Ring in the New Year with “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”) with First Coast Opera, on stage at 7 p.m. Dec. 31 and at 3 p.m. Jan. 1 in Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College, 14 Granada St., downtown St. Augustine. This is the fully-staged production with orchestra of Johann Strauss Jr.’s classic 19th-century Viennese operetta, performed in English.
Nelson Sheeley (“The Marriage of Figaro,” “H.M.S Pinafore”) directs and FCO Artistic Director Curtis Tucker conducts. House seats are $70; general admission tickets are $50; and student tickets are $20. Complimentary champagne will be served during intermission. Tickets are available at firstcoastopera.com.
“This particular opera is a New Year’s Eve tradition in Vienna,” said Tucker. “We are thrilled to stage ‘Die Fledermaus’ for St. Augustine residents and its visitors during the holiday season.”
First Coast Opera recently became a professional company member of Opera America, an important designation. Founded in 1970, Opera America leads and serves the entire opera community, supporting the creation, presentation and enjoyment of opera. It has accepted First Coast Opera as part of a network of companies across North America that produce or present opera at the highest standards of professionalism.
“First Coast Opera was founded in 2000, based in St. Augustine, Florida,” said Tucker. “This nonprofit organization has a board of directors that strives to produce high quality opera performances. We are honored to become a professional company member of Opera America.”
“Opéra Mystique” will be performed in February 2023 at The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Ave., in uptown St. Augustine. Opera and the supernatural combine in FCO’s inaugural production at the renovated historic building. This other-worldly program features staged performances with orchestra of Menotti’s séance-filled “The Medium” and “Holst’s Sāvitri,” based on an episode from the Sanskrit epic Mahābhārata.
In March 2023, “An Evening of Arias” will return, an annual event that features heavy hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and performances by First Coast Opera guest artists.
Tickets and details about upcoming performances are available at firstcoastopera.com.
