Pacific Opera Project Presents Double Bill Of Puccini's GIANNI SCHICCHI And Ravel's L'ENFANT ET LES SORTILEGES

Pacific Opera Project (POP) opens its 2020 10th anniversary season with an artistically and musically boundary-pushing double bill featuring Puccini's Gianni Schicchi alongside Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges at Occidental College's Thorne Hall on Saturday, January 25 at 3pm; Saturday, February 1 at 7pm; and Sunday, February 2 at 3pm. These two one-act operas feature lush orchestrations and large ensemble casts in a family-friendly production led by conductor Joshua Horsch and directed/designed by POP Artistic Director Josh Shaw.

Puccini's only comic opera, Gianni Schicchi tells story of the Donati family. Once one of Florence's most influential and rich families, they have fallen on hard times and their fate depends entirely on the will of Buoso Donati. L'enfant et les Sortilèges (The Child and the Spells) is about a young boy who is sent to his room alone after misbehaving. Much to his surprise, his toys, furniture, and pets come alive to teach him a lesson about acting out. Called a "Lyric Fantasy" by the composer, this short opera is perfect for kids of all ages. The two operas are linked (for the first time ever as far as we can tell) through Gherardino, the youngest member of the Donati clan who becomes the "Enfant" in the second opera. Sometime after the events of Gianni Schicchi, he is sent to his room where his relatives and other characters from the first opera are superimposed on inanimate objects and animals in his fantasy.

The cast includes E. Scott Levin (Gianni Schicchi/Black Cat), Sharmay Musacchio (Zita/White Cat), Kimberly Sogioka (Gherardino/L'enfant), Jonathan Matthews (Rinuccio/Frog), Tiffany Ho (Lauretta/Princess/Owl), Thomas Sitzler (Simone/Arm Chair), Danielle Bond (Ciesca/Dragonfly/Tea Cup), Sonja Krenek (Nella/Mother), Robert Norman (Gherardo/Teapot), Jared Jones (Marco/Tree), William Grundler (Spineloccio/Arithmetic), Joel Balzun (Betto/Clock), Audrey Yoder (Pinellino/Bat/Shepherdess), Sarabeth Belón (Guccio/Squirrel/Shepherd), Peter Barber (Amantio), and Michelle Drever (Fire/Nightingale).

The Ensemble, comprised of members of the Occidental College Glee Club led by Desiree La vertu, includes Adelia Nunn, Alexandra Cannon, Ava Chenok, Crystal Stewart, Oli Vorster, Luca Van der Meer, Lulu Wiesemann, Jackson Eddy, Christina Carrera, and Mia Villegas.

L'enfant et les Sortilèges by Ravel is produced by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Sole Agent in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for Durand S.A. Editions Musicales, publisher and copyright owner.

Performance Information

GIANNI SCHICCHI - PUCCINI
L'ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES - RAVEL
Thorne Hall, Occidental College | Thorne Rd, Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, January 25 at 3pm
Saturday, February 1 at 7pm
Sunday, February 2 at 3pm

Link: https://www.pacificoperaproject.com/schicchi-l-enfant

Tickets: General admission single tickets range from $15-60 and can be purchased by visiting pacificoperaproject.com or by calling 323-739-6122.

Pacific Opera Project is dedicated to providing quality opera that is innovative, affordable, and entertaining in order to build a broader audience for the art form. For more information, please visit pacificoperaproject.com, email info@pacificoperaproject.com or call 323-739-6122.

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