ISU to host Opera Idaho performance of “L’eliser d’amore” on Nov. 3
October 12, 2017
POCATELLO – Opera Idaho will present Gaetano Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” Nov. 3 in the Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall in the L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center.
The production is set in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The setting is Adina’s Nightclub at the end of the USO nightclub craze. This setting allows the drama of the opera to unfold both "onstage" and "offstage" as we watch big production numbers, as well as intimate moments, that happen backstage.
Adina is the proprietor of the nightclub and their star chanteuse. Nemorino is the janitor, smitten with his boss. Gianetta is the head waiter and leader of the club's chorus. Dulcamara is a travelling snake-oil salesman who has come to town with his two assistants. And Belcore is an army officer on leave before his deployment (to Korea, presumably).
The production, originally staged for Resonance Works Pittsburgh, won the American Prize in Opera Performance in 2015. The letter accompanying the award read, "As much as I am not a fan of operatic 'up-dating,' this production is brilliant from start to finish! The concept worked."
“L’elisir d’amore,” starring artist-in-residence soprano Emily Hansen as Adina, returns to the Opera Idaho stage for the first time since 2008 (also produced in 1996). One of opera’s most endearing comedies, “L’elisir d’amore” also features tenor Thomas Glenn (“The Magic Flute,” 2015) as the country-bumpkin Nemorino, Christopher Job (“Susannah,” 2013) as the slippery Dulcamara, and Boise baritone Jason Detwiler (most recently Dr. Falke in “Die Fledermaus,” 2016) as the braggadocious Belcore.
For guests wanting an intimate experience, special tickets can be purchased for $200 that will allow guests to sit on the stage and interact with performers during the performance. There are only a limited number of special tickets. If interested, contact Melissa Lee at bohnmeli@isu.edu or (208) 282-1404.
Tickets for “L’elisir d’amore” range from $12 to $27, and can be purchased at isu.edu/tickets or by calling (208) 282-3595.
For more information on “L’elisir d’amore,” visit isu.edu/cal or contact Diana Livingston Friedley at lividian@isu.edu or (208) 282-2611.