Baroque Opera GIULIO CESARE with Ballet to Premiere in San Diego

Giulio Cesare, the epic Baroque opera about the love story which shaped empires, will be presented by Cinballera Entertainment March 21-22, 2026 at the Shiley Theatre, USD.

George Frideric Handel's opera Giulio Cesare (Italian for Julius Caesar) set London afire with its passionate music in 1723. In 2026, the drama and musical genius are coming to San Diego in Cinballera Entertainment's dynamic production.

Many consider this to be Handel's greatest opera, if not the best opera of the Baroque period. An intrinsic component of its enduring popularity is its evocative subject matter, torn from one of ancient history's most dramatic pages.

When Roman general Julius Caesar conquers Egypt, he quickly finds himself conquered by the beautiful maiden Lydia. Little does he know that she is really Cleopatra, the brilliant Egyptian queen. Can romance and royal ambition survive the passion and devastation of war?

About This Production

When bringing this epic work to the stage, the question is always how to make it exciting to modern audiences. With its numerous repeats in arias and extended recitative sections, the uncut work's original runtime of close to four hours would leave all but the most devoted Baroque fan dozing!

Cinballera Entertainment is committed to honoring tradition and artistic integrity while taking inspiration from classic Hollywood on how to beautifully cut to the chase. This unique production honors tradition while creatively incorporating classical ballet to convey the intricate story more dramatically!

We performed highlights of this opera in Glendale two years ago in collaboration with the Southern California Early Music Society. Now, we're excited to bring a fuller version of the story with more characters to our San Diego audience.

Accompanied by period-correct harpsichord music, this creative performance will cleverly blend Baroque style with the drama of later operatic periods. Three of the main characters are singers. Julius Caesar is portrayed by a booming bass, Cleopatra is a shimmering soprano, and Ptolemy is played by that rare Baroque phenomenon, the countertenor (a man who sings in the treble range to replicate the extinct 18th-century singing star, the castrato).

Three of the characters are dancers, expressing a range of emotions, actions, and plot development through original ballet choreography, which blends classical ballet techniques with Roman and Egyptian stylistic inspiration. The seventh character, Nirenus, is the bridge between the two worlds, as he sings in a bright tenor voice and dances while acting as a triple-agent for Cleopatra, Caesar, and Ptolemy.

Presented with dignified sets and beautiful period costumes, this performance will transport the audience to ancient Egypt in the days of the Ptolemaic Wars. The show will feature Cinballera's signature silent film-style title cards, blending projected backdrops with translation cards to further the plot while keeping an immersive experience.

He came, he saw, he conquered, yet it was he who became the conquered of the goddess of love. You, too, will be conquered by this captivating Baroque masterpiece.

About Cinballera Entertainment

Mission Statement: Inspiring creativity in the classical arts through unique opera and ballet productions with classic cinema inspiration while showcasing historic locations.

Cinballera Entertainment is an independent fine arts production company based in Southern California. The name stands for its three areas of focus, Cinema, Ballet, and Opera; it's pronounced "cheen-ball-era" to reflect opera's Italian background. Cinballera performances blend opera and ballet with inspiration from classic movies. All our productions are staged with the goal of artistic integrity and historical accuracy, staying as close to the original intentions of the creators as possible. Following the example of classic films from the Golden Era of Hollywood, Cinballera productions are staged with subtlety, taste, and decency, so viewers of all ages and backgrounds can come. However, they are not geared exclusively to children; we tell mature, exciting stories in a clean, artistic way.

Hollywood architect S. Charles Lee said, "The show starts at the sidewalk." With this concept in mind, movie theaters built 100 years ago were worthy of being called movie palaces, so grand was their beauty. We believe that the venue is an important player in a production, so we host our performances at locations with historic significance throughout Southern California.

This production company was founded by Tiffany and Rebekah Brannan on June 18, 2023. The sisters have been in the performing arts throughout Southern California their whole lives, studying and performing singing, dancing, and acting since early ages. They were both homeschooled K-12, so they had the freedom to pursue artistic endeavors. After graduating from high school at age 13 each, they spent the traditional high school years honing their crafts, so they were able to turn professional at age eighteen.