Opera San Jose Stages THE ITALIAN GIRL IN ALGIERS, Now thru 11/30

Opera San José (OSJ) continues its season with Gioachino Rossini's The Italian Girl in Algiers. This sparkling and fast-paced opera weaves a madcap story full of twists and turns into a comic adventure to a land of magnificent palaces, swashbuckling pirates and lavish harems. The Italian Girl in Algiers will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. Six performances are scheduled from tonight, November 15 through 30 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San José.

Tickets are on sale at the Opera San José Box Office, online at operasj.org or by phone at (408) 437-4450. The production of The Italian Girl in Algiers is made possible, in part by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San José, and a generous gift from Jeanne McCann.

The Italian Girl in Algiers, with libretto by Angelo Anelli, is a story about a clever Italian girl who is shipwrecked in a foreign land while searching for her lover and finding herself the focus of a powerful Sultan's unwanted affections.

Ming Luke will conduct The Italian Girl in Algiers. Previously, Mr. Luke served as assistant conductor for Opera San José's productions of Falstaff, La voix humaine and Pagliacci, The Barber of Seville, Eugene Onegin, and served as chorus master for Così fan tutte. Mr. Luke currently serves as Music Director for Symphony Napa Valley.

Andrew Whitfield will conduct the November 28th and 30th performances. Mr. Whitfield served as assistant conductor for Rigoletto, Hansel and Gretel, Il trovatore, The Pearl Fishers and Pagliacci. Mr. Whitfield was also chorus master for the company's productions of Rigoletto, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Idomeneo, Pagliacci, La traviata and Faust.

Stage director Michael Shell makes his company debut with OSJ, serving as stage director for The Italian Girl in Algiers. After making his directorial debut in 2006, Mr. Shell has gone on to direct for Atlanta Opera, Pittsburg Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Virginia Opera, Piedmont Opera, Opera Omaha, The A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Mr. Shell made his international directing debut at the Wexford Festival Opera in 2010 with a production of Winners by American composer Richard Wargo and returned the next fall to direct Double Trouble, Trouble in Tahiti and The Telephone.

The Italian Girl in Algiers features current members of OSJ's resident ensemble in the principal roles as well as guest artists. Second year resident mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez performs the role of Isabella. Ms. Chavez made her company debut last season appearing as Meg Page (Falstaff). Other roles performed by Chavez for the company include Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) and Maddalena (Rigoletto).

Former Opera San José resident tenor Michael Dailey returns to sing the role of Lindoro. Opera San José audiences will remember Dailey's memorable performances as Alfred (Die Fledermaus), Beppe (Pagliacci), Alfredo (La traviata), the title role in Faust, Konstantin Levin (Anna Karenina), Count Almaviva (The Barber of Seville), and Des Grieux (Manon), among others.

Baritone Matthew Hanscom sings the role of Taddeo. Mr. Hanscom made his company debut recently in the title role of Rigoletto. Recent engagements for Mr. Hanscom include Comte de Toulouse in Verdi's Jérusalem and covering Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia for Sarasota Opera.

Guest bass Nathan Stark makes his company debut in the role of Mustafà. Mr. Stark recently made his debut on the Metropolitan Opera stage as the One-Armed Man in Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten.

Other recent roles for Mr. Stark include First Nazarene (Salome) with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the world premieres of Myers' Burried Alive and Soluri's Embedded with Fargo - Moorhead Opera's Poe Project.

Resident soprano Isabella Ivy sings the role of Elvira. Ms. Ivy recently made her debut for the company in the role of Gilda (Rigoletto). Ms. Ivy has repeatedly been a featured artist with the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria and has also been a featured artist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Academy.

Resident bass Silas Elash sings the role of Haly. Mr. Elash recently sang the role of Sparafucile in the company's production of Rigoletto. Last season, Mr. Elash appeared as the Commissioner (Madama Butterfly) and the Commendatore (Don Giovanni).

Opera San José's production of The Italian Girl in Algiers includes set designs by Steven Kemp, lighting design by David Lee Cuthbert, costume designs by John Lehmeyer and wig and makeup designs by Vicky Martinez.

About Opera San José - Opera San José, performing at the historic California Theatre in downtown San José, is a professional, regional opera company that is unique in the United States. Maintaining a resident company of principal artists, Opera San José specializes in showcasing the finest young professional singers in the nation. In addition to mainstage performances, Opera San José maintains extensive educational programs in schools and in the community at large, and offers Preview lectures and Introduction to Opera talks for all mainstage productions.

To learn more about The Italian Girl in Algiers, go to operasj.org and consider these opportunities:

Rigoletto Special Preview: November 4, 2014, at 12pm, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 150 East Fernando Street, Beethoven Center, 5th floor, downtown San José; Free vocal preview with members of the cast. For information, call 408-437-4450.

Introduction to Opera: General Director Larry Hancock will present a free 45-minute talk to ticket holders about the opera at the California Theatre before each performance of The Italian Girl in Algiers. The talk begins at 6:30pm prior to evening performances and at 1:30pm prior to Sunday matinees. No reservations required.

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