SARASOTA OPERA Four Great Opera Productions Tuesday, March 19Th Through Friday, March 22Nd
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THE SARASOTA OPERA Four Great Opera Productions Tuesday, March 19th through Friday, March 22nd Veronese’s Flight into Egypt in the Ringling Museum Ca’ d’Zan, Ringling Museum “Keeping with its decade-long tradition of performing either This year’s repertoire will include Mozart’s German singspiel, unusual works, or original versions of Verdi’s operas… every opera The Magic Flute (1791); Verdi’s rousing ‘early period’ success, lover must feel endebted to the Sarasota Opera Company for its Nabucco (1842); Puccini’s final work for the stage, Turandot choosing to walk a less traveled path.” (1926); and new productions of an unusual double-bill of comic Nicola Lischi, Radiotelevisione Italiana operas combining Donizetti’s ‘bel canto’ Rita (1860) with Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s light-hearted satire, Susanna’s Secret “Where else can one spend the morning reveling in the beauty of (1909). There are very few companies in the U.S. where opera works by Rubens, Hals and Botticelli and the afternoon lolling on a powdery white sand beach? That is the lure of Sarasota , where aficionados can indulge in the luxury of four different John and Mable Ringling, the circus impresario and his wife, set performances of such high quality on four successive days. The the stage for a vibrant cultural life.” NY Times Sarasota Opera continues to set an ambitious example during this era of economic austerity by mounting realistic sets. Victor DeRenzi: “The Italian government Our first daytime excursion this year will bestowed the title of Knight of the Order of the include the Ringling Museum of Art . A Star of Italy to the Artistic Director of Sarasota second excursion will take us to the lush Marie Opera who led the company’s 28-year Verdi Selbye Botanical Gardens . The area’s Festival.” combination of musical, artistic and natural treasures truly offers the enticing winter break lorida’s innovative Sarasota Opera , now celebrating its sixtieth season , has that everyone is looking for. The glorious established itself in recent years as one of coastal sands of Sarasota’s Key islands continue our most imaginative and successful unbroken for several miles and are justifiably F regional companies. The Mediterranean ranked by National Geographic magazine as Revival Opera House remains an intimate Stephanie Sundine & Victor DeRenzi one of the three finest beaches in the world, and charming venue listed in our National matched only by Waikiki and the French Riviera . Historic Registry as an authentic Florida landmark, but it is now equipped with the most up-to-date technical facilities. For more IMPORTANT: We urge you to make your air reservations AS than ten consecutive years, our repeat travelers have recognized EARLY AS POSSIBLE to avoid inflated high season airfares. the high quality of the Sarasota Opera and continue to choose March as the ideal time for a Florida escape from winter. Our accommodations are for four nights at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota . Conveniently located, the Hyatt is fully equipped with The Saras ota Opera’s outstanding productions and unusual an outdoor swimming pool and health club, Scalini Restaurant repertory are due to the leadership of Artistic Director Victor dining facilities, and room service from 6:00 am until midnight. DeRenzi . Under Mr. DeRenzi’s long-term commitment, the During the busy opera weeks, the Hyatt Regency is a popular company’s 2019 season will encompass four major productions . choice for out-of-towners who return annually to enjoy the In contrast to the offensive ‘Euro-trash’ that has infiltrated many personal service and relaxed ambience. The Hyatt was completely of the world’s leading houses, we can all be grateful that the refurbished a few yeas ago and is now in optimum condition. Sarasota Opera’s traditional stagings continue to honor the values envisioned by the composers . 15 Early Tuesday evening, Davenport and baritone Marco Nistico . The conductor is March 19th, a pre- Marcello Cormio .‘Rita’ is sung in French, and ‘Susanna’ in theatre dinner is plan - Italian; titles in English. ned at the elegant On Thursday, March 21st, a morning excursion will take us to Bijou Café , where we the Marie Selbye Botanical Gardens , containing literally will enjoy Sarasota’s hundreds of species of orchids and other tropical plants. The finest continental outdoor grounds and the greenhouse specimens are studied by cuisine in a private botanists and horticultural enthusiasts from all over the world room. The Bijou Café is Stephen Gaertner Rochelle Bard and rank among Sarasota’s most important attractions. directly across the street from the Opera House and is well known as the best Thursday evening at 7:30 pm, we will enjoy the Sarasota Opera’s restaurant in town. production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute . ‘Die Zauberflöte’ ranks in the repertoire as one of Mozart’s At 7:30 pm on Tuesday, our first opera will be Giuseppe Verdi’s supreme achievements and is widely considered the finest Nabucco . Verdi’s first major success maintains its importance in example of German ‘singspiel’ operas. Tonight’s cast is headed the composer’s output by virtue of Abigaille’s challenging arias, by tenor Andrew Surrena as Tamino, soprano Hanna the fully developed title role for a consummate ‘Verdi baritone’, Brammer as Pamina, baritone Mat - and the beloved closing-act choral thew Hanscom as Papageno, colora - lament of the Hebrews (‘Va pensiero’). tura soprano Alexandra Bat sios as Enthusiastic audiences usually insist the Queen of the Night, and bass on an encore of this most famous piece Brian Kontes as Sarastro. The con - in all of Verdi’s operas. Tonight’s cast ductor is Jesse Martins , and the will feature baritone Stephen Gaert - director is Mark Freiman . This is a ner as King Nebuchadnezzar, dram - revival of Troy Hourie’ s setting, last atic soprano Rochelle Bard in the seen in Sarasota’s 2010 season. Sung challenging role of Nabucco’s usurping in German with English titles. daughter Abigaille, and tenor Ben Gulley and mezzo-soprano Lisa Early Friday evening, March 22nd, a Chevez as the lovers Ismaele and pre-theatre dinner will be arranged at Fenena. Music Director Victor Sarasota Opera House Selva , one of Sarasota’s newest DeRenzi will be the conductor, and restaurants serving Italian cuisine. the production is a revival of the 1995 staging designed by ‘Selva’ is conveniently located on Main Street a short distance Jeffrey W. Dean . The director will be Martha Collins . Sung in from the opera house. Italian with English supertitles. At 7:30 pm on Friday, our final performance Wednesday morning, March 20th, we will visit the priceless will be Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot , the galleries of the Ringling Museum of Art . The large eclectic culminating work of the composer’s career. collection includes 17th century Italian paintings, tapestries and The backdrop of Peking ‘in legendary times’ cartoons by Peter Paul Rubens, and other masterworks from the inspired Puccini to compose his most Dutch, Flemish and Spanish Baroque schools. The spacious original score, richly orchestrated and Renaissance courtyard is flanked by full-size sculptural highlighted by Princess Turandot’s icy aria reproductions, including a bronze cast of Michelangelo’s David. of defiance ‘In questa reggia’, the slave-girl Liu’s two poignant arias of devotion to At 7:30 pm on Wednesday evening, we will return to the Opera Kara Shay Prince Calaf (‘Signore, ascolta’ and ‘Tu che House for the eagerly anticipated double-bill of Gaetano Thomson di gel sei cinta’), and Calaf’s familiar Donizetti’s Rita and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s Susanna’s Secret . romanza ‘Nessun dorma’. Tonight’s cast will Donizetti’s melodic ‘bel canto’ comedy “tells the story of inn- feature soprano Kara Shay Thomson in owners Rita and Peppe when Rita’s first husband, who had the high-tessitura title role, soprano Anna supposedly drowned, returns and changes the couple’s life Mandina as the sympathetic Liu, and the forever” (Sarasota Opera). In Wolf-Ferrari’s one-act comedy, stentorian tenor Jonathan Burton as Susanna’s secretive behavior incites her husband’s suspicion that Prince Calaf. Music Director Victor she is having an DeRenzi is again the conductor, and the affair, but she is new production will be directed by only indulging in Jonathan Burton Stephanie Sundine (a formidable the ignominious dramatic soprano in recent years, and now Mrs. DeRenzi). This habit of inno - is a revival of the 2013 production with sets designed by Michael cently smoking Schweikardt . Sung in Italian with English supertitles. behind every - one’s back. Both Independent departures should be on Saturday, March 23rd. works will be Sarasota prem - Hyatt Regency pool ieres in the new The Sarasota Opera production direc - Price per person, based on double occupancy $ 2,980 ted by JJ Hudson with scenic designs by Michael Single room supplement $ 690 Schweikardt . Heading the casts for both operas are soprano Airfare NOT included. Elizabeth Tredent (Rita and Susanna), tenor William 16 . 3.