THE SARASOTA OPERA
Tuesday, March 1st through Friday, March 4th
Florida’s innovative Sarasota Opera, now celebrating its fifty-seventh season, has established itself in recent years as one of our most imaginative and successful regional companies. The 2008 season marked the Grand Re-Opening of the Mediterranean Revival Opera House after a year’s closure for a major $20 million renovation. The Opera House remains an intimate and charming venue listed in our National Historic Registry as an authentic Florida landmark, but it is now equipped with the most up-to-date technical facilities. For the past decade, our repeat travelers have recognized the high quality of the Sarasota Opera and continue to choose March as the ideal time for a Florida escape from winter.
The Sarasota Opera’s outstanding productions and unusual repertory are due to the leadership of Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi. Under Mr. DeRenzi’s long-term commitment, the company’s 2016 season will encompass four major operas. In contrast to the offensive ‘Euro-trash’ that has infiltrated many of the world’s leading houses, we can all be grateful that the Sarasota Opera’s traditional stagings continue to honor the values envisioned by the composers.
In chronological order, this year’s repertoire will include Mozart’s 18th century comedy, Così fan Tutte; a new production of Beethoven’s only opera and a powerful ode to freedom, Fidelio; and a pair of Verdi masterworks contrasting his ‘early period’ rarity, La Battaglia di Legnano, with his most popular mature ‘grand opera’, Aida. Both of the Verdi operas will be mounted in new productions and will mark the conclusion of the company’s acclaimed Verdi Cycle which has included all of his operas.There are very few companies in the U.S. where opera aficionados can indulge in the luxury of four different performances of such high quality on four successive days. The Sarasota Opera continues to set an ambitious example during this era of economic austerity by mounting realistic sets. All four of the operas will be enhanced by English surtitles.
Our first daytime excursion this year will include the Ringling Museum of Art. A second excursion will take us to the lush Marie Selbye Botanical Gardens. The area’s combination of musical, artistic and natural treasures truly offers the enticing winter break that everyone is looking for. The glorious coastal sands of Sarasota’s Key islands continue unbroken for several miles and are justifiably ranked by National Geographic magazine as one of the three finest beaches in the world, matched only by Waikiki and the French Riviera.
IMPORTANT: We urge you to make your air reservations AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE to avoid inflated high season airfares.
Our accommodations are for four nights at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Conveniently located, the Hyatt is fully equipped with an outdoor swimming pool and health club, Scalini Restaurant dining facilities, and room service from 6:00 am until midnight. During the busy opera weeks, the Hyatt Regency is a popular choice for out-of-towners who return annually to enjoy the personal service and relaxed ambience. The Hyatt was completely refurbished a few yeas ago and is now in optimum condition.
Price Per Person (based on Double Occupancy): $2,975
Price Per Person (based on Single Occupancy): $3,555