Opera Orlando Presents An Immersive Werther On The Grounds Of The Beautiful And Historic Sydonie Mansion

Opera Orlando continues its 2024-25 Destiny + Desire season with a site-specific production of Massenet’s Werther at Sydonie Mansion in Mount Dora, Florida, March 7 and 9 only. Based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s celebrated and controversial novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, Massenet’s opera contains some of his most beautiful and emotionally-charged melodies, and audiences get to experience this powerful work as they move throughout the picturesque and sprawling Sydonie estate. The production will be sung in English with piano. Seating is limited, and tickets include valet and pre- and post-show receptions with wine, appetizers, and desserts. 

“This will be quite a unique and Romantic with a capital “R” experience for our audiences,” shared artistic director for Opera Orlando and stage director for this production Grant Preisser. “Werther is a character that continues to be a cultural reference point, even now — 250 years after Goethe first published his novel. His tale of unfulfilled desire and unrequited love is emotionally super-charged and told with such heart-rending music of such raw emotion that it is hard not to be overwhelmed by this piece.”

Werther explores emotional extremes and celebrates individual passion, with the theme of suicide being central to the plot and intrinsic to Werther’s character. Werther, a young poet, falls in love with Charlotte, the eldest daughter of the Bailiff. Charlotte is betrothed to Albert, who is the model husband for her. Bound by her promise to marry Albert, Charlotte renounces Werther. She marries Albert and asks Werther to go away until Christmas. However, the separation brings no relief to either of them. Werther can see no other outcome than death for their impossible love, and Charlotte arrives too late to save him. 

Opera Orlando’s Werther has been transported from late 18th-century Germany to Mount Dora, Florida, 1912, with Sydonie  Mansion serving as the perfect backdrop for Werther’s story to unfold. The mansion itself was built by James L. Laughlin, a co-head of J & L Steel, in 1883. By 1903, it underwent renovations by architect Grosvenor Atterbury who was inspired by the Alhambra Castle in Spain. It is now open to the public for historic tours, as well as being a wedding and event venue. 

Singing the title role of the lovesick Werther is Opera Orlando general director and Grammy award-winning baritone Gabriel Preisser. In addition to running the Opera, Mr. Preisser is a prolific performer who is critically acclaimed by both The New York Times and Opera News. He has sung with various companies across the U.S. including the Minnesota Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Opera Tampa, San Antonio Opera, and Opera Idaho. Most notably, he created the role of Lt. Gordon in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night at Minnesota Opera, with subsequent performances at Opera Philadelphia, Detroit Opera, Utah Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and on national PBS broadcasts. On the concert stage, Mr. Preisser has garnered praise for his dynamic interpretations of Orff’s Carmina Burana and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with the Canterbury Chorale, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Atlanta Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and Jacksonville Symphony. This season, Mr. Preisser has sung the roles of Figaro in Indianapolis Opera’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, the Father in Utah Opera’s Hansel and Gretel, as well as making a hysterical cameo as Le Roi in Opera Orlando’s Cendrillon.

Singing the role of Charlotte, Werther’s obsession, and making her company debut is mezzo-soprano Chelsea Laggan. Praised by Opera News for her, “memorably timbred dark mezzo,” Ms. Laggan had several debuts in the 2023-24 season, most notably singing in the title role in Sarasota Opera’s Carmen, and singing Mistress Quickly in the Verbier Festival’s Falstaff under the baton of Vincenzo Milletarì. Along with her extensive opera repertoire, Ms. Laggan has a wide ranging experience across sacred and secular concert music, having performed with orchestras and ensembles across the country. This season, she performed with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s Mozart Requiem and Vox AmaDeus’ Brahms Alto Rhapsody at the Kimmel Center, as well as their Handel Messiah, Bach B minor Mass, and Mozart Mass in C. Ms. Laggan originated the role of Nelly/Heather in the world premiere concert version of Kevin Puts’ The Hours with the Philadelphia Orchestra, while also bringing a number of classic mezzo-soprano characters to life including Nettie Fowler in Carousel,  Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Olga in Eugene Onegin, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Erda in Das Rheingold, and Je?ibaba in Rusalka. Ms. Laggan is a graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts, and is the recipient of prizes from the Camille Coloratura Awards, The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and the WRTI Giargiari Bel Canto Competition audience choice award.

Rounding out the cast is baritone and The Metropolitan Opera veteran Gary Simpson, making his Company debut in the role of the Bailiff, Charlotte’s father, and all of this season’s Opera Orlando Studio Artists: soprano Kristen Marie Gillis singing Sophie, baritone Thandolwethu Mamba singing Albert, mezzo-soprano Erika Vasallo singing Kätchen, and tenor Pedro Valdez singing Johann. The production will travel to four locations within the estate and runs approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes in four acts with three intermissions. Valet parking, pre- and post-show receptions with appetizers, wine, and desserts are included.

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OPERA ON SITE

Werther

music by Jules Massenet and libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann

sung in English with no supertitles 

Friday  |  March 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday  |  March 9, 2025 at 2 p.m.

General director and Grammy award-winning baritone Gabriel Preisser sings the title role in this moving tale of a young man overwhelmed by his emotions, with mezzo-soprano Chelsea Laggan making her Company debut as Charlotte, the object of Werther’s obsession. 

age advisory: PG-13

Estimated run time is two hours and 40 minutes with three intermissions. 

Individual tickets for Werther start at $149 and include valet and pre- and post-show receptions. A shuttle from the Opera Orlando offices to the venue is also available for an additional cost. Tickets are on sale exclusively through Opera Orlando, online at www.OperaOrlando.org, or by calling (407) 512-1900 ext.0. 

See YOU at the Opera!

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About Opera Orlando:     Celebrating, expanding, and sharing the world’s greatest art form, the 2024-25 season will mark Opera Orlando’s ninth season producing high-quality operatic entertainment and educational programs that engage Central Florida audiences.

Stay up to date with Opera Orlando’s season via their website at www.OperaOrlando.org, and follow and like the Opera’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X accounts to share in all the Company has planned for 2024-25.