Jun

17 2017

Center Stage Opera presents I PAGLICCI - L'AMICO FRITZ

7:30PM - 10:00PM  

Covenant Moravian Church 901 Cape Horn Rd.
York, PA 17402
917-621-6005 gss23om@gmail.com

Contact Gregory Stuart
917-621-6005
gss23om@gmail.com
http://www.csopera.org

$ Cost $ 20.00

Center Stage Opera will present 5 performances of Leoncavallo's short opera I Pagliacci (The Clowns) with Mascagni's L'Amico Fritz (Friend Fritz) in a double bill touring to Camp Hill, York and Doylestown, PA. The production features emerging professional singers from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.

Please include the listing for the concert in the cultural listings for June in your guide. We invite press ticket requests and interviews. Please help us spread the word about this event. A full Press Release in Word format and graphic are attached. The text of the Press Release is included below at the end of this message.

With greetings of spring writes

Gregory Stuart
Stage Director, Classical Singer & Actor
Teacher of Singing, Theatre & Yoga
and
Manager of External Affairs for
Vocal Arts DC
and
Marketing Specialist for
Loudoun Lyric Opera
and
Center Stage Opera

Gregory on stage:
As El Dancaïre in Bizet's Carmen (sung in French)
JUN 11 & 18
Opus Concert Theatre
in Columbia, MD

As Silvio in Leoncavallo's
I Pagliacci (in Italian) and
As Rabbi David in Mascagni's
L'Amico Fritz (in Italian)
weekends in JUN
for Center Stage Opera
in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, PA
& Silver Spring, MD

 

MEDIA RELEASE | F o r I m m e d i a t e R e l e a s e

 

 

CONTACT Kathryn Foster: 717 480-9164 or songbird72@verizon.net or

Gregory Stuart: 917-621-6005 or gss23om@gmail.cok

 

 

 

 

CENTER STAGE OPERA

presents a double bill of

Leoncavallo’s I pagliacci (The Clowns)

and

Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz (The Friend Fritz)

June 17-30 in Camp Hill, York and Doylestown, PA

 

 

Camp Hill, PA – Center Stage Opera announces a double bill of Italian operas: I pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo, paired with L'amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni. The Mascagni opera will be of particular interest to Jewish audiences; the action takes place in a Jewish community in Alsace. The rabbi is a central figure in the story, which features a retelling of the biblical tale of Rebecca.

While the two composers are often paired together (more usually I pagliacci is paired with Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana), this pairing is unusual: the very dramatic Leoncavallo opera here balanced with the delightfully romantic plot of the Mascagni work. Sung in Italian with piano, the performances will take place in three locations in Camp Hill, York and Doylestown. The production features the exceptional talents of emerging professional singers from Maryland, Virginia and eastern & central Pennsylvania.

WHO: Center Stage Opera

WHAT: A double bill of Leoncavallo’s I pagliacci and
Mascagni's L'amico Fritz

WHEN & WHERE: Sat JUN 17 @ 7:30pm & Sun JUN 25 @ 2:30pm
Covenant Moravian Church
901 Cape Horn Rd., York, PA

Fri & Sat JUN 23-24 @ 7:30pm
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
1610 Carlisle Rd, Camp Hill, PA

Fri JUN 30 @ 7:30pm
Family of God Lutheran Church
4770 Rte 202, Doylestown, PA

TICKETS: For sale at the door: $20 for adults and $10 for Students; cash or check sales only

INFORMATION: We invite interviews and news features. For press ticket requests or information please contact Gregory Stuart at: gss23om@gmail.com or 917-621-6005.

Visit the Center Stage Opera at http://www.csopera.org/home.htm

ABOUT THE OPERAS

I pagliacci is a short opera by Ruggero Leoncavallo, with a libretto by the composer, which premiered in 1892. It is the most widely performed of Leoncavallo’s operas. I pagliacci was written by the unknown Leoncavallo in response to Pietro Mascagni’s opera Cavalleria rusticana. Like Mascagni’s work I pagliacci was written in the verismo (realism) style. Purportedly, the plot which concerns a troupe of traveling players presenting a commedia dell’arte show, is based on a real life murder that occurred in the composer’s hometown.

 

L’amico Fritz is a pastoral comedy by Pietro Mascagni, with a libretto by P. Suardon, which premiered in 1981. The comedy is Mascagni’s most popular work after Cavalleria rusticana. Set in a Jewish community in Alsace on a cherry orchard, the “Cherry Duet” has remained an enduringly popular staple in the operatic duet repertoire.

ABOUT THE COMPOERS

Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857-1919) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. He wrote numerous operas and songs, though I pagliacci was his enduring success. His opera La bohème which premiered in 1897 met with success but was outshone by Puccini’s opera of the same name which had premiered the previous year. Today, I pagliacci is oftern produced, while La bohème and Zaza are sometimes revived. His song ”Mattinata” was made famous by Enrico Caruso.

Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) was an Italian composer most noted for his operas. Cavalleria rusticana, the winner of the Sonzogno competition, which premiered in 1890, is generally accorded to be the first opera written in the verismo (realism) style of Italian opera, caused one of the greatest sensations in operatic history and ushered in a musical significant musical trend. Though best known for his verismo work, in fact, Mascagni created varying styles for his works.

ABOUT CENTER STAGE OPERA

Center Stage Opera is a non-profit (501c3) opera based in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area. CSO provides opportunities both to local, qualified singers and instrumentalists, and to regional and national opera singers, mainly those living on the East Coast - from Florida to Boston. The production staff is from the immediate region. Founded and operated by Kathryn McCarney Foster in 2005, the company is the only touring opera company based in the region.

Kathryn Foster (Founder & General Director), herself a singer having performed many leading soprano roles with Harrisburg Civic Opera, Capital Opera Sacramento, Capital Opera Harrisburg and Center Stage Opera. More recently she has become the musical director for most productions; at the piano she realizes the instrumental score.