Click here to see video clips from opening weekend of The Pirates of Penzance!

San Diego's Best-Kept Secret No More: Lyric Opera's Summer Academy

Do you have a budding Patti Lupone or Mandy Patinkin in your family? Are you looking for a way to keep your teenaged theatre rats busy and happy when they’re out of school this summer? Then let us introduce you to the best-kept secret in San Diego: Lyric Opera’s Summer Academy.

2010 will be the Academy’s fifth year summer at the Birch North Park Theatre, providing top-notch musical theatre instruction and performance preparation by professional musical theatre artists to rising young stars from middle and high schools throughout San Diego County.

Trust us, some actors appearing on stages around the country right now haven’t had preparation this good. The Academy is a four-week intensive training program for middle school and high school students aged 11-17 who harbor a serious desire to pursue future careers in opera and musical theater. Each week the students spend 30 hours studying and training in all aspects of musical theater. They all participate in acting, voice, and dance classes, as well as well as rehearsals for a final performance of a classic musical, which this year is “School of Rock.”

Partially underwritten by the Visual and Performing Arts Department of San Diego City Schools, the Academy is the long-time dream of company directors Leon Natker and J. Sherwood Montgomery, and forms the third branch of Lyric Opera San Diego’s mission: “Art, Entertainment, Education.” Leon and Jack’s goal is for the Academy’s students to leave the program prepared with the skills, materials, and confidence to approach auditions and performances in a professional manner. The students discover that theatre is not only fun, but is an art form which requires hard work and discipline. We’re proud to say Academy graduates have gone on to perform on Broadway and at The Old Globe, San Diego Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Opera, and Lyric Opera San Diego, among others.

Just look at who the teachers are:

Academy Director/Stage Director: Jack Montgomery


Academy Asst. Director/ Choreographer/Dance Teacher: Shirley Giltner


Voice Teacher/Musical Director: Enrique Toral

Accompanist/Assistant Music Director: Braden McKinley 


Acting Teacher: Leon Natker 


Master Classes: Shauna Ostrom, Pam Stompoly, and members of the South Pacific national tour

If you’re interested in placing your budding Tony Award winner in Lyric Opera’s Academy, click here for full details about the application process. There are limited scholarships, and applications and essays are required. Break a leg!

Ready to Set Sail?

Now’s the time to book the best seats for your 2010-11 season renewal!

If you’re a current LOSD subscriber, first of all, THANK YOU and we love you more than ice cream with chocolate sauce. Second, if you have already received your season subscription renewal packet, we want you to know that NOW is the best time to renew or improve your seats, before season subscriptions go on sale to the general public!

Let us remind you what delights are in store as we take you around the world on a musical journey next season: Gigi in Paris; The Barber of Seville in, er, Seville; The Gondoliers in Venice and/or Venice Beach; and finally Fiddler on the Roof in the Russia of old. What a trip to make with our exciting musical theatre and opera performers, our live orchestra, and our wonderful chorus, all in the spectacular Birch North Park Theatre. So click here and make sure your seats are in first class for this theatrical trip of a lifetime!

"Pirates" Ready to Sail

Well, the invited audience at last night's final dress rehearsal for "Pirates" gave it a standing O, and from all the laughing we heard throughout the evening, we're pretty sure we have a hit on our hands.


Tenor Benjamin Robinson is a real find as Frederic, making his debut with LOSD. Young, handsome, and what a voice! And the other debut, Ashraf Sewailam as the Pirate King, is a true operatic bass-baritone who looks and sounds great on stage. Our returning favorites Megan Weston (Mabel), Fran Hartshorn (Ruth), and Walter DuMelle (Police Sergeant) are as great as ever. As for J. Sherwood Montgomery as Major-General Stanley... well, he simply owns this role. He's "San Diego's favorite funnyman," the king of slapstick and the master of the patter song, and those are few and far between these days.


Here are some of Craig Deutsch's photos to give you a little preview... see you on opening night!

A Note About Opening Night Parking for “The Pirates of Penzance”

Setup for the San Diego Indie Music Fest, a vibrant musical event happening right here in North Park, coincides with opening night of our next show, “The Pirates of Penzance.” The folks at Indie Fest are working with us to make sure this has as little an impact on your parking and access to the theatre as possible, but we wanted to make sure you took the following information into account:

• The 5 Star street-level parking lot behind the Birch North Park Theatre will be CLOSED on March 25 through March 27.

• The parking structure on 29th street will be available on Friday March 26.

^{• Street access to and drop-off at the theatre’s main entrance will not be blocked or restricted.}

^{• There will be some tents on the sidewalk near Starbucks on Friday March 26, but they should not interfere with theatre access.}

^{• Volunteers will direct you to the entrance of the parking structure and assist with your access to the box office and main entrance.}

Armed with this info, we’re sure you’ll have no trouble finding parking and joining us for opening night! Thanks for your understanding!

Jazz Greats Collaborate in Duo Piano Concert

Presented by Lyric Opera San Diego and Holly Hofmann, the “Jazz in North Park” Series continues at the Birch North Park Theatre with Mike Wofford and Kenny Werner on April 7.

The genius of pianist Mike Wofford can be found in his fluid, but hard-swinging reharmonization of classic jazz standards, and improvisations that have earned him the esteem of critics and colleagues alike. His resume, which goes back to the ’60s West Coast jazz movement, includes stints as pianist for such giants as Shelly Manne, Stan Getz, and Kenny Burrell, among many others. Longtime San Diego resident Wofford’s rare performances at home are always must-see shows for the best in innovative and original jazz. Joining Wofford is highly regarded New York pianist Kenny Werner, lauded for his ability to perform at an exceptionally high level in all types of music. He has recorded with Mingus, Joe Lovano, Toots Thielemans and a host of others. There are few performances in jazz that are as exciting, or as difficult, as duo piano. Both of these players are at the top of their craft and reputations.

Remaining concerts in the Jazz in North Park series are:

Graham Dechter Quartet featuring Tamir Hendelman, John Clayton, and Jeff Hamilton, May 5, 2010

Terell Stafford Quartet featuring Gerald Clayton, June 2, 2010

Denise Donatelli with Geoffrey Keezer Quartet, July 7, 2010

Tickets are $27 for adults, $15 for students on the day of show. A three-show package for the rest of the Jazz Series is $66. You can show your Lyric Opera or KSDS membership card and save $5 off single show tickets. Order tickets here.

Love Letters, Dessert and Champagne

We know you're tired of the same old fancy-pants fundraising galas, and so are we. So this year, we said to ourselves: "Selves, why not have a little fun? All we want is to get together with our favorite people, see some of the artists we love do something fun, eat a little chocolate, drink a little bubbly, and raise a little money for the company." (Okay, a LOT of money - hey, we can dream, right?)


So our own Artistic Director, J. Sherwood Montgomery, and the lovely and talented San Diego stage veteran Kandis Chappell, who recently graced the stage as Madame Armfeldt in our critically acclaimed February production of A Little Night Music, will team up in A.R. Gurney’s Pulitzer-nominated play, Love Letters, on June 6, 2010 at the Birch North Park Theatre. Longtime Lyric Opera family member Joseph Grienenberger will serve as Musical Director.


Love Letters centers on just two characters, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. They share the nearly 50 years of notes, letters and cards that have passed between them throughout their separate lives, in which they discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats.


The one-night-only event is a benefit for our terrific Lyric Opera Summer Academy and will include a show, champagne, and dessert for only $40. That's right - I said JUST FORTY DOLLARS. Order tickets here or here or by calling our Box Office at (619) 239-8836.

Fresh Talent Debuts in “The Pirates of Penzance”!

One of the most important things we do at Lyric Opera is discovering fresh talent and putting exciting young artists on our stage for your listening and viewing pleasure. For The Pirates of Penzance we’re delighted to introduce two Lyric Opera debut artists we think you’ll love: bass-baritone Ashraf Sewailam as the Pirate King and tenor Benjamin Robinson as Frederic.

The Egyptian-born Ashraf Sewailam made his U.S. singing debut in 2004 with Opera Colorado, as Leporello in Don Giovanni. Since then he has performed with Seattle Opera, Lake George Opera, Mobile Opera, Virginia Opera, Nevada Opera, and Fresno Grand Opera. In 2007 Ashraf debuted at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall with Grattacielo Opera. The New York Times singled him out as “the standout performance” in the roles of Uin-Sci in Leoni’s L’Orocolo and Salomone in Montemezzi's L’Incantesimo. Subsequent reviews, including in Opera News, described his voice as “purring and velvety with Ramfis-like top range” and his stage presence as “strong, mesmerizing and mysterious.”

Last summer 2009 Ashraf debuted with Chautauqua Opera in Il Trovatore and The Consul. He was also heard last season as Colline in La Bohème with The Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and Escamillo in Carmen with Fargo-Moorhead Opera. His other engagements this season include Pistola in Falstaff with Seattle Opera, Alidoro in La Cenerentola with Opera Southwest, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Fresno Grand Opera.

Here’s something to tell your kids: In addition to his singing engagements, Ashraf served as music director for Disney Character Voice International (DCVI), dubbing Disney productions into Arabic, as well as performing several of the characters himself! We have a feeling he’s going to rock the house as the Pirate King.

The young and handsome tenor Benjamin Robinson earned degrees in music from the University of Michigan and the University of Houston, and is fresh out of the Kentucky Opera Young Artists Program, where he sang a variety of opera and operetta roles over the past two years. He has also performed with Ohio Light Opera and the Bay View Music Festival, including the leading Gilbert & Sullivan roles of Marco in The Gondoliers and Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, so we think he’s going to fit right in around here! We know you will want to welcome these exciting new talents to Lyric Opera, so make sure to buy your Pirates tickets today!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate’s Life for Us

Arr, mateys! Break out the Jolly Roger, the peg legs, and the eye patches, because it’s time to head back to Penzance!

You won’t find Captain Jack Sparrow anywhere near the place, but yes, Lyric Opera’s 31st season is coming to a rousing close with the most beloved of Gilbert and Sullivan classics, “The Pirates of Penzance”! These beloved high-seas bumblers, their lady loves, and the hapless police who pursue them return to the Birch North Park Theatre on Friday, March 26, 2010 -- running for three weekends.

We do so love performing this show for you, and we have two exciting new artists to introduce to you in leading roles: tenor Benjamin Robinson as Frederic and bass-baritone Ashraf Sewailam as the Pirate King. As Mabel, one of our favorite people, the luminous soprano Megan Weston, returns to our stage. And last but not least, “San Diego’s favorite funnyman,” our own Artistic Director J. Sherwood Montgomery, the master of the patter song, returns in one of his signature roles as Major General Stanley. General Director Leon Natker will direct and conduct the production.

The show opens March 26 and runs through April 11. Watch this space for closer looks at the show and the artists in days to come!

Priti Gandhi in Today's North County Times

Get yourself all worked up for Priti Gandhi's recital tomorrow with this great interview from today's North County Times. Thanks, Pam!

Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Like No Other

There are still some tickets available for tonight's concert featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. If you're a jazz fan, you can't miss this. 

“Preservation Hall. Now that's where you'll find all of the greats.” — Louis Armstrong

“Miraculous” — National Public Radio

“At its heart, New Orleans jazz may be the ideal musical expression of the American notion of democracy: individuals expressing themselves in a singular way, while working together toward a common goal, in this case in service to the songs at hand. That keeps this outing from being simply a nostalgic salute to a bygone form of music. It makes it a vibrant collaboration with its vision locked squarely on the future. –Randy Lewis, Victoria Advocate 

“Stunning” — Jazziz.com 

“The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has always been rooted in tradition, and at this point, the group is a tradition itself… the band has enjoyed an artistic renaissance over the last decade, and the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina whose destruction forced the temporary closure of the historic Preservation Hall, their home base for nearly 50 years, has only fueled their fire.” – AllAboutJazz.com

“Preservation Hall keep its jazz hot.” — Los Angeles Times


“The mission of Preservation Hall, to showcase and nurture one of America's greatest indigenous national, cultural treasures – New Orleans Jazz – is as important today as it was when Preservation Hall officially opened its doors in 1961.” – AntiMusic.com

“New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band keeps the joyousness alive.” — Tucson Weekly

Also don't forget our dinner-and-ticket deal with Gulf Coast Grill!

Here's a nice mention of Priti Gandhi's upcoming recital in SDNN's "On the Town." Do you have your tickets yet?

Priti Gandhi Prepares for Her First Solo Recital

Still basking in the glow of “A Little Night Music,” we barely have the time to catch our collective breath before our next exciting event: our dear friend, Priti Gandhi, gives her first ever solo recital at the Birch North Park Theatre on March 6.

We’ve known Priti since she was a wee babe, or at least it feels that way. She’s as close to a San Diego native as most people ever get – born in Mumbai, India, but raised in Del Mar since the age of 2. Her combination of gorgeous voice, determination, winning personality, and wholesome beauty helped her establish an opera career any young singer would be proud of. And now, to our great delight, she’s chosen to give her first solo recital at our very own theatre, accompanied on the piano by another fabulous friend of ours, Nicolas Reveles.

We asked Priti what inspired her in creating the program for the recital, which will include songs from and about her native India as well as her adopted homeland of the United States and the European opera tradition.

“I created this recital with a desire I've had for a few years. When I started singing, I became curious about what kind of relationship there might between some sort of Indian influence and Western classical music,” said Priti. “There ARE no Indian operas per se, and the style of opera is completely different in technique and background than that of Indian classical music... but there had to be a place where the two met. And since I am a product of both cultures, I decided to start scouring the Western classical music spectrum for any hints of such a fusion.

“What I found was a hidden but definite influence of Indian culture and poetry on various composers and art song cycles through the years... hidden, but it's there! Getting my hands on some of the music was a challenge, but I've been collecting it for about five years now. Finding recordings of some of these pieces was even more challenging.

“The result is a recital that is part Indian, part American... a program that is a fusion of two different backgrounds. I wanted this recital to reflect who I was... and I think I have found that. Not only in the music that appealed to me, but its background, the lyrics, the settings-- all of it.

“All of the music is Western classical music, but the first half is called INDIA.... there are song cycles with poetry by Rabindranath Tagore, arias from operas with Indian characters, and the like. I found so much material that choosing what to use was quite difficult! This half reflects my background, my culture, and the upbringing I learned in my Indian home. It also speaks to how I have seen my birth country from thousands of miles away. The second half is called AMERICA, and in this set, I chose pieces that rang true to my upbringing here in America, lyrics that spoke to my childhood, and songs that reflected what being an American meant to me.”

Priti Gandhi in Recital is Saturday March 6 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $40: http://www.birchnorthparktheatre.net or (619) 239-8836.