Opera Saratoga’s Season of Impossible Dreams: Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding

Opera Saratoga’s 60th Anniversary Season presents DON QUICHOTTE AT CAMACHO’S WEDDING, a one-act comic serenata by Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Daniel Schiebeler, taken from an episode from Part Two of Cervantes’ celebrated novel, in which the Knight and his squire Sancho Panza encounter some rather strange wedding celebrations as they roam the world in search of adventure. The al fresco production will be staged by Rebecca Miller Kratzer and will be conducted by Michelle Rofrano in and around the Columbia Pavilion in Saratoga Spa State Park, with the backdrop of the forest creating a natural set for this pastoral adventure. The performances will feature Festival Artists from Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program – the second oldest professional training program for emerging professional singers in the country. Twelve performances are scheduled between July 14th and July 18th, with performances at 11am, 1pm, and 6pm. https://www.operasaratoga.org/.

DON QUICHOTTE AT CAMACHO’S WEDDING – OPERA
COLUMBIA PAVILION – SARATOGA SPA STATE PARK
Wednesday, July 14th @ 11am, 1pm, 6pm
Thursday, July 15th @ 11am, 1pm, 6pm
Friday, July 16th @ 11am, 1pm, 6pm
Sunday, July 18th @ 11am, 1pm, 6pm

Music by GEORGE PHILIPP TELEMANN
Libretto by DANIEL SCHIEBELER

Director: Rebecca Miller Kratzer
Conductor: Michelle Rofrano
Don Quichotte: Titus Muzi / De’Ron McDaniel
Sancho: Blake Jennings / Aidan Smerud
Grisotomo: Laura Soto-Bayomi / Jouelle Roberson
Pedrillo: Naomi Brigell / Whitney Robinson
Quiteria: Lisa Buhelos
Camacho: Lauren Cook
Basilio: Jeremiah Tyson / Bradley Bickhardt

All Tickets: $100 (two-person pod) Opera Saratoga Members should call 518.584.6018 for member priority tickets. As of May 10th, tickets will be available to the public online at www.spac.org

OPERA SARATOGA COVID-19 AUDIENCE SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Opera Saratoga is committed to ensuring that audiences have a safe and enjoyable experience this summer. All performances will be produced in compliance with New York State and CDC guidelines to ensure the health and safety of audience members, artists, and staff. As required by New York State, all ticket buyers will be required to show either proof of vaccination at least 14 days prior to their attendance, or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the performance they are attending. In addition, attendees will be required to complete a health screening questionnaire and pass a mandatory temperature check prior to entry. Audience members will be required to wear masks at all performances, regardless of vaccination status or proof of a negative test. Restrooms will be available with social distancing and enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols in place in accordance with recommended guidelines.

TICKETING INFORMATION
Due to social distancing at all performances, tickets are extremely limited this season, and it is anticipated that performances will sell out in advance. At all venues, tickets will be sold in socially distanced pods of two seats. At SPAC, pods of one, two, or four seats will also be available on the SPAC lawn for Man of La Mancha. Very limited single tickets will be available under the roof of the amphitheater for Man of La Mancha, but single tickets are not available for Quixotic Opera or Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding due to the seating configurations at these venues. Advance ticket purchases are required for Quixotic Opera and Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding. Advance ticket purchases are strongly advised for Man of La Mancha. If tickets are available on the day of performance at SPAC, ticket purchases will be subject to an additional fee.

MICHELLE ROFRANO (debut) – conductor, DON QUICHOTTE AT CAMACHO’S WEDDING
Michelle Rofrano is an opera and orchestral conductor with an interest in the intersection of art and social activism. Her operatic work includes leading productions of The Queen of Spades and Trouble in Tahiti with The Glimmerglass Festival; Le nozze di Figaro with the Crane School of Music; Trouble in Tahiti, Service Provider, Avow, and A Flourish of Green with Westminster Choir College; Così fan tutte and The Turn of the Screw with DC Public Opera; Così fan tuttewith the Oberlin in Italy opera festival; and Suor Angelica with the New Jersey Opera Project. She has served as assistant conductor for productions of La Bohéme and Le nozze di Figaro with Florida Grand Opera; The Cunning Little Vixen, La Traviata, Blue, and Silent Night with The Glimmerglass Festival; Eugene Onegin and Salome with Spoleto Festival USA; and La Bohéme with Opera Birmingham. Rofrano enjoys performing orchestral repertoire in addition to opera and has led concerts with the Spoleto Festival USA orchestra, and The Little Orchestra Society.

ABOUT OPERA SARATOGA
Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. Opera Saratoga celebrates its 60th Anniversary this season. The company serves the communities of Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital areas by providing access to world-class opera through the production of an annual Summer Festival, as well as year-round activities including extensive educational programs, mentorship of emerging operatic artists, and unique opportunities for the public to experience opera in both our home theater and non-traditional venues that leverage and embrace the unique cultural, historic, and natural resources of the area. To date, the company has performed 104 different fully staged works by 65 different composers, including 42 works by American composers and 14 premiere productions. In 2014, the Board of Directors appointed Lawrence Edelson Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director. Edelson’s leadership has marked a new chapter in the company’s history, with increased emphasis on community partnerships throughout the year, diversification of the company’s repertoire, and a reaffirmed commitment to both the presentation of American works and the mentorship of emerging artists as core activities in the company’s programs each season. For more information, visit www.operasaratoga.org