OPERA SARATOGA ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER HOLIDAY OPERA “LA BOHÈME” TO CELEBRATE 65th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5

Saratoga Springs, NY (Sept. 4) – To kick off a year-long celebration of Opera Saratoga/Lake George Opera Festival’s 65^th anniversary, Opera Saratoga announces the first holiday opera in the company’s history. Opera Saratoga will produce a special 80-minute concert version of Giacomo Puccini’s “La bohème” at Universal Preservation Hall 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5. The concert will be directed and accompanied on piano by Adam Nielsen (The Juilliard School, Metropolitan Opera) and directed by Mary Birnbaum, Opera Saratoga’s General and Artistic Director. The Skidmore Chorus will be conducted by Floyd Ricketts and include members of the Excelsior Vocal Ensemble (Artistic Director Andrew Burger).  

“We chose ‘La bohème’ to honor the heritage of Opera Saratoga, formerly the Lake George Opera Festival, which began its first season 65 years ago with this beloved Puccini classic,” said Director Mary Birnbaum. “It’s a magical introduction to opera —Puccini’s story of young artists in love is heartfelt and accessible, especially for first-time operagoers. The opera begins on Christmas Eve and later moves to the festive streets of Paris, making it the perfect way to celebrate the holidays with our community.”

Birnbaum adds, “We hope to welcome both adults and children who have never experienced opera before and those who are seasoned opera lovers — to dazzle them with young artists performing some of the most beautiful music in the operatic repertoire.”

To add to the warm welcome, newcomers to the opera will be allowed to buy $25 tickets to the event in a special presale 12 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2. Tickets are first-come, first-served, and of limited quantity with the code: NEWCOMERS.

This concert is part of an amplified year-round presence of Saratoga’s hometown opera, which historically has a world-renowned summer festival season in May and June. After closing out the summer with a performance by Nielsen and soprano Ariadne Greif, who sang “Song to the Moon” from “Rusalka,” “Marine” from “Les illuminations,” and “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid,” Opera Saratoga will return with its next event: a musical pop-up and cocktail party 4-6 p.m. Sept. 11 at the new Standard Fare. Christine Taylor Price, star of last season’s “She Loves Me,” will sing opera and Broadway standards, and there will be bites and signature cocktails from Phila Street’s newest hotspot, which is currently fully committed through most of September.

General tickets are on sale through the Box Office at Proctors Sept. 23 in person, via phone at (518) 346-6204 Tuesday- Saturday 12-6 p.m., or online by visiting atuph.org. For more information about Opera Saratoga, visit operasaratoga.org.

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Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. Opera Saratoga celebrates its 65th Anniversary this season. The company serves the communities of Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital areas by providing access to world-class opera through the production of an annual Summer Festival, as well as year-round activities including extensive educational programs, mentorship of emerging operatic artists, and unique opportunities for the public to experience opera in both our home theatre and non-traditional venues that leverage and embrace the unique cultural, historic, and natural resources of the area. To date, the company has performed 106 different fully staged works by 66 different composers, including 42 works by American composers and 14 premiere productions. In 2023, the company hired its 10th Artistic and General Director, Mary Birnbaum.