Princeton, NJ Entertainment Blog

Do you get sad when you finish a good book? Would you rather spend a rainy afternoon in the movie theater than take a nap? If yes, tune in to the Princeton Online’s Entertainment Blog and find out what’s new in the world of books and film.

Share:

Most recent posting below. See other blogs in the "Other Blogs" section at the bottom.

Boheme Opera NJ Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Giuseppe Verdi’s AIDA

March 17, 2019 By Jane Hynes

On Friday, April 5 at 8:00pm and Sunday, April 7 at 3:00pm, Boheme Opera NJ will celebrate its 30^th Anniversary with a full-staged production of one of opera’s most exotic and well-known masterpieces: Giuseppe Verdi’s AIDA. Taking place in ancient Egypt, this is a powerful story of the fierce love of Radames, captain of the Pharaoh’s guard, for Aida, a princess of Ethiopia and daughter of Egypt’s worst enemy, King Amonasro. Completing a love triangle, the Pharaoh’s daughter, Amneris, covets Radames for herself, causing intense moments of jealousy and bitterness. Famous music, choruses and ballet sequences create a sensational theater experience for audiences. Performances will take place at Kendall Main Stage Theater on the campus of The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Rd, Ewing Township, NJ 08628.

The outstanding cast that Boheme has assembled will put you on the edge of your seat with vocal fireworks. Conductor is BONJ Artistic Director Joseph Pucciatti and Stage Director is Eve Summer, with the Boheme Opera Chorus and Orchestra, and dancers from Princeton Youth Ballet choreographed by Risa Kaplowitz. Stunning digital sets are by J. Matthew Root, lighting is by Mike Voytko, costumes assembled by Kierceton Keller, wig/hair/makeup by Patricia DelSordo and English supertitles provided by Tom Getty. There are pre-curtain talks in the theater one hour prior to performances.

Starring in the title role is lyrico spinto soprano Marsha Thompson, who gained attention for her voice as First Prize Winner of the Opera Orchestra of New York Vocal Competition. Making her Boheme Opera NJ debut, Ms. Thompson has performed the role Sieglinde in Die Walküre with Trillogy Opera Company, the title role in Aida with Opera Theater of the Rockies and Abigaille in Nabucco with Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis.

Making his role debut as Radames is tenor Todd Wilander, having sung over 70 opera roles throughout the USA and in 15 countries. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2007 as Arturo in a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor under the baton of James Levine, and has returned for 8 seasons, thus far, singing Ensemble 15 in The Nose (HD Live Movie Theater

Broadcast), covering the American Congressman in Two Boys, The Fool in Wozzeck, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, as Beppe in I Pagliacci and singing in La Fanciulla del West as Harry. He sang the role of Edgardo in Boheme Opera’s 2017 Lucia di Lammermoor.

Contralto Alison Bolshoi will make her role debut as Amneris, as well as her Boheme Opera NJ debut, having made her Carnegie Hall debut in May 2018 with MidAmerican Productions in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Vaughn Williams’ Serenade to Music. Ms. Bolshoi realized she was a contralto in 2016 and transitioned from soprano. As a soprano, she made her international concert debut at La Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona and shortly after, joined the roster of The San Francisco Opera.

Baritone Kenneth Overton makes his role debut as Amonasro, having been featured on Boheme Opera’s main stage in 2007 as Germont in La Traviata and in 2012 as Papageno in

The Magic Flute. Career highlights include his 2017 New York Philharmonic debut, and his San Francisco Opera debut as Lawyer Frazier in Porgy and Bess and a return to the company as Sid in La Fanciulla del West. As a leading baritone, Mr. Overton has performed with Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, Opera Memphis, Sacramento Opera, Nashville Opera, Connecticut Opera, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Toledo Opera, Opera Delaware, among others.

Bass Martin Hargrove will debut his role of Ramphis, having performed leading roles on stage with Minnesota Opera, Palmiro Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Pennsylvania Opera Theater, Center City Opera, American Opera Projects and the Braunschweig Staatsoper, among others. With Boheme Opera, he has sung the roles of Colline in La Boheme and Raimondo Bide-the-Bent in Lucia di Lammermoor.

If live opera is on your bucket list, don’t miss Boheme Opera’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s AIDA. For tickets, visit the homepage of bohemeopera.com, call the TCNJ box office at (609) 771-2775 or link to: https://tinyurl.com/BONJ-Aida. For more company information, visit bohemeopera.com OR Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BohemeOperaNJ/ The opera will be sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Kendall Theater is handicap accessible, and a campus special needs shuttle will be provided.

Following AIDA, Boheme Opera is hosting its 30^th Anniversary Reunion Concert on May 19 at 3pm in the East Gallery of the beautiful Grounds For Sculpture. To be live broadcast by WWFM The Classical Network, audiences will be treated to performances by many of Boheme Opera’s past main stage artists. The concert is free with entry cost to Grounds For Sculpture.

Funding for Boheme Opera NJ programs is made possible in part by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, The Mark David and Anne Kupferberg Pepper Family Foundation, Dorothea Van Dyke McLane Association, Roma Bank Community Foundation, Investors Bank Community Foundation, corporations, businesses, individuals and collaborative contributions.

Add a Comment