple.

While Ol Man River Rolled… « Windows

  Today is the day a lot of folks have been looking too for about 90 days.  According to the word on the street, after 90 days of trying to ramble and run at will, the mighty Mississippi is supposed to be back within its backs.  Sometime this afternoon, the rumor mill has it, the river is supposed to fall below flood stage once more.  Lots of people will get to return to their houses to see the damage.  Animals (deer, snakes, rats, pigs) that have ventured into downtown Greenville will be allowed to return to their homes as well… I am sure we are both happy about that.  Everyone will be talking to FEMA, and remembering the great flood that never was.  Now if we can just do something about these gnats that all left the river bottoms for the higher ground of our back yards.

  This has caused me to pause and consider all that happened behind the scenes while the river captured the foreground of our attention…

1. There were of course the tremendous storms that rocked through.  Having grown up in “tornado alley” its easy to grow a little non-chalant about “tornado warnings.”  It will take awhile for that complacency to set back in.  I keep in my mind this image of a familiy in Smithville, Ms.  In the mist of the sirens they ran to the shelter.  They could barely see the tornado over the giant trees, homes, apartment buildings, and businesses along the two mile stretch that formed their little town.  FIFTEEN MINUTES later they came back out… it was all gone.  That is hard to imagine.  Our prayers are with them all. 

2. Related to #1… for all those people saying “Jesus -yes, church- no.”  I call you to go to any storm ravaged town, and take note of who was and is on the front lines.  In every occasion, its the churches who were there first, best, and are staying the longest to help those in need.  They look like Jesus… I think he is proud.  I love particularly on church that was giving out assistance to anyone who came up and needed the help.  People were there around the clock… at the tent they had set up.  They would have used their church building if it had only survived the storm.

3.  It has turned hot in the delta… I saw a mosquito fanning itself.  How ironic, while we were all worried about a flood, farmers were, and are, battling a severe drought situation.  Be careful out there guys.

4.  The Mavericks finally won it all.  I am sure it was a major thing for a lot of people, but I suspect it was something they personally did for my friend Clyde.

Ol' man river ..., from Showboat adapted from Edna Ferber's novel of the same name

Ol' Man River, Geo-archaeological Aspects of Rivers and River Plains

Ol' man river, memoirs of a riverboat captain

Ol' Man River

Ol' man river, he don't move traffic, he don't build business, he just keeps TAXING along. River transportation for the Twin Cities has proved a failure