- Tulsa Opera
The Tulsa Opera, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the 18th oldest opera company in the
United States and is ranked among the top 10 regional opera companies in the nation. Fact|date=January 2008 The company produces three opera productions each season performed at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The 2007-2008 season marks the organization's 60th anniversary.Current Season
The 2008-2009 season will feature
La Boheme ,Hansel and Gretel , andL’Elisir d’Amore .History
In 1948, five Tulsans, Bess Gowans, Ralph and Ione Sassano, Mary Helen Markham and Beverly Bliss, formed the Tulsa Opera Club. On December 4th of that year, the organization performed
Giuseppe Verdi 'sLa Traviata , with local singers. [http://web.archive.org/web/19980205043629/http://www.webtek.com/tulsaopera/great.htm Tulsa Opera History at Archive.org] ,Archive.org , January 13, 2007]In
1951 , the name was changed from the Tulsa Opera Club to Tulsa Opera, Incorporated, the name under which it operates today. With the performance ofMadama Butterfly in1955 , the company made the transition from using local amateur singers to professional singers in all major roles. [http://www.tulsaopera.com/About.asp About Tulsa Opera] , TulsaOpera.com, January 13, 2007] In 1977, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center was built. Since that time, nearly all operas have been presented in the Center's Chapman Music Hall.Singers such as
Harolyn Blackwell ,Andrea Gruber ,Sherrill Milnes ,Luciano Pavarotti ,Leontyne Price ,Beverly Sills , andJoan Sutherland have performed with the company.Trivia
*
Luciano Pavarotti is said to have received a horse in compensation for his performance with the company.
* Only a few weeks before her debut with the company,Beverly Sills requested the scheduled opera, Anna Bolena, be changed to I Puritani. The company complied.
* The ghost ofEnrico Caruso is said to haunt the Brady Theater. He is supposed to have caught a cold there which led to his later death by pleurisy.Tulsa Youth Opera
In
1997 , a tuition-free division of Tulsa Opera was created just for young singers ages 8-18. Tulsa Youth Opera, or TYO, participates either in one main stage production or a special concert each season. [ http://tulsaopera.com/education-for-students.html]External links
* [http://www.tulsaopera.com Tulsa Opera Official Site]
* [http://denlynmor.com/THeGuildofTulsaOperaMainPage.htm Guild of Tulsa Opera]ReferenceS
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