Long Beach Opera to Host THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE OPERA Spring Gala
Event will feature THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE OPERA with original cast members including Nathan Granner and Lindsay Patterson Abdou.
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Long Beach Opera will present its Spring Gala, CELEBRATING THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE OPERA, on April 11 at 6:00 p.m. at 440 Elm in Long Beach. The event will focus on the opera’s upcoming first-ever recording and its continued development following its 2019 premiere.
THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE OPERA is a two-act work composed by Anthony Davis with a libretto by Richard Wesley. The opera is based on the 1989 case involving five teenagers who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated.
Originally commissioned and premiered by Long Beach Opera, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE OPERA went on to receive the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Music and has since been produced by companies across the United States. The gala marks the next stage in the work’s evolution as it moves into a recorded format, while also highlighting the company’s ongoing commitment to new opera.
The evening will feature performances by artists from the original production and the company’s 2022 remount, which serves as the basis for the recording. Scheduled performers include Nathan Granner, Lindsay Patterson Abdou, Todd Strange, and pianist Aron Kallay. Composer Anthony Davis and librettist Richard Wesley will also appear to discuss the work’s impact and continued relevance.
Additional Programming
A silent auction will accompany the event, with online bidding opening April 3 and closing at the end of the gala. Items will include experiences, artwork, and tickets from Long Beach Opera partners.
Long Beach Opera will also share early details about the recording’s summer release and preview upcoming season programming during the event.
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Next to Normal Phantasma Arts (7/17-7/25) |
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After the Blast The Broadwater Second Stage (8/05-8/13) |
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E=MC² Einstein The Musical Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center (7/03-7/26) |
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Fool for Love Santa Monica Playhouse (7/23-7/26) |
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Gershwin and the Golden Age Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) (10/11-10/11) |
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The Lion King Pantages Theatre (12/17-2/13) |
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C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo (8/02-8/02) |
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Proof El Portal Theatre (7/23-7/26) |
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Cabaret (FILM) The Plaza Theatre (9/06-9/06) |
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Sutton Foster featuring Pacific Jazz Orchestra Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) (9/19-9/19) |