COT's High C's On The High Seas Entertains Over 150 Guests
On Thursday, September 24th, 2009, Chicago Opera Theater (COT) hosted Chicago's first-ever opera cruise: "High C's on the High Seas." Just over 150 guests set sail on Kanan Cruises at Navy Pier and enjoyed an evening of song, mingling and dancing.
"COT's first opera cruise not only brought together many familiar friends and family but many new faces joined us as well," said General Director Brian Dickie. "Andriana and Jorge's performance was a great way to get their feet wet with COT!"
The guests began boarding at 5:30pm and savored hors d'oeuvres as well as wine from Alamos, The Wines of Catena. The night also marked the premiere of COT's new signature cocktail "Opera-tini," made with New Amsterdam Straight Gin.
The two hour cruise began at 6pm as COT Board President David O'Connor welcomed the crowd to Chicago Opera Theater's first annual opera cruise. General Director Brian Dickie then introduced the evening's performers - Andriana Chuchman and Jorge Prego. The crowd was enthralled by the two talented young singers as they performed a program of opera and musical theater favorites with piano accompaniment by Scott C. Gilmore, Director of Musical Studies for COT's Young Artists Program. The singers will both perform in COT's 2010 Spring Festival Season at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park: Chuchman will return to sing the role of Alinda in Cavalli's Giasone (April 24-May 2) and Prego will sing the role of Aronne in Rossini's Mosè in Egitto (April 17-25).After the performance, the singers mingled and danced with the guests on the many decks of the Kanan Cruise ship including the open-air top deck, made all the more enjoyable with the magnificent views of the Chicago skyline.
Chicago Opera Theater plans to make the opera cruise an annual event!
Chicago Opera Theater's Opera Cruise was generously sponsored by New Amsterdam Straight Gin and Alamos, The Wines of Catena.
ABOUT CHICAGO OPERA THEATER
Founded in 1974 by Alan Stone, Chicago Opera Theater has carved a significant place for itself in the operatic life of Chicago and has reached an audience of hundreds of thousands through its main stage performances, outreach, education and young artist programs. Since Brian Dickie's appointment as General Director in 1999, COT has evolved as an opera company that is young, fresh, and colorful - an image well suited to its surroundings at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.
Chicago Opera Theater's 2010 Spring Festival Season opens with Rossini's Mosè in Egitto (April 17-25), followed by the Chicago Premiere of Cavalli's Giasone (April 24-May 2), and closes with Heggie's Three Decembers featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade in her final Chicago opera performances before her retirement (May 8-16). On May 10th COT will also present An Evening with Frederica von Stade and Jake Heggie. For more information on the 2010 Spring Festival Season, visit ChicagoOperaTheater.org or call 312.704.8414.
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