Lyric at the Birch: What’s in a name?

The more sharp-eyed among you may notice that our company is changing the way it refers to itself.

Instead of “Lyric Opera San Diego” or “LOSD,” our various materials will now refer to us as “Lyric at the Birch,” or often simply “Lyric.” Our logos will also be modified to reflect this change.

As a company, we have been evolving since our creation in 1978. Then, we were called the San Diego Gilbert & Sullivan Company, because that’s what we exclusively performed. Over the years we have changed our name: to San Diego Comic Opera, then to Lyric Opera San Diego. Each time the change heralded a shift in repertoire, mission, or focus; each change brought us a little closer to what we believe is our true calling. We are San Diego’s affordable, accessible musical theater company; the emphasis has never been on opera above other musical theater genres, and we feel our new name rightly focuses the attention on what we are really about: lyric theater. That means musical theater of all kinds, not just opera.

In addition, as a result of our hard work and your undying support, we have had the great good fortune to move into our fabulous new home and take over ownership of the Birch North Park Theatre. Councilman Todd Gloria said recently that this glorious building is the “economic engine” that drives North Park, the heart and soul of a thriving arts community, and we find it only fitting that we include it in our name as a reminder that we are a part of this community, and dedicated to its success.

This is who we are; this is where we are: we’re Lyric at the Birch. Doesn’t get simpler than that.

Behind the Scenes at Lyric: The Singing Chef

You already know that Lyric’s General Director, Leon Natker, is multitalented onstage and off. The talented singing actor also conducts and directs, and runs the company and the theatre. But did you know he happens to be a gourmet cook as well?

Leon calls cooking “a hobby I started at Juilliard because I was tired of eating canned tuna and hamburger all the time.” In those days, Leon explains, college students didn’t have computers and videogames to take up their spare time, so he thought he’d take some cooking classes to see what he could do on a tight budget.

Leon’s Juilliard roommate was the actor John de Lancie (now best known for his recurring role as Q on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), whose father, the late John de Lancie, was the principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. De Lancie the elder helped pay for Leon and John to take cooking classes, in part, Leon thinks, because he was tired of constantly taking the perpetually broke students out to eat during his frequent visits to New York.

Cooking has remained a lifetime passion for Leon, who has continued to take every opportunity to learn new techniques and recipes. In Chicago, he was even the sous-chef for a time at the Halsted Street Fish Market, the first fish-only restaurant in Chicago. “I learned how to fillet a fish, shuck oysters, open clams, you name it.” Leon has also planned vacations around cooking classes, including a cooking school tour of Thailand and another in China. Although he says his favorite type of cuisine is “whatever I’m doing at the moment,” he has a special fondness for Chinese cooking. “I love the variety of Chinese cuisine, it’s imply amazing,” he says. “I also love what you might call Continental cooking – French/Italian, what the Italians would call ‘cucina povero,’ simple, poor people’s food. You can make a lot with a very little if you just know some techniques.”

Anyone who’s been lucky enough to be invited to a dinner party at Leon’s house can attest to his skills, which came in handy during the years of fundraising for the restoration of the Birch North Park Theatre. Intimate dinners for six or eight, with Leon as chef, proved a popular auction item at fundraising events. “Jack and I really enjoyed those dinner the most, although we also love giving large parties for the cast of whatever show is currently in production,” Leon says.

Here’s one of Leon’s favorite recipes of the moment:

Summery Grilled Pork Chops

4 thick cut boneless pork loin chops

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 teaspoons prepared Chinese mustard (you can use Dijon if you can’t find the Chinese variety)

Mix to the marinade together well, place the chops and marinade in a

sealed plastic bag for at least two hours.

Sauce:

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

4 - 6 dried prunes, chopped

Grill the chops so that they are still juicy and just a little pink inside. The time will depend on your grill, five minutes to a side is a good judge. Place them on a plate and cover while you prepare the sauce.

In a skillet, bring the vinegar, sugar and prunes to a boil, lower the heat and reduce the liquid by 1/3, pour over your chops. They are ready to serve.

Serves 4

Members Only! Join the Club

Admit it, you’ve always wanted to be a Maestro, an Impresario, or a Wandering Minstrel. Perhaps a Pirate King or even a Grand Poo-Bah? Or perhaps you have your sights set higher – President, CEO, or Chairman of the Board. Thanks to Lyric’s many levels of giving opportunities, you have the chance to attain one of these exalted titles, no matter the size of your donation.

Lyric is committed to providing outstanding musical theatre performances while keeping ticket prices at an affordable level, so that the performing arts may be enjoyed by all San Diego’s citizens. This has been especially difficult over the past two years, as the recession has hit everyone hard. Attaining our goals is only possible with the help of our loyal supporters. We welcome your help!

If you’re already a Member, please renew your membership, if you haven’t already. If you’re not a Member, you can become one when you purchase tickets or a subscription. There are other ways to help, but Membership is the best way to show your commitment to musical theatre in your community.

There are, of course, perks and benefits among the various ways we show our gratitude for your support. These begin at a $50 donation level, and the sky’s the limit from there. But let’s get real – you won’t donate to Lyric for a free coffee in the lobby or a chance to have your photo taken with a tenor. You’ll donate because you believe in what we’re doing and you want to help. Everything else is icing on the cake. (Mmm… cake.)

It’s easy to become a Member or make a donation. All the levels, details, and benefits can be seen here.

Online donations by credit card are safe and secure with payment processing via PCCharge. To donate by check, please make your check payable to Lyric Opera San Diego and mail to
2891 University Avenue, Ste. 1
San Diego, CA 92104. You can also donate by phone using a credit card:
call 619-231-5714, ext. 110.

For information on Underwriting Opportunities or Endowment contributions, please call our Development Director, Pamela Arnold at 619-231-5714, Ext. 108 or email pparnold@cox.net.

All donations are 100% tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Tax ID 95-3426868.

“Jazz in North Park” Heads Into Summer with Denise Donatelli and the Geoffrey Keezer Quartet

Lyric’s series of jazz concerts, “Jazz in North Park,” heads into summer at the Birch North Park Theatre with Denise Donatelli and the Geoffrey Keezer Quartet, on Wednesday, July 7, 2010.

“The love for jazz is evident when Donatelli sings, as each note opens with the vibrancy of a lush flower and holds with the precision of a long-time student of the art. With picture-perfect pitch and a crystalline quality to her higher notes, she presents a vocal palette that is appealing, energetic, enticing, and sensual.” – Jordan Richardson, blogcritics.org

Born in Allentown, Penn., Denise Donatelli was drenched in music from an early age. She has performed in jazz clubs and jazz festivals across the country. Her first CD, “In the Company of Friends,” was released in 2005 on the Jazzed Media label and her 2008 release, “What Lies Within” on the Savant Records label, debuted on the National Jazz Week Chart at #15 and peaked at #11. Her upcoming release with pianist, composer/arranger, Geoffrey Keezer, who will join her on this double bill, is scheduled for a spring 2010 release. 

Keezer, who now lives in San Diego, is an immensely talented pianist who, at 17, joined the great Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, then went on to perform with Art Farmer, Ray Brown, Christian McBride, Jim Hall, and countless others. His own projects cover a wide range of musical expression from acoustic jazz to electronica to diverse world-music collaborations including his 2009 Grammy-nominated CD “Aurea.” Joining the quartet for this performance is San Diego’s favorite guitarist, 
Peter Sprague.

Jazz in North Park is presented by Lyric Opera San Diego in collaboration with Music Director Holly Hofmann, in association with KSDS 88.3 FM) radio. Tickets are $27 for adults, $15 for students. Show Lyric or KSDS membership card and save $5 off single show tickets. Tickets and information: www.birchnorthparktheatre.net or (619) 239-8836.

July 15 is Single Ticket On-Sale Day!

July 15 is a big day around the Lyric box office. It’s the day single tickets to all our shows in the coming season go on sale.

That’s right – starting on July 15, members of the general public will at last be able to get their hands on individual tickets to all our coming shows. With a season like ours, we anticipate they will be knocking down the doors to the box office. What does this mean to you? If you’re a returning subscriber, and you haven’t renewed your seats yet, on July 15 you might LOSE THEM.

We don’t want this to happen, and we know you don’t want it to either. So don’t wait until the last possible moment – if you haven’t already, renew your subscription today to keep your great seats for Gigi, The Barber of Seville, The Gondoliers, and Fiddler on the Roof.

What about if you’ve never ordered before? Well, if you’re considering buying a subscription – and you should! – don’t miss out on this final chance to reserve great seats at a great savings over single ticket prices!

Click here to renew or buy online.

A Constellation of LOSD Stars Take the Stage in 2010 Season

Have you renewed your Lyric Opera subscription yet?

Just in case you needed more motivation, here are some casting tidbits from next year’s shows. We think you’ll see some of your LOSD faves in this list!

Benjamin Robinson made his LOSD debut as Frederic in last season’s fabulous Pirates of Penzance and we couldn’t wait to bring him back, so you’ll enjoy him as Gastone in Gigi alongside our own J. Sherwood Montgomery as Honoré (the Maurice Chevalier role) and Laura Bueno (last seen as Hope in 2009’s Anything Goes in the delightful title role of Gigi!

Another Pirates debut last year was the wonderful bass Ashraf Sewailam as the Pirate King. We’re bringing him back in The Barber of Seville as Don Basilio, and the beauteous Emily Douglass (last seen in Daughter of the Regiment, 2008) returns as Rosina. Robert Boldin gets to let his hair down as Count Almaviva, after pouring out his suffering on stage as Henrik in last season’s A Little Night Music. Our own Walter DuMelle will crack you up as Doctor Bartolo.

As the dashing leads Marco and Giuseppe in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Gondoliers, Benjamin Robinson steps in again, well matched with Jordan Miller (Mr. Lindquist from last season’s A Little Night Music). These two are definitely easy on the eyes AND ears!

Oodles of talent and decades of experience will collide on stage in Fiddler on the Roof as our own Leon Natker as Tevye, Broadway star Jimmy Ferraro as Lazar Wolf, and LOSD’s hometown girl Fan Hartshorn as Golde. Another reason to cheer: alumni from our Summer Academy will fill children’s roles in both Gigi and Fiddler on the Roof. With all this to look forward to, what are you waiting for? Renew or buy your subscription today.

Four Hot Local Bands, presented by The Casbah, Take Over the Birch

The pop music scene in San Diego is more exciting than ever, and on Friday May 28, four of the city’s hottest, award-winning bands will come together for one amazing night of music.

Dirty Sweet, Transfer, The Silent Comedy, and Apes of Wrath usually sell out every club where they play, so premiere live music presenter The Casbah is bringing them together at the Birch for one night only. The concert is for all ages, general admission, and begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are $19 in advance, $21 on the day of the show.

With a wide range of musical influences and styles, the four bands have a few things in common: they’re all in the burgeoning stages of their careers, playing local clubs and touring, getting noticed at the SXSW festival and similar showcases, getting noticed by recording labels, and releasing their first few recordings, building a rabid audience base that may catapult them to the next level.

Three won San Diego Music Awards last year: Transfer for best rock band, The Silent Comedy for best pop band, and Apes of Wrath for best alternative band; Dirty Sweet walked with the award for best rock band in 2008, 2007 and 2005.

Dirty Sweet is an American rock band steeped in this nation’s musical roots, from country to R&B, gospel to classic rock and heavy metal to proto-grunge. A mixture of disparate influences such as The Rolling Stones, jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, and early U2 make the band an interesting addition to today's budding rock climate. The San Diego-based quintet’s name perfectly describes their two-pronged approach to writing and performing, what the NME calls “skuzzy, ass-shaking rawk ‘n’ roll” crossed with the ability to pick up their acoustic guitars and craft a melodic ballad.

A review of their performance at last year's SXSW festival wrote, “Ryan Koontz gives you everything you need in a front man, his commanding vocals matched by his shimmying and shaking across the stage. This band rips, with a born-in-a-garage sound and an effortless Sunset Strip strut that also appreciates the rootsy side of the street. Most importantly, they have a damn good time up there, with their faces beaming as they assault you with a balls-to-the-walls approach. Just a fan-freaking-tastic rock band, keep on eye on them.”

The Silent Comedy started as a side project of the now defunct post-punk group Dehra Dun, named for a city in India where some of the founding members had lived in 2002. The band changed from its original idea of a fluid lineup and a strict “recording only” vision to a five-piece core with a variety of guests. In addition to a cast of guest performers, The Silent Comedy is known for its frequent instrument changes, and lively stage antics. Their live show has become their defining characteristic.

Old-time clothes, high-energy stage antics, foot stomping, and group sing-a-longs define a Silent Comedy performance. "It's some kind of mix between vaudeville and a tent revival meeting," says violinist I. Forbes. “We want to give you more for your money than just a bunch of indie guys on stage trying to look as bored as possible. We don't care a whole lot about being cool."

Over the last year Apes of Wrath (Robert Kent, Jake Bankhead, and Dustin Elliott) have adjusted their lineup from 4 to 3 members, and continue to pump out a large, catchy, and energetic sound. Now that the unsigned San Diego band have recorded and released their first CD, and grown into their ability to give memorable live performances, Apes of Wrath are ready to give audiences and listeners their catchy and frenetic brand of metamorphic indie pop. At the SXSW festival they were a part of two Future Sounds Rumble showcases, a Beauty Bar Austin showcase, and the Obscure Magpie Two Headed Party showcase.

As for Transfer: “Transfer is a muumuu of music draped over the grandma of their genre.”

Click here for more info and tickets.

Are YOU Looking for a Job in the Theatre?

If so, we want to hear from you! 

LOSDBlog is taking a serious moment out of our usual hilarity to tell you that we're hiring a Theatre Chief Operating Officer, and if you or someone you know fits the bill, we want you to contact us. Feel free to pass this on.

Here's the job description:

Reporting to the Board of Directors of Lyric Opera San Diego, the Theatre Chief Operating Officer will assume leadership of the administrative operations of the Birch North Park Theatre, overseeing the theatre budget, as well as seeking and managing the revenues necessary to assure a sound financial base for the Birch North Park Theatre. The Theatre Chief Operating Officer is the ambassador and advocate for the Birch North Park Theatre in the community.  Major areas of responsibility include: Finance, recruiting and supervising administrative personnel, executing a long-range plan, income generation and liaison with City of San Diego government and arts organizations.

The successful candidate will have experience in the areas of financial management, strategic planning, staff/board development, and have a proven track record in seeking earned and contributed revenues including: Theater Rentals, corporate sponsorships, individual contributions, and special events).

The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated individual with experience in not-for-profit management; preferably theatre, excellent analytical, financial and organizational skills; oustanding written and oral communication skills; knowledge of theatre operations, as well as a track record in responsible fiscal stewardship and good board relations. Astute political skills and the ability to communicate with a broad spectrum of personalities are essential characteristics.

Training or relevant experience in not for profit management/arts administration and/or finance is required. Preference will be given to qualified San Diego area applicants.

Salary commensurate with experience. Please send resume, cover letter with salary requirements and a list of references to: General Director, Lyric Opera San Diego, 2891 University, San Diego, 92104 or e-mail lnatker@lyricoperasandiego.org.

One of the Hottest Jazz Tickets in Town!

 It's official! The Birch North Park Theatre has become one of the top venues in San Diego to hear great jazz. Find out for yourself with the Terell Stafford Quartet, featuring Gerald Clayton, on Wednesday, June 2.

Presented by Lyric Opera San Diego in collaboration with Music Director Holly Hofmann, in association with KSDS (88.3 FM) radio, the concert begins at 7pm. Single tickets are $27 for
adults, $15 for students (Day of Show). 
You can show your Lyric Opera or KSDS membership card and save $5 off single show tickets. (Discounts and show packages not available online.)

Born in Miami to a musical family, trumpeter Terell Stafford spent his formative years as a sideman in alto player Bobby Watson’s Horizon quartet. Since leaving Watson, Stafford has spent time with McCoy Tyner, Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis, and with Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” house band.

Terell is an exciting performer and his playing shows a lyrical commitment to melody with an adventurous spirit.  His rich, expressive tone can be heard on two recent recordings from MaxJazz Records, including “Taking Chances: Live at the Dakota.” Stafford’s quartet features the young pianist Gerald Clayton, the son of bassist John Clayton. The critics comment that Clayton has “a lyrical and ethereal approach,” and he’s a pianist that is “always intriguing,” adding that his playing is “extremely sensitive and consistently satisfying.”

The Jazz in North Park Series wraps up for the summer with Denise Donatelli and the Geoffrey Keezer Quartet on July 7 -- one of a handful of real jazz vocalists featuring one of the best pianists/arrangers in the business! Joining the quartet for this performance is San Diego's favorite jazz guitarist, Peter Sprague.

   

For more info or to purchase tickets, you know where to go: http://www.birchnorthparktheatre.net or (619) 239-8836

Is there such a thing as too much jazz? The Union-Tribune's pop and jazz writer, George Varga, takes a look at the San Diego jazz scene, noting that the Birch North Park Theatre has become a home for great jazz concerts like this one.

Are You a People Person?

If so, we can use your help. Birch North Park Theatre has the opportunity to participate in several fun community events throughout the summer, and we’re looking for a few good men and women to help staff our booths at these street fairs and festivals.

Volunteers take turns handing out flyers and brochures, and chatting with passers-by about how great we are, so you know it can’t be that hard. You get to be out in the fresh air, doing some excellent people-watching. We could really use the help! If you think you’d be interested in giving us a hand, please call Stacie Shelby at (619) 231-5714.

The Earth Moved, The Audience Cheered – And Left

The Act I finale of last Sunday’s matinee performance of The Pirates of Penzance had the audience rising to its feet – literally!

Easter Sunday’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake centered in Mexico came about 40 seconds before the end of Act I, said General Director Leon Natker, who was at the podium at the time at the Birch North Park Theatre. The audience came to its feet and house management brought up the lights, but the musicians and singers completed the act even as the chandeliers were saying and audience members were filing out without panicking. Once the act was over, the artists were also evacuated. When it was determined there was no danger, everyone re-entered the theatre and Act II began after a regular intermission.

“The good news is that every penny of City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency money that was spent on earthquake retrofitting the theatre was well spent,” said Natker, noting that there was no damage that could be discerned to the recently renovated 82-year-old building. “No cracks, nothing broken, as far as we can tell everything held up perfectly, which was the whole idea.”

“There is nothing like singing a high c during an earthquake,” said Megan Weston, in the lead role of Mabel. “I was downstage center, right over the orchestra. I felt the stage move like a wave. The house lights came up and the audience headed for the exits, but we all kept going to the end!”

There’s still a weekend left to catch this earth-shaking show, so if you haven’t seen Pirates yet, now’s your chance!

SD Uptown News' Jeff Britton reviews "Pirates of Penzance" here. Tickets still available for next weekend!

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!

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.