Center Stage Opera Presents AMICI DELLA MUSICA at Buon Gusto, 7/13

Enjoy an unforgettable night out on July 13 at Buon Gusto Ristorante, 15535 Devonshire in Mission Hills. Ana and company at Buon Gusto will provide a sumptuous Italian feast, including salad, dessert, coffee, tea, iced tea, and your choice of entree: Baked Penne al Forno, Chicken Marsala, or Stuffed Fillet of Sole. The musical feast will be served up by CSO leading soprano Shira Renee Thomas and two of the stars of our recent production of Madama Butterfly, tenor Matthew Miles and baritoneBobby Akinboboye (see below). They'll be singing favorites to delight every musical palate, from opera to Broadway to jazz standards. The entire evening is just $49, including tax and tip (wine available at additional cost), and reservations are required. Call 818-517-4102, or go to www.centerstageopera.org to reserve your table today!

Now's the time to reserve your seats for our 2014-15 10th Anniversary Season as well. We're celebrating this milestone year with three all-time favorites: Verdi's La Traviata (Sept. 21, 27, 28), Sondheim's Into The Woods (Feb. 21, 22), and Bizet'sCarmen (May 31, June 6, 7), all fully-staged, and featuring The Center Stage Opera Orchestra, conducted by Brian Onderdonk. All three productions, plus the Finals Concert of our Second Annual Center Stage Opera Vocal Competition, are part of our Season Subscription - a great way to ensure priority seating and enjoy perks like special subscriber receptions and events, all for less than the price of individual tickets.
For season subscriptions and individual tickets, call 818-517-4102. It's going to be a banner year for Center Stage Opera, and we want you to be a part of it all!

Matthew Miles is a Lyric Tenor on the rise. Praised for his "bountiful flair", Mr. Miles is impressing audiences with his technical agility, endless variety of character, and most importantly, the beauty of his lyric tenor.
Most recently, Mr. Miles performed the role of Pinkerton in CSO'sMadama Butterfly, Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata with Opera Circle, and Nanki-Poo inThe Mikado ("ah-so") with Pacific Opera Project. Last season, Mr. Miles covered the world-renowned Bel Canto Tenor, Lawrence Brownlee in the role of Almaviva with Opera Western Reserve. Additionally, Miles has performed with The Definiens, Valley Lyric Opera, Claremont Symphony, and The Symphony of the Vines.

Center Stage Opera's leading soprano and co-artistic director, Shira Renee Thomas has performed all over the country, appearing with Opera Pacific, Townsend Opera, and New York's Opera Company of the Highlands, among others. Ms. Thomas has delighted audiences in numerous leading roles, including personal favorites Juliette (Romeoet Juliette), Lucia (Luciadi Lammermoor), Violetta (La traviata), and Marguerite (Faust). In June 2011, Ms. Thomas created the character of Marie, a role written expressly for her by composer Philip Westin, in the world premiere ofMarie's Orchard.
Among the many awards and competitions that she has won, Ms. Thomas was awarded 1st prize in the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Vocal Solo Competition in North Wales, UK. The Musical Eisteddfod has hosted such competitors as Luciano Pavarotti and Bryn Terfel in past years.

Bobby Akinboboyemost recently appeared as Sharpless in CSO's production of Madama Butterfly, and has also sung the roles of Escamillo (Carmen), Guglielmo (Cosi fan tutti), and the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince (Into The Woods). Mr. Aknboboye's honors include Western Regional Finalist in the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Competition, 1st place winner in the 43rd Annual American Educators of Italian Origin Opera Scholarship Competition, and finalist in the International Eisteddfod Vocal Solo Competition in Llangolen, Wales. Mr. Akinboboye is an alumnus of the OperaWorks Emerging Artist Program, CoOPERAtive program, and received his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance at California State University, Northridge. He is currently under the instruction of Vladimir Chernov and vocal coach Douglas Sumi.

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