Opera San José Offers Spanish And Vietnamese Translation For THREE DECEMBERS Virtual Streaming Production

Opera San José is offering its virtual production of Jake Heggie's chamber opera, Three Decembers,

with the option of Spanish and Vietnamese subtitles, welcoming two of San Jose's largest communities to experience this local art. Opera San José is a company dedicated to producing accessible, affordable, world-class performance, for long-time opera lovers and newcomers alike.

Says General Director Khori Dastoor, "The circumstances we find ourselves in, unprecedented in so many ways, have also afforded us the opportunity to recommit ourselves to the support our Resident Artist Company and to our mission of growing and diversifying the audiences we serve. The response we've seen to our digital programming these last many months has been incredible - so many patrons have joined us, from the comfort of their homes, to attend our virtual productions, many of whom have never attended an OSJ performance in person. Lowering barriers to participation and making our content available in more languages, across multiple platforms, is allowing us to broaden and deepen our relationship with our local community. During this pandemic, our company remains committed to creating and providing programming which enriches and makes more accessible, the opera-going experience."

Featuring world-renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in the central role, alongside celebrated Opera San José Resident Artists soprano Maya Kherani and baritone Efraín Solís, this production was filmed in the Heiman Digital Media Studio under the strictest COVID-19 safety protocols. Pianist/Head of Music Staff Veronika Agranov-Dafoe and pianist Sunny Yoon join the celebrated cast in an intimate, dual-piano arrangement created and conducted by Opera San José Resident Artist conductor Christopher James Rayspecifically for this vibrant production. Directed by Tara Branham, Three Decembers will launch with a celebratory gala featuring a conversation with Susan Graham, Jake Heggie, and the full artistic team on December 3, 2020 at 5:30pm, and then will be available to stream on demand through the New Year. When viewing the concert, audiences can choose which supertitles they would like to view: Spanish, Vietnamese, English, or none (the work is performed in English). Tickets are $40 per household (includes on-demand streaming access only) or $50 per household (includes on-demand streaming access plus admission to the celebratory gala Dec. 3). For more information or to purchase tickets, the public can visit operasj.org or call (408) 437-4450 (open Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm).

Based on the unpublished play Some Christmas Letters by Tony Award winning playwright Terrance McNally, Three Decembers follows the captivating story of a famous actress, Madeline Mitchell, and her two adult children, Beatrice and Charlie over three decades (1986, 1996, and 2006), bringing to mesmerizing life a family struggling to connect, as long-held secrets come to light. With a brilliant, witty libretto by Gene Scheer and a soaring musical score by Jake Heggie, Three Decembers is a 90-minute fullhearted American opera about family - the ones we are born into and those we create.