Opera Theater of Pittsburgh Launches SummerFest, 6/29-7/15

OPERA THEATER LAUNCHES SUMMERFEST, JUNE 29 - JULY 15, 2012

NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL SHOWCASES OPERA IN ENGLISH, WORLD-CLASS MUSICIANS,
BELOVED AND RARE WORKS, OUTDOOR FESTIVITIES AND FAMILY FUN

Mainstage Operas THE MAGIC FLUTE, CARMEN – THE GYPSY, and CANDIDE
NIGHT CAPS, newly commissioned mini-operas
CABARET UNDER THE STARS, late night performances
MOZART CAMP, five-day program for adult enthusiasts
MOZART IN CONCERT, recitals of rarely-performed works featuring The Pittsburgh Chamber Players,
the Freya Strings, and Andrey Nemzer, award-winning countertenor

PITTSBURGH, PA (April 25, 2012)-For its next act, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh reinvents itself in its 35th year with SummerFest, a three-week celebration of the performing and visual arts for all ages. This new regional summer music festival fills three weeks with opera sung in English, concerts, recitals, cabaret, visual arts, and the SummerFest Fringe, June 29 – July 15, 2012. The festival takes place in the intimate theaters of The Hillman Center for Performing Arts on the idyllic grounds of Shady Side Academy, just 10 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. SummerFest invites everyone who loves music and theater to step into some of opera's most beloved works, to experience a suite of witty world premiere music dramas, to discover seldom-performed Mozart masterpieces, and to enjoy an array of free outdoor performances and events.

SummerFest's opera repertoire includes new mainstage productions of Mozart's The Magic Flute, Bernstein's Candide, and a sultry flamenco version of Bizet's Carmen - The Gypsy. These works run in repertory for 11 performances. Highmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield is a proud sponsor of Opera Theater's production of The Magic Flute. Jonathan Eaton, entering his 13th season as Opera Theater's artistic and general director, says: "This is a truly exciting development in Pittsburgh's cultural scene. Pittsburgh is the only major city in America with a major orchestra that has no substantial summer festival centered around classical music. Opera Theater SummerFest offers audiences in and around Pittsburgh first-class, festive musical and theatrical entertainment at a time when their choices are relatively limited."

SUMMERFEST MAINSTAGE

Three mainstage operas and a world-premiere cycle of miniature operas comprise the hub of SummerFest offerings.

THE MAGIC FLUTE, directed by Jonathan Eaton, brings the sublime enchantment of Mozart's magical adventure to life. June 29, July 1, 8 and 14, Richard E. Rauh Theater, The Hillman Center for Performing Arts.

CARMEN - THE GYPSY, a new flamenco adaptation of Bizet's beloved opera, retells the world's most fiery love story in the intimate 150-seat Kountz Theater, The Hillman Center for Performing Arts. June 30, July 6, 12 and 14.

CANDIDE, Leonard Bernstein's musical setting of Voltaire's classic, follows the travels of the ultimate optimist. July 7, 13 and 15, Rauh E. Rauh Theater, The Hillman Center for Performing Arts.

NIGHT CAPS, a series of six contemporary and newly-commissioned 15-minute miniature operas, provides grown-up, late-night entertainment to top off the evening. Running July 6-8 and 12-15 in the Kountz Theater, these thoroughly modern minis take place on subsequent nights in Miss Darlington's hotel, where WQED-FM's Anna Singer, soprano, stars in the recurring role of the meddling hotel manager. The libretto by Rob Handel, head of Carnegie Mellon University's dramatic writing program, takes the audience through bedrooms haunted by the ghosts of presidents and perfumed with the memory of love. The composers are a mix of national and international figures – Daron Aric Hagen, Gilda Lyons, Alberto Garcia Demestres – and local artists: Roger Zahab, Eric Moe and Dwayne Fulton. The July 15 performance features all six Night Caps productions in SummerFest's closing event. The creation of Night Caps is made possible by generous support from OPERA America's Opera Fund.

Mainstage evening performances begin at 7:30 pm. Matinees-all appropriate for children-take place at 2 pm with The Magic Flute, Sun., July 1 and 8, Carmen – The Gypsy on Sat., July 14, and Candide on Sun., July 15.

Alexandra Strycula is currently pursuing a degree in Theatre and American Studies at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York City. While at Barnard, Alexandra has produced and assistant directed several works of student theatre. Her keen interest in arts administration has also led her to positions with Disney-ABC Television Group, Pittsburgh CLO, The New Group, The New York Musical Theatre Festival, and Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre. Born and raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Alexandra is thrilled to put her theatrical passion to use as a contributing editor for her hometown.

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