See a staged reading of the hilarious new musical Sunshine City at Opera Central! Written by Dewey Davis-Thompson and Tom Sivak, both members of the SPO family, and starring Matt Acquard (Bad Jews) and Julia Rifino (Avenue … Read the rest
Author Archives: editor
Lavish, Enjoyable and Exuberant!
Andrew Meacham gushes: Musically, the creative team behind the St. Petersburg Opera’s season-ending musical, The Music Man, were clearly going all out. Meredith Willson’s paean to small-town Americana outdid West Side Story in the 1958 Tony Awards with … Read the rest
Announcing Our 2018-19 Season
Why can’t you behave?
Characters who simply can’t control themselves permeate this intrepid opera company’s 13th season which includes Don Giovanni, Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi, Madama Butterfly and Kiss Me Kate along with Pinocchio and the popular Maestro Series
St. Petersburg, … Read the rest
2018-19 Season
New pages for new season:
Audition for Kiss Me, Kate on Aug 12, 16, or 17
St. Petersburg Opera announces AUDITIONS for select roles in KISS ME KATE
Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter
Mark Sforzini Artistic Director Rehearsals begin January 3, 2019
Daryl Gray, Director/Choreographer Show dates: February 2, 3, 5, 8 and 10, 2019… Read the rest
The Tampa Bay area is lucky!
TampaBay.com: After the National Anthem and some introductory remarks by the maestro, a teacher from Chattanooga, Tenn., addressed a crowd at the Palladium Tuesday about the short work they were about to hear from the Tampa Bay Symphony.
“This … Read the rest
Maestro Sforzini dusting off his bassoon
Our own Maestro Sforzini will be dusting off his bassoon to play a recital this Saturday night with clarinetist Brian Moorhead. Moorhead (41 years Principal Clarinet with the Florida Orchestra) commissioned Sforzini to compose a Double Concerto for Clarinet and … Read the rest
Strong leads propel St. Petersburg Opera’s ‘The Magic Flute’
Reviewer Andrew Meacham wrote: An unconscious prince in a magical forest gets rescued by three witchy women who serve a mysterious queen. He soon returns the favor, rescuing the queen’s daughter with whom he has fallen instantly in love.… Read the rest
Morning Blend Show
Maestro Sforzini and Kelly Butler appear on Morning Blend with a preview of The Magic Flute.
Opera is for Everyone
by Susie Hellman Spatafora (Assoc. Director of Development at St. Pete Opera and lover of opera education for kids!)
Everyone here at Opera Central is super excited about our opera for children, Pinocchio! Sunny Spaces, our set designer and … Read the rest
Cocktails with the Maestro
Join the fun at our inaugural Cocktails with the Maestro in vibrant downtown St. Petersburg. Gather your friends and join us after work or school to enjoy a great venue and opera antics…a perfect duo. Maestro Mark Sforzini will lead ‘Faust’ a Hit!
Seasoned cast scores an extra-base hit for St. Petersburg Opera with ‘Faust’ says Andrew Meacham, Times Performing Arts Critic:
Charles Gounod’s Faust sets the table early. The world-weary philosopher immortalized in a dramatic poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is … Read the rest
Meet me at the opera. You have your ticket, right?
Gounod’s romantic, French grand opera Faust presents us with glorious melodies and sumptuous orchestrations for this dark tale. Unhappy with life, Faust yearns for a return to his youth; makes a pact with the Devil and draws a host of … Read the rest
SPO DVD is First Ever of Susannah!
St. Petersburg Opera Company is delighted to announce the first ever DVD recording of the Carlisle Floyd opera Susannah, with Maestro Mark Sforzini and starring Susan Hellman Spatafora, Stefanie Izzo and Aleksandra Ritums. Filmed in 2014 at the Palladium … Read the rest
Samuel Hall sings Nessun Dorma
St. Petersburg Opera Company’s Samuel Hall sings Nessun dorma at the Palladium Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida on December 18, 2016 with Maestro Mark Sforizini directing the St. Petersburg Opera Orchestra and Chorus in the annual Seasonal Sparkle celebration of … Read the rest
Arsenault’s design brings out the full richness of Tales of Hoffman
Michael Eddy of Stage-Directions.com writes: Lighting Designer Keith Arsenault recently lit the St. Petersburg Opera Company’s production of the Jacques Offenbach classic, Tales of Hoffmann. Following a poet through three fanciful stories of unrequited love, this opera has … Read the rest
St. Petersburg Opera continues to astound
William S. Oser says in Talkin’ Broadway “I would have been delighted to encounter a performance this good of this opera at any of the … European Opera Houses.”
The glories of this production all come from the infrastructure of … Read the rest
Mom Would Love It!
Peter Bates at Stylus notes: Jacques Offenbach composed over 100 operas. But waste no pity on him because he has only one in the repertoire (and for dying before he could see it). Tales of Hoffman, based on … Read the rest
WUSF Podcast with Maestro Mark Sforzini
Hear Maestro and some cast members on WUSF discussing St. Pete Opera and The Tales of Hoffman.… Read the rest
Maestro Interview by Creative Pinellas
From Creative Pinellas:
Maestro Mark Sforzini dispels notions of opera being too stuffy or boring. The affable conductor, composer and director of the St. Petersburg Opera hosts amusingly informative events that de-snobify the genre.
His Evenings and Mornings … Read the rest
Creative Collaborations 2017
Creative Collaborations 2017 Program Notes
Co-Sponsored by Belinda Dumont & William Ward
Rhapsody for Bassoon and Marimba – World Premiere
by Mark Sforzini
Performed by John Shaw (marimba) and Mark Sforzini (bassoon).
meiuqeR: A Tragedy in Reverse – World Premiere… Read the rest
Il Trovatore Sets the Table for the Season
Andrew Meacham writes Il Trovatore opens with foreboding and menace as a Spanish military officer lays the groundwork for revenge. Musically and in tone, the table is set: This will be dark.
The opera by Giuseppe Verdi premiered in Rome … Read the rest
IL TROVATORE – Director’s Notes
Il trovatore is the second of the great trio of mature, middle-period Verdi masterpieces which cemented Verdi’s reputation as the greatest Italian composer of his time. Preceded by Rigoletto and followed by La traviata, this opera demonstrated Verdi’s ability … Read the rest
IL TROVATORE – Synopsis
Part 1 The Duel
Scene 1: The guardroom of the Palace of Aliaferia. Late at night.
Ferrando, Captain of Count di Luna’s guards, warns his men to stay alert for signs of a mysterious troubadour who has been singing … Read the rest
Single Tickets on Sale Now
Under Maestro’s baton the orchestra is absolutely stunning
Broadway World‘s Peter Nason reviews: I am in the camp that believes that SOUTH PACIFIC is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s greatest work. Even though it won the Pulitzer Prize and is the only musical to garner the Tony Award for … Read the rest
‘South Pacific’ closes out opera season, with pleasing results
St. Pete Times‘s Andrew Meacham writes: The St. Petersburg Opera Company again closes its season with a musical, this time running two weeks. The extra week for South Pacific anticipates healthy crowds at the Palladium, but also does justice … Read the rest
A faithful, delightful rendition of ‘La Bohème’
Andrew Meacham reviewed: Now and then, someone launches a contemporary version of La Bohème, Giacomo Puccini’s paean to love and loss, with mixed results. A production in Washington, D.C., set the downtrodden artists in the 1980s club scene. Another, … Read the rest
La Boheme Sold Out Sunday!
If you missed the thunderous standing ovation on opening night of St. Pete Opera’s La Boheme at the Palladium, you will need to get tickets for Tuesday night. Don’t miss this lively, passionate presentation of Puccini’s classic with Maestro … Read the rest
Youth Chorus Audition March 26
All vocally gifted youth, ages 9 to 16, are invited to audition to perform in the St. Petersburg Opera Youth Chorus. (Boys must be of unchanged voice due to the range of the music.)
The audition will begin at… Read the rest
The maestro, the money and the unfinished ‘Great Gatsby’ opera
St. Pete Times‘ Andrew Meachum writes this: Daisy Buchanan — you’ve heard of her — is an irrepressible teen. She is drawn to Jay Gatsby — you’ve heard of him — an enigmatic, though problematic, wealthy older man.
‘Abduction from the Seraglio’ shows off genius
St. Pete Times reviews: A nearly full house turned out on Friday for the St. Petersburg Opera’s first production of 2016, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio.
As with all things Palladium, the former church with … Read the rest
Photos from Abduction
Photos from Carmen
Seasonal Sparkle Photos
Opera Express: Live performance, Demonstration, Participation
A fun adventure for cultural travelers of all ages
FREE!
Saturday, March 12, 2016
10:00 am—1:00 pm
Cast Bio: Chris Romeo
Cast Bio: Andrew Emery, Featured Soloist
Andrew Emery has a Bachelors of Music from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Voice Performance. As a performer, Mr. Emery has worked with multiple companies in diverse settings, some being Walt Disney World resort’s “Beauty and the Beast” … Read the rest
Cast Bio: Alexander Adams-Leytes
Buffo bass-baritone ALEXANDER ADAMS-LEYTES, in making his professional debut in March of 2013 with Pacific Opera Project, in Los Angeles, CA, was described as “transcendental” and “never missing a syllable or pitch…always creating a plausible motive for his insane vocal … Read the rest
Cast Bio: John Short
John Short is a Bass-Baritone that studied at USF with Dr. Warren Jaworski. Previous roles have included Masetto/Commendatore in Don Giovanni with New Century Opera, Der Lakai in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Juano in West Side Story, both … Read the rest