A Romantic Evening of Opera Arias, Love Songs, Dancing,
Silent Auction and most of all….LOVE!

May 1 & 2, 2009
Showtime 8:00 pm v Doors opens 7:30 pm
St. Johns County Agricultural Center, 3125 Agricultural Center Dr.
(Off State Road 16 & 208 by the Outlet Malls. Turn left at the Hampton Inn and drive 1  mile.)
St. Augustine, FL

Tickets: $17 in advance v $20 at the door v $120 for Table of Eight
(Ticket includes show only. Beverages & Edible Delights available separately.)

 Box Office & Donation Line - 904-417-5555

FIRST COAST OPERA PRESENTS A NIGHT OF ROMANCE WITH  ROMANZA: SONGS OF LOVE

First Coast Opera is presenting two nights of total romance with their new production Romanza: Songs Of Love. This concert will feature many famous love songs from opera arias and art songs, to standards and show tunes. The audience will be transported back to the nightclubs of an earlier era, complete with table seating, friendly vendors selling tasty temptations, dancing and more.  Romanza: Songs Of Love will be performed on Friday, May 1^st and Saturday, May 2^nd at 8:00 pm at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center, 3125 Agricultural Center Drive in St. Augustine. Doors will open at 7:15 for patrons to peruse a romance-themed silent auction and visit the bar. Buy your Romanza tickets early to ensure your seats by calling FCO’s ticket line at 904-417-5555. Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 at the door, and $120 for a whole table of eight ($15 a person). More information is available on FCO’s website at www.firstcoastopera.com . 

Romanza: Songs Of Love is the largest concert-style show First Coast Opera has produced, with a cast of twenty seven talented performers from around the area. The show is being created and directed by Adam Mayo and Janet Rabe-Meyer who were responsible for last fall’s Cabaret Español. Featured singers include Ms. Rabe-Meyer, mezzo soprano, who was recently seen in Opera Naples’ production of Die Fledermaus. Familiar FCO faces, sopranos Karen Adair (Madama Butterfly, The Mikado) and mezzo soprano Regina Torres (HMS Pinafore, Hansel & Gretel) both return from last fall’s Cabaret Español. Carrie Thornton, soprano, is gracing the First Coast Opera stage for the first time after a terrific run as Aldonza/Dulcinea in Limelight Theatre’s recent production of Man Of La Mancha, where she performed with Mr. Mayo and several of the Romanza chorus singers.

The men in the cast include two singers well known to FCO audiences. Tenor Juan Unzueta, who thrilled audiences as Hernando in Cabaret Español last fall, will soon be the Baker in Theatre Jacksonville’s Into The Woods this June. He will be joined by Ms. Torres, who will be playing the Witch. Co-director and creator of Romanza, lyric baritone Adam Mayo, rounds out the cast. He has performed roles in many FCO productions, including Pirates Of Penzance and Babes In Toyland.

Dancing will be an important part of Romanza. Jennifer Dournaux will perform lyrical dance during the show. She is professionally trained in ballet and was also seen in Man Of La Mancha. Also, Act II has an entire set of songs reserved for audience dance time. Everyone in the audience is free to get up and dance while soloists serenade them with favorite standards like “Our Love Is Here To Stay” and “Night And Day”.

Romanza: Songs Of Love also has an 17-voice chorus, featuring many of the finest voices from St. Augustine. These are some of the best singers from the St. Augustine Community Chorus, the St. Augustine Singers, St. Augustine High School, the Limelight Theatre and local church choirs. Directing the chorus is Kathleen Vande Berg, director of the Community Chorus, St. Augustine Singers and the Flagler College Singers. FCO favorite Samuel Clein will be accompanist for Romanza. Mr. Clein was conductor for La Bohème and other FCO productions, as well as for many other musical events around Northeast Florida. Evan Peterson will be returning on percussion and keyboards.

The show is divided into two distinct acts. Act I features mainly classical music, including well-known arias and art songs from composers like Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, Bizet, Strauss, Saint-Saëns and Gounod. Act II moves on to standard love songs made famous by singers like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, and show tunes from Broadway favorites like My Fair Lady, Carousel, Brigadoon, Kiss Me Kate and even Hairspray. Romanza will then close with the entire cast singing the classical crossover favorite, “Time To Say Goodbye”.

Romanza: Songs Of Love will be far more than just a concert. Like the nightclubs of old, vendors will visit each table offering tempting snacks, while champagne punch and wine will also be available. There is also the silent auction with a different selection of items up for bid each night. Items in the auction include stays at local bed and breakfasts, dinners for two at elegant restaurants, love-themed gift baskets, artwork and jewelry by local artists and more. There will even be an entire wedding package available! Guests will be able to bid on items before the show and during intermission. Winning bids will be decided before the show is over, so winners can take their items with them after the performance.

The First Coast Opera will present Romanza: Songs Of Love on Friday, May 1^st and Saturday, May 2^nd at 8:00 pm with seating, Silent Auction and refreshment sales starting at 7:15 pm at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center, 3125 Agricultural Center Drive, St. Augustine (just off of exit 318 on Interstate 95 near the St. Augustine Premium Outlets mall. Turn left at the Hampton Inn and drive one mile). Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 at the door, or $120 for a reserved table of eight people.  To purchase advance tickets, call FCO’s ticket line at 904-417-5555 or check www.firstcoastopera.com for more information.