VINCENT LA SELVA

AND

THE NEW YORK GRAND OPERA PRESENT

"SUMMER OPERA FESTIVAL 2004" IN CENTRAL PARK

AUGUST 11, 19, & SEPTEMBER 9, 2004

Offerings Include Fully-Staged Free Performances

of Opera Favorites

Turandot, Rigoletto, and Tosca

Following last summer’s successful 30^th anniversary season of presenting free opera, conductor Vincent La Selva returns with his New York Grand Opera Company to present "Summer Opera Festival 2004," Wednesday, August 11^th, Thursday, August 19^th, and Thursday, September 9^th, 2004.

Singles out by TimeOut as one of 118 "Things you gotta do before you can call yourself a real New Yorker" (November 13-20, 2003), the festival’s offerings include three evenings of fully-staged operas at Central Park’s Naumburg Bandshell, south of the Bethesda Fountain at the park’s 72^nd Street entrance. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. For more information, call 212-245-8837 or log on to www.newyorkgrandopera.org.

"Tosca" in Concert
Full Orchestra, Soloists and Choir
November 8, 2004 - 7:30 p.m.
Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew
263 West 86th Street at West End Avenue

This performance of Puccini's "Tosca" was originally
scheduled for Central Park but cancelled twice due to
rain. This concert performance is free and open to the
public with seats available on a first-come,
first-served basis. Seating is limited.

Cast, in order of appearance

Cesare Angelotti  -   Michael Hajek

Sacristan  -   David Ward

Mario Cavaradossi   -  Gustavo  L�pez Manzitti  (d�but)

Floria Tosca  -   Maria Knapik

Baron Scarpia  -   Raemond Martin

Spoletta  -   Robert Goldberg

Sciarrone  -   Howard Dean

A Shepherd   -  Diane Ameralis

Jailer  -   Michael Hajek

Wednesday AUGUST 11 - 7:30 p.m.

Turandot

(Puccini)

Turandot - Luciana La Monico

Calaf - Christopher Jackson *

Liu - Maria Knapik

Timur - Steven Fredericks

(Roberto Stivanello, Stage Director)

(Sets by Hal Tine)

Thursday AUGUST 19 - 7:30 p.m.

Rigoletto

(Verdi)

Rigoletto - Lawrence Small

Duke of Mantua - Pablo Veguilla

Gilda - Akemi Baba

Sparafucile - Peter Volpe

Maddalena - Magdalena llamas *

(Roberto Stivanello, Stage Director)

(Sets by Hal Tine)

+ New York City debut

Turandot was rained out
Raindate: Wednesday, August 3, 2005.

There was no performance to photograph and so I will share with you images from the previous day's rehearsal.

This production would have proved to be
one wonderful evening of opera.

All photographs by Joe Bly

All photographs by Joe Bly