Tosca: Meet The creatives – Anthony Flaum

Anthony Flaum is the producer of Oxford International Opera’s production of Tosca. Originally trained as a tenor, he has built a wealth of experience both behind the scenes and up on stage. Next up in our series to get to know our cast and creative team, he answers our questions…

To start, how would you describe what you do as the Producer?

Producer is sometimes a bit of a catch-all job title that really differs from job to job, company to company and genre to genre. For example, the role of a Producer in film is very different to that of one in live theatre. In the specific example of Oxford International Opera, I would say that my role is threefold:

• part consultant – to work with the existing orchestra’s infrastructure and improve the working knowledge and awareness of the current team with regards to what it takes to build a fully-staged production like Tosca.
• part production team – working with various other creatives to ensure all human and physical elements of the production are in the right place at the right time doing what they should be doing!
• and this part is unusual……part artistic development – as we are dealing with a new and exciting venture, I relish working with the OPO team on developing the brand of OIO and its future potential.

Education and outreach have been a big part of your arts career. Can you tell me about OIO’s approach to supporting the next generation?

Two things to note here – firstly, that education begins inside the production! I am a big believe of “learning on the job” and learning how “to” do things and how “not” to do things. Both of which, can be incredibly helpful for young performers and creatives in navigating their own paths in this wonderful but ever-changing and tough industry. By mixing internationally renowned performers such as Sir Bryn with younger singers and creatives in a project, there is instantly an atmosphere created of being involved with something special and singers/creatives can all learn from one another. It works both ways too – experienced professionals learn from new ideas too so education works both ways! Secondly, on outreach, I have been involved in many projects in my career so far and outreach is always a joy to be involved in. The plans we have to invite schools and students to the dress rehearsal and host Q&As with cast/crew members as well as going directly into schools in future months, solidifies our intent on not only creating opera for the stage but taking into communities as a living, breathing and accessible artform. OPO’s already well-established programme of supporting young musicians is testament to how developmental the organisation is for orchestral musicians and with OIO, it will be more focused around the singers and creatives and ensuring that collaboration breeds education and also ensuring that world class opera can take place in a school hall as well as on the grand stages of Oxford.

Now, when it comes to stage performances, you operate on both sides of the curtain, in and out of the spotlight; does that change how you approach the job?

Absolutely! It’s so imperative for everyone on the stage to understand how much work it takes to bring a production to the point of the very first day of rehearsal. Teams of people, months/years of planning, huge amounts of emails/meetings and that’s before a note has been sung! So far there are over 150 people involved both on and off stage in Tosca. As a singer myself, it’s humbling to know that there has been a whole team of people working in their own departments to bring the show to life. It also makes me more aware of what it takes to stand on that stage and ensure I am doing the very best I can to respect those others that have worked so hard to get me on that stage! Conversely, being on the production side of things, it’s good to have that knowledge of performing because I have to keep in mind that all the prep work that is being done, is to ensure singers and musicians are freed up to do what they do best – tell the story! I would recommend anyone on the stage to have some experience of “behind the scenes” – it’s a whole new world!

You’ve also been part of other productions of Tosca, as Cavaradossi. What do you enjoy most about this opera?

Puccini was a master at driving the drama through the music. The playful romance of the Act 1 duet between Cavaradossi and Tosca to the thrilling drama of the torture scene – “Vittoria”! – to the exquisite melody of E lucevan le stelle in Act 3, remembering the life soon to be lost and the tragic hope that love conquers all between Tosca and Cavaradossi before the final scene. It’s a relatively simple story of power struggles, jealousy, art, love, revolution, friendship, betrayal – it’s got it all! Both Tosca and Scarpia are such beautifully written roles – oozing what they need to, e.g. the beautiful diva of Tosca and the complex trickery of the mind of Scarpia – both Carmen and Sir Bryn are such amazing protagonists of this role. But as a tenor, there’s no greater role in my humble opinion and I can’t wait to hear the wonderful Saimir Pirgu sing the hell out of it!

Before your career in the arts, you had a career in finance. Are there any skills that have been helpful in both those worlds?

Everyone loves a spreadsheet, don’t they?! I do! So, my grounding in business, finance and admin has certainly helped going into the production side of the business. However, as a singer too, there’s an unbelievable amount of admin for a singer to cope with and the more organised and finance savvy you are as a performer, the better your chances of survival! I think colleges have recognised this and have begun to reflect that by offering modules on tax, digital presence, etc.. I also think that having a “previous life” informs my performance – both on the stage and off. You always learn something from the job you do (as I’ve said above, whether that’s a “to” do or “not” to do)…..and the more life experience one has, the more informed your choices can be on the stage. So I think having interaction with clients, being organised, understanding complex structures, learning compromise, adhering to regulations and importantly, accepting when to back off (!) are all traits that any non-performing profession can teach you as a singer and I feel that these things are certainly attributes that I constantly try and develop, whether that’s within a production team or when I tread the boards! There is no one standard way to enter this industry – in an ideal world, there shouldn’t be! If you’ve got the talent and the know-how, then coming at it from a different background can often be one’s USP! I initially was a musical theatre singer and the acting skills I learnt from that style of theatre have certainly helped me in my opera career. Equally, being unafraid of the business side of things is now helping me in my producing career. Always be open to experiences is what I say!

Find tickets to the Oxford International Opera’s performance of Tosca here

Join the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra alongside international opera stars for the brand-new, fully-staged production of Oxford International Opera, where we will bring Puccini’s Tosca to the stage of the New Theatre in Oxford. Featuring internationally renowned opera singers such as Sir Bryn Terfel, Carmen Giannattasio and Saimir Pirgu, the Oxford Philharmonic will be the fourth protagonist and extra voice on the stage.

The Principal Donor of this production is the Laidlaw Opera Trust.