Abstract Acacias

A little belated, because it just crept up on me, and suddenly it's opening next weekend. Yipes! Note the $10 Friday preview. Also, excitingly, a fourth weekend in Napa. Spend Saturday in the wineries, spend the night in Napa, and take in a Sunday matinee! :)


LAMPLIGHTERS MUSIC THEATRE PRESENTS
FRANZ LEHAR'S "THE MERRY WIDOW"
January 20-February 11, 2007


The Bay Area's acclaimed Lamplighters Music Theatre presents the gloriously romantic operetta, THE MERRY WIDOW, with music by Franz Lehar, and a sparkling translation by Pocket Opera's inimitable Donald Pippin. Set in the intoxicating world of fin-de-siècle Paris amid elegant ladies, eligible bachelors, can-can dancers, and free-flowing champagne, this effervescent tale features a live orchestra and cast of 40 singers and dancers performing Lehar's ravishing score, including "Vilja," "The Merry Widow Waltz," and "You'll Find Me At Maxim's." Lamplighters Artistic Director Barbara Heroux directs, with conductor Monroe Kanouse at the baton and choreography by Jayne Zaban. The talented cast for THE MERRY WIDOW includes Pamela Hicks and Claire Kelm (alternating) as Anna; Bill Neely and Baker Peeples (alternating) as Danilo; Jennifer Ashworth and Elena Sophia Krell (alternating) as Valencienne; Jonathan Smucker and Andrew Truett (alternating) as Camille; Rick Williams as Baron Zeta; Chris Uzelac as Njegus; Chris Focht as Saint-Brioche; and Chris Shuford as Cascada.


( San Francisco )

( Walnut Creek )

( and Napa! )

So, as I've mentioned to many of you, I'm going to be in a performance of Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Gondoliers" during the end of this month and the beginning of August. If you are already in the Bay Area, or if you happen to be planning to visit during the relevant period, I'd be thrilled if you would come see it, especially since it's my first performance with the Lamplighters (the San Francisco-based G&S-and-other-light-opera society) and also my first performance with any sort of semi-professional group. I'm in the chorus, rather than having a principal role, but don't let that stop you!

July 22, 23, 24 (matinee), 28, 29, 30 (matinee and evening) and 31 (matinee) at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and August 4, 5, and 6 (matinee and evening) at the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.

Matinees are at 2pm, and evening performances are at 8pm.

Tickets are a little pricey, I'm afraid (Children [15 & under] $10 - $17; Young Adults [16-29] $25 - $37; Seniors [65 & over] $25 - $37; Adult $30 - $42), but the evening performance on the 28th is a pay-what-you-can night (meaning you could pay $1, if you really wanted) for all the tickets that haven't been sold in advance (so getting there early is kind of a good thing), and if you mention your knowledge of the Gondoliers postcards, you can get up to four $22 tickets for the performance on August 4th. If you actually want a physical postcard, send me your address, and I'll try and get around to stamping and mailing them, since I have a whole pile sitting on my writing desk. And please pass on this info to any friends you have who might be interested in seeing the show.

Further information is available on the Lamplighters website.