Central City Opera Announces 2017 Summer Festival, 7/8-8/6

Central City Opera's 2017 Summer Festival, which runs from July 8 through August 6, features Bizet's Carmen and Mozart's Così fan tutte performed in repertory in the historic Central City Opera House, and three one-act operas with limited runs-Britten's The Burning Fiery Furnace, Douglas Moore's Gallantry, and Amy Beach's Cabildo-performed in smaller venues located around the town of Central City. Complementing these five widely different operas are pre-performance lectures and talkbacks, staged opera scenes, elegant opening night dinners, and post-performance socials, which make for a full and enriching experience of entertainment and culture in one of Colorado's most historic mountain settings.

Carmen (Georges Bizet/Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac)

The 2017 festival opens on July 8 with Bizet's Carmen, whose music is recognizable and whose story is filled with passion, jealousy, and revenge. Jose Maria Condemi, making his company debut, directs a fresh production that focuses on the intensity and complexity of the characters in the principal roles. Emily Pulley (Julie LaVerne/Showboat, 2013) returns to Central City Opera in her role debut as Carmen. Adriano Graziani (Don José) and Angela Mortellaro (Micaëla) make their company debuts, and Michael Mayes (Scarpia/Tosca, 2016) returns to Central City Opera in the role of Escamillo. Adam Turner (Man of LaMancha, 2015) conducts.

Opening night, July 8 at 8 p.m.

Matinees at 2:30 p.m.: July 12, 14, 16, 18, 22, 26, 30; August 3 & August 6
Evenings at 8:00 p.m.: July 8, 20, 28; August 1
Performed in French with English supertitles at the Central City Opera House

Così fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/Lorenzo Da Ponte)
Mozart's Così fan tutte, a light yet sober story about two sets of lovers, a bet, and the test of fidelity, opens in the Central City Opera House on July 15. Stephen Barlow, in his company debut, directs this new production, which takes place in a non-specified university setting around 1900. The cast includes Hailey Clark (company debut) as Fiordiligi, Tamara Gura (Cherubino/Le nozze di Figaro, 2014) as Dorabella, Matthew Plenk (company debut) as Ferrando, David Adam Moore (principal role debut) as Guglielmo, Megan Marino (company debut) as Despina, and Patrick Carfizzi (Dr. Bartolo/Il barbiere di Siviglia,2013) as Don Alfonso. John Baril (Tosca, 2016), music director of Central City Opera, conducts.

Opening night, July 15 at 8 p.m.

Matinees at 2:30 p.m.: July 19, 23, 25, 29; August 2 & August 4

Evenings at 8:00 p.m.: July 15, 21, 27
Performed in Italian with English supertitles at the Central City Opera House

The Burning Fiery Furnace (Benjamin Britten/William Plomer)

Central City Opera presents The Burning Fiery Furnace, the third of three Parables for Church Performances by Benjamin Britten. The other two church parables, Curlew River and The Prodigal Son, were performed by Central City Opera in 2008 and 2015 respectively. The Burning Fiery Furnace is the story of Nebuchadnezzar and the three Israelites who were thrown into a furnace for their refusal to worship Nebuchadnezzar's image of gold. Tenor Bille Bruley (The Tempter/The Prodigal Son, 2015) sings the role of Nebuchadnezzar with Zhiguang Hong in the role of the Astrologer, and Tim Murray in the role of Ananias. Ken Cazan (The Ballad of Baby Doe, 2016) directs; Christopher Zemliauskas (The Prodigal Son/Don Quixote and the Duchess, 2015) conducts.

July 26 and August 2 at noon
July 27 at 5 p.m.
Featuring artists of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program
Written and performed in English
St. James United Methodist Church in Central City

Gallantry (Douglas Moore/Arnold Sundgaard)
Far less known than The Ballad of Baby Doe, Douglas Moore's one-act opera Gallantry is a parody of a classic 1950s television soap opera. Set in an operating room, craziness revolves around a semi-conscious patient, his fiancé the anesthetist, and a lecherous doctor. Artists of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program are featured in the principal roles: Ann Fogler as Announcer, Zane Hill as Dr. Gregg, Kaileigh Riess as Lola, and Eric Taylor as Donald. Alison Moritz, the assistant director forTosca in 2016, directs; Christopher Zemliauskas conducts.

August 3 and August 4 at noon
Featuring artists of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program
Written and performed in English
Williams Stables in Central City

Cabildo (Amy Beach/Nan Bagby Stephens)
The only opera written by American composer Amy Beach, Cabildo is a sentimental tale, told in flashback, of the pirate Pierre Lafitte, unjustly imprisoned in the Cabildo (governor's palace) but released in time to help Andrew Jackson save New Orleans from the British. Artists of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program are featured in the principal roles: John Kun Park as Barker, Nathan Ward as Tom, Louise Rogan as Mary, and Bryan Murray as Pierre Lafitte. Alison Moritz, the assistant director for Tosca in 2016, directs; Christopher Zemliauskas conducts.

Cabildo can only be seen in the double feature with Gallantry:
Evenings at 8:00 p.m.: July 26, 29; August 2
Featuring artists of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program
Written and performed in English
Williams Stables in Central City

About Central City Opera-Celebrating Its 85th Season

Founded in 1932, Central City Opera is the fifth oldest professional opera company in the country and is renowned for its exquisite world-class productions, competitive and robust young artist training program, and creative educational and community engagement activities. Its summer festival, only 35 miles west of Denver, takes place at 8,500 feet above sea level in the Colorado mountain town of Central City, where the company owns and maintains 28 Victorian-era properties, including the intimate 550-seat jewel box opera house built in 1878. For information, visit CentralCityOpera.org or call 303-292-6500.

2017 Summer Festival Ticket Information
Subscriptions on sale now. Single tickets on sale April 1, 2017.

Festival tickets range from $31 to $108, based on availability. Subscribers who purchase both Central City Opera House shows can save up to 20% on additional show tickets, along with additional and more exclusive opportunities. One-act opera tickets start at $30 ($27 for subscribers), and group discounts are available for ten or more people. All prices are subject to change, based on availability. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.centralcityopera.org or call the box office, 303-292-6700, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Additional Performances, and Add-On Activities
Opening Night Dinners
Join Central City Opera for an opening night celebration of cocktails and dinner at the historic Teller House in Central City:
Saturday, July 8, Passion & Peril/Carmen; cocktails at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m., $95
Saturday, July 15, Diamonds & Disguise/Così fan tutte; cocktails at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m., $95

Opera Notes (45 minutes before performances in the Central City Opera House)

Pre-performance talks, 45 minutes before main-stage performances, are held across the street from the opera house at the Williams Stables Theater. Free admission.

Short Works
Thirty-minute staged opera scenes performed by members of Central City Opera Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program start at 1:15 p.m. and are held at the Williams Stables Theater, across the street from the opera house. Tickets are $15 ($10 for subscribers).

Lunch and a Song
A lunchtime event with a 30-minute performance by artists from the Central City Opera Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program and lunch prepared by Kevin Taylor's Face Bar restaurant in the Teller House start at 11:45 a.m. Tickets are $30.

Talkbacks
Free post-performance talks with Central City Opera artists held in the Teller House directly after select main stage performances.

Post-Op

Impromptu performances by Central City Opera artists and a cash bar after select weekend evening shows at the Teller House. Free admission.

Artists Mix & Mingle

Mix and mingle with Central City Opera artists after matinee performances on the Teller House deck, weather permitting. Cash bar available.

Nina Odescalchi Kelly Family Matinee, "Carmen," August 1 @ 2:30 p.m.

Central City Opera's annual family matinee this summer features "Carmen" with a narrator's preview and an autograph session with the singers from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program. All seats $20; recommended ages 6 and up.

Passion & Peril Party Bus - Opening Night of Carmen

The Passion & Peril Party Bus, offers a complete evening experience, which starts with a champagne party and a special gift bag for everyone who boards the bus to Central City. A full-course dinner and mingling with a special guest of honor at Rouge, the renowned Kevin Taylor restaurant located in the Teller House, follows. The evening is capped off with the opening night performance of Carmen in the Central City Opera House, a jewel box theater, known for world-class performances for 85 years. Round trip, champagne, dinner, and opera ticket for $150 per person. Limited availability.

Boomer Bus

The Boomer Bus package includes an insider's look at Central City Opera and its historic mining town. Includes a live history presentation during the ride to Central City, a boxed lunch, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience. Dates: July 23 and July 26. Round trip for $35, plus the cost of a ticket to the performance. Limited to 50 people per date.

Opera Bus

The Opera Bus provides a no-stress scenic drive to Central City. Dates: July 12, July 16, July 19, and July 29. Round trip for $23, plus the cost of a ticket to the performance.

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