Penobscot Theatre Company Presents THE DOG OPERAS

Penobscot Theatre Company proudly presents three "pupperas," made for dogs, by dogs. The Barker of Seville premieres March 2.

The Dog Operas are part of Penobscot Theatre Company's ambitious 47th Season, Digitus Theatrum, which includes 17 unique offerings - many of which the company specifically commissioned. "The Dog Operas are something canines have been asking us to do for years," says producing artistic director, Bari Newport. "At first we had no idea what they were talking about, but pups can be persistent and when they got the cats involved, we knew we were in trouble."

A pack of humans consisting of Larrance Fingerhut (music), Brad LaBree (film), Kat Johnson (design) and Christie Robinson (lyrics), wrote and scored the reimagined "tails" of love and heartbreak.

"We had the dream team working on this project. Not surprisingly, none of us had ever created an opera by and for dogs before," says Christie Robinson. "The process has been a complete joy - everything from rewriting the lyrics to create charming and funny canine versions of the classic operas, to working with the dogs themselves - we've created something truly memorable."

Singers Elena Burns (soprano), Annie Leonardi (soprano), Frank Bachman (tenor), Ira Kramer (tenor), Kat Johnson (mezzo), Tina Burns (soprano), Josh Miller (baritone) and Matt Madore (baritone) bring heart and hilarity to the three classic scores as mixed by audio engineer, Neil Graham.

"My challenge was to condense the operas, keeping the most famous melodies while maintaining the storyline," says Larrance Fingerhut who rearranged the famous scores. "Once I got my dog brain working, I filtered the stories through a dog's point-of-view and totally reimagined the operas."

The Barker of Seville (released March 2)

The fair Rosina is pursued by the odious Count Barktolo. Count Almaviva loves Rosina but is clueless when it comes rescuing from Barktolo. Lucky for him his servant, Figaro, is the Barker of Seville. Can Figaro save the day?

Tosca the Ball (released April 6)

Where is Tosca's ball? Who has Tosca's ball?!? Scarpia has stolen it and will dash her dreams of being best in show. Her true love Caradoggi must save the day and the diva!

Dog Giovanni (released May 4)

Lock up your ladies, protect your chew toys and don't give bad Dog Giovanni any treats! Will he get away with being a bad boy furever? Or will Dogga Anna, Dog Elvira and Zerlina get their revenge?

Canine stars include Sir Toby (Maltese), Iggy (mixed breed), Ty (Golden Retriever), Izzy (Maltese), Rusty (Chihuahua mix), Rookie (Mini-Australian Shepard/Poodle mix), Maxwell (poodle), Xander (Dachshund mix), Leroy (Shi-Chi), Poppy (mixed breed), Hershel (mixed breed) and Trout (Tortie Cat). The Barker of Seville is dedicated to the memory of its leading lady, Zuzu (Bulldog).

Over thirty dogs (and one cat) submitted video auditions at the beginning of the season. "We had a lot of talent, and cuteness, to choose from," says designer, Kat Johnson. "You may see a pooch or two you know, and a few stars have played multiple characters. It was a great joy to work with such a fun and cuddly cast."

Household tickets for The Dog Operas are $40 and include all three "pupperas". Subscriber household tickets are $35. Tickets may be purchased online at www.penobscottheatre.org or by calling the box office at (207) 942-3333.