Happy Holidays from the Sacramento Opera | December 22, 2008
Photo: Sacramento Opera/Eleakis Photography
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What's Opera, Doc? | January 10, 2009 at noon and 2 pm
Thanks to Bugs and Elmer Fudd, the music of Wagner, Donizetti, and Rossini is familiar to young audiences today. On January 10, the Crocker Art Museum
and the Sacramento Opera will present a delightful musical event
exploring how Warner Bros. cartoons introduced classical music to
generations. Discover the origins of opera, its relation to the visual
art world, its diffusion to other countries and how it came to appear
in Warner Bros. cartoons and other pop culture outlets. Enjoy viewing
such masterpieces as What's Opera, Doc?, The Rabbit of Seville, and
Long-Haired Hare. The program also features live performances of
three popular opera selections.
This FREE program will be conducted at noon and 2 pm at Curtis Hall in the Sierra 2 Center, located at 2791 24th Street. Appropriate for children ages 6-12, the program is offered in conjunction with The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons, on view at the Crocker through January 18. Reservations for the event are not required.
Donate today!
2008
has ushered in one of the most challenging economic climates we've
seen in a very long time. In the arts community, the faltering economy
has had a devastating effect on a number of organizations. Some
already have closed their doors and some have been forced to reorganize
or cut back their seasons.
We feel very fortunate that Sacramento Opera is still going strong. Our opening production of The Pirates of Penzance
was a great success with our audiences, and we were happy to see many
new and young faces in the crowd. And we are pleased to see solid sales
for our remaining two productions.
However, no arts organization can feel complacent at a time like this. We
expect challenges in the coming year, but we feel confident that we can
meet them with the same balance of artistic creativity and fiscal
responsibility that has made this company strong. We are charged with
providing you with a product of artistic and economic value and we will
continue to grow and adapt to the changes in the marketplace.
None of this is possible without the support of our ticket buyers, subscribers, and our donors. A
gift of any size will demonstrate your commitment to Sacramento Opera
and its vision to become one of the finest regional opera companies in
America.
Your tax-deductible
contribution will be used wisely to enhance the artistic product
you see on stage and the educational outreach we provide to thousands
of schoolchildren throughout the region.
A cornerstone of the operatic repertoire, The Marriage of Figarowas
one of Mozart's most successful works. Based on a once banned stage
comedy, this brilliant opera is a miraculous marriage of music and
drama in a sublime comedy of manners, as touching as it is funny.
Presenting Bojan Knezevich as Figaro, Malcolm MacKenzie as the Count, Emily Pulley as the Countess, and Sarah Kleeman as Cherubino. All shows feature the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, Sacramento Opera Artistic Director and Conductor, Timm Rolek, and the Sacramento Opera Chorus. Richard Harrell is the stage director.
Performances of The Marriage of Figaro are February 27, March 1 and 3, 2009 at the Sacramento Community Center Theater.
Join
us for an exclusive evening of sumptuous hors d'oeuvres and
cocktails, jazz, exquisite dining with a Wagnerian theme, fine wines,
conversation with Jane Eaglen, live and silent auctions, and entertainment by the stars of our upcoming production, The Marriage of Figaro, including Emily Pulley (Metropolitan Opera) and Malcolm MacKenzie (Los Angeles Opera).
Experience
this rare opportunity as we honor dramatic soprano Jane Eaglen.
Considered a "superstar" in the world of opera, Ms. Eaglen has
one of the most formidable reputations as a Wagnerian singer today. She
has garnered spectacular reviews with leading opera companies
worldwide. Enjoying unique success in the contrasting and demanding
roles of Isolde for the Metropolitan Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago (among others), Leonore (debuted for the Seattle Opera) and Brünnhilde (performed in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Milan, New York and the UK).
Her equally impressive reputation on the concert platform includes
performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony
Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic, as well as many others. As a
Sony Classical solo artist, Ms. Eaglen can be heard on several albums,
including the acclaimed Wagner/Bellini solo disc and Wagner's Tannhäuser with
Daniel Barenboim for Teldec that earned a Grammy Award for Best
Complete Opera. She can also be heard in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
with Claudio Abbado, as the title role in Norma with Riccardo Muti, and on the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.
Emily Pulley performs the role of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro
The
Sacramento Opera 2008-2009 Season Corporate Sponsor: James Irvine
Foundation; Raley's Family of Fine Stores; Sacramento
Metropolitan Arts Commission; Season Individual Sponsor: Barbara K.
Jackson.
The mission of the Sacramento Opera (a nonprofit
organization) is to produce outstanding opera, to develop and cultivate
a wider public interest in opera and its allied arts, and to further
music education in the region.
