Florida Grand Opera Partners With Miami Cerebral Palsy Residential Services to Bring Live Opera to Their Residents

Miami Cerebral Palsy (MCP) takes pride in supporting the goals and dreams of their consumers "one person at a time" and firmly believes that people with disabilities can live a life without limits. Therefore, Florida Grand Opera (FGO) felt it would be a perfect opportunity to create a partnership with MCP by offering their residents the chance to experience the sights and sounds of live opera through the FGO's Education Department.

As guests of Florida Grand Opera, Marta Morin, Executive Director of MCP and her team brought 35 residents to the Ziff Ballet Opera House on Thursday, January 23 for the dress rehearsal of Nabucco, FGO's most recent production. Anita Abuathareh, Occupational Therapist of MCP noted that, "It was an amazing experience, one that we do not normally get. Everyone loved the performance and were thrilled to attend."

To continue the partnership, Florida Grand Opera will also be visiting MCP's residences offering live vocal performances onsite for a truly intimate and very special opera experience.

Every season Florida Grand Opera's Education Department creates a broad range of engaging music education and community programs. More than 20,000 children, families and community members will take part in FGO programs this season - in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.

Additionally, 5,000 middle and high school students from South Florida schools will attend the final dress rehearsals of each production at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts or the Broward Center for Performing Arts. Cerise Sutton, Director of Education at Florida Grand Opera expressed, "All students deserve the opportunity to experience the opera live."

Through its community programs, FGO provides free public recitals and musical workshops throughout South Florida, making opera accessible to over 24 communities. Together, these programs, plus many more, bring musical experiences and education to people of all ages and circumstances.

FGO's Box Office is located at the Doral Center, 8390 NW 25th Street, Miami, FL 33132, and is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets may also be purchased by phone at 800-741-1010 or online at www.FGO.org.

Florida Grand Opera (FGO), the oldest performing arts organization in Florida, celebrates its 73rd year of continuously producing grand opera during the 2013-14 season. The main stage operas of the season include: Marvin David Levy's Mourning Becomes Electra, Nov. 7 - 23, 2013; Verdi's Nabucco, Jan. 25 - Feb. 8, 2014; Puccini's Tosca, Mar. 29 - Apr. 12, 2014; and Massenet's Thaïs, May 3 - 17, 2014.

Founded in 1941 as Greater Miami Opera and later merging with The Opera Guild Inc. in 1994, FGO presents a mixture of standard repertoire and contemporary works as well as commissions new productions - all featuring projected translations in English and Spanish.

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