OPERA San Antonio Announces Return to Live Performances With LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR

Today OPERA San Antonio has announced its return to live performances at the Tobin Center for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Starting today, March 1st, tickets are on sale for two "highlights" concert performances of Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor on May 6 and 8, 2021. The production features Metropolitan Opera star Brenda Rae in the title role, San Antonio's own star baritone Scott Hendricks as Enrico, and Scott Quinn, making his OSA debut as Edgardo. Rounding out the cast are South African bass Musa Ngqungwana, Austin-based mezzo-soprano Claudia Chapa, and local tenor Rick Novak.

"Despite the challenges of the last year, OSA has been committed to serving our community," says General & Artistic Director E. Loren Meeker. "Since last March, that has meant shifting to virtual productions and online educational activities, but we have now reached a place where we can return to in-person performances."

Lucia di Lammermoor is the story of a young and innocent woman crushed between two selfish and willful men - a brother who wants her as a pawn to fulfill his dreams of restoring his family's power and a lover who cannot see past his own pride. Between them, they drive her to madness and a frightening conclusion. The opera contains one of the most famous scenes in opera - Lucia's mad scene.

"The health and of our staff, artists, musicians, and audience are being considered and monitored to make this a safe and wonderful return to the stage," says E. Loren Meeker.

OSA will continue to follow recommended health and safety policies and adjust plans as conditions improve or as new restrictions require. OSA and the Tobin Center are implementing additional safety measures for in-person attendance including increased sanitizing of high touch surfaces, easy access to hand sanitizing stations, enforcement of social distancing guidelines, use of masks, touchless ticketing, temperature checks, and special audience routing throughout the Tobin Center.

A full list of audience health and safety measures can be found here:

www.operasa.org/faqs

Notable performance precautions include:

• Performances will be under 90 minutes with no intermission.

• Physically distanced seating: Seating capacity is greatly reduced, based on guidelines from the Tobin Center and the state.

• Wearing masks that cover the nose and mouth will be required for the entirety of each performance.

• Following guidelines from the CDC and by working with the SAS musicians, this performance features a reduced orchestra and only 7 singers. This allows us to maintain appropriate distancing for our artists, staff, and audience at all times.

Additional details on Lucia are available on the OPERA San Antonio website:

www.operasa.org