Charlottesville Opera Announces Upcoming Season

Charlottesville Opera's 41st Summer Season Begins Next Month Charlottesville Opera's 41st summer season begins in July with performances of Mozart's beloved masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro, and Stephen Sondheim's modern take on classic fairy tales, Into the Woods, presented at The Paramount Theater.

A cornerstone of the operatic canon, The Marriage of Figaro is one of Mozart's best-loved operas, and it continues the story of characters well-known to lovers of Rossini's The Barber of Seville. The Marriage of Figaro is the first collaboration between Mozart and librettist, Da Ponte, who went on to create Cosi fan tutte and Don Giovanni together. The comic opera tells the story of Figaro and Susanna, two servants, who succeed in getting married, foiling the plans of their philandering employer, Count Almaviva, who wishes to seduce Susanna. In an elaborate scheme, Susanna and Figaro, along with the Countess and others, expose the Count and teach him a valuable lesson in fidelity.

The world-class cast features Tyler Simpson (Metropolitan Opera) who returns to Charlottesville Opera as Figaro, having appeared in our 2012 production of La bohème. Karin Mushegain plays Susanna; Charlottesville Opera audiences last heard Mushegain as Rosina in The Barber of Seville (2011). Katherine Whyte (Metropolitan Opera) plays the Countess. Trevor Scheunemann (Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera) returns to Charlottesville as Count Almaviva; Charlottesville Opera audiences will remember him playing the title role in The Music Man (2012)

With exquisite music, comic misunderstandings, and a heartwarming resolution, this production of The Marriage of Figaro is not to be missed.

The season continues with Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning modern classic. Weaving together the stories of classic fairytale characters with the journey of the Baker, the Baker's Wife, and the Witch, the show examines each character's quest to satisfy his or her desire. Along the way, they overcome huge obstacles, learn valuable lessons, grapple with the consequences of getting their wishes, and live happily ever after... or do they?

Rena Strober (Les Misérables on Broadway, HBO's VEEP and Showtime's Shameless) stars at the Witch. Leah Edwards (Master Class on Broadway) plays Cinderella. Christopher Job (Metropolitan Opera, Reverend Blitch in Charlottesville Opera's production of Susanna in 2014) plays Cinderella's Prince/the Wolf. Deborah Grausman (Fiddler on the Roof National Tour and the voice of Smartie the smartphone on HBO's Sesame Street) plays Little Red Ridinghood. Adam Alexander (New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic) portrays the Baker. Audience favorite Sharin Apostolou (Glimmerglass Festival) plays the Baker's wife, returning to Charlottesville Opera for a fourth consecutive year following her triumphant portrayals of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (2015), Nellie Forbush in South Pacific (2016) and Ado Annie in Oklahoma! (2017).

Audiences of all ages will enjoy this musical's quick-witted, fresh take on classic fairy tales. Don't miss the special one-hour family performance on August 5th.

In addition to our two mainstage productions at The Paramount, Charlottesville Opera will present a number of exciting performances in alternative venues. On July 11 at 7 pm, we will present "Music on Park Street," a recital featuring some of our principal artists at the beautiful First Presbyterian Church. On July 18 at 7 pm at Grisham Hall at Saint-Anne's Belfield School, we will present a concert featuring the outstanding Charlottesville Opera Orchestra and some of our Young Artists. For more information about these and other events, visit our website at www.charlottesvilleopera.org.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION The Marriage of Figaro - Sunday, July 8, at 2 pm; Thursday, July 12 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, July 14 at 7:30 pm. All performances at The Paramount Theater, 215 East Main Street, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Into the Woods - Friday, July 27, at 7:30 pm; Sunday, July 29, at 2 pm; Thursday, August 2, at 7:30 pm; Saturday, August 4, at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, August 5, at 2 pm. August 5 matinee is a special, one-hour family performance. All performances are at the Paramount Theater, 215 East Main St., Charlottesville, Virginia.
Tickets for The Marriage of Figaro and Into the Woods start at $25 for adults and are on sale at www.theparamount.net
Pre-performance Lectures
Ticketholders are invited to an engaging and informative lecture 45 minutes before each performance of The Marriage of Figaro and Into the Woods.
Free Events, Open to the Public

• On June 27 at 9:00 pm, we will host "Opera on Tap" at South Street Brewery. This will be a fun way to get to hear some of our world-class singers perform show tunes and arias in a relaxed setting.
• On June 28 at 6:00 pm we will host our fourth annual free Concert in the Park at IX Art Park, just south of the downtown mall.
• On July 6 at 5:30 pm we will host our annual KidsFest, a free, open dress rehearsal for students participating in Charlottesville Parks and Recreation's summer camps.

For further information about Charlottesville Opera's 41st Season, visit www.charlottesvilleopera.org.

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