Three Additions to San Diego Opera’s 2014-2015 Season

San Diego Opera Press Release
by Edward Wilensky

Richard Tucker Award-Winners Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello in Recital

Stephanie Blythe and pianist Craig Terry Perform We’ll Meet Again: The Songs of Kate Smith

A New Mariachi Opera El Pasado Nunca se Terminar (The Past is Never Finished) featuring Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán

San Diego, CA – San Diego Opera is pleased to announce three additions to the 2014-2015 Season which it announced on May, 19, 2014:

Richard Tucker Award-Winners Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello will perform a recital on Friday, September 5th, 2014 at 7 PM at the Balboa Theatre to promote their new album “Love Duets.” Stephen Costello made his Company debut in 2010 as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, opposite his real life wife Ailyn Pérez as Juliet. Costello and Perez returned in 2011’s Faust as Faust and Marguerite, and Costello returned in 2011’s Der Rosenkavalier as the Italian Singer and in 2013’s Daughter of the Regiment as Tonio. In demand on all of the world’s major stages, this recital with piano will include hits from La bohème, La traviata, The Elixir of Love, Manon, West Side Story, Carousel, and more. Tickets start at $20.

“Stephen and Ailyn are no strangers to our audience, and are some of the most exciting singers performing today,” shares San Diego Opera Board President Carol Lazier. “To welcome them as the inaugural performance of our 2014-2015 season, is an incredible pleasure.”

San Diego Opera is pleased to welcome back mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe with pianist Craig Terry performing their acclaimed show, We’ll Meet Again: The Songs of Kate Smith on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at the Balboa Theatre at 7 PM. Ms. Blythe made her Company debut last season as Madame Arvidson in A Masked Ball and also sang in the Verdi Requiem. For this special concert with piano, she celebrates another great American singer, Kate Smith, whose bold, beautiful voice inspired a nation through the Great Depression and devastating wars with popular standards like “We’ll Meet Again,” “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “God Bless America.” We’ll Meet Again: The Songs of Kate Smith was filmed for a Great Performances Broadcast on PBS under the title “Stephanie Blythe Meets Kate Smith”. Tickets start at $20.

“Stephanie Blythe made her Company debut last season in A Masked Ball and the Verdi Requiem, just as the announcement of our closure was made public. Still, Stephanie vowed that she would return and sing for the city and Company she had fallen in love with,” shares Lazier. “When news of our 2014-2015 was announced, Stephanie and Craig immediately reached out to see what they could bring to the season. We’re deeply honored to present their special program honoring singer Kate Smith to our community.”

San Diego Opera is also pleased to welcome the return of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán in an entirely new mariachi opera El Pasado Nunca se Terminar (The Past is Never Finished) which will have two performances only on April 25, 2015 at 2 PM and 7 PM. Written by José “Pepe” Martinez (music) and Leonard Foglia (libretto), the same team behind 2013’s mariachi opera Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, this new opera tells the story of the appearance of Halley’s Comet over Mexico in 1910. Taken as a portent to war, it heralded the eve of the Mexican Revolution as peasants turned into soldiers and soldiers into revolutionaries who sought to reclaim land that had been theirs for centuries. This new production, developed by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, will be part of the second Mariachi Week in San Diego with city wide performances of local mariachi talent and celebrations on the Community Concourse in front of the theatre before the performances. Tickets start at $35.

“We are excited about the return of Mariachi Vargas with El Pasado Nunca se Terminar,” stated Board Member Robert Horsman. “This opportunity provides multifaceted benefits that allow us to build on the success of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, continue the community engagement we began in 2013 with ¡Viva la Ópera!, and further San Diego Opera’s commitment to provide diverse programming that meets the needs of our community.”

A subscription for three operas begins at a low $105 and is just $215 for a full series including the 50th Anniversary Gala Concert, the two recitals and the mariachi opera. Casts and repertoire are subject to change. Subscriptions for the entire 2015 season including these newly added events are on sale now at www.sdopera.com or by phone 619.533.7000 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM).

Pre-production artwork is available online at: http://sandiegoopera.smugmug.com/
Select the “2015 Pre-Production artwork and artist headshot gallery”.

Purchasing Tickets
Subscriptions range from $105 for a three-opera series to $1405 for a full season package (Orchestra level subscription and the 50th Gala Anniversary Concert at the Jacobs Music Center – Copley Symphony Hall, the two recitals, and the mariachi opera). Some Saturday and Sunday subscriptions are slightly higher. Subscriptions can be purchased by calling (619) 533-7000 or online at www.sdopera.com.

For information about single tickets please visit www.sdopera.com. Single ticket prices will be announced in the winter.

San Diego Opera 2014-2015 International Season Performance Schedule

Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello in Recital
Balboa Theatre
Friday September 5, 2014 7:00pm

Stephanie Blythe and Craig Terry Presents We’ll Meet Again: The Songs of Kate Smith
Balboa Theatre
Thursday December 11, 2014 7:00pm

La bohème
Giacomo Puccini
San Diego Civic Theatre
Saturday January 24, 2015 7:00pm
Tuesday January 27, 2015 7:00pm
Thursday January 29, 2015 7:00pm
Sunday February 1, 2015 2:00pm

Don Giovanni
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
San Diego Civic Theatre
Saturday February 14, 2015 7:00pm
Tuesday February 17, 2015 7:00pm
Friday February 20, 2015 7:00pm
Sunday February 22, 2015 2:00pm

Nixon in China
John Adams
San Diego Civic Theatre
Saturday March 14, 2015 7:00pm
Tuesday March 17, 2015 7:00pm
Friday March 20, 2015 7:00pm
Sunday March 22, 2015 2:00pm

50th Anniversary Gala Concert
Jacobs Music Center – Copley Symphony Hall
Saturday April 18, 2015 7:00pm
Sunday April 19, 2015 2:00pm

El Pasado Nunca se Termina (The Past is Never Finished)
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán / Leonard Foglia / José “Pepe” Martinez
San Diego Civic Theatre
Saturday April 25, 2015 2:00pm
Saturday April 25, 2015 7:00pm

SAN DIEGO OPERA

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