Opera By The Glass Presents Thrilling Immersive Production Of ANNA BOLENA

Artists collective Opera by the Glass will present its contemporary interpretation of Gaetano Donizetti's historical masterpiece, Anna Bolena, sponsored by the Museum of Ventura County for two special performances on Friday, November 17 (8:00pm), and Sunday, November 19, 2017 (5:00pm).

Anna Bolena, a thrilling Bel Canto opera in two acts, recounts the final days of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's notorious King Henry VIII, once he had lost interest in her and ruthlessly moved on to Jane Seymour. The fast-paced immersive experience is staged in the museum's exquisite Martin V. & Martha K. Smith Pavilion, which is punctuated with striking walls of glass and river rock. Anna Bolena features first-rate Ventura-based artists in collaboration with performers from outside the area who have appeared in regional, national, and international productions.

"Anna Bolena is a magnificent, yet often-overlooked opera which rarely gets produced, despite having a tragic story, larger than life characters, and a fantastic score," says Zeffin Quinn Hollis, Opera by the Glass Artistic Director. "It's also incredibly accessible.... since we all know the eventual fate of Henry's second wife; the plot is easy to follow for audiences new to opera."

Anna Bolena is widely considered the strongest of Donizetti's three "Tudor queen" operas, noted for its inspired music and fully realized characters. Donizetti's original opera was over 3 hours in duration. For this production, Opera by the Glass has carefully trimmed the work down to a more palatable 2-hour length. The high-quality production will be presented in its original Italian with English supertitles.

Hana Chelberg is featured in the challenging role of "Anne Boleyn," the ambitious, doomed Tudor queen, as she languishes in anxiety, confusion, and eventual madness while facing execution (remedial spoiler: she's totally a goner). Dianna Burdick plays the conflicted "Jane Seymour," who replaced Anne in the king's affections. Luvi Avendano is "Lord Rochefort," Anne's brother, with whom she was accused of having an incestuous relationship. "Lord Percy," Anne's former love, is played by Alex Rodin Mendoza. Sally Rose Bates, as Anne's page "Mark Smeaton," and Ricardo Mota, as court official "Sir Hervey," round out the cast.

Additional members of Henry's treacherous court are characterized by an ever-present chorus of eavesdroppers and spies. Covers and ensemble members include Constance von Briesen-Kamm, Rosa Chang, Grace Kim, Rachel Labovitch, Jessie Missouri, and Esteban Pérez. The production also features a 14-piece live orchestra of area musicians.

Anna Bolena will be staged with a blend of traditional and modern aesthetics in the Museum of Ventura County's Martin V. & Martha K. Smith Pavilion, a state of the art event space in the heart of historic downtown Ventura. Audience seating will be arranged around a theatrical "runway" in blatantly hierarchical, courtly fashion with tables configured by ticket price. The best seats, with the closest access to the performers, will go to those with the most power and influence (i.e., money). As they perform, players in sumptuous costumes will filter through the audience in the impressive space, offering an immersive experience as the action unfolds all around.

Anna Bolena is the first live performing arts production to be staged in the museum. While not entirely historically accurate, the production should appeal not only to diehard opera fans, but also to history buffs, political junkies, cultural adventurers, and music lovers seeking an accessible way to dip their toes into the often-pretentious world of opera.

In addition to serving as Artistic Director for Opera by the Glass, Zeffin Quinn Hollis also directs Anna Bolena. Timothy León is the Music Director and Conductor. Robert Chelberg is an Executive Consultant.

"The story of Anne Boleyn's downfall evokes a past age, yet still resonates today," says Hollis. "The brutal Tudor court, a corrupt political circus which was fueled by money and power, wanted Anne gone because she had overstepped her bounds ... so they took her out."

Opera by the Glass -
Launched in 2016, Opera by the Glass is a community of singers, directors, and musicians devoted to providing fantastic immersive opera experiences for contemporary audiences in non-traditional yet spectacular spaces in Ventura County and beyond. The concept is part of a new breed of intimate opera companies and grass roots arts organizations that strip away rigid performance paradigms to offer accessible and affordable opera in casual settings that are enjoyable and easy-to-follow by a wide audience. Anna Bolena is the second opera staged by Opera by the Glass. The organization's sold-out inaugural production of Bellini's The Sleepwalker (2016) met critical acclaim and enthusiastic local audiences last November.

Gaetano Donizetti, Composer -
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) was among the most important composers of Bel Canto opera in the first half of the Nineteenth Century. Many of Donizetti's more than 60 operas are still part of the modern repertoire and continue to challenge singers with their musical and technical demands. Donizetti was born and educated in Bergamo, Italy. His first opera of note was La Zingara, which premiered in Naples in 1822. In 1830, Donizetti first achieved wide-spread fame with Anna Bolena, which established him as a leading opera composer of his time. His Lucia di Lammermoor (1835) is also a notable, internationally recognized masterpiece.

Among Donizetti's last operas are Maria di Rohan (1843), an important historic opera, and his French tragedy Dom Sébastian (1843). Caterina Cornaro (1844) is also one of his finest works for its strong dramatic content. These serious works set the standard for Verdi. Standing stylistically between Rossini and Verdi, Donizetti is also often compared to his contemporary, Bellini. His life resembled the plots of his operas: a humble birth and years of drudgery before the curtain rises. Then, after a dizzying ascent to greatness, a fall into madness. Although, in his case, it was syphilis, not romantic love, that drove him mad.

Zeffin Quinn Hollis, Artistic Director -
Zeffin Quinn Hollis has appeared as a principal artist at many of the world's significant opera houses like New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, and many others. Along with performing, he is also an accomplished stage director and acting coach. His own productions have been staged at Opera Las Vegas, Los Angeles' Dell Chamber Opera, Heartland Opera Theatre, Wichita State University, California State Universities Northridge and Long Beach, the Marina del Rey Summer Opera at Burton Chace Park, and at The Lamb's Theatre Company Off-Broadway. Hollis is the founder of SOULMINT.STUDIO and Singing Actors' Lab in Los Angeles. He is also the resident stage director and acting teacher for OperaWorks. Last year, Hollis served as Production Designer and Stage Director for the Opera by the Glass production of The Sleepwalker. (Full info @ http://www.zeffin.com)

Hana Chelberg, "Anne Boleyn" -
Czech coloratura Hana Chelberg grew up in Prague performing solos with the renowned Czech Philharmonic Children's Choir. Recently, she has headlined a series of concerts in Newbury Park, California. In those performances, she presented excerpts from Lucia di Lammermoor, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Rigoletto, as well as the entire role of the "Königin der Nacht" from Die Zauberflöte. Chelberg is also an accomplished concert and oratorio singer, recently performing "Eve" in The Creation with Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) and Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA). Last year, Chelberg played the lead role of "Amina" in The Sleepwalker, the inaugural Opera by the Glass production.

Alex Rodin Mendoza, "Lord Percy" -
Alex Rodin Mend Eugene Onegin). He recently sang the role of "Nika Magadoff" in Sin City Opera's production of Menotti's The Consul. A graduate of UCLA and Rice University, he has sung with Fresno Grand Opera, Opera Las Vegas, Pacific Opera Project, Nevada Opera Theatre, La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy, Brevard Music Center, and Opera in the Heights (Houston). He is currently a member of the Streetmosphere program at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Mendoza played "Elvino" in the Opera by the Glass production of The Sleepwalker in 2016.

Dianna Burdick, "Jane Seymour" -
Dianna Burdick was a soloist with the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) under the baton of Dr. KuanFen Liu at their Night at the Opera concert. Other projects with CHICO include soprano soloist in Dona Nobis Pacem and the Rutter Requiem. Burdick was "The Mother" in Amahl and the Night Visitors with First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir in Ventura and sang in the premiere of Letter to the World - Poets to Songs of Ross Care. She is a soloist with the First United Methodist Chancel Choir in Ventura and with the Christian Science Church, Camarillo. She has also performed in the Le Petit Greek Recital Series. Last year, she was featured in the Opera by the Glass production of The Sleepwalker in the role of "Lisa."

Luvi Avendano, "Lord Rochefort" -
Luvi Avendano is an active singer in Southern California. Recent engagements include mainstage roles with Opera Santa Barbara, National Opera Association, and bass soloist for Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the California Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Opera credits include performances with regional companies and programs, such as Pacific Opera Project, Center Stage Opera, Opera Tijuana, and Opera in the Ozarks, performing leading baritone roles such as "Giorgio Germont" in La Traviata,"Alfaro" in Cavalleria Rusticana,"Dr. Dulcamara" in L'elisir d'amore, "Escamillo" in Carmen, "Marcello" in La Bohme, "Count Almaviva" in Le Nozze di Figaro, "Don Alfonso" in Cosi fan tutte, and the title role in Don Giovanni. Avendano is completing his doctoral degree at University of California, Santa Barbara, under the direction of Dr. Linda Di Fiore.

Sally Rose Bates, "Mark Smeaton" -
Sally Rose Bates has performed numerous leading roles including "The Monitor" (Suor Angelica), "Marcellina" (Marriage of Figaro), "Zita" (Gianni Schicchi), "Sister Miriam" (The Three Hermits), "Lola" (Gallantry), "Edith" (Pirates of Penzance), and "Miss Jones" (How to Succeed in Business). Bates has been a featured soloist and performer in the La Musica Lirica Opera Festivals in Urbania and Nova Feltria, Italy from 2003 to 2007. She has also appeared with the Santa Barbara Opera, Atlanta Opera, Madison Opera, Capital City Opera, the Peach State and Stoughton Opera Companies, as well as at Carnegie Hall with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus. In the competition arena, she was a finalist in the prestigious Pro-Mozart competition. In 2011, she was a finalist in the world-renowned American's Traditions Competition. Most recently, she was a semi-finalist in the Marilyn Horne Young Artist Summer Vocal Program. Sally also appeared on the Lifetime TV show Kim of Queens where she was featured teaching an opera lesson.

Museum of Ventura County, Venue ­ -
Museum of Ventura County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit independent organization which celebrates, preserves, and interprets the art, history, and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands, and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications, and research library. It also serves as a gathering place for the community. Anna Bolena is the first performing arts production hosted by the museum.

The Friday, November 17th performance of Anna Bolena starts at 8:00pm and the Sunday, November 19th performance starts at 5:00pm, running for 2 hours and 20 minutes (2 hours of performance + a 20-minute intermission). Seating is arranged to resemble a royal court with the performers activating the space for an immersive, intimate experience; complimentary wine and light refreshments will be available for those seated at tables. VIP "King" front row tables for 4 are $300, "Queen" tables for 4 are $250, "Court" tables for 4 are $150, and single seats behind the tables are $30. Adding seats to tables is not possible. Tickets are available for purchase in advance here: http://bolena.bpt.me. Minimum age is 16. The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 (venturamuseum.org, map). Plenty of street and metered parking is available near the venue.

For additional information, please see the Facebook event page: https://oby.tg/FBAnnaEvEnt.

To post a comment, you must register and login.