Giulio Cesare: A Baroque Chamber Opera at First Baptist Church of Glendale

In 1724, George Frideric Handel brought the timeless love story of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra to life in music through his exquisite opera Giulio Cesare. In honor of this dramatic work's 300th anniversary, Cinballera Entertainment and the Southern California Early Music Society are collaborating to present Giulio Cesare - A Baroque Chamber Opera.

Giulio Cesare is one of the most exquisite operas ever composed. This Baroque masterpiece by the composer of The Messiah debuted in London on February 20, 1724. In its entirety, this three-act opera is over four hours long. However, Cinballera's specialty is putting on artistic, entertaining shows with a concise runtime, so our performance is only an hour and a half long. The original libretto includes many intertwined subplots and complex characters, each of whom has several beautiful but long arias. Because only the most devoted baroque opera lovers have the patience to enjoy the whole work, most opera companies opt to update the setting or add historically inappropriate humor.

Our take on Giulio Cesare is like a baroque chamber opera, with an intimate cast and orchestra. It just focuses on the love story, so the only characters are Caesar and Cleopatra, plus two dancers as Egyptian attendants. Through Caesar's Commentaries, the great Roman general will recount how his heart was captured by the beautiful Egyptian queen.

The music will be performed in Italian. The singers will be accompanied by a five-piece Baroque chamber orchestra from the Southern California Early Music Society, tuned to the historically accuracte A=415 instead of A=440. It will be performed with costumes and staging.

The show will be at the historic First Baptist Church of Glendale at 209 North Louise Street, Glendale, CA 91206. The performance begins at 5 PM. Tickets are sold online or at the door. Seating is not assigned.

Cinballera stands for Cinema, Ballet, and Opera, highlighting the company's three areas of focus. This independent entertainment company was founded in June of 2023 by sisters Tiffany and Rebekah Brannan. Professional opera singer Tiffany has considered Giulio Cesare to be her favorite opera since age 10. She has planned this anniversary performance for eleven years. After recently obtaining non-profit status, this will be the San Diego County-based company's sixth production and first performance in Los Angeles County.

The beautiful young soprano will make her debut as Cleopatra in this performance. Powerful bass Bryan Dahl joins her in the role of Caesar, singing and narrating. Rebekah Brannan, a professional ballerina, will perform the original dance choreography, accompanied by professional dancer and singer John Nettles, a Cinballera regular.

Don't miss this regal tribute to the Roman world conqueror and the beautiful woman who conquered his heart!