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The Elixir of Love Music by Gaetano Donizetti Sung in Italian with English supertitles Friday, November 20, 2009 at 8 pm Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 2 pm Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 7:30 pm
This fresh look at one of the gems of the Bel Canto repertoire is set in Post-World War II in a small town in Northern California’s wine country. The Elixir of Love is a timeless, wistful look at love and longing, pathos, and youthful exuberance. It’s the story of a bashful and naïve farm laborer, who falls in love with the boss’s daughter, Adina. His efforts at love are thwarted by the strapping Sergeant Belcore, who all but kicks sand in Nemorino’s face as he sweeps Adina off her feet. What’s a boy to do? Enter Dr. Dulcamara, a “snake oil” salesman par excellence. From his roadside stand the good Doctor hawks a variety of medicines, potions, and elixirs guaranteed to cure everything from impotence to the infirmities of old age. Nemorino timidly approaches and asks if there is anything for “affairs of the heart,” to which Dr. Dulcamara offers a bottle of cheap red wine disguised as the “Elixir of Love.” Be sure to listen for the famous aria, Una furtiva lagrima. As Richard Dyer of The Boston Globe proclaims, “The Elixir of Love is a potent mix of musical and theatrical delights.”
Listen to some of Sacramento Opera Artistic Director, Timm Rolek’s favorite excerpts on YouTube.
Sacramento Opera presents Student Night at the Opera on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 7 pm, Sacramento Community Center Theater, 1301 L Street, Sacramento. Student Night at the Opera provides classroom teachers and their students access to the final dress rehearsal of the Sacramento Opera’s November production of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love.
Tickets are as follows: K-12 students, $5 each; college students with valid ID, $10 each; and chaperones accompanied by two students, $10 each. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the Sacramento Opera at 916.737.1000 or purchased at the door. The performance features English supertitles. Approximate duration of the opera is two hours and 15 minutes including one 20 minute intermission.
Participating Student Night at the Opera schools include: Arden Arcade Middle School, Crocker Riverside Elementary School, H. Allen Hight Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, Kennedy High School, Mesa Verde High School, Natomas Pathways Prep High School, Pasteur Middle School, Rock Creek Elementary School, Sacred Heart, San Juan High School, Sequoia Elementary School, Rosemont High School, and Taylor Street School.
Susan Federico, a Rocklin Unified School Teacher, commented on last season's Student Night at the Opera, “Just a note to let you know how amazed and enthralled the students are after attending last night’s performance. They could not believe their ears or their eyes! We cannot help but believe that we have increased the audience of opera by their exposure to such excellence. Thank you for sharing this wonderful performing art with us.”
Sacramento Opera and several Sacramento area restaurants have partnered to offer Opera patrons exclusive dining discounts the day of opera performances during the 2009-2010 Season. 4th Street Grille, Biba, Brew It Up! Brewery & Grill, The Broiler Steakhouse, Buckhorn Grill, Chanterelle, Ella Dining Room & Bar, The Firehouse Restaurant, Kru Restaurant, Level Up Food & Lounge, McCormick & Schmick's Fresh Seafood, and Morgan's Central Valley Bistro are all offering special discounts for Sacramento Opera patrons.
Also, in celebration of The Elixir of Love, try Lounge ON20's new drink, "Vince's Elixir," Nero D' Avola wine, gin, and thyme simple syrup. Available November 14 to 24 only!
Art & Arias: Saturday, November 21 at 4 pm
The Sacramento Opera and the Crocker Art Museum present “Art & Arias,” a concert featuring the art and music of the Gilded Age on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 4 pm, Sacramento Community Center Theater Lobby, 1301 L Street, Sacramento.
Baritone David Small, Violinist Franklyn D’Antonio, and Pianist Gregory Mason will perform art songs and opera arias by Faure, Wagner, Verdi, Brahms, and Grieg that were popular during the Crocker Family’s Grand Tour of Europe (1869 to 1871). Crocker Art Museum Curator William Breazeale and Sacramento Opera Artistic Director Timm Rolek will open and close the concert with brief remarks.
Crocker Art Museum members or Sacramento Opera donors, $5
General, $10
Students and Seniors, $8
The concert is approximately 90 minutes. The program is offered in conjunction with Treasures, Curiosities and Secrets: The Crockers and the Gilded Age, on view at the Crocker from November 6, 2009 through May 9, 2010. The exhibit pays tribute to the Crocker Family who established the Museum in 1885. More than 75 objects, including jewelry, gowns, china, furniture, and personal letters, tell the stories of philanthropy, eccentricity, and high style that made the Crockers the epitome of the Gilded Age.
$8 tickets for college students! 3 day sale ends Wednesday.
Available November 16–18 only, college students with a valid student ID can purchase tickets to the Sacramento Opera’s The Elixir of Loveperformances for $8 each (regularly $18 to $69). 2 tickets at $8 each may be purchased with one valid student ID. Call the Box Office at 916.808.5181 or visit in person (1301 L Street, Sacramento).
*Discount does not apply to previous purchases or handling fees. Discount is only available November 16 through November 18 and is not available online. Offer is good for seating in Section D (main floor, rows W-CC) and Sections E and F (Second Tier). The $8 ticket price includes a $3 per ticket Sacramento Community Center Theater Facility Fee.
Baritone David Small will perform the role of Belcore in The Elixir of Love.
And more...
* Join the other 524 Sacramento Opera fans on facebook and our 1,131 followers on twitter. Watch for articles, reviews, news about our artists, special events, promotions, and more. Congrats to Laura Lawrence for winning two tickets to The Elixir of Love in our recent facebook contest.
* Stay healthy! We'll have hand sanitizer and cough drops available at our Elixir of Love performances.
* Thanks to Hot Italian for hosting our recent fundraising event.
* As always, your generous tax-deductible contributions are vital to our success. Call 916.737.1000 for more information.
The Sacramento Opera 2009-2010 Season Corporate Sponsor: James Irvine Foundation; Raley's Family of Fine Stores; Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, and the Residence Inn Sacramento Downtown at Capitol Park; 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.
