Tag: opera saratoga

Opera Saratoga Announces A New Festival Model for Large Scale Summer Performances in 2022

Opera Saratoga has announced a new festival model for large scale summer performances in 2022. The season will include big performances of the Barber of Seville, Petite Messe Solennelle, Sky on Swings, Sweeney Todd, and many more.

The performances will take place across June and July across multiple venues throughout the region. Opera Saratoga summer season plans on embracing partnerships with the Proctors in Schenectady; The Egg in Albany; Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs; The Round Lake Auditorium in Round Lake Village; The Barn at French Mountain in Lake George Village; and The Mansion Inn in Rock City Falls.

Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson spoke on the new season model saying,

We began asking, with so many remarkable theaters in our region, might we be able to better serve our mission by reconceiving our Summer Festival in a way that doesn’t limit us to a single venue? While we remain committed to producing in Saratoga Springs, as the opera company of the Capital Region, our goal is to provide access to our Summer Festival programming in the same way we are able to do with our year-round programs. We are incredibly excited by the opportunities of this expanded Festival model, and grateful for the opportunity to partner with so many like-minded organizations across the region to make it possible.
Lawrence Edelson

The summer season will start with Petite Messe Solennelle on June 2 and June 3 at 7:30PM. The show will be presented by Opera Saratoga in partnership with The Round Lake Auditorium featuring music by Gioachino Rossini. The season will wrap up with The Barber of Seville – IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA on JULY 8 at 7:30PM and JULY 10 at 2PM. The show will be produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with Proctors featuring music by Gioachino Rossin.

Tickets for the 2022 Summer Festival will be available through Festival Passes and Single Tickets. Festival Passes, which provide a 20% discount on single ticket prices and priority seating for all productions and events, will be available beginning February 1, 2022. Single Tickets will go on sale March 15, 2022. Audience members will be required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for all performances, and masks will be required based on prevailing conditions at the time of the Festival. All policies may be adjusted in response to changing conditions, and based on the specific requirements of each venue.

For more information on the Opera Saratoga’s new festival model visit their website .

The full lineup for Opera Saratoga Summer 2022 is listed below:

PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE

June 2 and June 3 @ 7:30pm

Presented by Opera Saratoga in partnership with The Round Lake Auditorium

Music by Gioachino Rossini

A BROADWAY CABARET

June 12 @ 2pm and 7pm

Presented by Opera Saratoga in partnership with The Mansion Inn

A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION WITH SIDNEY OUTLAW

JUNE 19 @ 2:30pm

Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with Proctors

SWEENEY TODD – THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET A MUSICAL THRILLER

JUNE 29 and JUNE 30 @ 7:30pm

Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

SKY ON SWINGS

JULY 7 @ 7:30pm and JULY 9 @ 2pm

Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with The Egg

Music by Lembit Beecher

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE – IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

JULY 8 @ 7:30pm and JULY 10 @ 2pm

Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with Proctors

Music by Gioachino Rossini

January 1, 2022
A New Year’s Eve Celebration will take the Stage at the Universal Preservation Hall Featuring Zachary James and Laurie Rogers

A New Year’s Eve celebration has been announced at Universal Preservation Hall and will be featuring Zachary James and Laurie Rogers. The festive concert will take place at 7PM on December 31, 2021 and is presented by Opera Saratoga and Proctors Collaborative. The concert will feature a variety of popular, Broadway, and classical favorites. It will also culminate in Opera Saratoga’s much anticipated announcement of its 2022 Summer Festival Programming.

Zachary James is well known to local audiences for his remarkable portrayal of the title role in Opera Saratoga’s production of Man of La Mancha this past summer on the SPAC Amphitheater Stage. He also starred on Broadway as Lurch in The Addams Family and has also appeared in South Pacific and Coram Boy. His Off-Broadway credits include The Most Happy Fella, Irma La Douce, Sweeney Todd, and The Pirates of Penzance. His work on the opera stage includes the Metropolitan Opera, English National Opera, Teatro Real, Opera Philadelphia, LA Opera, Opera Queensland, Arizona Opera, Virginia Opera, Nashville Opera, Anchorage Opera, Central City Opera, and more. Zachary has recorded multiple solo albums including his most recent Christmas release, Wonder and Joy.

Laurie Rogers who has been the Opera Saratoga’s Head of Music Staff and Director of the company’s Young Artist Program for the past ten years will be performing alongside Zachary James on piano. Laurie has served as Associate Conductor with LA Opera and has prepared productions for San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera, American Lyric Theater, Wolf Trap Opera, Utah Opera, Arizona Opera, and Washington National Opera, among many others. In addition to her role at Opera Saratoga, she currently serves as the Music Director for Opera at The Peabody Institute, and conducts and concertizes nationally.

Philip Morris who is the CEO of Proctors Collaborative spoke on the upcoming event saying, “We are the Proctors Collaborative because we love to partner with our neighbor cultural organizations. This is a great way to open the New Year and restart what we hope will be an ever-expanding relationship with Opera Saratoga,”

Tickets are available online at www.operasaratoga.org or www.universalpreservationhall.org. Tickets are free, but seating is limited, and advance reservations are highly recommended. All attendees will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to enter UPH and must remain masked at all times in the venue.

For more information on the New Year’s Eve celebration featuring Zachary James and Laurie Rogers visit Opera Saratoga’s website or Universal Preservation Hall’s website .

December 13, 2021
Opera Saratoga Celebrates 60th Anniversary with Summer Festival

This summer marks the 60th anniversary of the Opera Saratoga Summer Festival. Initially dubbed the Lake George Opera playing to a crowd of 230 people, Opera Saratoga regularly performs for over 25,000 a year. Having performed over 90 works by 52 composers, this summer’s festival commemorates the history and continued success of those who have put on these critically acclaimed productions. The festival features three concerts inspired by the literature of Miguel de Cervantes: Quixotic Opera, Man of La Mancha, and Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding.

Working with a team of those dedicated to ensuring safety in the time of COVID, Opera Saratoga has committed to bringing audiences back safety for this summer’s festival for an outdoor experience during the months of June and July. These performances, produced in partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, and Pitney Meadows Community Farm, provide different performance spaces for a safe and enjoyable concert.

Via Opera Saratoga Official Site

“Quixotic Opera”

June 24th and 25th saw the kickoff of the festival with an 80 minute “Quixotic Opera” at Pitney Meadows Community Farm. Following a series of scenes from operas inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote, the concert brought the audience on the adventures of nobleman Alonso Quizano who became a knight to serve his nation under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. Lead by musical director Laurie Rogers, it featured scenes from Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse (Boismortier / Favart), Die Hochzeit des Camacho (Mendelssohn / Voigts), Il furioso all’isola di San Domingo (Donizetti / Ferretti), Don Quixote (Kienzl) and more.

“Man of La Mancha”

Via Opera Saratoga Official Site

July 8th, 9th, and 10th will feature the 120 minute musical “Man of La Mancha” at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Amphitheater. Written by Dale Wasserman, the Tony Award winning musical, which features Broadway and Opera star Zachary James in the lead role as Cervantes/Don Quixote, tells the story of Don Quixote with music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion.

“A universal tale of love, hope, and adventure, Man of La Mancha celebrates the perseverance of one man who refuses to relinquish his ideals, and who is determined to see life not as it is, but as it ought to be.”
Opera Saratoga Official Website

“Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding”

Via Opera Saratoga’s Official Site

For lovers of more traditional classical music, Opera Saratoga will be presenting the 50 minute “Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding” with twelve performances scheduled between July 14th and 18th. A one-act comic serenata, the performances will feature artists from Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program. Written by Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Daniel Schiebeler, the concert incorporates an episode from Part Two of Don Quixote where the knight and his squire stumble upon unusual weddings while exploring the world.

Tickets for both the musical Man of La Mancha and the serenata Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding on Opera Saratoga’s website. Ensured audience safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has limited tickets this season and Opera Saratoga anticipates that performances will sell out in advance of the show date. Advance ticket purchases are required for Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding and while not required for Man of La Mancha, they are strongly advised to ensure a spot at the special 60th anniversary performance.

July 3, 2021
Opera Saratoga Presents a Juneteenth Celebration on June 19

Opera Saratoga has announced the concert series America Sings will return to Caffè Lena this month on June 19th for A Juneteenth Celebration, celebrating the end of slavery in the United States.

The program was curated by bass-baritone Carl DuPont, a distinguished alumnus of Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program who is now on faculty at Peabody Conservatory where he teaches voice and a survey course on Art Song by African American Composers.

Carl DuPont is a highly accomplished bass-baritone and vocalist equally engaged in performing, teaching, and research. Major operatic credits include productions at Opera Columbus, The InSeries, The Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Carolina, Toledo Opera, Opera Saratoga, Sarasota Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera, El Palacio de Bellas Artes, Opera Company of Brooklyn, and Leipzig Opera. His world premieres include the title character in Dennis Rodman in North Korea as well as Why Peace is Always a Good Idea at Carnegie Hall under the baton of composer Jacqueline Hairston.

In putting together the concert program, DuPont has included prose and poetry – along with an extraordinary selection of music by African American composers – to create a more comprehensive texture of why we celebrate Juneteenth. Musical selections include songs by H. Leslie Adams, Tim Amukele, Margaret Bonds, Uzee Brown, Moses Hogan, Betty Jackson King, Rosephanye Powell, Florence Price, and Hale Smith. Spoken word selections include excerpts from The Declaration of Independence, The Emancipation Proclamation, and The General Orders which actually notified the enslaved people that they were free. The program will also include first-hand diary accounts and poetry from formerly enslaved people, as well as newspaper copy of the observation of the first Juneteenth celebrations.

The program will be performed by Festival Artists from Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program, who include notable emerging Black singers alongside artists who come from a wide range of other racial backgrounds, many of whom are learning more about Juneteenth through the experience of putting together this program.

I am glad that the performers at this concert represent a wide variety of racial backgrounds. Some of whom might be performing art songs by Black composers for the first time. Many of the members of the concert-going public will also be hearing these wonderful songs for the first time. That will be a special moment, and I hope the singers feel inspired to continue to advocate for Black composers as well as other marginalized composers, themes, or causes in their careers. And, I hope the audience gains a window into the faith, hope, joy, dreams, suffering, consolation, and frustration of the Black American experience and of our shared history as a nation.
-Carl Dupont

For more information, visit www.operasaratoga.org

June 9, 2021
Caffe Lena to host America Sings’ “A Tribute to Langston Hughes”

Opera Saratoga has introduced the fourth installment of their 2021 America Sings digital concert series in Saratoga Springs. On Friday, May 21, the series will return to Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs for “A Tribute to Langston Hughes,” featuring baritone singer Justin Austin and pianist/composer Damien Sneed. Justin and Damien’s all Langston Hughes program will feature songs by Margaret Bonds, Robert Owens, Damien Sneed and Ricky Ian Gordon.

America Sings Flier photo courtesy of Opera Saratoga website

America Sings is a concert series that amplifies the voices of BIPOC artists, who have historically been underrepresented on the concert stage. Each event will feature a wide array of classical, jazz and popular music from various performers.

Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. In addition to poetry, Hughes wrote plays and short stories, and collaborated with many composers.

All concerts in Opera Saratoga’s America Sings series are livestreamed to the public for free, but viewers are encouraged to contribute through a virtual tip jar during each event. All “tips” made during each concert will be split equally between Opera Saratoga and the featured artists, providing support to artists who have been financially impacted by the shutdown of live performances across the country.

The Langston Hughes tribute event will be livestreamed at 7 p.m. on Caffe Lena’s YouTube Channel and the Facebook pages of both Opera Saratoga and Caffè Lena. For livestream access and more information, check out the Opera Saratoga website.

May 19, 2021
America Sings Returns to Caffe Lena After Shutdown from COVID-19

Saratoga Springs company, Opera Saratoga, has announced that their series dedicated to highlighting BIPOC talent, America Sings, returns on February 21 to Caffe Lena.

America Sings Headliner Luis Alejandro Orozco

The free concert, America Sings, takes place at Caffe Lena after months of being paused due to the pandemic. America Sings was created to lift up the voices of the unheard and underrepresented racial groups on the opera stage. Texas native baritone, Luis Alejandro Orozco, is the first performer for this comeback, along with pianist Michael Lewis. The program will also feature music from classical composers, Schubert, Brahms and Piazzolla.

Orozco is a Mexican-American opera singer and was apart of Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program. He is noted for his baritone and legato. For several seasons, Orozco performed in several shows for a plethora of operas. Due to COVID-19, the 2019-2020 season was short-lived, he performed at the Opera in Williamsburg and Opera Roanoake. While he has already performed nationally and internationally, he made his Swiss debut recently at Theater St. Gallen.

America Sings debuted in November 2020 with Mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel as the headliner for the first concert with pianist Giovanni Reggioli. COVID-19 put the series to a halt, however, it is ready to be put back in action. It is live-streamed and free to the public but viewers are encouraged to donate through a virtual tip jar. The tips are split evenly to support the Opera Saratoga and the performing artist since both parties have been financially impacted by opera shutdowns.

The series comes back this Sunday at 7 p.m. Future performers include soprano Brandie Sutton, baritone Justin Austin and composer and pianist Damien Sneed, who were originally supposed to perform in December and January. Leadership support for the show comes from Greenburg Traurig, LLP and hospitality sponsorship from The Hampton Inn & Suites Saratoga Springs. America Sings live-streams on Caffe Lena’s Youtube channel and Facebook and Opera Saratoga’s Facebook.

February 17, 2021
Saratoga’s Opera-To-Go will Continue Virtually in Schools

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Opera Saratoga announced that their OPERA-TO-GO tour will continue virtually. The company’s in-school program will continue to provide a unique arts education experience to the students of the Capital District. The new program will feature the world premiere of “The Selfish Giant,” a one-act opera based on Oscar Wilde’s short story, written by Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad and librettist Lila Palmer. It was commissioned by the American Lyric Theater specifically for younger audiences.

Opera Saratoga has re-envisioned the OPERA-TO-GO program as a digital initiative over the past six months. It is available for free to educators for their students. The program will be ready for schools in late February, and is comprised of the following elements:

“For over 20 years, Opera Saratoga has offered its OPERA-TO-GO touring program to elementary schools in February and March each winter,” said Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson. “While we love visiting schools and introducing children to opera, proceeding with an in-person tour this winter and spring would not only be impractical, but also irresponsible. Safety must come first. However, we are still committed to providing access to the performing arts to students as well as robust arts education resources to educators – whether they are teaching virtually, in person, or in some combination of the two.”

Opera Saratoga is creating a series of short video lessons on opera, aligned to New York State Common Core Standards in Music, Theater, Visual Arts, and English/Literature at grade levels from K-5, as well as the National Social Emotional Learning Standards. For each grade level, there will be a series of six videos, each 10 to 15 minutes in length, available for use in class, or for at-home viewing. Each video is accompanied by a comprehensive teacher’s guide that includes details of the alignment to State standards, and grade appropriate follow-up activities for students.

Opera Saratoga is making a professional audio recording of the new opera “The Selfish Giant.” This recording will be fully integrated into the digital curriculum, providing opportunities to explore subjects including adaptation (how a short story becomes an opera), the role of the librettist, the role of the composer, collaboration, how words and music come together to create sung theater, the textual and musical “building blocks” of opera, and how opera is produced on stage.

Using the recording, students will have the opportunity to make their own film versions of “The Selfish Giant” by creating art that reflects the story and music. A scene-by-scene breakdown of the dramatic action of the opera will be provided to each class participating in the program, along with very clear, grade appropriate instructions. Students will be assigned specific moments of the opera to illustrate in a manner appropriate to their age/grade level, through drawing, painting, collage, or digital photography.

Opera Saratoga will then create films of “The Selfish Giant,” synching the recording of the opera to the art created by the students that bring each scene to life. Each school or class will have the opportunity to create their own versions of the film. In the spring, these videos will be completed and made available to share with family members as well as on each school’s website and social media channels. Opera Saratoga will create an online library of student-created films of the opera, which will be hosted on the company’s website.

Educators who are interested in offering this program to their students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 should register no later than January 22.

Opera Saratoga is able to provide free access to the entire video lesson series with educational support materials for all teachers and all schools. However, as the company does have limited capacity to create the opera-video projects, this portion of the program will be limited to schools in Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Essex, Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady counties, and will be limited to the first 50 schools or classes that register for the program.

January 11, 2021