Opera Saratoga Presents THE SELFISH GIANT, Beginning July 1

Opera Saratoga will present a 2023 summer festival season that will be anchored in the heart of Saratoga Springs.

"We are excited to be partnering with Universal Preservation Hall this season for our MainStage performances and look forward to introducing our audiences to this amazing space right in downtown Saratoga Springs" says Managing Director, Amanda Robie. The season will also feature concert performances in the beloved Spa Little Theatre, The Mansion of Saratoga, and at Caffè Lena.

This season is a celebration of the immense talent of our Festival Artists, comprised of sixteen Festival Artist singers, two conductors, a pianist, and two directors, capstoned by two distinguished guest artists, Andy Papas and Eric McConnell (both of whom are alums of Opera Saratoga's celebrated training program). "I am particularly excited about this season" says Head of Music Staff, Laurie Rogers, "as it is cast completely from either current or former members of our prestigious Young Artist program. Additionally, this year's talented singers, drawn from an application pool of over 900, will be showcased in our Broadway and Stars of Tomorrow concerts."

The festival season provides something for all, featuring three productions: the Tony-award winning A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Donizetti's Bel Canto masterpiece Don Pasquale, and a world-premiere of a new children's opera based upon Oscar Wilde's short story The Selfish Giant with music by Clarice Assad and libretto by Lila Palmer and additional festival concerts. Each performance will feature production elements that leverage the unique site-specific features of UPH.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder is a delightfully devilish musical comedy, with book by Robert L. Freedman and music by Steven Lutvak. The four time Tony-award winning show opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre in 2013, winning a Tony for "Best Musical". Opera Saratoga is excited to share a new presentation of this musical comedy, with themes of love, deception, and trickery woven throughout both festival MainStage performances. The Italian "opera buffa" Don Pasquale is one of Gaetano Donizetti's most celebrated works as a musical comedy in three acts. Enjoy this Bel Canto classic as the scheming Dr. Malatesta and Norina's plot unfolds, much to the surprise of her beloved Ernesto and the wealthy Don Pasquale.

In a different thematic context, Opera Saratoga shares the story of Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant. The Selfish Giant was developed at American Lyric Theater under the auspices of the Composer Librettist Development Program in New York City with leadership support from The Mellon Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts. With great timeliness, this opera addresses themes of empathy, compassion, and togetherness as the selfish giant learns to share his bountiful garden with neighboring children - this show is suitable for the entire family! Opera Saratoga presents this work in the summer as an extension of our touring school production, Opera-to-Go which will visit schools throughout the greater Capital region and free performances will occur throughout the summer festival season. A full recording of this work, and comprehensive virtual lesson plan were shared with teachers, free of charge throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

2023 Festival Performances:

A Gentleman's Guide - June 30, July 2 (matinee), 6, & 8, 2023, Universal Preservation Hall

Don Pasquale - July 1, 7, & 9 (matinee), 2023, Universal Preservation Hall

The Selfish Giant - July 1 (matinee) & 8 (matinee), 2023, Universal Preservation Hall

More information can be found at www.operasaratoga.org.

AMERICA SINGS is a concert series that amplifies the voices of BIPOC artists, who have historically been underrepresented on the concert stage. Each event will feature a wide array of classical, jazz, and popular music curated by the artists themselves. AMERICA SINGS concerts will be live streamed to the public for free, but viewers are encouraged to contribute through a virtual 'tip jar' donation during each event to support Opera Saratoga's programming and expansion of civic practice in the community. Launched amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, as a virtual series in partnership with Caffè Lena, Opera Saratoga is excited to revive this four-part series, for the first time, in-person at Caffè Lena, culminating in a final concert "A Juneteenth Eve Celebration" on June 18. This series features a roster of singers who are also Opera Saratoga alumni, having participated in the young artist program, the second oldest vocal training program of its kind in the nation, and who have continued in their professional careers as artists to perform on stages both nationally and internationally. "I know our audiences will be delighted to witness the caliber of talent and unique positionality that each of these artists bring by way of their performance careers and lived experiences" says Katrina Fasulo, Director of Development. Of the curation of the series Fasulo shares that "singers gain true onus, from selecting their artistic collaborator to piecing together songs that depict the cultures, emotions, and stories they wish to tell... a redistribution of power that we feel is important to make as an opera company, in order to present this series authentically." More information may be found at www.operasaratoga.org/america-sings

2023 AMERICA SINGS Concert Dates:

Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 1 pm Cierra Byrd, mezzo soprano and Juan Lázaro, piano

Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 1 pm Wooyoung Yoon, tenor and Yeontaek Oh, piano

Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 1 pm Helena Colindres, soprano and Johnny Gonzalez, piano

Sunday, June 18, 2023 at 7 pm Dr. Carl DuPont, baritone and Gregory Thompson, piano

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