Virginia Opera, The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Lyric Opera Virginia jointly announce that Virginia Opera will now present previously scheduled Lyric Opera Virginia productions of both Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot and Giacomo Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) to audiences throughout the Commonwealth.
Lyric Opera Virginia publicized its 2012-13 Season to include productions of both Camelot and Fanciulla; however, Lyric Opera Virginia announces that it will not present either production. As neither opera company wishes for subscription purchasers to be left with unredeemable tickets, Virginia Opera will produce Camelot in January 2013 and performances of Fanciulla, originally scheduled for Fall 2012, will now take place in January 2014 in addition to Virginia Opera’s soon-to-be-announced 2013-14 Season. Virginia Opera will present both works in the same venues originally planned by Lyric Opera Virginia.
Both companies, wishing to ensure that audiences will avail themselves of the Virginia Opera performances, also announce that in lieu of the previously scheduled “Jewel Box” production of Charles Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet, Lyric Opera Virginia ticket holders may trade those tickets for one of four Virginia Opera offerings during the 2013 calendar year, including André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, as well as the first two productions in the upcoming 2013-14 Season. Current Lyric Opera Virginia subscribers will be notified in January 2013 of their options for this exchange following the announcement of Virginia Opera’s 39th Season.
Both Virginia Opera and Lyric Opera Virginia are heavily invested in supporting the art form of opera by increasing education and outreach programs, developing emerging talent, and cultivating new audiences. As such, both companies look at this effort as a favorable move for not only their own organizations, but also for audiences throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Virginia Opera President and CEO Russell P. Allen stated “Virginia Opera and Lyric Opera Virginia have both worked to expand opera and musical theater audiences. With Virginia Opera producing Camelot and La Fanciulla del West, the audience-building groundwork implemented by Lyric Opera Virginia will continue unabated.”
Lyric Opera Virginia Artistic Director Peter Mark stated “Lyric Opera Virginia has already accomplished much of its mission. We put on three magnificent productions attracting audiences of over 13,000 to quality opera and music theatre productions in an array of new venues.”
Virginia Opera Chair of the Board of Directors Alan D. Albert stated “When Lyric Opera Virginia was founded two years ago, we welcomed the advent of an organization with which we shared a common passion: the advancement of opera throughout Virginia. Today, we are pleased to take an important new step in advancing the art form we all love, by providing LOV subscribers with two wonderful productions and an opportunity to attend an additional Virginia Opera production at no added expense. We extend a warm welcome to the LOV family and look forward to working together to advance opera in the months and years to come.”
Lyric Opera Virginia President of the Board of Directors Victor Sonnino stated “Lyric Opera was created with the intent of expanding operatic opportunities as well as presenting opera to a new public by performing in new venues and presenting opera in creative and innovative styles. In spite of its incredible artistic success, LOV has found itself in a similar situation to many other performing arts organizations, that is, the need to identify, in a timely fashion, significant and recurring sources of income. This is why the agreement with Virginia Opera presents itself as an excellent way of preserving staged operas in venues that LOV has developed as well as allowing Lyric Opera to continue to present master classes and discovery concerts that showcase young and aspiring vocal talents.”
Virginia Opera will present both Camelot and Fanciulla as fully-staged productions in three venues: the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, Va., Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, Va., and the Landmark Theater in Richmond, Va. Camelot will be a production conceived by Lyric Opera Virginia; Peter Mark and Joseph Walsh, Artistic Directors. Times and dates for performances of La Fanciulla del West will be released when Virginia Opera announces its 2013-14 Season. Performance dates for Camelot have changed from those originally announced by Lyric Opera Virginia and are now scheduled as follows:
Sandler Center for the Performing Arts – Virginia Beach, Va.
Friday, January 11, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 2:30 p.m.
Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center for the Arts – Newport News, Va.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
Landmark Theater – Richmond, Va.
Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 2:30 p.m.
Current Lyric Opera subscribers may confirm their already purchased Camelot tickets for these four performances at the Virginia Opera Box Office by calling 1.866.OPERA.VA (1.866.673.7282). Single tickets for Camelot are expected to go on sale to the public the first week of December, once all of Lyric Opera Virginia’s current subscribers have been accommodated. All details regarding individual ticket purchases for Camelot will be released separately on December 3, 2012.
For more information, contact Marci Falvey, Virginia Opera Media and Communications Manager, at marci.falvey@vaopera.org or by phone at 757.627.9545, ext. 3323. For any questions regarding Lyric Opera Virginia, contact Joseph Mayes, Board Member, at jmayes@williamsmullen.com or by phone at 757.473.5339.