Hot Italian hosted “Experience the O,” a Sacramento Opera fundraising event, on Thursday. The free public event, coordinated by Vy Nguyen, brought many opera fans together to enjoy a silent auction, raffle, delicious pizza, a great soprano singer and great company. Several representatives from the Sacramento Opera helped with the event, including Nina Ankelé and Alan Willendrup, who greeted guests as they arrived, handed out informational materials and sold raffle tickets. Willendrup has been on the Sacramento Opera Board of Directors for about a year, and Ankelé has served for approximately 16 years. Both were great ambassadors for the Sacramento Opera. Samantha Olson, executive direct

The Sacramento Opera unveiled the program for its upcoming season after canceling shows last spring and then going on a fundraising drive to make this season possible. The two full operas, “Pagliacci” by Ruggero Leoncavallo and “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi, will be augmented by a special performance in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament to kick off the season Oct. 6. General Manager Rod Gideons said the Opera at the Cathedral show will highlight the top-10 musical numbers performed by the Sacramento Opera since its inception in 1981 as voted on by about 200 opera subscribers. “We’re going to be doing arias, duets, trios, quartets and ensembles,” he said, adding that six singers wil

The Sacramento Opera exceeded its funding goal of collecting $122,000 in individual donations by Thursday night, and the upcoming season is no longer in jeopardy. “It’s a go,” said Rod Gideons, General Director for the opera company. “We did just over $135,000, so we were really, really pleased.” Approximately $39,000 in additional donations is needed to see the season out, but Gideons said he is confident that will be raised, and the company has the course of the season – which stretches into 2012 – to raise those funds. “Most likely, when we send out our subscription renewal forms, that’s when we’ll get that,” he said, adding that those forms will likely go out at the end of the month

The Sacramento Opera managed to collect more than $20,000 in gift pledges from private donors over the weekend, bringing the total funding needed for next season to $14,642. “I’m very hopeful that we’ll collect the rest,” said Sacramento Opera General Director Rod Gideons. “We just put out the word, and people have really been responding.” The board of directors will decide Thursday if enough money has been raised to proceed with the coming season, Gideons said. So far, $117,358 has been pledged. After canceling its last two shows of the season – “The Magic Flute” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice” – the opera is trying to raise enough of the $175,000 it needs in order to ensure the

Representatives of the Sacramento Opera unveiled their plan for saving the company in a presentation Thursday night for supporters of the only professional opera in the Sacramento region. Rod Gideons, Sacramento Opera general director, and Michael Nelson, president of the board of directors, shared the stage at Antiquité Maison Privée in Midtown. During the two-hour presentation, they outlined “what’s happened, what’s changed and what’s next” for the Sacramento Opera. “We have no cash reserves, no endowment, and we’ve been entirely dependent on ticket sales up to this point,” Gideons told the audience of more than 60 opera subscribers and supporters. If something doesn’t happen – and ha

Fans of the opera filled the sold-out seats of the Sacramento Community Theater to watch the Sacramento Opera’s premier of “Orlando” Friday night. Written in 1719 by George Frideric Handel, “Orlando” is a story about love, madness and magic that featured a talented cast with fantastic orchestral accompaniment. “The closest I’ve come to an opera is watching something on public television,” said local resident Meredith Shipham before the show. “I’ve always thought their voices were beautiful, but I was lost on the stories.” “Orlando” follows the tale of a knight named Orlando (Randall Scotting) who is madly in love with Angelica (Céline Ricci), the queen of Cathay. Angelica, however, has f

It was fitting that a fundraising event for the Sacramento Opera was held at the Hot Italian located at 16th and Q Streets. The Sacramento Opera will begin its 30th Anniversary Season in Sacramento continuing the Opera movement begun in Italy during the 16th century. The event hosted by Hot Italian was free and open to the public. It was held to raise funds for the Sacramento Opera. This eventIt included a live auction and raffle prizes. A live opera performance by 4 operatic singers was the highlight of the evening. Donations were taken at the door and tickets were given to those that donated and a raffle was held later to thank them for the donations. The biggest prize however was watch

If your mind wanders at the mention of opera, Baroque composers, or reading subtitles, perhaps something as universally frustrating as love can hold your attention. Incorporating all of the above, and more, the Sacramento Opera will bring Handel’s “Orlando” to the Community Center Theater for two performances this month. “Even if it’s your first opera, you’ll get it,” countertenor Randall Scotting said. Scotting will be playing the title role, Orlando. “‘Orlando’ is great for people who don’t know Baroque opera,” he said, “It’s not too hard for the audience to come along with the story.” The opera follows the roller coaster ride of emotions experienced by the battle-worn soldier, Orland

Imagine you're relaxing with a glass of wine, overlooking Tuscan-like vineyards and grassy foothills. Italian arias about intense romances are being sung to you and an intimate crowd of about 200. That's the kind of opera experience the Sacramento Opera wants to provide with the second annual Opera in the Vineyards, happening Sunday night at David Girard Vineyards in Placerville. The informal theme of the show is "Love Italian Style," said the opera's general manager, Rod Gideons. It features soprano Carrie Hennessey, mezzo soprano Julie Anne Miller, tenor Darron Flagg and piano accompanist John Cozza. Concert pianist Jennifer Reason, who was married at the vineyard, will open the show.

The Sacramento Opera presented Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata to a full house Friday night at the Community Center Theater. From the opening number, the audience was captivated by lead Karen Slack (soprano), who played Violetta Valery, and Alexander Boyer (tenor), who played Alfredo Germont. Conducted by Timm Rolek, the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied the cast in the two-and-a-half-hour performance. Slack and Boyer's voices complemented each other, bringing the dramatic storyline to life. La Traviata follows Valery, a courtesan, and Germont, a respectable young man, as they fall in love and later feel the pain of being torn apart by Alfredo's father, Giorgio Germont, played

The Sacramento Opera will present the famous, heart-wrenching opera La Traviata at the Sacramento Community Center Theater Friday. The popular opera was written in the mid-1800s by Giuseppe Verdi, who based his tale off the widely successful novel, La Dame Aux Camélias, by Alexandre Dumas. Though Dumas's book is written as a tragedy, adaptations of the novel, such as with La Traviata and recent films "Camille" and "Pretty Women," have been retold as a love story. La Traviata is a romantic play set in the 19th century following the relationship of well-born gentlemen Alfredo Germont, played by Tenor Alexander Boyer, who is in love with a beautiful courtesan named Violetta Valéry, played

One local arts organization not in need of financial aid is The Sacramento Opera. In the 2008-2009 season it not only ended the year in the black, but the organization eliminated all its debt, exceeded its budget goal and grew its ticket sales by nearly 38 percent. After disappointing ticket sales in 2008, the opera was fortunate to have extra income contributed from private donors such as the Mildred Reis Estate and other corporate sponsors such as Raley's and Marriott. The organization also paid back a city loan incurred in 1992. Attendance for the season's four feature shows totaled 17,414, while the community programs saw an all-time high in participation with 6,152 audience members

Hoping to meet more people and bring them to our office as well as support social media, we at The Sacramento Press will be holding our first Tweetup this Thursday, May 28, from 6 - 8 p.m. We were very lucky to team up with Ricardo Robles, from Capsity Offices, Ronnie Ledesma, from Sacramento Social Media Club and Darby Flynn, from Chalk it Up! to connect with all sorts of artists and local businesses. Thursday evening will be filled with belly dancing from Red Tent Belly Dance, performance art from Phoenix Gallery, wine tasting from MAS Wine and James David Cellars, break dancing from Capitol Roots Dance Studio, chalk drawing from Chalk it Up! artists, a presentation from the Sacramento