Opera combines many art forms and, for the price of one ticket, you’ll see incredible drama, hear the world’s greatest singers with a full symphony orchestra, amaze at gorgeous ballet, stage combat, dazzling special effects and larger-than-life sets. Now in its 49th season, San Diego Opera is one of the top ten opera companies in the U.S., attracting the same singers who grace the stages in San Francisco, New York, London, Berlin and Vienna. The Company’s upcoming 2014 season, which runs from January to May, includes something for everyone; from the opera novice who has never been before, to opera lovers who think they’ve seen and heard it all.
The tragic drama Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo opens the season Jan. 25, 2014. Pagliacci, a perfect opera for first timers, tells a story of jealousy, revenge and murder among a troupe of traveling actors in the Italian countryside – in just 75 intense minutes. One of the most popular operas ever composed, this opera has been spoofed by The Simpsons, featured on Seinfeld, was used in a pivotal moment in the movie The Untouchables and even appeared in a Rice Krispies commercial in the ’60s.
Comedy and love are uncorked just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend with Gaetano Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, opening Feb. 15, 2014. This comic opera tells the story of two men in love with the same woman and a snake oil salesman who may (or may not) have invented a love potion to help them win her hand in marriage. Filled with delightful melodies and great humor, The Elixir of Love is the very definition of a fun, romantic comedy.
A Masked Ball by the composer Giuseppe Verdi opens March 8, 2014. Inspired by the real-life assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden, this performance has opera lovers around the globe buzzing about the incredible, recording-caliber cast assembled for these performances. Tenor Piotr Beczala, mezzo soprano Stephanie Blythe and soprano Krassimira Stoyanova, all dynamic singers on their own, come together in a tour de force of vocal power. Add to that a huge chorus, full ballet, lush and opulent sets and you will see Verdi’s epic drama come to life onstage.
The final opera of the San Diego Opera season is Don Quixote by the composer Jules Massenet which opens April 4, 2014. Based on the famed novel by Miguel Cervantes, errant knights, comedic sidekicks, idealized love and battles against windmills all happen on stage while one of the greatest basses performing today, Ferruccio Furlanetto, returns to sing the title role. Guaranteed to touch your heart, this is another great opera for first time opera goers with a familiar story taken from one of the greatest literary masterpieces of our time.
Local audiences may also experience a once-in-a-lifetime event when San Diego Opera presents The Verdi Requiem March 20, 2014. The Verdi Requiem is Giuseppe Verdi’s tribute to the Italian writer and poet Alessandro Manzoni, whose novel The Betrothed was influential in the movement for Italian reunification. This special concert performance has been called a “spectacular, cathartic experience” and “soul-filling” and will see international artists Krassimira Stoyanova, Stephanie Blythe, Piotr Beczala, and Ferruccio Furlanetto, join the San Diego Symphony onstage. The combined forces of the San Diego Opera Chorus and the San Diego Master Chorale will result in the largest chorus ever assembled on the San Diego Opera stage with more than 300 voices singing in unison. Already close to selling out, this special event will be one of the highlights of the 2014 season.
With tickets starting at just $35 and English translations projected above the stage as the opera is being sung, opera newbies and aficionados can experience the excitement of live, world-class theater, right here in San Diego. Be sure to come down early to the San Diego Civic Theatre and visit the concourse brimming with food vendors, specialty cocktails, local beers, a photo opp. spot that rivals a Hollywood red carpet, chances to win opera tickets and much more.
For more information about your night at the opera, visit sdopera.com or call 619-533-7000.
