FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Ellen St. Thomas, Executive Director
Open Opera
510-547-2471
ellen@openopera.net
Press Release by:
Jon Spangler
Linda Hudson Writing
510-864-0370
JSpangler@earthlink.net
OPEN OPERA TO OFFER FREE “MARRIAGE OF FIGARO” OPERA
IN BERKELEY JULY 25-26
Berkeley, Calif., July 1, 2009 –
Open Opera will present two free outdoor performances of W. A. Mozart’s most popular opera, The Marriage of Figaro, July 25-26 in Berkeley’s John Hinkel Park at 3:00 p.m.
A cast of professional opera singers from northern California wearing period costumes will perform the free Saturday and Sunday afternoon productions of The Marriage of Figaro in Italian, with English supertitles. Olivia Stapp, Open Opera’s artistic director and one of its three co-founders, will serve as stage director for this premiere full-length opera. Music director Jonathan Khuner will guide the full orchestra. Open Opera’s production of The Marriage of Figaro is supported in part by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, as well as by private donations. Open Opera will stage Mozart’s famous work outdoors in John Hinkel Park’s historic WPA-era amphitheater. The park is at 41 Somerset Avenue (between Southampton Avenue and San Diego Road) in Berkeley (John Hinkel Park info). Sylvan Mishima Brackett, formerly of Chez Panisse, will offer catered Japanese box lunches and snacks with organic, locally grown ingredients for $5 - $15 (www.eatpekopeko.com).
The Marriage of Figaro
(Le Nozze di Figaro) is “charming, lighthearted and endlessly enjoyable,” according to Open Opera’s web site. “Vivid characters, glowing wit, dizzying ensembles, mistaken identities, and carefully constructed intrigue make for a miraculous marriage of music and drama in this sublime comedy of manners.”
“We’re bringing opera to the public for free in a time of economic uncertainty, and using public outdoor spaces to build community through the arts,” commented Elizabeth Baker, Open Opera’s co-founder and its creative director. Baker will also sing the role of Cherubino in the show.
WHAT: 2 performances of The Marriage of Figaro, by W.A. Mozart
WHEN: Sat., July 25, and Sun., July 26, 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: John Hinkel Park, Berkeley (http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=12628)
WHO: Produced by Open Opera (www.openopera.net)
ADMISSION: FREE!
Olivia Stapp co-founded Open Opera in 2008 “to bring free, professional opera to Bay Area parks and use public space to build community through the arts. We wanted to return opera to its informal origins so a music lover can listen, walk around, or picnic during a performance.” After a long and successful international opera career, she also wanted to offer talented professionals a place to sing. Executive director Ellen St. Thomas, the nonprofit group’s third co-founder, said, “Open Opera makes opera accessible and enjoyable for a wider audience, without cost or formality.”
At Open Opera’s recent June 20 concert at Franklin Park in Alameda, mothers with infants, retired couples on bikes, picnicking families and kids sitting in trees enjoyed famous opera arias. Another free outdoor concert will be offered at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, at Orinda Community Park in Orinda. For more information on “The Marriage of Figaro” and Open Opera, or to volunteer or support opera in public spaces, visit or contact executive director Ellen St. Thomas (ellen@openopera.net); 510-547-2471).
