Photos: Dicapo Opera Theatre Presents THE SAINT OF BLEEKER STREET

Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleeker Street, opened at The Dicapo Opera on Saturday night. The Saint of Bleeker Street, written in English and dating from 1954, is the story of a simple young girl in New York's Little Italy who is blessed (or afflicted) with the stigmata and hears voices and sees visions. Her protective brother Michele, who is also a convinced atheist, thinks his sister needs hospitalization, but he cannot stop their neighbors from believing his sister to be a saint. An opera of high theatricality!

This new production is directed by Michael Capasso and conducted by Maestro Mazzagatti Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti, unashamed of theatricality and tonal melody, ranks as one of the most original and popular 20th century opera composers. 

Dicapo Opera Theatre's productions are presented in a jewel box of an opera house in the St. Jean Baptiste Church basement on East 76th. The high artistic level of Dicapo's productions has invariably taken critics by surprise and given rise to a serious and loyal following of connoisseurs and opera aficionados. The theatre features 204 burgundy velvet seats, luxurious carpeting, ebonized oak walls, brass railings, and a state-of-the-art supertitle system. For more information on the Dicapo Opera Theatre see: www.dicapo.com.

Photo Credit: Rob Rich