Utopia Opera Presents L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI This Weekend

Today and tomorrow, November 14 and 15 at 7:30pm, Utopia Opera presents the comedic gem, L'Italiana in Algeri by Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) in a fully-staged production with supertitles performed with a 17-piece orchestra at the Ida K. Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College (695 Park Avenue). Utopia founder and artistic director, William Remmers, conducts and directs both shows with costume styling by Eric Lamp and Italian coaching and recitative accompaniment by Susan Morton.

L'Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) with an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli was composed in less than three weeks when Rossini was only 21 years old and is most notable both for its overture which is often performed as a concert piece and also for its mixing of the opera seria and opera buffa styles. Drawing on 19th c. Europe's fascination with the Ottoman Empire, the comedy takes place in the palace of the Bey of Algiers where the Turkish Bey, Mustafa has become dissatisfied with his wife and wishes to marry an Italian girl instead. His opportunity comes in the form of Isabella, an Italian girl captured at sea while searching for her lover, Lindoro, now a slave of the Bey. Once reunited, Isabella and Lindoro must plan their escape in a plot involving disguises, pizza, and copious alcohol.

As Remmers explains, "our production understands and respects the conventions and traditions of singing and staging Rossini, but we're not afraid to turn some of your expectations on their heads. This show is very much a dark comedy, with impalements, slaves, and xenophobia all mixed in with the usual Rossini comic charm. We've taken a few risks with how we've decided to treat the subject matter (including an comically violent approach to the famous Act I finale that must be a first in the history of staging Rossini), but we still take a very pure approach to the text and music; that's where the comedy really lies. We've cut none of the music and are even presenting the two alternate arias that have slowly become the industry standard in professional productions."

Utopia Opera was founded in 2011 by artistic and musical director William Remmers. Striving to present the most entertaining operatic performances possible (for audiences and performers alike) while also maintaining a high standard of musical integrity, Utopia Opera is quickly establishing itself as a young and vibrant addition to New York City's vast operatic landscape.

In addition to providing young singers with performance opportunities, Utopia aims to share opera with a general audience and to reveal its modern relevance. A central part of that mission is realized through giving its audience and performers a stake in the direction of the company. Now in its fourth season, the Company's past two seasons were largely chosen through votes cast on its Facebook page. The 2014-15 season includes Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri, a double bill of Arthur Sullivan's The Zoo with Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, and Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos.

Tickets ($20 minimum cash donation; add $3 if paying by check) are available at the door. To reserve in advance, email tickets@utopiaopera.org with your name, performance choice, and amount of seats to reserve.

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