By SARATOGA SPRINGS — Opera Saratoga 2024 season will feature three new productions this summer at Universal Preservation Hall. These are:
Guys And Dolls, June 29–July 7.
Guys and Dolls, features Mikaela Bennett (City Center Encores’ The Golden Apple, West Side Story at Glimmerglass), as Sarah Brown. The beloved gambling musical will feature direction by Mary Birnbaum, choreography by Caili Quan, and musical direction by Andy Einhorn (Broadway’s Carousel and Hello, Dolly!), with scenic design by Kristen Robinson, lighting design by Anshuman Bhatia and costume design by Oana Botez. In addition to those already announced, the cast of Guys and Dolls will feature William Socolof as Nathan Detroit, Ariadne Greif as Miss Adelaide, Shavon Lloyd as Sky Masterson, Maximillian Jansen as Nicely Nicely Johnson, and Aubrey Allicock as Arvide Abernathy.
Così Fan Tutte, June 28–July 7.
Mozart’s wager opera Così Fan Tutte, featuring Grammy nominated bass-baritone Aubrey Allicock as the cynical Don Alfonso. The opera will also feature Nicoletta Berry as Despina, Julia Stuart as Fiordiligi, Anna Kelley as Dorabella, Maximillian Jansen as Ferrando, and Michael Hawk as Guglielmo. Directed by Gisela Cardenas (Princess Grace Fellow) and conducted by Ryan McAdams (Crash Ensemble, Opernhaus Zürich).
Inti Figgis-Vizueta World Premiere Opera, June 30 & July 5.
A world premiere opera, devised and composed during the summer season by Composer-in-Residence Inti Figgis-Vizueta.
“This season pays homage to Saratoga Springs’ history as a pleasure-seeker’s paradise and betting destination while looking to the future by pushing the definition of what opera can be – and how it can be made – forward,” said General and Artistic Director Mary Birnbaum, in a statement. “We hope to tempt risk-takers to the festival by dazzling them with reinventions of two classics in addition to a totally unique creation that they can only see in Saratoga.”
The season runs from June 27 to July 7. Tickets start at $30 and are available at https://www.operasaratoga.org/tickets24.
Additionally, Listen To This: Voices From The Future – will take place at Universal Preservation Hall June 4, June 11, and June 18. The three-part concert series hands the mic to cutting-edge creators who break through boundaries of what opera can be through the lens of access and healing.
Tuesday, June 4: The Other Side Of Silence will feature work by RPI Director of Institute Ensembles Robert Whalen who is collaborating with librettists Mark Steidl, Katherine Skovira and Sara Pyszka on a new opera for synthetic and acoustic voice The Other Side of Silence written by and for people who use Alternative Assistive Communication.
Tuesday, June 11: Winterreise, Director George Miller, Bass-Baritone William Socolof and Pianist Chris Reynolds collaborate on the workshop of a contemporary staging of Schubert’s seminal song cycle Winterreise. Originally from Albany and Saratoga Springs, respectively, Miller and Reynolds bring their many accolades back to the Capital Region.
Tuesday, June 18: i woke up in the sky, composer-performer Catherine Brookman shares her album i woke up in the sky with Opera Saratoga’s audiences. Her music deals with the experience of time passing, collapsing, unfinished business, heartbreak, loneliness, depression.
Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. To date, the company has performed 106 different fully staged works by 66 different composers, including 42 works by American composers and 14 premiere productions. In 2023, the company hired its 10th Artistic and General Director.
