Marguerite Calls

HGO's production of Gounod's FAUST puts the 'grand' in grand opera. The current production has all the bells and whistles - a timeless story, a top-notch cast, the costumes, sets and lighting of an all-out extravaganza. In short, it has everything the word 'opera' conjures up. And it's at the Wortham, all for you.

Opera San Jose continues its 28th season with Gounod's Romantic-era masterpiece, Faust. Inspired by Goethe's legendary story of the old scholar who sells his soul to the devil for eternal youth, Faust is one of the most performed operas of all time. Opera San Jose founding music director, David Rohrbaugh, conducts with stage direction by Brad Dalton, who recently directed Opera San Jose's company premiere of Mozart's Idomeneo. Faust will be sung in French with English supertitles. Eight performances are scheduled from April 21 through May 6 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San Jose. Tickets are on sale at the Opera San Jose Box Office, by phone at (408) 437-4450 or online at www.operasj.org. Faust is made possible, in part, by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San Jose.

Opera San Jose General Director Irene Dalis has announced repertoire for the company's 28th season to begin Saturday, September 10 with the company premiere of Mozart's first dramatic masterwork Idomeneo, the mythical tale of the king of Crete set at the end of the Trojan War.