Posted April 30, 2022
DAYTON, OH (April 25, 2022) – On Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 8:00pm and Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 3 p.m. in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, Dayton Opera, under the leadership of Artistic Director Kathleen Clawson, closes its season with an exhilarating journey through the opera repertoire in a program aptly named Epic Opera.
Epic Opera is a concert showcasing some of the most thrilling moments in opera. Maestro Neal Gittleman conducts the Dayton Philharmonic in a dazzling program ranging from the grandest of Grand Opera to more contemporary works. Dayton Opera celebrates the return to the stage of the Dayton Opera Chorus, joined by the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus, in a program of captivating overtures, beloved arias, stirring ensembles, and favorite opera choruses.
Four stellar soloists take the stage with the Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Philharmonic Chorus, and Dayton Opera Chorus to present these sensational works.
Soprano Rebecca Krynski has been Hailed by The New York Times as a “vibrant soprano…with a secure, appealing sound and eye-opening volume.” Mezzo-soprano Daryl Freedman has been praised by Opera News for her “striking dark timbre” and “expansive, sumptuous” performances.
American dramatic tenor Robert Stahley, currently in his final year of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein young artist program at LA Opera, shined last summer as a second-year apprentice with Santa Fe Opera, where he performed with Grammy Award-winning soprano Angel Blue. Of baritone Lester Lynch, Opera Today has recently enthused that that he has “fire power and the dramatic heat to raise the hair on the back of your neck.”
Rebecca, Daryl, and Robert will all be making their Dayton Opera debuts with this performance, and Dayton Opera welcomes Lester back to the Schuster Center stage for the third time, having last performed with Dayton Opera in the title role of the January 2008 production of Macbeth.
This program of Epic Opera features excerpts from some of the most magnificent operas in the repertoire. The curtain rises both before and after intermission with two sparkling overtures: the Overture from Wagner’s delightful Die Meistersinger and the Overture from Weber’s Der Freischütz. The Dayton Philharmonic is featured as well in intermezzi by Mascagni and Puccini.
Stunning arias will fill the theater, such as Wagner’s “O, du mein holder Abendstern” from Tannhäuser, beloved arias from Saint-Saëns’s Samson et Dalila and Puccini’s Tosca, and the Jewel Song from Gounod’s Faust.
The cast also takes the stage in pairs to deliver wonderful duets, including Barcarolle from Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffman and the moving tenor/baritone duet from Puccini’s La bohème. The program would not be complete without the rich chorus moments the make opera so memorable, including excerpts from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Verdi’s Nabucco.
With a night at the opera that includes all of these most epic moments, you are sure to be on your feet shouting “Bravo!” as the last note is sung!
Safety Protocols
The DPAA is excited to welcome audiences back to the 2021–2022 Season. The health and safety of patrons, performers, staff, and volunteers is our top priority. Beginning March 5, 2022, in partnership with DPAA’s venue partner Dayton Live and in accordance with the CDC’s new guidelines, the following new health and safety protocols will be in place at all performances and events:
- Vaccination and Testing – Proof of vaccination or COVID-19 testing will no longer be required to attend performances at Dayton Live venues, including the Schuster Center and the Victoria Theatre.
- Masks – Masks will no longer be required while attending a DPAA performance or event. The DPAA welcomes patrons to wear masks at any performance if they so choose.
Tickets for Epic Opera begin at $5 and are available through the box office at (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
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About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the greater Dayton community, with a mission to be the community’s indispensable source for traditional, diverse and innovative experiences in ballet, opera, and orchestral music. The vision of the DPAA is to transform lives through the power of music and dance. The DPAA offers a wide variety of performance and education programs, setting a new standard for artistic excellence. DPAA performances reach an audience of more than 90,000 people annually, and their rich arts education programming serves over 60,000 schoolchildren in 150 schools in the Miami Valley. These performances and education initiatives are made possible in part through major support provided by the Ohio Arts Council, Culture Works, the City of Dayton, Montgomery County and the National Endowment for the Arts.