COSTA MESA, Calif. - Opera Pacific presents its first annual Free Community Concert, Opera Under the Stars, Saturday, June 26, 2004, 8pm, at the Pacific Amphitheatre on the Orange County Fairgrounds.

 

Opera Pacific’s ongoing commitment to bringing opera to Orange County springs forward with this exciting outreach initiative. The free concert at the Pacific Amphitheatre is the Company’s approach to sharing opera with the adults and children of our community—those who may not have previously attended the opera. Opera Under the Stars will allow Opera Pacific to give back to a community which has supported the Company for the past eighteen years. With seating of  8500 at the amphitheatre, this is the ideal venue to present this exciting concert of opera’s most dazzling pieces.  The program for the evening includes excerpts from Carmen, the Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore, O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi, Summertime from Porgy and Bess and many more opera favorites. 

 

Hoping to interest all aspects of our multi-ethnic community, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor John DeMain has enlisted wonderful artists from several backgrounds: African American soprano Angela Brown, Cuban American soprano Sandra Lopez, Puerto Rican mezzo-soprano Jossie Perez, African American tenor Vinson Cole and Mexican baritone Luis Ledesma.

 

With the reopening of the Pacific Amphitheatre, Opera Pacific has the perfect venue to present this free community performance. The Orange County Fair Board agrees and has committed the venue at no rental cost in order to help fulfill this community outreach mission. This event marks the kick-off of the Orange County Fair.

 

 

 

OPERA PACIFIC begins its 19^th season (2004 – 2005) Tuesday, November 9, 2004, and continues through Sunday, August 13, 2005, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa. The mainstage season presented at the Orange County Performing Arts Center will begin with Giacomo Puccini’s exquisite Turandot, November 9, 11, 13, 14, 2004; continues with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s timeless comedy The Marriage of Figaro, January 18, 20, 22, 23, 2005; Camille Saint-Saëns’ powerful Samson & Delilah, February 22, 24, 26, 27, 2005; and concludes with Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata May 17, 19, 21, 22, 2005.  The final production of the season, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, will take place at the Pacific Amphitheatre on the Orange County Fairgrounds August 5, 6, 12, 13, 2005 at 8:30 pm.

Opera Pacific main-stage performances are at the Orange County Performing Arts Center at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for all performances running Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. for all Sunday matinees. Subscriptions for the 2004 - 2005 season range from $99 - $985 and are currently available.

                                                                                                                                  

For more information or to order tickets, please call 1 800 34 OPERA

or visit us at www.operapacific.org.