Opera North to Celebrate Summerfest 2016 Opening This Friday

Opera North is thrilled to have an amazing group of singers and creative team members ready for opening night of Opera North's Summerfest 2016 this Friday, July 29th at Lebanon Opera House.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita will open the season with a cast of Broadway and international stars. Winner of multiple Tony and Olivier awards and one of the most popular musicals in the world, Evita is the story of power, politics and Eva Peron, who rose from B-movie actress to the president's office of Argentina. Jenny Ashman will play Eva Peron, Mark Womack will play Juan Peron, and Brandon Rubendall will play Che Guevara. The production is directed by Evan Pappas, choreographed by Kurt Domoney, and conducted by Opera North Artistic Director Louis Burkot, with sets designed by Paul Tate dePoo III.

On Sunday, July 31st, Donizetti's most joyous comedy, Daughter of the Regiment, opens with a double cast that includes Lindsay Ohse and Martha Eason as Marie, Andrew Surrena and Martin Clark as Tonio, and Heather Gallagher and Natalie Rose Havens as the Marquise of Berkenfield. Tony Award-winner Maureen Brennan stars as the Duchess of Krakenthorp, with Alex Soare as Sergeant Suplice. Scenic Designer David Arsenault returns to Opera North after designing last year's The Tender Land and Abduction from the Seraglio.

On Friday, August 5th, Puccini's Tosca opens. The most lethal of operas will feature Sandra Lopez in the title role, with Aleksey Bogdanov as Scarpia and Jeffrey Gwaltney as Cavaradossi. Filippo Ciabatti, the newly-named conductor of the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, will conduct and Russell Treyz will direct. This love triangle, involving a volatile diva, a sadistic police chief, and an idealistic artist, will have the audience sitting on the edge of their seats.

Once again, VIP Tents on Lebanon Green (Colburn Park) will be available for opening nights. Patrons can mingle with the creative team while enjoying wine and appetizers in the VIP Tents. (Separate tickets are required.)

Summerfest 2016 runs from July 29th - August 13th with performances every day except for Mondays. There are matinees for all three productions, providing the ability to see three shows in two days. Tickets start at $15, with the best seats going for $88. Buy your tickets online at www.operanorth.org or call the box office at (603) 448-0400. All performances at Lebanon Opera House.

Opera North is the premier professional summer music festival of the Upper Valley. Founded in 1982 and based in Lebanon, NH, it is the only full-time professional opera company serving the tri-state region of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Each summer, Opera North produces three mainstage productions of operas and classic musical theatre, performed in repertory at Lebanon Opera House, as well as a series of concerts and special events at landmark locations in the Upper Valley. For more information, visit www.operanorth.org or call (603) 448-4141.

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