Central City Opera to Present Mainstage Productions of CAROUSEL and RIGOLETTO

After postponing the 2020 Festival to 2021 due to COVID-19, Central City Opera has announced a partnership with Hudson Gardens & Event Center to present the 2021 Festival mainstage productions. Rodgers & Hammerstein's beloved musical Carousel and Verdi's thriller, Rigoletto, will be produced as open-air, socially-distanced performances at Hudson Gardens in Littleton, Colo., while Purcell's bewitching, hour-long opera Dido and Aeneas and the CCO Al Fresco concert series will be presented in the Opera House Gardens in Central City, Colo.

"We had hoped that by now it would be safe to return to the opera house and resume normal operations," said Pelham "Pat" Pearce, Central City Opera's General/Artistic Director. "In order to prioritize the health and safety of our patrons, performers and company members we determined it was necessary to secure an outdoor venue in order to return to live, in-person performances this summer. We are thrilled to partner with Hudson Gardens to host our 2021 Festival in their beautiful outdoor amphitheater."

One of America's finest theatrical achievements," Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel follows the ups, downs, round and rounds of life and love. Muddling through small town expectations, meager means and conflicting dreams, Julie, Billy and their daughter Louise learn "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Central City Opera's production of Rigoletto, a topsy turvy suspense, teems with twists of plot and twists of fate. A devilish Duke and his tortured court jester, Rigoletto, clash over the jester's beautiful daughter in this standard of the Italian opera repertoire. Rigoletto pits humor against heartbreak in a joke gone too far, set to some of the best-known music in all of opera.

Sprung from epic poetry and myth, Dido and Aeneas is an opulent tale of power and passion between two formidable rulers and the Sorceress who toys with their fates. This gem of the early music canon will be performed in the intimate Opera House Gardens, featuring singers from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program.

"We realize that this season won't be a typical Central City Opera experience, but we are committed to bringing audiences quality productions, incredible music and wonderful artistry this summer," said Pearce. "We are optimistic that we will celebrate our 90th anniversary season with a return to our jewel-box Opera House in 2022!"

The Central City Opera Festival is a four-week extravaganza of storytelling and powerful voices, featuring classical music's biggest talents, the Central City Opera Orchestra and rising stars from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program. Company members will reside and rehearse in Central City.

Central City Opera is currently releasing tickets in phases in accordance with the state of Colorado and CDC capacity guidelines. All previous ticket holders will be contacted by the Central City Opera Box Office in the next two weeks about ticket options for this summer's offerings. Single tickets are scheduled to go on sale April 20, 2021.

Visit www.centralcityopera.org or call 303-292-6700 to learn more. Read the Frequently Asked Questions here.