SARASOTA – If you’re an SNN viewer, you know SNN loves the Sarasota Opera. SNN believes it is one of the many cultural crown jewels that make the Suncoast so unique for all of us.
So, as a newcomer to the Suncoast and the opera, SNN sent me to the opening of La Boheme.
At the start of the night, I was excited.
It’s the opening night of the Sarasota Opera Winter Festival. And it gave me a reason to dress up. It’s a night of elegance and romance.
Opening night called for fancy long dresses and shnazzy black bow ties for the man.
Sarasota opera aficionado, Bobby Garibaldi-Sanders, says she looks forward to this night.
“I wait for it every year, I wait for opening night, said Opera Enthusiast, Bobby Garibaldi-Sander. “Shall I cry now (tears up)? Probably not. It’s my favorite thing.”
Opening night kicked off with a festive brass fanfare on the balcony followed by a special ceremony.
Sarasota Opera House has performed all of Guiseppe Verdi’s musical pieces, so they unveiled a plaque commemorating their completion of the Verdi cycle.
And then came… La Bohème.
“If you’re only going to see one opera in your whole life, this is the one to see,” said Sarasota Opera’s communication coordinator, Lana Mullen.
It’s a story about a group of friends living in Paris struggling to make ends meet. Themes of love, friendship, jealousy and loss are all interlaced throughout the opera.
Sarasota Opera’s communication coordinator, Lana Mullen, says it’s a compelling story of love and friendship that everyone can relate to.
“Everybody’s fallen in love,” said Mullen. “Everybody’s lost a love. Everybody thinks about the love they once had and don’t have anymore.”
Steven Krause, an opera house sponsor and now to La Boheme, says it’s spectacular and bigger than life. He says he loves how he understands the story with just their glorious voices.
“I don’t have to know the language that is being spoken to understand exactly what is going on,” said Steven Krause “Even without reading the subtitles. I don’t think that anybody who has never been to the opera has any idea of what that means.”
If you’ve never been, Sarasota Opera offers real-time English translations projected above the stage. So anyone can understand it.
The opera doesn’t have any age limitations either, even for an eleven-years-old.
“Just seeing this production is amazing,” said 11-years-old, Hudson Freiman. “I love the sets and the singing is just beautiful. This story, it warms your heart to see these characters.”
I learned operas don’t have happy endings. But, it’s easy to appreciate the art.
As I reflect, I think it truly was a night of elegance and romance, not just in the opera house, but also on stage,” I said. “La Bohème was a beautiful story. I can happily say that I enjoyed it, and I will probably be back again.”
La Bohème will run until March 21. Tickets start at just 19 dollars. For more information, you can go to their website.
