The opera will be reimagined and presented without intermission.
Opera Maine will celebrate a return to live opera with two performances July 28 and 30 at Merrill Auditorium. Under the direction of Artistic Director Dona D. Vaughn, the company will stage an original production of Gaetano Donizetti's endearing comic opera, L'elisir d'amore (The Elixir of Love.) The opera will be reimagined and presented without intermission. Maestro Israel Gursky will conduct an outstanding cast of singers, along with an Opera Maine orchestra of sixteen select musicians. Nicolás Alberto Dosman is chorus master. Set and lighting will be designed by Tony-award winning Christopher Akerlind and costumes by Millie Hiibel.
The Elixir of Love combines Donizetti's exuberant music with a joyful story in which true love is revealed--with a little help from a magic potion. Opera Maine's production of The Elixir of Love will be presented at Merrill Auditorium on Wednesday, July 28 and Friday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. The opera will be sung in Italian, with English supertitles. Pre-performance talks at 6:30 p.m. will be given in Merrill by Calien Lewis, dramaturg. Conductor Israel Gursky has been making a name for himself both in Europe and in the U.S. Born in Tel Aviv and trained in New York, he made his professional conducting debut in 2007 when he led critically acclaimed performances at Washington National Opera. Gursky is an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, where he works with members of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. The Elixir of Love marks Dona D. Vaughn's 26th production with Opera Maine. Recent credits include Artistic Director of Opera at Manhattan School of Music, Artistic Director at Bel Canto in Tuscany, and Artistic Director/Acting Coach for the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.Opera Maine will continue its "Opera for All!" program this year thanks to generous donations from Opera Maine Trustees and Advisory Board members. The program invites people aged 25 and under to attend The Elixir of Love for free.
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