OPERAPRESS RELEASE

OPERADELAWARE
Julie W. Van Blarcom, Executive Director
Leland P. Kimball III, General Director

Telephone: (302) 658-8063, ext. 3159 Fax: (302) 658-4991
Box Office: The Grand Opera House, 1-800-37-GRAND
Post Office Box 432, Wilmington, DE 19801-0432

Contact: Cindy Frankey
e-mail: cindyf@desymphony.org


OPERADELAWARE ANNOUNCES 2002-03 SEASON
Company expands to three-opera season


WILMINGTON, DE - March 26, 2002 - OperaDelaware recently announced it's 2002-03 season, the most ambitious in the company's 58 year history. In an exciting move, the ever-growing popularity of OperaDelaware's productions has led the company to expand the season from two operas to three. The season is classic and the emphasis is on opera's most famous heroines as OD presents Tosca, The Mikado and La Traviata. Following the success of this season's London City Opera presentation of The Merry Widow, OD brings the company back with its much-acclaimed production of Madam Butterfly. The Family Opera Theatre's 30 year tradition of educating young music lovers continues with Evelyn Swensson's The Enormous Egg, a heartwarming story about a boy and his dinosaur. Other innovations include a new state-of-the-art supertitle system, a new, simplified ticket pricing structure and student rush tickets for only $10. Subscriptions will be available for purchase May 1, 2002 and single tickets will go on sale in August 2002. Tickets can be ordered online at www.operadel.org or by calling The Grand box office at 1-800-37-GRAND.

The debut of Tosca on November 2, 2002 will also feature the debut of the new supertitle system designed to be seen from every seat in the house. The new screens are located on both sides of the stage and are closer to eye level, affording each seat maximum viewing.

The new seating chart, which decreases the number of price levels from four to three, will make ticket ordering simpler. Because the seating chart is now compatible with The Grand Opera House seating chart, subscribers can now be offered their same seats for special events at discount prices, a subscriber benefit OperaDelaware was previously unable to offer.

For the first time, OperaDelaware is offering student rush ticket to all performances (excluding The Enormous Egg). The $10 tickets will be available to any student with proper identification, 30 minutes prior to each performance.


2002-03 Performance Schedule

TOSCA
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Luigi Illica & Giuseppe Giacosa
In Italian with English Supertitles

Saturday, November 2, 2002 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, November 7, 2002 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, November 10, 2002 at 2:00 PM

She's jealous, she's willful and she's got a knife. Don't mess with Tosca, one of opera's most fiery characters. A famous diva, Tosca is in love, but madly jealous of her paramour, Cavaradossi. When Cavaradossi tries to shield his friend Angelotti from capture by the Baron Scarpia, Tosca¹s jealousy places them all in great danger. How she reacts to the unthinkable makes Tosca an opera of unforgettable drama and tragedy. OperaDelaware's Tosca will be conducted by David Wroe and stage directed by John Lehmeyer.

THE MIKADO
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by W.S. Gilbert

Thursday, March 13, 2003 at 7:30 PM
Friday, March 14, 2003 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 15, 2003 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, March 16, 2003 at 2:00 PM

A wandering minstrel, three little maids and a Lord High Executioner with a little list. Perhaps the most cherished of the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, The Mikado has it all: romance, humor and a rollicking good score. The first collaboration after almost dissolving their creative partnership, Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado was wildly popular immediately following its 1885 debut. This is a Victorian confection sprinkled with Asian spices. Yum-Yum! Bill Fabris will stage direct.

LA TRAVIATA
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
In Italian with English Supertitles

Saturday, May 3, 2003 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, May 8, 2003 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 10, 2003 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, May 11, 2003 at 2:00 PM

Violetta has a slight cough, but that doesn't stop her from being the life of the party! When the dashing Alfredo sweeps her off her feet, she gladly gives up the glittering life she once knew for true love. But the disapproval of Alfredo's family and the pressures of her former life prove too much for the frail beauty with the heart of gold. Bring your lace hankies. OperaDelaware's production will include David Wroe as conductor and Leland P. Kimball III as stage director.

Special Event

MADAME BUTTERFLY
A Production of The London City Opera
Sunday, February 8, 2002 at 3:00 PM

Butterfly loves Pinkerton. Pinkerton thinks he loves Butterfly. Their brief flirtation with marriage leads to a three-year abandonment, a fatherless child and a final humiliation that seals Butterfly's fate. One of operas most heartbreaking stories, Madame Butterfly resounds with political and moral implications as the gossamer-frail Butterfly sacrifices herself to reclaim her honor from the scoundrel Pinkerton.

Subscription Information
3-Opera package: $57 -- $162
Single tickets: $23 to $64. $10 student rush tickets available 30 minutes before curtain.
Group sales: Groups 12 or larger receive 10% discount. Call (302) 656-7442, ext. 3154 for information.
Box office: The Grand Opera House, 1-800-37-GRAND
Online orders: www.operadel.org
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover

OperaDelaware's mission is to enrich the cultural life of people in the Delaware Valley by producing opera, educational and outreach programs. The company presents new and traditional operas, using a unique blend of nationally known stars and rising talent. OperaDelaware programs are supported by Basell, MBNA America, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Delaware Division of the Arts - a state agency committed to promoting and supporting the arts in Delaware.


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