Sarasota Opera facts for kids
The Sarasota Opera is a professional opera company located in Sarasota, Florida, USA. It started out as the Asolo Opera Guild. At first, it showed performances by other opera groups.
Then, from 1974 to 1979, the company began putting on its own shows. In 1979, they bought the Edwards Theatre. This theater became the Sarasota Opera House in 1984. The opera house had a major renovation in 2008. It now has 1,119 seats for audiences.
Each season, the Sarasota Opera usually performs two or three popular operas. They also include an opera from their special "Verdi Cycle." This project aims to perform every opera by the famous composer Verdi. Another series they have is called "Masterworks Revival."
Company History
The company first brought the Turnau Opera from New York to perform small operas. These shows took place at the historic Asolo Theater. This theater is on the grounds of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.
In 1974, the guild started putting on its own shows at the Asolo. Later, in 1979, they bought the Edwards Theatre. The company then worked hard to fix up this old vaudeville and movie theater. It officially opened as their own venue in 1984.
Since 1982, Victor DeRenzi has been the artistic director. Richard Russell is the executive director. The company holds its Winter Opera Festival in February and March. They usually present four fully staged operas. These shows feature the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. They perform both well-known and less common operas.
In March 2008, the Sarasota Opera House reopened after a $20 million renovation. The first opera performed there was Verdi's Rigoletto. That same year, the company added its first full fall production. This was Rossini's The Barber of Seville. This brought the total number of operas each season to five. Most fall operas have been popular choices. However, in 2012, they presented a new opera called Little Nemo in Slumberland.
Special Features of the Company
- Verdi Cycle
One of the company's longest projects is the Verdi Cycle. This project started in 1989. The goal was to perform all the works of Giuseppe Verdi. This includes all his operas and different versions of them. It also includes his orchestral and chamber music, and his Requiem.
In recent years, Verdi Cycle operas have included I due Foscari and Giovanna d'Arco. Other operas were I Lombardi and Otello. In 2009, the company performed Verdi's Don Carlo. They used the four-act version from 1884, sung in French. At that time, it was the largest opera the company had ever performed.
In 2014, they performed Jérusalem in French. This was Verdi's first grand opera written for Paris. It was a new version of his 1843 opera I Lombardi. His first comedy, Un giorno di regno, was performed in 2013. In 2015, Don Carlos was performed in its original five-act Paris version, also in French.
The 2016 Winter Festival Season marked the end of the 28-year Verdi Cycle. This happened on March 20, 2016. Sarasota Opera became the only company in the world to perform every available work by Giuseppe Verdi. Maestro Victor DeRenzi became the only conductor to lead every available work by Verdi.
The season ended with a Verdi Festival Week from March 15–20. It included the last two Verdi operas for the cycle: La battaglia di Legnano and Aida. There were also two concerts of Verdi's music. An International Verdi Conference was held for two days. It was in partnership with the American Institute for Verdi Studies. A special exhibit showed the 28-year history of the Verdi Cycle. Important guests attended, including Verdi's great-great-grandchildren.
In June 2016, Maestro DeRenzi was honored by the Italian government. He received the title of Cavaliere dell’ordine della Stella d’Italia. This means Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy. This was for his work in completing the Verdi Cycle.
- Sarasota Firsts Initiative
The Sarasota Opera launched a new project called "Sarasota Firsts." This project presents operas that have never been performed on the Sarasota Opera House stage before. For the 2016/2017 season, three operas were part of this new series. These included Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti. Also, L'italiana in Algeri by Gioachino Rossini. And Dialogues of the Carmelites by Francis Poulenc. The season also featured Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. And L'amore dei tre re by Italo Montemezzi.
- The Masterworks Revival Series
This series brings back forgotten operas that are still very good. Operas shown in this series have included La Wally by Alfredo Catalani. Also, Maskarade by Carl Nielsen. Other examples are Königskinder by Engelbert Humperdinck. And Halka by Stanisław Moniuszko. Plus, L'amico Fritz by Mascagni.
The company also has an Apprentice Program and a Studio Artists Program. These programs help young singers get more training. They also get chances to perform in the chorus or in small roles.
- American Classics Series
The 2010-2011 opera season started Sarasota Opera's American Classics Series. Through this, Sarasota Opera promised to perform one opera by an American composer each season. Robert Ward's opera, The Crucible, was the first. It was based on a play by Arthur Miller. This production was highly praised.
The 2012 Festival Season featured Samuel Barber's Vanessa. In 2013, the American Classic opera was Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men. However, in 2013, the company announced they would stop this series. Richard Russell, the new executive director, decided to end it. This was because local supporters, many of whom were older, preferred more traditional operas.
- Youth Opera
The Sarasota Youth Opera program began in 1984. It is a very complete training program for young people. It is for ages 8 to 18 in the United States. Everyone who applies is accepted, no matter their skill level. The program teaches about the music and acting parts of opera.
In recent years, the Sarasota Youth Opera has performed new operas for the first time. One well-known example is The Language of Birds. They also performed the United States premiere of The Hobbit in 2008. This opera was by Canadian composer Dean Burry. In 2010, the Youth Opera presented The Black Spider by Judith Weir.
Sarasota Opera presented the world premiere of Little Nemo in Slumberland. This opera was created by the company. It had music by Daron Hagen and words by J.D. McClatchy. This happened in November 2012. On November 12, 2016, the Sarasota Youth Opera performed The Secret World of Og. This was also by Canadian composer Dean Burry. It was based on a popular children's book by Pierre Berton.
- The Da Capo Society
The Da Capo Society started in 2016. It is a group for younger opera fans, usually ages 21 to 40. This group helps promote and enjoy opera. Members get discounted ticket prices. They also meet to socialize before and after shows. They can also talk with visiting artists behind the scenes. Members are encouraged to bring guests. A main goal of the group is to attract a younger audience to opera.
Sarasota Opera House
For more details, see Sarasota Opera House
The opera company needed a bigger theater with a place for the orchestra. So, the guild bought the A. B. Edwards Theatre. This theater was closed at the time. It had been renamed the Florida Theatre in December 1936. The theater was built in 1926 by Arthur Britton Edwards. He was an important early resident of Sarasota. It was designed to be a flexible place for vaudeville shows or movies.
The guild members started fixing up the building in 1982. The next year, the A. B. Edwards Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It reopened in 1984 as the Sarasota Theatre of the Arts. Its name changed to the Sarasota Opera House a few years later.
From 2007 until March 1, 2008, the opera house was greatly remodeled. The inside and outside were updated. The $20 million renovations included completely changing the auditorium. This created a new seating arrangement. Public areas and the Opera Club on the second floor were made larger. The atrium was opened up to show a new skylight system. This system had been in the original 1926 building. The seating capacity was increased to 1,119.
