DOUBLE BILL

The Singapore Lyric Opera precedes its staging of two Italian operas with a gala dinner in support of the production

rom september 10 to 12, the Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO) will be staging its double bill opera featuring Leoncavallo’s tragic Pagliacci and Puccini’s comedy Gianni Schicchi at the Esplanade Theatre. Leading the local production is veteran director Tom Hawkes, who has also produced other SLO productions including Mozart’s Così fan Tutte performed last year. Taking on the Italian operas is an international cast, including South Korean tenor Lee Jae Wook and Japanese soprano Sachiko Ito, and the majority of them will play roles in both. SLO will also be hosting a gala dinner on September 4 at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore’s The Ballroom, with the principal singers in attendance. Supporters who have purchased a seat or table for that evening will also receive invitations to the performance on one of the show nights. For enquiries, call 6336 1929.

highlights the great importance

However, NAC’S CEO Kathy Lai emphasises that this is a joint effort of the government and private donors. “While the state plays a critical role in supporting the arts, NAC cannot achieve its mission alone. We recognise the importance of private patronage and corporate giving.” Thus, to inspire more acts of art philanthropy, the council recognises its major donors’ contributions at its annual Patron of the Arts Award. This year’s ceremony takes place at the newly revived Capitol Theatre on September 3. By invite only.