Brooklyn Repertory Opera

melmezzo

Brooklyn Repertory Opera to present famed Greek story

Long considered to be one of opera's most heartrending love stories, Gluck's “Orpheus and Eurydice” will be presented at the Brooklyn Repertory Opera on March 20th 7:30, March 21st at 3:30, March 28th and March 29th at 3:30 PM at the Brooklyn Lyceum Theatre in Park Slope, Brooklyn. All performances are in English.

The opera opens with Orpheus (Melissa Gerstein, Nicholas Tamagna) mourning the loss of his wife, Eurydice (Joyce Elaine Greene, Courtenay Schowalter) who was fatally bitten by a snake. Grief stricken, he vows to rescue her from the underworld. Amore (Danielle Fisk, Ilya Speranza), the god of Love, consoles Orpheus by telling him that love can overcome all obstacles and gives him only one condition he must follow when he rescues Eurydice from Hades: he is not to hold her hand or look at her until they have ascended from Hades. Orpheus accepts the challenge and begins his passage to Hades.

Along his journey, he encounters the Furies, goddesses of vengeance. Orpheus' singing rouses the Furies and they let him pass safely. When Orpheus arrives at the Elysium, resting place of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous, Eurydice is presented to him, blindfolded, by the gods. Without looking at her or saying a word to her, he leads Eurydice from Hades. Eurydice, impatient, begins to question Orpheus about why he is not speaking to her and why they are unable to embrace. She takes his coldness as rejection. No longer able to restrain himself, Orpheus turns to answer Eurydice and she dies once more in front of him. Distraught that his wife has died once again, Orpheus attempts to kill himself but Amore stops him. Amore revives Eurydice from death and the lovers are reunited.

The opera is conducted by Eric Jorgenson and Harry Saltzman. Tickets for Orpheus and Eurydice are $20.00 for adult and $10.00 for children and seniors. Group rates are also available. Brooklyn Lyceum is located at 227 4th Ave, Brooklyn, New York (located on the corner of Union and 4th Avenue). It is accessible to the R Subway at the Union Street stop. For reservations or more information, call (866) 469-2687 or visit www.bropera.org.

bropub

Brooklyn Repertory Opera to offer $5.00 tickets to unemployed New Yorkers

In an effort to make sure that New Yorkers hit by the current economic hard times can still enjoy live performing arts, Brooklyn Repertory Opera will offer discounted tickets to it's upcoming run of Gluck's "Orpheus and Eurydice" (3/20 @ 7:30 PM and 3/21, 3/28, 3/29 at 3:30 PM). The discounted tickets will be priced at $5.00 and may be purchased by anyone presenting a current unemployment insurance check stub at the box office on the day of the performance. There is a limit of one ticket per purchaser.

In conjunction with the special ticket pricing, the Brooklyn Lyceum Cafe will roll back the price of a cup of coffee to just 5 cents for all persons attending "Orpheus and Eurydice".

This production is fully staged with orchestra and is conducted by Harry Saltzman. Maestro Saltzman was a Professor of Music at Brooklyn College's Conservatory of Music, where he conducted the chorus and orchestra. He retired in 1999, and these performances mark his return to the podium.

General admission tickets for "Orpheus and Eurydice" are $20, while student and senior tickets are $10. Group rates are also available. Brooklyn Lyceum is located at 227 4th Ave, Brooklyn, New York (located on the corner of President and 4th Avenue). It is accessible from the R Subway at the Union Street stop. For reservations or more information, call (866) 469-2687 or visit www.bropera.org.