Virginia Opera- Norfolk & Richmond
Virginia Opera
Baritone Aaron St. Clair Nicholson as Pooh-Bah and tenor Matthew Plenk as Nanki-Poo in Virginia Opera’s 2011-12 Season production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.”
“We are committed not only to great classics but also to bringing new works to audiences in Virginia,” says Anna Russell, the opera’s director of marketing and communications.
This season opens with the opera’s premiere of “The Pearl Fishers,” a classic tale of the forbidden love shared by two friends for the same woman. It launches the opera’s First of Firsts series—new, season-opening productions of operas never before presented by the company. “It’s a huge commitment on our part,” Russell says. “We’re bringing in an incredible creative team.”
The five-opera season delves into the timeless themes of love, jealousy and revenge—operatic favorites. Robin Thompson, the opera’s artistic advisor, hopes that the shows “will touch the hearts and minds of first time attendees and seasoned opera-goers alike.”
In addition to “The Pearl Fishers,” the company will present “Die Fledermaus,” “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Carousel” by Rodgers and Hammerstein as well as the Virginia premiere of Andre Previn’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” based on Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
“Last season was well attended,” says Russell. “‘The Mikado’ was one of our best attended performances in the history of the company. We are in a sweet spot right now.” VaOpera.org
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