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It is not a remote art form that only the initiated appreciate |
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Opera is for everyone
It is not a remote art form that only the initiated appreciate – it reflects human conflicts and passions. It has inspired a level of devotion in some people best compared to that of a die-hard sports fan. Just as you do not need to know every statistic to enjoy watching a football game, you do not need to be a music or opera expert to enjoy our performances. Of course, the more you know, the more there is to enjoy. With that in mind we provide ways for you to learn more about the opera you are attending.
1. Supertitles – Real-time English translations are above the stage, providing immediate understanding of what is happening, helping you to experience the excitement of the performance no matter what the language.
2. Programs – We provide a free program with your opera ticket to guide you through the plot and introduce you to the performers.
3. Email up-dates – Provide us with your email address when you purchase your ticket and we will send you a complete opera plot a week before the performance.
4. Pre-performance Introductions – These introductions (available on selected performance dates) are free for ticket holders and begin 45 minutes before the start of the opera. Seating is on a first-come basis.
How to get tickets
Many of our performances sell out, but others still have excellent seats available. The best way to buy tickets is to order them over the phone (941-366-8450, ext. 1) or click here to place your order on our website. We recommend you call our Box Office and discuss your plans with them. We want you to receive the best seats possible and are happy to work with you to achieve this goal. Wheelchair seating is available
For the summer, the Box Office phones are open Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM, or you can visit them in person on Monday, Wednesday or Fridays, 10 AM to 4 PM. Please note that the Box Office is closed on holidays. In the fall the Box Office is open Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM, and until the first intermission on the day of a show. (top)
About your seats
With just under 1,200 seats, there are no ‘bad’ seats in our theater. Most opera companies perform in theaters four or five times larger than ours. If you were to drop our theater into the middle of one of those, every seat we have would be considered a premium seat! (top)
What to Wear
Dress comfortably, and be yourself. Opera is not the playground of the rich, and we work hard to make sure that everyone feels at home in our theater. However, many people consider a night at the opera (especially an opening night) a real event and choose to dress up. At the Sarasota Opera House, "Opera Dress" can be khakis or jeans or evening gowns and tuxedos. (top)
Applause
At the opera, unlike the symphony or other classical music concert, you can applaud when the performance moves you (similar to a solo at a jazz performance). (top)
Eating and drinking
Food and drinks are available prior to the show and during intermissions.
Your fellow opera-goers will appreciate it very much if you unwrap noisy candy wrappers before the show. They tend to get very cranky if you make noise during the performance! (top)
Smoking
Smoking is allowed in the outdoor Opera Courtyard. (top)
Parking
Parking in downtown Sarasota is tough, but we make it easy with our complementary valet service. (top)
How Long is it?
Operas generally run approximately 3 hours, including intermissions. More specific run times will be provided as the season approaches. (top)
Mission
Sarasota Opera produces outstanding opera true to the vision of the composer to entertain, enrich, and educate our communities, as well as patrons from across the state and around the world.
The Sarasota Opera is an internationally respected producer of the highest quality professional opera. It fosters artistic excellence, diversity, and vitality in the Sarasota area by:
* Producing opera as a living art form through performances and composition
* Offering a stage for American-trained principal artists
* Producing high-caliber Apprentice and Studio Artist programs
* Owning, maintaining, and operating the Opera House as a year-round facility
* Promoting and increasing public knowledge and appreciation of opera
In addition to striving for artistic excellence, Sarasota Opera directs itself toward becoming accessible to all segments of the greater community. Coordinated artistic, educational, informational, and social outreach programs to accomplish this accessibility.
History
Arthur Britton ("A.B.") Edwards was born in Sarasota in 1874. A true business pioneer, he not only established the first real estate office in Sarasota in 1903, he became the first mayor. Archival photos reveal Sarasota as a simple hamlet with buildings of wood and riddled with bungalow hideaways. The handsome little town was beginning to take its place on the resort map. Edwards had a vision for Sarasota, and with the infusion of an increasingly healthy real estate market (due largely to the efforts of John Ringling) he set out to realize his dream. Mr. Edwards commissioned Jacksonville architect, Roy A. Benjamin to design a "multi-purpose" building that could accommodate all types of entertainment- including opera.
On April 10, 1926, the A.B. Edwards Theater was unveiled. The Sarasota Herald Tribune hailed Edwards for "having admitted Sarasota into a fairyland of costly decoration, rich furnishings and never to be forgotten artistry". The entrance facade of the theater was designed in the very popular Mediterranean Revival style of the era. Cream colored stucco embellished with ornamental plasterwork and imitation stone delighted the opening night audience. The elaborate three-story entrance contained 8 shops on the ground floor, 12 offices on the second floor, and 12 furnished apartments on the third. All floors faced a central atrium. The theater auditorium, stage and fly tower occupied the remainder of the building. A glorious Robert Morton orchestral pipe organ completed the stunning scenario. Edwards had realized his vision.
The theater became a popular venue for a variety of entertainment's over the years. The top headliners of the time were to grace its stage: Will Rogers (1927), Sally Rand (1937), the Ziegfeld Follies (1928), and even (in 1956) the young Elvis Presley. On January 31, 1952, it became host to the world premiere blockbuster DeMille movie, "The Greatest Show on Earth," which had been filmed in Sarasota. Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, and Dorothy Lamour brightened the town with stardom.
The years were not kind to the original integrity of the Edwards Theater. New management renamed the building "The Florida Theater." In 1936, a hurricane irrevocably damaged the magnificent Rogers Morton pipe organ. Late modernizing included stripping the structure of many of its most exquisite Art Deco charms. To accommodate the ever-changing entertainment industry, further alterations were made. The theater became a movie theater, complete with plastic laminate and linoleum. Then in 1973, the theater was finally dark, neglected - and vacant.
Meanwhile, a non-profit organization called the Asolo Opera Guild had been hard at work bringing opera to Sarasota. With modest beginnings, they presented chamber-size repertoire in the Asolo Theater, a small 320-seat playhouse located on the Ringling Museum grounds. By 1974, they began to produce their own operas. With public support rapidly growing, they clearly needed a home to call their own. In 1979, the Guild purchased the old Edwards Theater for $150,000. The Association became the 7th opera company in the United States to own its house. Extensive renovations were needed to restore the house to accommodate its new art form: opera. Renovation began in 1982. Finally renamed the Sarasota Opera House, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Now fully restored to its original beauty, the Sarasota Opera House has become the cornerstone of Sarasota's Theater Arts District. The Sarasota Opera has come to merit accolades from all over the world. Thanks in no small part to the generosity of the community of Sarasota, the Sarasota Opera House, once shabby and neglected, now stands like a proud beauty. The original chandelier from the movie "Gone With the Wind" hangs brilliantly in its lobby. Meticulously and lovingly renovated, FLORIDA HERITAGE Magazine, the official magazine of the Division of Historical Resources in Tallahassee, lauded it as "one of the most successful renovations of a historic building in Florida." Complete with an added education wing, and library complex at her side, the Opera House has earned its own accolades:
"In the winter, it would be hard to beat the pleasantly laid-back resort town of Sarasota on Florida's west coast, with its warm and sunny weather, excellent restaurants, and a delightful 1000 seat art deco Opera House, whose acoustics are superb." OPERA, London
"With the dimensions of the Opera House, which almost guarantee an engaging experience between audience and singers, and DeRenzi's full throttle approach to each work, whether he's conducting it or not, a dull performance at the Sarasota Opera is hard to come by." OPERA NEWS, New York
"Sarasota Opera - A Gem on Florida's Gulf Coast...The theater's interior configuration and acoustics make audience members feel they are sitting in the center of the sound..." THE BLADE, Toledo
"Over the last decade, the output has been first-rate, blending traditional with adventurous programming...an acoustical jewel." BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE
Today the Sarasota Opera House plays host to everything from opera, symphony and classical ballet to film festivals, popular music concerts, comedy shows and clowns. The Opera Complex features a new Pavilion with a spacious, multi-purpose banquet/performance facility; the Peterson Great Room, which can seat up to 390 people. Private meeting space, as well as private rehearsal rooms are part of the pavilion. The Opera House theater seats 1033, with 740 on the first floor and 293 in the balcony.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Sarasota Youth Opera was founded under the direction of Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi. It serves as a comprehensive training program designed for young people, ages 8 and above. The program admits all who apply, regardless of skill level and provides an exploration of the musical and theatrical aspects of opera.
The Chorus performs for numerous community programs, making appearances at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Bon Secours Hospital, SAKS Fifth Avenue, Venice, Bradenton and Sarasota Opera Guilds and the West Coast Youth Symphony.
Each season members of the chorus are featured in the Winter Festival productions. Previous performances have included Tosca, Hänsel and Gretel, Werther, The Magic Flute, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. During the 2005-2006 Season they will be seen in La bohème
In the Spring the chorus presents a fully staged youth opera production. Previous productions have included The Happy Prince, The Piper of Hamelin, Down in the Valley and The Little Sweep. In 2004 the chorus performed the world premiere of The Language of Birds. This production, featuring more than 90 young people, was especially commissioned as part of Sarasota Opera's on-going commitment to new operatic pieces for young voices.
The Youth Opera Program Staff is committed to creating outstanding performance opportunities and creating an interchange with skilled professionals from the opera and theater world.
Current Youth Opera Members can now review the calendar online.
CHORUS PROGRAM
Rehearsal Schedules
Preparatory Chorus meets Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Treble Chorus meets Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Mixed Chorus meets Wednesdays from 4:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Guys meet Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Auditions/Placement Assessment
Interested young people ages 10 and above are invited to audition for the Sarasota Youth Opera Program. Audition/Placement Assessments are held in August and January. They can be scheduled by calling the Opera receptionist at (941) 366-8450, Ext. 0, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. |
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