Taconic Opera Celebrates its 20th Anniversary with the World Premiere of a New Opera!

Taconic Opera is excited to announce that it will open its 20th season with the premiere of a new opera buffa, In bocca al lupo, with libretto and music by the company’s General and Artistic Director, Dan Montez. Loosely translated as the opera equivalent of Break a leg!, it is the highly amusing story of a buffoon trying to run an opera company. After 20 years of actually living the story line, who else can better portray the trials and tribulations of the job than Montez. Two matinee performances of this production will be held at the Yorktown Stage, 1974 Commerce St., Yorktown Heights, NY on Saturday, October 21 at 3:30 pm and Sunday, October 22 at 2:00 pm.

As part of the celebration of Taconic Opera’s 20th Anniversary this year, Montez decided it was time to write an opera. In addition to singing lead tenor roles in over 50 productions all over the world for 15 years, he has previously written six other major works, all liturgical oratorios, along with dozens of choral pieces. Taconic Opera’s milestone anniversary seemed like the perfect opportunity to depart from serious composition and to create a comedic operatic work based on the subject he knows the most about: running an opera company out of pure love for the art form.

In bocca al lupo is an Italian opera within an English opera and will be performed in both English and Italian with English supertitles above the stage. Inspired by the zaniness of Rossini’s bel canto buffa operas (The Barber of Seville, et. al.) as well as the tongue-in-cheek operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, this comedy takes us on a hysterical journey through the audition process, musical coaching, stage directing, backstage disasters during a performance, running the opera office, holding a fundraiser, and finally presenting the show. Everything you ever wanted to know about what goes on before the curtain goes up on opening night –and how disasters happen and get handled in the middle of a performance - will be laid out for you with both honesty and great humor.

A wide range of ticket prices are available ($27-$59) and significant reductions are offered for season tickets and for seniors. To encourage youth attendance, student prices are only $15 regardless of seating selection. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the company website at www.taconicopera.org or call the toll-free number: (855) 88-OPERA (855-886-7372).