To wrap up its 10th anniversary season, Opera Orlando is throwing a celebratory concert that will present many audience favorites. Among them are Marnie Breckenridge, Bridgette Gan, Jamie Chamberlain, Amanda Crider, Nathan Granner, Brian Cheney and Cecilia Violetta López. | Courtesy Opera Orlando
While you weren’t looking, Opera Orlando turned 10. OK, maybe you were looking, because the company has been celebrating that anniversary all season long (including with a thorough story of its history, and that of its predecessors, in a recent issue of Artistry.)
Still, it’s somewhat jarring to realize that a full decade has gone by since Opera Orlando was formed to fill the void left by the demise of the similarly named Orlando Opera in 2009. (In the interim, the flag was flown by Florida Opera Theatre.)
To wrap up its anniversary season, Opera Orlando is doing just what Lorne Michaels does whenever Saturday Night Live hits another milestone: presenting as many audience favorites as it can snare.
A Decade of Divas—slated for Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center on Saturday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m.—reunites some of the top artists who have collaborated with the company during its relatively brief but distinguished tenure. The lineup of returning stars will include sopranos Marnie Breckenridge, Bridgette Gan and Jamie Chamberlain, plus mezzo soprano Amanda Crider and tenors Nathan Granner and Brian Cheney.
A late-breaking addition to the roster is popular soprano Cecilia Violetta López, who among her several collaborations with Opera Orlando launched the company’s sixth season with her signature role as Violetta in La Traviata.
Music will be provided by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of guest conductor Stephanie Rhodes Russell (who was behind the podium for the aforementioned production of La Traviata and more recently served as resident conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony). Additional voices will be provided by the Opera Orlando Chorus and Youth Company.
The evening’s appeal, however, won’t be restricted to hardcore opera buffs: Alongside selections from such classics as Rigoletto and The Magic Flute, the performers will also turn their talents to some of the greatest hits of Broadway, including numbers from Carousel and Les Misérables.
“Hard to believe it’s already been 10 years since the rebirth of a professional opera company in Orlando,” reflects Gabriel Preisser, general director of Opera Orlando. “We’ve had many adventures and important milestones along the way—but this concert encapsulates them all in a big way. It truly will be one big party.”
VIP packages are available that include a post-show party and performance at the nearby Citrus Club. Dr. Phillips Center is located at 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. For more information, call or visit the website.
