Opera fans raise funds, get a preview of Seville
Fans and benefactors of Opera in the Rock — believed to be the state’s only professional opera company — gathered at the Junior League of Little Rock Ballroom the night of April 1 for snacks, libations and vocal performances by cast members from the company’s forthcoming production of The Barber of Seville. The annual event, dubbed Opera on the Rocks, carried the subtitle Fools for Love.
Performing individually and on stage together were baritone Ferris Allen, mezzo-soprano Suzanne Loerch, tenor Jonathan Ray, sopranos Victoria Mantooth and Genevieve Fulks, all accompanied by pianist Kristin Harwell. Arlene Biebesheimer is Opera in the Rock artistic director. Between the three acts, guests revisited the buffet and perused a silent auction.
Proceeds totaling nearly $10,000 went to support the forthcoming production and the Jennifer Boccarossa Once Upon an Opera educational outreach program.
Opera in the Rock introduces audiences to opera and provides performers important professional opportunities to showcase their talent and further their artistic careers while enriching our cultural community and adding to our local economy, Biebesheimer said.
Highlights from the first act of performances included the opener, “Libiamo” from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, featuring all the singers; “Io son l’umile ancella” from Adriane Lecouvreur by Francesco Cilea, performed by Mantooth; and “Ecco ridente” from The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, performed by Ray.
The Barber of Seville is scheduled for the evening of May 19 and afternoon of May 21 at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College Center for Humanities and Arts in North Little Rock.
— Story and photos by
Cyd King