TRI VALLEY LIFE
New opera season stages ‘Rigoletto,’ ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ Livermore Valley Opera to begin 23rd season, at Bankhead Theater BY DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI
Livermore Valley Opera raises the curtain on its 23rd performance season with opening night Sept. 27 for Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” at the Bankhead Theater. The other fully staged opera this season will be “Lucia di Lammermoor,” by Gaetano Donizetti, onstage from March 14-22. “Again this season, we have incredible singers, artists and musicians who will take our audiences on two operatic journeys,” said artistic and music director Alexander Katsman. “We can boast some of the Bay Area’s best talent.” “Rigoletto” was written by Verdi as a social commentary on corrupt and abusive nobility. The story juxtaposes good and evil, beauty and disfigurement, purity and promiscuity, honesty and deceit, as well as loyalty and betrayal. The drama is matched by powerful melodies and dramatic orchestration, as well as some of the most compelling arias in all of opera. Baritone Eugene Brancoveanu will sing the title role of Rigoletto. He is a favorite of LVO audiences from past performances and has directed two of its productions. “Lucia di Lammermoor” is a tragic story, a protest against the
practice of forced marriage that is still occurring in some parts of the world. Lucia is a beautiful young woman deeply in love with a young man from a family hated by her villainous brother, who forces her into a political marriage for his own benefit, using deceit, lies and forgery. Although the tale ends in tragedy for everyone, Donizetti’s music is among the most glorious in opera, and its mad scene has been a dramatic vehicle for sopranos like Maria Callas and Dame Joan Sutherland. “With opulent sets, elaborate costumes and outstanding talent, LVO’s productions are no longer a hidden treasure but recognized as quality, professional experiences,” Katsman said. This season the Saturday evening performances will have a new curtain time of 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Pre-opera talks begin one hour before curtain times, and an artist’s reception is held in the lobby immediately following each performance. Tickets are $39-$84; students 18 and younger are $10 less. Opening night for each of the two operas will have a gala at Uncle Yu’s at the Vineyard, with a welcome reception at 4 p.m., dinner at
Opera season begins What: “Rigoletto” Who: Livermore Valley Opera When: Sept. 27-Oct. 5; 2 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Saturdays Where: Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore, Tickets: Adults $39-$84. Students 18 years and younger, $10 off. Available at the box office or call 373-6800 or go to www. livermoreperformingarts.org.
4:30 p.m., and a dessert reception at the Bankhead Theater. Gala tickets are $85. In conjunction with its two fully staged operas, LVO also presents free, one-hour public events at local libraries, called OperaLIVE! This season the performances will feature opera singers performing arias from “Rigoletto” and “Lucia di Lammermoor” as well as other well-known operas. For times and dates on this community outreach program, go to www.livermorevalleyopera.com. Q
COURTESY OF FURPHY FAMILY
70th wedding anniversary Pleasanton residents Chuck and Evelyn Furphy celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last month with a party held in their honor with family and friends. The couple were married in Salida, Colorado on July 7, 1944. They have six children (five boys and one daughter), eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. They currently reside at Ridgeview Commons in Pleasanton.
A message of thanks from the Foothill High School Senior Parents
Class of 2014
Thank you to the many generous donors and volunteers who helped us provide a fantastic Grad Night celebration, delicious After-the-Ball Breakfast and memorable Baccalaureate service for Foothill High School’s Class of 2014. The wonderful parents who volunteered to help at each event Everyone who donated food and money for the After-the-Ball Breakfast and other senior activities Balloons and Beyond
Mountain Mike’s Pizza, Pleasanton
Chuck Lemoine
Margo Olson
Frank Castro
Peet’s Coffee
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Pleasanton
Prime Source Floral/Sophia Farfan
Fernando’s Mexican Restaurant
Pro Image Studios
Lowell Hoxie
Safeway
Meadowlark Dairy
Shangrila Chinese Cuisine, Dublin
Michael’s Transportation
Trader Joe’s
www.foothillfalcons.org Pleasanton Weekly • August 8, 2014 • Page 15