Opera in the City Festival Line-Up Announced

This summer, the Bridewell Theatre in the heart of the City of London will become the home of new and innovative opera productions.

The two-weeks opera festival OPERA IN THE CITY is curated by Time Zone Theatre Ltd and their artistic director Pamela Schermann, and will present a range of operatic works. In the exciting performance space of the Bridewell Theatre, the festival will show innovative takes on well-known operas as well as rarely performed, forgotten masterpieces. The festival focuses on theatrical pieces with a strong narrative, which will appeal to both regular opera audiences and those new to opera.

One of the highlights of the festival is the project "Fin de Siècle" which presents works composed around 1900. This series is spearheaded by Time Zone Theatre's acclaimed production of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera Mozart & Salieri, which premiered in 2016 and will finish its England and Denmark Tour with their final three performances in London at the Bridewell Theatre. The team behind Mozart & Salieri will present new productions of A Florentine Tragedy by Alexander Zemlinsky and Zanetto by Pietro Mascagni. Starring Nick Dwyer, who received praising reviews for his portrayal of Salieri last year, and Becca Marriott, whose recent productions include Madame Butterfly and La Bohème at the Kings Head Theatre, and the title role in OperaUpClose's Tosca at Soho Theatre. They will be joined by Lawrence Thackeray, Roger Paterson and Sophie Goldrick as Zanetto.

The festival will also show a double-bill of experimental works which combine art forms and push the boundaries of classical music: Even you, lights, cannot hear me is a new operatic spectacle based on a monologue from Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. Composed by award-winning artist Simone Spagnolo, this work merges elements of operatic singing, chamber music and performance art, whilst challenging the contemporary notion of opera. Sarah Toth's pastiche chamber opera Nero Monologues uses a range of sung, spoken and physical expression to journey the inner workings of the first-century emperor of Rome right before he dies. Baroque, 20th and 21st century repertoire is layered with contemporary poetry to structure this theatrical, operatic piece for singer, dancer, piano and string quartet.
Andrew Bain will bring his musical-opera Lanza to Opera in the City Festival. The one-man show about the life of 1950's opera singer Mario Lanza punctuates the compelling drama of his life with the music which made him famous. The operatic hits and lighter classics include E Lucevan le Stelle, Granada, You'll never walk alone and Mario Lanza's most famous song, Be my Love.

Festival launch: 29th May 2017

Celebrate the launch of the first OPERA IN THE CITY FESTIVAL at Bridewell Theatre with us! Following the presentation of the festival programme and excerpts of the productions, the second half of the evening will show the Mozart-Medley A Night in Vienna, which currently tours in England. Set in the reception area of the infamous Vienna Grand Hotel, three people become entangled in a web of love, affairs and intrigues. A fast-paced journey through the night with songs from Mozart's most loved operas Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, Cosi fan tutte and The Marriage of Figaro. Accompanied by piano and presented in a fresh interpretation with new English lyrics - Mozart as you've never heard it before!

And remember: What happens in the Vienna Grand...

The project "Fin de Siècle" is generously supported by Golsoncott Foundation.

The touring production Mozart & Salieri is supported using public funding by Arts Council England, as well as by the Russian House for Culture and Science and Austrian Cultural Forum London.

Listing information - Opera in the City Festival Launch Event

Date: 29th May 2017, 7.30pm

Venue: Bridewell Theatre, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8EQ

Tickets: £15 in advance / £18 at the door (Ticket price includes a free glass of Prosecco or soft drink)

Booking: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/399344 (NO booking fee)

Web: www.opera-in-the-city.com, www.timezonetheatre.com, www.sbf.org.uk

Twitter: @TimeZoneTheatre, @OperaCityFest, @BridewellCentre

Facebook: /timezonetheatre

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