HITTING THE HIGH NOTES
Opera Saratoga finishes year in black, plans more programs for 2018
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Opera Saratoga in 2017 exceeded its annual budget for fundraising and ticket sales, Rosmarie Rosen, president of the company’s board of directors, announced Sunday at an annual meeting.
The opera group brought in more than $1.4 million in revenue with close to $1.39 million in expenses, ending the fiscal year with around a $48,000 surplus.
Over the past three years, Opera Saratoga has seen an increase in ticket sales revenue of 62 percent and an increase of 252 percent in individual support. Additional increases have been seen in all revenue areas, including foundation, corporate, and government support.
Rosen credited the success to General Director Lawrence Edelson, saying the improvements are due to his initiatives when he joined the company three years ago.
Edelson, who just accepted a two-year contract extension, attributes these accomplishments to a combination of factors, including an increased investment in artistic quality, yearround programming, community engagement and the dedication and commitment of the company’s board of directors and other philanthropic leaders in the community.
The company has finished three consecutive years in the black since Edelson took over, Opera Saratoga said in a news release, enabling it to reduce its accumulated deficit. Complete details will be announced when the company publishes its annual audited financial statements in the spring.
Edelson has brought increased national attention to Opera Saratoga over the past three seasons, resulting not only in increased attendance and community investment, but also recognition in national and international press. His achievements have included producing the world premiere of “The Long Walk” by Jeremy Howard Beck and Stephanie Fleischmann; the American premiere of “The Witches of Venice” by Philip Glass and Beni Montresor; and the 80th Anniversary Production of Marc Blitzstein’s “The Cradle Will Rock,” which he also directed and choreographed.
Over the past three seasons, the company has also launched a series of programs to increase accessibility to opera and classical vocal programs for audiences of all ages throughout the year. The Saratoga Sings! initiative provides free performance events in locations unique to the region, which have ranged from an outdoor production of Schubert’s Wintereisse on the snowy trails of Spa State Park - to a series of art-themed concerts presented at area museums and galleries. Saratoga Sings for Seniors provides free performances for older members of the community in senior centers, assisted living facilities and memory centers. The company has also deepened its commitment to its Opera-toGo program in schools, providing access to live opera performances for over 15,000 elementary school children each year. Season highlights Special project funding enabled the company to record its critically acclaimed production of “The Cradle Will Rock” in July under Maestro John Mauceri. This project was made possible with support from The Kurt Weill Foundation, Stephen E. Davis, one of Blitzstein’s nephews, and Marcia Miller in memory of Thomas Damien Reilly. Edelson said tmembers of the Blitzstein family attended the performances, which used the composer’s original orchestration for the first time anywhere in the world in more than 50 years.
During the 2017 Summer Festival, Opera Saratoga presented Verdi and Boito’s “Falstaff,” a masterpiece of the standard repertoire; the company premiere of Grétry and Marmontel’s “Zémire et Azor” (Beauty and the Beast), featuring puppetry by director James Ortiz; along with “Te Cradle Will Rock.”
“I am incredibly grateful to the entire Opera Saratoga family for making our 2016-17 season such a success. The type of work we are doing is not possi-
ble without deep commitment from the board, staff, artists, donors and volunteers,” Edelson said. “Only with the dedication of so many people are we able to serve our community, and to ensure that world-class opera remains an integral part of the arts in our region.” The 2017-18 season Opera Saratoga begins the new year with three new key members of its leadership team: Charla Jeanne Lawson as company manager, Jonathan Blalock as development and patron services manager and Rob Signom III as production manager. They join Mariah Wakefield, marketing and community partnerships manager in supporting Opera Saratoga’s programs.
Community programs began this past fall with the return of Saratoga Sings for Seniors. The Saratoga Sings! free concerts continue through the spring, with special events including Saratoga Sings for the Win at the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame on March 24 and Saratoga Sings of Art and Inspiration at The Hyde Collection on April 29 and The Albany Institute of History and Art on May 3.
The company’s Operato-Go program in-schools will reach more than 15,000 elementary school children in seven counties across the region. This year, Opera Saratoga tours a new production of “The Ugly Duckling,” an opera based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. In addition to 50 inschool performances, the company will present a series of free public performances at libraries, museums and community centers between Feb. 26 and March 30.
The 2018 Summer Festival opens with the annual Stars of Tomorrow Concert on May 26. Additional free and ticketed concerts are offered through mid-July, including A Bernstein Birthday Celebration on June 10, Refugee Voices on June 16 and Vienna, City of My Dreams on July 12.
The company’s annual gala, Opera on The Lake, will once again take place at The Lake George Club on June 3. Four operas will be featured as part of the festival: “The Merry Widow” (Lehár/ Léon & Stein) opens June 29, continuing the company’s Opera-in-Motion initiative that features works that prominently include dance; a doublebill including the world premiere of a new chamber version of an off-thewall comedy about competition, “Vinken-sport,” or “The Finch Opera” (Little/Vavrek), and the American premiere of “Rocking Horse Winner” (Williams/ Chatterton) the first opera to bring horse racing to Opera Saratoga’s stage, opens June 30; and “The Consul” (Menotti), a political thriller that originally premiered on Broadway and won the Pulitzer Prize, opens July 7. Subscriptions are currently on sale, with single tickets going on sale Feb. 15.
For more information, log on to www.operasaratoga.org or call (518) 5846018.