VERMONT THIS SUMMER - Professional Opera and Theater

VERMONT (Mad River Valley & Greater Burlington) – A summer escape to the Green Mountains of Vermont is simply good for the soul. The air is clean, the food is locally grown, and the entertainment is world class, yet relaxed. Two of this season’s best bets offer professional opera and theater in the Mad River Valley and Greater Burlington areas of Northern Vermont.

The Green Mountain Opera Festival is a three week operatic Vermont sojourn in its third year under internationally acclaimed artistic director and bass, Taras Kulish. The festival begins on June 1st and explores the art and beauty of opera with concerts, open air events, free open rehearsals, and free master classes throughout the Mad River Valley culminating with two fully staged and costumed performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata on June 20th & 22nd, accompanied by the Green Mountain Opera Orchestra at the beautifully restored Barre Opera House. Other highlights include the Opening Opera Concert at the Joslyn Round Barn (part of the Inn at the Round Barn Farm) on June 6th, the Broadway Picnic at the Lareau Farm Inn (home of American Flatbread) on June 11th, and the Emerging Artist Showcase on June 13th.

“You won’t want to miss any of these fantastic events coming up in our 3rd annual opera festival. I couldn’t be more proud and excited to present you all these established and emerging artists in the gorgeous Central Vermont landscape. High quality opera and breathtaking nature…what more could you want?!” exclaims Kulish.

The Mad River Valley is an idyllic working landscape of farms, forests, covered bridges and steepeled villages situated beneath the towering, frosted ridgeline that is home to Sugarbush and Mad River Glen Ski Areas. Refreshingly undeveloped, there are horse-xing signs and cow pastures but not a single traffic light. The landscape and buildings of the area retain the character of a rural farming community yet are home to two ski areas, numerous inns and bed and breakfasts, many restaurants, a half-dozen nightlife options, unique shops and artist studios, and an ongoing calendar of cultural and community events. The Mad River Valley is also home to Vermont’s first Localvore Movement – www.vermontlocalvore.org – and all visiting Vermont are inspired at the broad spectrum of locally grown foods in stores, at farmstands, and in restaurants across the state. More information on the Mad River Valley is available at www.madrivervalley.com.

Saint Michael’s Playhouse is an eight week theatrical masterpiece enjoying its 61st season as Greater Burlington’s only professional summer theater. Under the esteemed direction of managing and creative director, Charles Tobin, the Saint Michael’s Playhouse performs four productions throughout the season starting in mid-June, as well as two children’s theater performances all in the acoustically perfected theater in the McCarthy Arts Center on the Saint Michael’s College campus. This summer’s productions include Barnum – the high-flying Broadway musical based on the amazing life of Phineas Taylor Barnum June 17th – 28th; Moonlight and Magnolias – the hilarious, madcap Hollywood comedy about the making of Gone with the Wind July 1st – 12th; Almost, Maine – an enchanting new romantic comedy set in the far northern town of Almost, Maine July 15th – 26th; and Pump Boys and Dinettes – the high-octane Broadway musical celebrating the simple pleasures and good folks at the Double Cupp Diner and Pump Station July 29th – August 9th. Playhouse Junior features the children’s theater productions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz June 21st & 22nd and Jack and the Beanstalk July 5th & 6th.

“Our company and crew of some 80 professional theater artists create full-scale custom-produced productions,” comments Tobin. “This season we’ve assembled a line-up of exciting productions with something for everyone, including the big entertainment factor that our audiences love and have come to expect.”

Located on the shores of Lake Champlain, Greater Burlington is comprised of Vermont’s largest metropolitan area – Burlington, known as Vermont’s Queen City – and her various communities to the North, South, and East. A hub of hotels and resorts, lake recreation, art and culture, international cuisine with local twists, and a plethora of attractions, Greater Burlington is a melting pot of Vermont’s finest attributes and has long been known as a premier Northeast vacation getaway. Greater Burlington offers a flawless blend of cosmopolitan flair with stunning lake and mountain beauty. More information is available at www.vermont.org.

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ABOUT

The Green Mountain Opera Festival is co-sponsored by the Inn at the Round Barn Farm (www.theroundbarn.com) and the Green Mountain Cultural Center, a non-profit organization that has promoted the visual and performing arts in Vermont’s Mad River Valley for twenty years and was founded by the Inn at the Round Barn Farm’s original owners. It is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional contributions for the festival and the Emerging Artist Program, which is free for those chosen to attend, come from the Sheila C. Johnson Foundation, which supports programs related to education, children, and the arts and was founded by the Black Entertainment Television co-founder and opera enthusiast. The Green Mountain Opera Festival’s Annual Gala Fundraiser, held annually in March, helps raise additional funds and this year featured Metropolitan Opera soprano, Wendy Nielsen. Festival tickets go on sale May 1st through the Green Mountain Cultural Center at 802-496-7722 or by emailing tickets@greenmountainoperafestival.com. More information is available at www.greenmountainoperafestival.com.

Saint Michael’s Playhouse is Greater Burlington’s professional summer theater, celebrating nationally renowned Equity actors, live theater, and a professional theater internship program in the heart of Northern Vermont’s liveliest community and vacation getaway. From its humble beginnings in 1947, Saint Michael’s Playhouse has blossomed into an eight week long theater season housed in one of Vermont’s finest theater venues – the McCarthy Arts Center at Saint Michael’s College. As the area’s only professional summer theater, Saint Michael’s Playhouse features stellar talent from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theaters nationwide, hiring actors and stage managers who are members of Actor’s Equity Association – the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. Each season approximately 14,000 theatergoers experience the unparalleled opportunity to see live, professional New York theater, produced and presented right here in Vermont. Subscription packages go on sale May 1st and tickets go on sale June 1st by calling 802-654-2281. More information is available at www.saintmichaelsplayhouse.org.

This release was published on openPR.