Seattle Opera Announces Summer Fest 2017

Come one, come all: Bring the whole family and spend the afternoon at McCaw Hall for Seattle Opera's Summer Fest on July 15. Admission is free! Attendees will get a sneak peek of the 2017/18 season with a variety of activities for all ages: view dazzling and detailed costumes up close, watch a hilarious troupe of improvisers bring opera plots to life, enjoy live music and dance performances, and even hear an opera artist sing out tweets in real-time.

"Seattle Opera is excited to open its doors for its annual Summer Fest-a day designed to both pull back the curtain on the work of an opera company, in addition to offering fun for all Seattle families," said General Director Aidan Lang. "Whether you love this art form, or are new to it, July 15 will have a little something for everyone."

Through hands-on activities such as a basic flamenco dance class, Summer Fest will highlight five upcoming operas: the company premiere of Beatrice & Benedict (Berlioz)-a.k.a. "Much Ado About Nothing"-which will feature collaborations with Seattle Symphony and ACT Theatre; three new-to-Seattle productions: Madame Butterfly (Puccini), The Barber of Seville (Rossini), and Aida (Verdi)-plus the return of audience favorite Così fan tutte (Mozart).

Opera singers will perform selections from Così fan tutte, Madame Butterfly, and The Barber of Seville. Performers will also include Seattle Kokon Taiko, a Japanese drum ensemble rooted in Seattle's Japanese American community; award-winning guitarist Andre Feriante and flamenco dancers; and beloved local comedy troupe, Jet City Improv.

The Summer Fest excitement begins right when attendees walk through the door, where they'll be greeted by Seattle Opera's beloved remote-controlled swan-a token from the company's production of Lohengrin, which now delights our youngest opera patrons. Doors open at noon.

Generously Sponsored by:

Madame Butterfly

Production sponsors:
Tagney Jones Family Fund at Seattle Foundation

Barbara Stephanus

The Barber of Seville

Production sponsor:
Kreielsheimer Endowment Fund

Co-Produced with:

Opera Queensland

New Zealand Opera

Così fan tutte

Production sponsors:

Seattle Opera Foundation

ArtsFund

Beatrice & Benedict

Production sponsors:

Nesholm Family Foundation

Marks Family Foundation

City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Aida

Production sponsors:

Lenore M. Hanauer

4Culture

Co-produced with:

Washington National Opera

San Francisco Opera

About Seattle Opera

Seattle Opera is a leading opera company, recognized both in the United States and around the world. The company is committed to advancing the cultural life in the Pacific Northwest with performances of the highest caliber, and through innovative education and community programs that take opera far beyond the McCaw Hall stage. Each year, more than 95,000 people attend Seattle Opera performances and the company's programs serve more than 400,000 people of all ages (including school performances, radio broadcasts and community engagement initiatives). Seattle Opera is especially known for its acclaimed works in the Richard Wagner canon, and has created an "international attraction" in its presentation of Wagner's epic Ring, according to The New York Times. Connect with Seattle Opera on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud and through the Seattle Opera channel on Classical King FM. 98.1.