Mezzo-Soprano Erika Vasallo will sing the role of Ursula in Berlioz’s Beatrice and Benedict, and cover the role of Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.
More information from Opera Orlando’s website: Opera Orlando presents two operas rolled into one with Hector Berlioz’s Beatrice + Benedict and Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. Watch these stories unfold simultaneously on an Easter day in the Sicilian town of Messina. Audiences first watch Berlioz’s comedy, based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, play out in the town square with weddings and a happy ending for all, and then a more tragic tale is told as Mascagni’s verismo opera happens in the exact same town square. This is an all new opera mash-up conceived by Company artistic director Grant Preisser. He leads this production joined by conductor Pasquale Valerio making his company debut. The production will also feature the Opera Orlando Chorus and Youth Company, as well as dancers from Orlando Ballet.
Beatrice + Benedict will be sung in English and Cavalleria Rusticana will be sung in Italian. Both will have English and Spanish supertitles. The run time for the full evening will be 2 hours and 45 minutes with one intermission.
Show dates and times: April 25th at 7:30 PM and April 27th at 2 PM