COSI FAN TUTTE Opens New 'Tech Friendly' Production at Gershwin Hotel Tonight, 8/17

Beginning tonight at the Gershwin Hotel, Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte" receives a high-tech makeover thanks to operamission, the New York Post reports. The New York Post describes the Mozart makeover as "part miniseries, part town meeting and part jam session."

The classic comedic opera, which opened at Vienna's Burgtheater in 1790, follows officers Ferrando and Guglielmo who, after praising the faithfulness of their respective fiancées (Dorabella and Fiordiligi), accept a challenge to test their loyalties from a philosopher named Don Alfonso, who claims that all women are likely to stray. After pretending to be called off to war, the officers disguise themselves and seduce each other's lovers, revealing that "Cosi Fan Tutte," or in English, "Thus Do All (Women)." 

The cast will change for each session and includes sopranos Kerri Marcinko and Caroline Worra as Fiordiligi; mezzo-sopranos Jennifer Berkebile and Toby Newman as Dorabella; tenors Brian Anderson, John Carlo Pierce, and Asitha Tennekoon as Ferrando; baritones James Bobick and Gregory Gerbrandt as Guglielmo; sopranos Jennifer Aylmer and Kristen Plumley as Despina; and baritone Dennis Blackwell and bassbaritone Andrew Nolen as Don Alfonso.

Jennifer Peterson, the troupe's conductor and director, invites the audience to participate in the event by blogging and "tweeting" their thoughts to the opera in real time, either from home while following the score online or in the theater. Writes the Post: "In a high-tech twist, laptops, cameras and smartphones are not only allowed, but encouraged."

Operamission plans to further "break down" the opera for audiences by inviting experts Cori Ellison and Marco Nistico to lead discussion about historical and social context as well as the original Italian text of the show.

Click here to read the full report in the New York Post.

"Cosi Fan Tutte: Some Assembly Required" runs through Sunday at the Gershwin Hotel, 7 E. 27th St. Tickets are $10 for a single performance, or $20 for the series. For tickets and other information, please visit http://operamission.org/

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