By Khalida Sarwari
The Prague Italian Opera premiered “Don Giovanni” in 1787 at what is now the Estates Theatre. Nearly 228 years later, the Bay Shore Lyric Opera will be staging a production of Mozart’s masterpiece in a Saratoga park and is asking patrons to leave their wallets behind–because this show won’t cost a thing.
The opera will be presented Sept. 12 as part of the community theater company’s annual Opera in the Park event at Wildwood Park, which typically draws hundreds of attendees, according to Tamami Honma, BSLO’s resident accompanist and coach.
This will be the first time that BSLO will be doing a full-length production for Opera in the Park; in previous years the company performed excerpts from operas by the likes of Mozart and Verdi. Still, this will be a condensed and family-friendly version of the opera, said Honma.
“We’re replacing recitatives [dialogue in an opera that serves to expound the plot] with modern language so it’s more accessible to people so they can understand the comedic effect,” she said.
Using period costumes and elaborate sets, BSLO will tell the story of Don Giovanni (played by Don Hoffman), a young, arrogant and predatory nobleman, and the women who are attracted to him. Blending comedy and drama, the opera recounts Don Giovanni’s conquests in a picturesque 17th-century Spanish town.
“We have selected professional singers from throughout the Bay Area to present this incredible opera in an open air park setting,” said Jenny Studley, who founded the company 18 years ago with her late mother, Claire Der Torossian, and father Papken Der Torossian.
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the park.
“They’ll have a free babysitter in the background,” said Honma, referring to the playground at Wildwood Park. Honma is a recording artist and the mother of Ethan Cotta, a 10-year-old Redwood Middle School student who was recently named the Santa Clara County junior youth ambassador by Youth Focus, a nonprofit that provides youth with educational, cultural and community enrichment opportunities. No stranger to the stage himself, Ethan has performed in the BSLO children’s chorus in the productions of “Carmen,” “Hansel and Gretel” and “The Child and the Spells,” among others.
The Opera in the Park event was initially organized to honor Der Torossian’s legacy and vision. The events also serve to promote downtown Saratoga and bring operatic culture to local communities, according to Studley.
“Bay Shore Lyric’s mission is to produce high-quality opera performances at reasonable prices so that everyone can enjoy this performing art,” said Studley’s sister, Jill Fries.
Opera in the Park runs 4-6 p.m. at 20764 Fourth St., Saratoga. Visit bslopera.com for more information.
Link: ‘Don Giovanni’ will be on stage as opera returns to Wildwood Park
