It’s a very Shakespearean season at the Opera this season which started with Verdi’s Macbeth back in October. The bard returns to Steinmetz Hall with a never before seen pairing of Berlioz’s Beatrice + Benedict (based on the comedy Much Ado About Nothing) paired with Mascagni’s verismo thriller Cavalleria Rusticana. This premiere pairing makes for the perfect blend of comedy and tragedy with both works set on the same fateful Easter day in the same town square of the Sicilian town of Messina, Italy. “Picture it… Sicily… 1860….” Golden Girls, anyone?
A battle of wits takes over the town square as the scornful and pragmatic Beatrice, sung by mezzo-soprano Raphaella Medina - a former Opera Orlando Studio Artist, goes toe-to-toe with the arrogant and cavalier Benedict, sung by tenor Pedro Valdez. Both have sworn off marriage, but are tricked into thinking the other has fallen for them by an especially rowdy group of cohorts, Don Pedro, Claudio, Ursula, and Hero played respectively by bass-baritone Lloyd Reshard Jr., baritone Thandolwethu Mamba, mezzo-soprano Erika Vasallo, and soprano Kristen Marie Gillis. University of Central Florida opera program director Thomas Potter rounds out the cast as Leonato with local favorite Ardean Landhuis as the Somarone (translated loosely as “the ass”). This lighthearted adaptation by Berlioz who is perhaps best known for his Symphonie Fantastique serves as a heartfelt ode to love with a true happy, wedding-day ending.
But alas, tragedy quickly follows as the opening notes of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana sound in the same town square that is now a backdrop to the tragic, realistic portrayal of unrequited love. A heartbroken Turiddu, sung by tenor Dominick Valdés Chenes - fresh off his performance in Moby Dick with The Metropolitan Opera, longs for the beautiful Lola, sung by star soprano Avery Boettcher, who is now married to the merchant Alfio although Turiddu has a wife of his own, Santuzza. Turiddu and Lola begin a scandalous affair, but it is short-lived once Alfio learns of it from none other than Santuzza herself, and exacts his revenge. Baritone John Robert Green and mezzo-soprano Audrey Babcock make their company debuts in these two dynamo roles joined by opera veteran Cindy Sadler as Mamma Lucia.
This opera mash-up is an original concept by Company artistic director Grant Preisser who leads the production both as stage director and set designer. He is joined by conductor Alfred Savia who is the former music director for the Orlando Opera Company and former resident conductor for the Florida Philharmonic. “Life can quickly turn from comedy to tragedy in the snap of a finger,” states Grant Preisser. “This pairing truly elucidates that point with Beatrice + Benedict taking place at first in the foreground with glimpses of Cavalleria Rusticana in the background and then after intermission the two works change places as we start the day over again giving the effect of two operas, two storylines happening simultaneously in the same Italian town square.”
The production will also feature the Opera Orlando Chorus and Opera Orlando Youth Company, as well as dancers from the Orlando Ballet with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in the pit. AND to prepare for all the drama and hijinx on stage, check out Opera Orlando’s line up of unique lead-up events for this production.
BEATRICE + BENEDICT / CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA MORE OF THE MAINSTAGE EVENTS:
OPERAINSIGHTS
Thursday | April 10 at 12 p.m.
Winter Park Racquet Club
2111 Via Tuscany | Winter Park, FL 32789
$75 per person | RSVP required
discount available for Opera Orlando Ambassadors
purchase tickets HERE
Enjoy lunch and meet the cast and creative team of the perfect Easter opera double bill including Metropolitan Opera tenor Dominick Valdés Chenes. He will perform selections from the opera with his cast mates, and conductor Alfred Savia and stage director Grant Preisser will give insight into the rehearsal and creative process.
MASTERCLASS WITH THE MAESTRO
Friday | April 11 at 6:30 p.m.
Broadway United Methodist Church
406 E Amelia Street | Orlando, FL 32803
FREE EVENT | RSVP required
RSVP HERE
Conductor Alfred Savia returns to Orlando conducting the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra for this premiere pairing. Get to know maestro Savia as he discusses the upcoming production and hosts a masterclass working one-on-one with members of the Studio Artists program who will also be featured in the production.
SHOP TOUR
Tuesday | April 15 at 10:30 a.m.
Opera Orlando Scene Shop
3438 Maggie Boulevard | Orlando, FL 32811
FREE EVENT | RSVP required
RSVP HERE
Get an exclusive sneak peek of Beatrice + Benedict / Cavalleria Rusticana as it comes to life in the Opera’s workshops. Be the first to see the gorgeous original sets and costumes for this all-new production.
CELEBRATE SICILY
OX: OPERAEXPERIENCE
Wednesday | April 16 at 5:30 p.m.
Private Event Space of sponsor Tico Perez
$35 per person | RSVP required
RSVP HERE
Join fellow opera enthusiasts and newcomers for a lively Sicilian-inspired evening. Sip on exquisite wines, savor delicious bites, and mingle with featured artists while getting an exclusive sneak peek of Beatrice + Benedict / Cavalleria Rusticana. Whether you’re a longtime opera fan or new to the scene, this is the perfect way to experience opera in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.
OPERA ON THE MAINSTAGE
BEATRICE + BENEDICT
music + libretto by Hector Berlioz
new one-act English adaptation by Alan Olejniczak + Grant Preisser
sung in English with English and Spanish supertitles
+
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA
music by Pietro Mascagni
libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti + Guido Menasci
sung in Italian with English and Spanish supertitles
Friday | April 25, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday | April 27, 2025 at 2 p.m.
Opera Orlando concludes its 2024-25 Destiny + Desire Mainstage series with a unique double bill of Berlioz’s Beatrice + Benedict and Mascagni’s verismo masterpiece Cavalleria Rusticana. Watch this all-new opera mash-up, conceived by Company artistic director Grant Preisser, unfold simultaneously on an Easter day in the Sicilian town of Messina.
age advisory: PG
Estimated run time is two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. A pre-show talk, free for all ticket holders, will be held on stage 50 minutes prior to each performance.
Cendrillon is graciously supported by Audrey + John Ruggieri, Kathy + Steve Miller, and Susan + Laurence J. Costin..
Individual tickets for Beatrice + Benedict / Cavalleria Rusticana start at just $29 and are on sale now exclusively through the Dr. Phillips Center’s Bill & Mary Darden Box Office (445 S. Magnolia Avenue, Orlando), online at www.DrPhillipsCenter.org, or by calling (407) 358-6603.
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.
Opera Orlando
-
Gabriel Preisser General Director
- April 09, 2025
- (407) 512-1900 x3
- Send Email
