Solo Opera to Present The West Coast Premiere of THE THREE FEATHERS in September

Solo Opera will produce their largest, most ambitious opera to date, The Three Feathers, with music by award winning composer, Lori Laitman and libretto by former CA poet laureate, Dana Gioia. This family friendly 85-minute show will be sung in English and run Sept. 8 and 10, 2023 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in the 785 seat Hofmann Theater.

A fairly new opera, written in 2013 and premiering in 2014 at Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech, The Three Feathers has seen productions from the East Coast to Singapore. And now with Solo Opera's production, the full opera is finally coming to premiere on the West Coast. Based on a fairytale by The Brothers Grimm, the opera follows Princess Dora, not as a damsel in distress, but as a heroine. A magic feather leads the shy, self-doubting princess to an enchanted Underworld ruled by a giant Frog King. Here, she summons her courage and compassion to face a series of mysterious and comic adventures that change her life. Completing her quest, she saves her father's kingdom from the plots of her selfish sisters and earns her right to the crown. According to Solo Opera Executive Director, Sylvia Amorino, "We chose this opera, not only for its beautiful music and charming libretto, but for the important messages it shares about the power of women, believing in yourself, and finding real treasure in life. It is our hope that our audiences will leave with a gained understanding of these truths. The opera invites us to be more inclusive, open our hearts and minds, and work to connect with those who are different than us."

The opera stars Eugene Brancoveanu as "The King", Shawnette Sulker as "Princess Dora", and Kirk Eichelberger as the "Frog King". A strong supporting cast features Chelsea Hollow as "Gilda", Hope Nelson as "Tilda", Samuel Faustine as the "Frog Prince", Andrew Fellows as the "Captain", Caleb Alexander as the "Baron", and Jonathan Spencer as the "Chamberlain". The production will feature the San Francisco Girls Chorus (Members of San Francisco Girls Chorus School- Valérie Sainte-Agathe, Artistic Director) performing the children's chorus of frogs, rats, and bats in the Underworld. A chorus of 8 adult soloists will also cover lead roles. A 20-piece orchestra will be led by maestro Alexander Katsman and librettist/ former CA poet laureate, Dana Gioia, will be the lecturer. The show will run at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek- Sept. 8, 2023- 8:00pm and Sept. 10, 2023- 2:00pm. Tickets are now on sale at the Lesher Theater Box Office (925) 943-7469 or LesherArtsCenter.org. An incredible production team will be led by Solo Opera Executive Director, Sylvia Amorino, as stage director/producer, Peter Crompton for scenic/projection design, Patrick Toebe for lighting design, and Callie Floor for costume design.

The Three Feathers

music by Lori Laitman, libretto by Dana Gioia

Friday- Sept. 8, 2023 8:00pm, Sunday- Sept. 10, 2023 2:00pm

Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek

Tickets on sale now: LesherArtsCenter.org/ 925-943-7469

Youth 17 and under- $25, Senior- $45, Adult- $55

Reserved Seating/ Group Discounts Offered

One-hour before each performance, a 30-minute pre-show lecture by Dana Gioia- opera librettist and former CA poet laureate.

Solo Opera is a Professional Company Member of Opera America and 2016 Arts Recognition Award recipient. Founded in 2000, their mission is to educate, entertain, and enrich the community through their main stage opera productions, concerts, and outreach programs. Solo Opera has achieved wonderful success producing eighteen high quality operas at the beautiful Lesher Center for the Arts and around the Bay Area including The Telephone (2000, 2003), The Medium (2000), Amahl and the Night Visitors (2001, 2002, 2003), Riders to the Sea (2003), The Old Maid and the Thief (2004), A Hand of Bridge (2004), Bastien and Bastienna (2004), The Impresario (2004), Chip and His Dog (2014), Hansel and Gretel (2014, 2015), The Computer Kid's Magic Night (2016), The Gift of the Magi (2018), Scalia/Ginsburg (2021), and The Four Note Opera (2022). In addition to other concerts and outreach, they collaborate each summer with the Orinda Rotary Club, producing a free Opera in the Park at Orinda Community Park and perform at the Concord Fourth of July Parade. www.SoloOpera.org

Lori Laitman: Described by Fanfare Magazine as "one of the most talented and intriguing of living composers," Lori Laitman has composed multiple operas (ex. The Scarlet Letter, The Three Feathers, Uncovered), choral works, and hundreds of songs, setting texts by classical and contemporary poets, including those who perished in the Holocaust. Her music has generated substantial critical acclaim. The Journal of Singing wrote "It is difficult to think of anyone before the public today who equals her exceptional gifts for embracing a poetic text and giving it new and deeper life through music." For more information, please visit www.artsongs.com.

Dana Gioia: Dana Gioia is an internationally acclaimed poet and writer. Former California Poet laureate and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Gioia was born in Los Angeles of Italian and Mexican descent. The first person in his family to attend college, he received a B.A. and M.B.A. from Stanford and an M.A. from Harvard in Comparative Literature. For fifteen years he worked as a businessman before quitting at forty-one to become a full-time writer. www.DanaGioia.com

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