Bergen County's Grand Opera Company, Verismo Opera, to Begin 28th Season With Open House

The New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera (Verismo Opera), the house opera company of the Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC), launches the 28th season at the annul Open House on Saturday, September 10, 2016. The event will be held at 44 Armory Street in Englewood, New Jersey at 2:00 p.m.

Artistic Director Lucine Amara, a Met Opera legend, invites the public to attend the free event and learn more about the grand opera company's new season. The program features a 30-minute concert with vocalists performing arias and duets from Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto and past productions.

Opportunities will be discussed to get involved in the nonprofit opera company as supernumeraries acting in non-speaking and non-singing roles, the 28th Annual International Competition, volunteers working behind-the-scenes, and singers performing in the Verismo Opera Chorus. Exhibits will display memorabilia, costumes, and photos from Verismo Opera’s 28 years producing grand operas, sponsoring the vocal competition, presenting concerts, holding master classes, giving operalogues, and training the stars of tomorrow.

Ms. Amara, Verismo Opera Music Director/Principal Conductor Lucy Arner, Stage Director Evelyn La Quaif, President Dr. James Garvin, MD, and others will discuss Verismo Opera’s mission, vision, and history. They will introduce the grand opera company’s new 2016-2017 productions of Rigoletto and Aida.

Verismo Opera will perform Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto on October 23, 2016 and present Aida on April 23, 2017. Both productions will be performed at bergenPAC, located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey, at 3:00 p.m.

The Open House site is handicapped accessible. A parking lot has a designated handicapped parking space.

The 2016 season is made possible, in part, with funds provided by the New Jersey Council on the Arts/Department of State,through grant funds administered by the Bergen County Department of Parks,
Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs. Other supporters include Children’s Aid Foundation, Robert J. Campbell, MD, Cesare L. Santeramo, KSJ, Paul Weiss Matching Fund, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, Inc., and Vanguard CharitableEndowment Fund.

For further information about the program or Verismo Opera, call (201) 886-0561 or send an e-mail to info@verismopera.org. Get updates about the grand opera company on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Sign up for the organization's monthly newsletter to be delivered directly to your inbox and receive news about events, concerts, productions, auditions, jobs, competitions, and other opportunities.

Photo Credit: Marilyn Monsanto