Fresh Squeezed Opera to Close 2016-17 Season with SCOPES/PRIX FIXE Double Bill

For its final production of the 2016-17 season, Fresh Squeezed Opera presents Scopes/Prix Fixe, an operatic double bill, at the IATI Theater in the East Village. Performance dates are June 15, 16, 17 at 8:00 p.m and June 18 at 3:00 p.m.

In 1925 a school teacher named John Scopes was sued by the state of Tennessee for the crime of teaching evolution. The trial drew intense national publicity with its big-name lawyers, William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow. Witness a reimagining of this epic showdown in the new opera, Scopes. A world premiere by Spencer Snyder, with libretto by George Gaffney, Scopes is directed by Victoria Benson, and conducted by Loft Opera's Dean Buck, featuring performances from Daniel Klein, baritone, Sean Jernigan, baritone, Melanie Leinbach, soprano, and Joshua Miller, baritone; set design by Dolly Reyes, and lighting design by Cha See.

Prix Fixe, a darkly comic monodrama following aging socialite Rebecca Manchester as she reflects on her life and love of opera. Prix Fixe offers a tongue-in-cheek view of one woman's determination to become a diva, no matter the cost. With music by Kevin Wilt, with libretto by Caitlin Vincent, Prix Fixe is directed by Maggie Rascoe, and conducted by New York Repertory Orchestra's David Leibowitz. Chelsea Bonagura, soprano, and Barbara Porto, soprano, share the lead role. With set design by Dolly Reyes, and lighting design by Cha See.

Tickets for all performances are available by visiting www.freshsqueezedopera.com/tickets. General admission tickets are $20. On June 15, 7:00 p.m., an opening night cocktail party will take place at the B Bar and Grill (40 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003), with a chance to meet the composers and directors. Tickets to the opening night party are available for $40, which includes a general admission ticket to the performance. Beer, provided by Sixpoint Brewery, will be served at intermission and after the show.

Supported by a strong community of composers and performers, FSO strives to present genre-pushing new works of the highest caliber that explore the depths of operatic music. We believe there is a role for opera in contemporary society, and we present operas that current audiences and New York communities connect and engage with.

Founded in 2013 by Jillian Flexner, composer and MBA, Maggie Rascoe, mezzo-soprano, and Lee Braun, oboist, Fresh Squeezed Opera dedicates itself to providing composers with a platform to present their new music, specifically focusing on vocal works and fully-staged opera. In our four years of operation, we've proudly presented over 25 composers' works, with consistently sold-out houses as a testament to the power of new music.

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