Friday Opera Subscription Series – 8 PM | Sunday Opera Subscription Series – 2 PM

Opera Lives Again in Orlando thanks to the Philharmonic ~ The Orlando Sentinel

Responding to the outcry for Opera in Orlando after the demise of the Orlando Opera, the Orlando Philharmonic, in collaboration with Mad Cow Theatre, has undertaken to present a season of two beloved operas in the spring of 2010 – keeping the art form alive in Central Florida.  Carmen in February and Porgy & Bess in April, directed by Artistic Director of Mad Cow Theatre, Alan Bruun.

Why Concert Opera?

Concert Opera is just like Grand Opera, except for the elaborate sets.  And, it actually celebrates the glorious music.  The costumed singers interact with each other, but in front of the orchestra and chorus, which are also on stage and become a more significant partner in the performance.

Notes From Music Director Christopher Wilkins

The overwhelming impact of grand opera comes from its passion.  There’s a reason so many people cry in the opera house.  Opera is designed to expose the fragility of the human heart, the pain of separation, the desire for what is unattainable.  Both Carmen and Porgy and Bess are heart-rending portraits of real people living in extreme circumstances.  Love is ever-present, taking many forms and enveloping every scene, yet fate hangs over the principal characters like a sword about to drop.  Bizet and Gershwin were masterful at handling the two elements that have characterized great drama ever since the ancient Greeks: music and tragedy.

Because the music is so intense, and so specific in describing character, relationships, and settings, both Carmen and Porgy and Bess are ideal candidates for concert stagings.  We don’t necessarily need bullrings, staged parades, or tenement houses.  The music alone perfectly describes every movement and material feature, propelling us through the action and capturing even the atmosphere of those two unique cities, Seville and Charleston.  Nothing is lost or missing, it is all there in the music.  The great Maria Callas once described the process of acting in opera this way:   “When one wants to find a gesture, when you want to find how to act on stage, all you have to do is listen to the music.  The composer has already seen to that.

Limited Availability

The Orlando Philharmonic’s 2010 Concert Opera Season will include two performances of Carmen in February and two performances of Porgy and Bess in April.  You may purchase the two opera subscription on Friday evenings or Sunday matinees.  If any individual performance tickets are left after subscriptions, they will go on sale Monday, January 25th, 2010. Subscription tickets to the two-concert series go on sale September 23.

Actual seat assignments will be based on the number of years you have subscribed to the Orlando Opera and/or Orlando Philharmonic, the amount of your contribution to the 2010 Orlando Philharmonic Opera Fund and the date your order is received.  The Priority Seating Deadline is October 23, 2009.  No seats will be assigned before that date.

*Seating is subject to availability. Program and artists subject to change.

Kirstin Chavez as Carmen

Kirsten Chavez

Richard Troxell

CARMEN

Friday, February 26, 2010 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

Featuring:

Kirstin Chavez as Carmen
Richard Troxell as Don Jose
Christopher Wilkins, Conductor
Alan Bruun, Artistic Director

This seductive tale of an irresistible gypsy woman who drives men to extremes has enchanted generations of music lovers with its passion, drama and action. Audiences are sure to enjoy the Philharmonic’s production of Carmen, one of the most beloved operas of all time.

Purchase CARMEN Friday 8 PM | Purchase CARMEN Sunday 2 PM | Purchase Opera Series Friday 8 PM |  Purchase Opera Series Sunday 2 PM

Marquita Lister as Bess

Marquita Lister

No photo available for Alvy Powell

PORGY & BESS

Friday, April 9, 2010 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

Featuring:

Marquita Lister as Bess
Alvy Powell as Porgy
Christopher Wilkins, Conductor
Alan Bruun, Artistic Director

Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin’s American masterpiece, tells the poignant story of a crippled beggar, the headstrong woman he loves and the community that sustains them both. This successful blend of classical music, popular song, jazz, blues and spirituals boasts the acclaimed songs “Summertime” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” The Philharmonic performs this opera in collaboration with the “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation.

Purchase PORGY & BESS Friday 8 PM |  Puchase PORGY & BESS Sunday 2 PM | Friday Opera Subscription Series – 8 PM | Sunday Opera Subscription Series – 2 PM

The prices are the same for both Friday and Sunday subscriptions.

Conductor’s Circle – $140 ● Gold – $108 ● Silver – $81 ● Bronze – $56  ●  Emerald – $28

Friday Opera Subscription Series – 8 PM | Sunday Opera Subscription Series – 2 PM