BROOKLYN, NY, (NAMC) - The Opera Company of Brooklyn (OCB) today announced it will present two performances in July -- an evening of two one-act operas composed and attended by Brooklyn-born composer Thomas Pasatieri -- one in Brooklyn and a second in Manhattan.
The evening promises to be a light-hearted one, with comic renditions of La Divina about the farewell performance of a stellar, but aging, coloratura diva, whose assistant and manager are not displeased to see an end to the confusion constantly created by the prima donna’s temperament and “star complex.” The second opera, Signor Deluso follows the exploits of Célie, a woman in love with Léon but forced by her father to marry the wealthy Valére. A comedy of errors results when Célie faints on the town square and is helped by Signor Deluso. Clara, Deluso's wife sees him holding Célie and concludes he is being unfaithful. When Deluso sees Clara looking at a picture of Léon in a locket dropped by Célie, he makes the same assumption. Soon the couples all suspect their true loves are involved in affairs with others. Accusations and insults intensify until Célie's maid arrives to sort through the confusion.
Enrique Toral returns to direct these performances after his successful staging of “The Magic Flute” for OCB in 2003 and these performances will be conducted by OCB’s founder and artistic director, Jay D. Meetze. Meetze, said, “It is an honor to be performing works of Mr. Pasatieri and exciting to be in contact with him; I am happy to expose new and young audiences to his music. Our double cast of talented and young singers will surely deliver completely different and pleasure-filled performances”
“With works like these we are working to demystify the accepted theory that opera is an art form only for the Bourgeois! Our goal is to help people experience opera for the first time at a very affordable price. With performances like our minimalistic, inexpensive and witty Summer Opera Showcase, we want audiences to grow their experience and appreciation for opera in an informal setting,” Meetze added. “The bigger our audience base, the stronger the demand for great young singers. That means more experience, exposure and jobs. It is a win for society and for performing artists!”
Thomas Pasatieri, born in Brooklyn in 1945, entered The Juilliard School at age sixteen and eventually became the school's first recipient of a doctoral degree. He composed 17 operas and hundreds of songs that have been performed and recorded by OCB’s very own Artistic Trustee, Frederica von Stade, amongst others. In Los Angeles, he formed his film music production company, Topaz Productions. His film orchestrations can be heard in Road to Perdition, American Beauty, The Little Mermaid, The Shawshank Redemption, Fried Green Tomatoes, Legends of the Fall, and Scent of a Woman, among many others. Mr. Pasatieri currently resides in New York City.
Meetze said a number of performers who have been part of OCB’s Resident Artist Program that is designed to give post-graduate singers free lessons, coaching and master classes, are now working with professional opera companies in New York, San Francisco and Seattle as well as regional opera houses.
OCB will perform Pasatieri’s: La Divina and Signor Deluso.
Conductor: Jay D. Meetze
Director: Enrique Toral
The Brooklyn performance is set for Thursday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Voorhees Theater, New York City College of Technology, 186 Jay Street, Brooklyn.
The Manhattan performance is scheduled for Saturday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. at The Liederkranz Club, third floor, 6 East 87th Street.
General admission tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. The admission fee for students with ID is $5 in advance, $10 at the door.
Additional information is available by calling 212-567-3283 or by visiting the website at
www.operabrooklyn.com.
