Wine & Opera? Yes, in The Elixir of Love

The Sacramento Opera presents Gaetano Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love at the Sacramento Community Center Theater, 1301 L Street, Sacramento, Friday, November 20, 2009 at 8 pm; Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 2 pm; and Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 7:30 pm.

The Elixir of Love is an opera in two acts, with music by Gaetano Donizetti and libretto by Felice Romani. This Sacramento Opera production is sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. For more information, visit www.sacopera.org. For tickets, call 916.808.5181 or visit the Box Office, 1301 L Street, Sacramento. Single tickets are $18 to $130. Join the Sacramento Opera on Facebook and Twitter.

The Sacramento Opera production presents Katrina Thurman as Adina, Dinyar Vania as Nemorino, Igor Vieria as Dr. Dulcamara, David Small as Belcore, and Carrie Hennessey as Gianetta. José Maria Condemi is the stage director. All shows feature Sacramento Opera Artistic Director and Conductor, Timm Rolek, the Sacramento Opera Chorus, and the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.

This fresh look at one of the gems of the Bel Canto repertoire is set in Post-World War II in a small town in Northern California’s wine country. The Elixir of Love is a timeless, wistful look at love and longing, pathos, and youthful exuberance. It’s the story of a bashful and naïve farm laborer, who falls in love with the boss’s daughter, Adina. His efforts at love are thwarted by the strapping Sergeant Belcore, who all but kicks sand in Nemorino’s face as he sweeps Adina off her feet. What’s a boy to do? Enter Dr. Dulcamara, a “snake oil” salesman par excellence. From his roadside stand the good Doctor hawks a variety of medicines, potions, and elixirs guaranteed to cure everything from impotence to the infirmities of old age.

Nemorino timidly approaches and asks if there is anything for “affairs of the heart,” to which Dr. Dulcamara offers a bottle of cheap red wine disguised as the “Elixir of Love.” Be sure to listen for the famous aria, Una furtiva lagrima.

Season subscriptions are still available through the Sacramento Opera office, 916.737.1000. Season subscribers save up to 26% off single ticket prices and receive priority seating among other benefits.