Fort Lee Resident to Perform in La Gioconda at Bergen Performing Arts Center

The New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera announces tenor Giovanni Simone of Fort Lee will perform the role of Isepo, a Scribe, in the company's grand production of Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda on April 17. The opera will be performed at 3:00 p.m. at the Bergen Performing Arts Center, located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey.

Simone has performed in other Verismo Opera productions. This past October, he appeared in the company's production of Lucia di Lammermoor as Normanno. He has sung with several opera companies, including the Baltimore Opera, New Jersey State Opera, and Philadelphia Grand Opera.

Originally from Italy, Simone has appeared with several professional productions in the Tri-State area performing supporting roles with a number of leading opera companies. Simone's portrait of Goro in Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Tinca in Puccini’s Il Tabarro, Gastone in Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, Arturo and Normanno in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor have been well received by the press and by the public. He has worked with Metropolitan Opera conductors Ignace Strasfogel, Richard Woitach and Henry Lewis and performed in productions with world famous baritones Tito Gobbi and Mario Sereni.

Tickets are on sale for La Gioconda and may be purchased online, at the bergenPAC box office, and by calling (201) 227-1030 or toll-free at 1-888-PACSHOW.

Verismo Opera is committed to ensuring its programs and services are accessible to all. bergenPAC is handicapped accessible. Street parking is available in front of the theatre with designated handicapped parking spaces. Hearing assist systems are available upon request to the house manager in the lobby.