Ash Lawn Opera Launches its 40th Season this Saturday with Jay Hunter Morris

This Saturday, December 3 at 8 pm, Ash Lawn Opera launches its 40th Season as Charlottesville, Virginia's premier opera company with a special performance of by world-renowned tenor Jay Hunter Morrisat The Paramount Theater. Morris -- the self-proclaimed "blue-collar opera singer" -- will perform beloved opera arias, jazz, and country; play guitar; and tell stories about his life on the road. In conjunction with the Virginia Festival of the Book, Morris will sign copies of his autobiography, Diary of a Redneck Opera Zinger, a hilarious chronicle of his 15-year career, immediately following the performance.

Morris first rose to prominence in 2011 when, only eight days before opening night, he stepped into the title role of Siegfried at the Metropolitan Opera during their record-breaking Ring Cycle by famed impresario Robert Lepage to great acclaim. Praised by the New York Times for his "impressive stamina and robust character [...] tenderness and subtlety" as Siegfried at San Francisco Opera, Morris is famed for his portrayals of Wagner's notoriously difficult heroic tenor roles as well as his frequent appearances in new works. Most recently, he was seen as Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick with Dallas Opera--a signature role he has performed throughout the country--and as Glimmerglass Festival's 2016 Artist-in-Residence.

In addition to the concert, sixty of Ash Lawn Opera's most dedicated supporters will attend a special pre-performance dinner at award-winning restaurant Fleurie, with even more joining for a post-show reception at The Paramount. In addition to the numerous individuals who have supported this performance, local business sponsors include BB&T Scott & Stringfellow; Buck, Toscano & Tereskerz, Attorneys at Law; Lewis Law Offices; Rob Garland Photographers; and Wassenaar + Winkler Architects and Planners.

This performance is underwritten by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, Richard M. Ader and Joseph Erdman, Trustees.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION

An Evening with Jay Hunter Morris - Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 8:00 pm
The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Charlottesville, VA 22902
Tickets go on sale Friday, October 21, 2016.
Single adult tickets for An Evening with Jay Hunter Morris are priced from $29 to $44. Patron and Sponsor Level tickets are also available, which feature perks including a meet and greet with Morris, pre-concert dinner at award-winning eatery Fleurie, and a post-concert reception at The Paramount Theater. For single tickets, visit or contact The Paramount Theater Box Office at (434) 979-1333, open 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays, or go to www.theparamount.net. For more information on Patron and Sponsor Level tickets, call Ash Lawn Opera at (434) 293-4500, e-mail info@ashlawnopera.org, or visit www.ashlawnopera.org.

For further information about Ash Lawn Opera's 40th Season, visit www.ashlawnopera.org.

Ash Lawn Opera is grateful for generous year-round support from the
Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation

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