Opera Orlando Gives Back This Holiday Season With ALL IS CALM And SOUP OPERA From The Opera Orlando Youth Company

Opera Orlando is giving back this holiday season with special outreach activities and initiatives in conjunction with the company's Opera on Tour production of Peter Rothstein's critically-acclaimed All is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914 and with its annual Soup Opera presented by the Opera Orlando Youth Company.

Fulfilling its mission to "enrich and reflect our community's diverse culture," Opera Orlando has partnered with the Veteran Affairs Medical Center of Lake Nona and the Lake Baldwin Veteran Affairs Center to serve those who have served their country by sharing the remarkable true story of the WWI Christmas Truce with veterans and their families. In the same spirit of service, the Opera Orlando Youth Company will be collecting food and other donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida while sharing a free concert and, of course, delicious soups with the community.

"Being able to connect with Orlando's veterans through All is Calm has truly been a fulfilling experience for our entire Company. It is only a small token of our appreciation for all those who have served our country, but it is an incredible privilege to share this message of hope and peace with our service members, families, and friends," shares Opera Orlando general director Gabriel Preisser. This past week Opera Orlando had the honor of singing Christmas carols and holiday songs at both the Lake Baldwin Veterans Affairs Center and the Veteran Affairs Medical Center of Lake Nona. This Friday, December 16, at 3 p.m. the Opera will return to the Lake Nona VA to present a free concert version of All is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914 for veterans and their families at the VA's on site auditorium. Additionally, the Opera is providing free tickets to veterans for the December 24 matinee performance of All is Calm at Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Veterans can email Info@OperaOrlando.org to claim two free tickets per veteran ID for this special Christmas Eve performance. "It certainly seems meant-to-be to extend this gift to our veterans and have them in the audience on Christmas Eve for a work that recounts the amazing and true events of the Christmas Eve truce of 1914. The poignant line from All is Calm certainly rings true here: 'we will remember them,'" states Opera Orlando artistic director Grant Preisser.

A talk-back with the cast will also be held after the Lake Nona performance and Steinmetz Hall performances, allowing audience members and veterans to share their thoughts and feelings about the production. Opera Orlando is partnering with University of Central Florida's Veterans' History Project to record and capture the stories and experiences shared by Veterans in attendance. The UCF Community Veterans History Project (UCFVHP) has, to date, interviewed over 700 Florida veterans to collect, preserve, and share the experiences of living American Veterans who served in war and peace. They support the Library of Congress National Veterans History Project, which was created by the United States Congress to ensure that future generations can hear veterans tell their stories. UCFVHP's impact is manifold. It demonstrates the Central Florida's community's appreciation for all of its veterans. Listening to their stories and recording them represents a homecoming that many never received after their service.

ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914 IN CONCERT

Veteran Affairs Medical Center of Lake Nona

13800 Veterans Way | Orlando, FL 32827

FRIDAY | December 16, 2022 at 3 p.m.

ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts | Steinmetz Hall

FRIDAY | December 23 at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY | December 24 at 2 p.m.

Full production details at www.OperaOrlando.org/calm

In the same spirit of giving, the annual tradition of the Opera Orlando Youth Company's Soup Opera is back with a free performance for the community in conjunction with an opportunity to collect food and donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. The Youth Company singers (ages 8 -18) will showcase what they have been working on this semester in a concert of solos and ensemble pieces. Audience members are encouraged to bring food and other donations for Second Harvest and after the concert, everyone is invited to enjoy homemade soups and treats. There is no cost to attend and all are invited to participate in providing their favorite soup.There will even be a contest with prizes for the best soup.

SOUP OPERA

St. John Lutheran Church

1600 S Orlando Avenue | Winter Park, FL

SATURDAY | December 17, 2022 at 2 p.m.

If interested in attending or interested in bringing soup, please RSVP no later than December 14 by emailing info@operaorlando.org.

Stay up to date with Opera Orlando's upcoming season at www.OperaOrlando.org.

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