St. Petersburg Opera Presents COSI FAN TUTTE, 1/15-1/17

For its next fully staged opera, Mozart's 'Così fan tutte', St. Petersburg Opera has recruited a trio of local design and directing talents to join Maestro Mark Sforzini in bringing a school for lovers to the stage of the Palladium Theater from January 15-17, 2010.

The title of the opera roughly translates as "women are like that", but the opera was also given the subtitle ossia La scuola degli amanti (the school for lovers). Mozart sets Lorenzo da Ponte's libretto to gorgeous music with blockbuster solo arias as well as interesting trios, quintets and sextets. The plot explores the concept of fidelity and proposes that women are fickle and can be easily tricked into betraying their lovers. Two sisters are in love with two young soldiers. The men accept a wager with a cynical bachelor, who bets that the ladies will betray the soldiers at the first opportunity. The soldiers pretend to go off to join their regiment but return in disguise to romance the sisters, each attempting to seduce the other's beloved. It's a farce with a deeper meaning that gets handled a bit differently by every director.

The team of local artistic celebrities joining forces for the production includes Todd Olson, Producing Artistic Director of American Stage, as the stage director, set designer Scott Cooper, also from American Stage, and Michael Della Penna, a local hair and fashion designer who is creating original costumes. Mark Sforzini, Executive and Artistic Director of St. Petersburg Opera, will provide musical direction and conduct the St. Petersburg Opera Orchestra.

Six of the principal singers will be making their debut with the company after being heard last February in nationally advertised auditions that brought over 150 opera artists to the area to sing for Maestro Sforzini. The handsome young soldiers are being played by Stephen LaBrie and Benjamin Bunsold on Friday and Sunday, with LaBrie and Brian Kuhl on Saturday. The sisters will be sung by Toby Newman and Cassandra Black on Friday and Sunday and Newman and Perri Montané on Saturday. The cynical bachelor will be Benjamin LeClair and the comical maid will be Michelle Seipel. Singers with previous SPO appearances include Montané, who was in Die Fledermaus, and Kuhl, who was the hilarious Gastone in La Traviata.

St. Petersburg Opera returns to the Palladium Theater for three performances, January 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and January 17 at 2 p.m. The Palladium Theatre is located at 253 5TH Avenue North, FL. Tickets are priced from $20 to $61.50 and are available from the Palladium Box Office, by telephone at 727-822-3590, or online at www.stpeteopera.org .

 

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