Friends of Opera San Jose

Did you know that the version of Madama Butterfly that we hear nowadays is the FOURTH version? The original was a disaster and Puccini kept working on it. Moral of the story: Don't be afraid to make corrections! Also: Come to the California Theatre! Performances April 13-28.

Jake Heggie sent us a lovely video greeting for our January 27 event -- check it out! https://spaces.hightail.com//bGluZGEucmllYmVsQGVhcnRobGlua On that page you'll see a red button saying DOWNLOAD ALL Whoever wants the movie (a 177MB file) can click the red button.

Once again, Opera San Jose has put on a better production than San Francisco! Pagliacci (now in the middle of its 6-performance run at the California Theatre) is the best Pagliacci I've ever seen. Two more Sunday matinees plus a Friday evening. Don't miss it!

Check out this operatic surprise at a school lunchroom in England! https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/school-kids-delighted-oper/

Hello again Friends! Attached is another article about "Silent Night" performed by the San Jose Opera. It is written by the music critic Joshua Kosman who writes for the San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfchronicle.com//Peace-during-wartime-in-SJ-Ope

Hello Friends! Attached is a wonderful review from the San Jose Mercury News about the premiere of the opera "Silent Night" which is currently showing at the California Theatre until February 26th. http://www.mercurynews.com//review-silent-night-opera-get/

Opera San Jose resident artists score again! After their years at OSJ, our resident artists have gone on to wonderful careers -- and sometimes we get to hear them again right here in the Bay Area! For instance, WEST BAY OPERA presents Mozart's /Le nozze di Figaro from /October 14 23, 2016. Not one, not two, but three OSJ veterans will star in the show. Bass-baritone Isaiah Musik-Ayala in the title role; baritone Krassen Karagiozov as Count Almaviva; and bass Silas Elash as ...Dr. Bartolo. *Showtimes*: Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 22, at 8:00 p.m. Both Sundays, October 16 and 23, at 2:00 p.m. The Sunday, October 16 performance followed by a post-performance discussion with the cast and directors seated onstage. *Where*: All performances at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA. FREE Preview with piano at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301, Thursday, October 6, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. *Tickets*: $40 to $83. Group discounts. *Box Office*: 650.424.9999 (PLEASE NOTE: this phone number is our preferred ticket sales information number for calendar listings.) Tickets available online as well: www.WBOpera.org . Pick your own seats online and print your own e-ticket instantly.

Hello Friends! Here is a wonderful review of Opera San Jose's Lucia di Lammermoor for your reading pleasure: http://operaville.blogspot.com//opera-san-joses-lucia-di-l

Hello Friends! On Wednesday, August 17 at 1 pm, the Rossmoor Opera Club offers a lecture titled, "What Makes a Masterpiece?" Speaker Linda Riebel will introduce Opera San Jose's upcoming season, with a special focus on comparing beloved operas with obscure ones composed to the same story. Did you know that Mozart was just one of a dozen composers who wrote an opera about Don Giovanni? That there’s a second La Boheme? That Rossini’s Barber of Seville was a disaster at its pr...emiere, thanks to a jealous rival composer and his gang? Have you heard about a new classic, Silent Night? This 2011 opera tells the story of a spontaneous Christmas Eve truce during World War I. After its 2011 premiere, Silent Night was presented by eight other companies (unheard-of success for a modern opera), was broadcast nationwide on public television, and won a Pulitzer Prize. This talk will highlight differences between three beloved operas and other operas based on the same stories. We’ll also discover why the new opera is such a hit. Of course there will be musical selections, plus a surprise anniversary. Creekside Clubhouse, located at 1010 Stanley Dollar Drive, Walnut Creek. $8 for club members and $12 for non-members. Light refreshments will be served. Bring a friend! We hope to see you there!

Hello Friends! We are having our OSJ Opera in the Park on Sunday, July 10 from 6:30 8:00 p.m. at Frank Bramhall Park in Willow Glen and need 4-5 volunteers to help out. OSJ will have a table and costumes for guests to try on and take selfies, so we will need a couple people to help out at that as well as distribute programs. RSVP to Brenda ([email protected]) and also to Bryan Ferraro at OSJ ([email protected])... We hope to see you there!

Greetings everyone! Here is another excellent review of Streetcar written by a longtime Opera Critic, Michael J Vaughn. Make sure to buy your tickets to see the show! http://operaville.blogspot.com//opera-san-joses-streetcar-... Hope to see you there!

Hello all! Here's a Rave review of Streetcar. Note the first and last sentences. Get your tickets! http://www.operatoday.com/content/2016//san_joses_smoot.php