Bijou to Perform 'This Is Opera?'
Orchestra to Perform Opera Favorites and Oddities at Bay City State Theatre
November 1, 2007
By: Julie McCallum, Entertainment Editor
Soprano Diane Penning joins The Bijou to perform several selections presented collectively as "The Seven Deadly Sins."
The world of opera is the subject of the next concert in the fifth season of The Bijou Orchestra in Bay City, Michigan.
'This is Opera?' will be given Saturday, November 10 at 8PM and Sunday, November 11 at 2PM at the beautifully restored State Theatre, 915 Washington.
'This Is Opera?' is the final of three concerts in the Thelen Auto Group "Bijou Series at the State."
"If you love opera, you'll want to hear this concert," explains Bijou Artistic Director Leo Najar. "On the other hand, if you can't stand opera, you really can't miss this concert."
The opera world gives us an immense range of musical styles, emotions and qualities, from the sublime to the ridiculous, which makes it the perfect subject for The Bijou.
Najar said, "Our players will be pushing themselves to their very limits to in virtuoso showpieces like William Tell Overture, the overture to Russlan and Ludmilla and The Ride of the Valkyries."
Najar continued, "These are all popular audience favorites, but even if you think you know them, you haven't lived until you've watched thirteen players perform music intended for an orchestra of over a hundred musicians."
Soprano Diane Penning joins The Bijou to perform several selections presented collectively as "The Seven Deadly Sins." Penning made her debut with The Bijou in November, 2007 to tumultuous response and returns to sing the Jewel Song from Faust, Quando m'en vo from La Bohémè, "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide, and other songs by Mozart, Gershwin and Herbert. Penning
is a frequent performer in recital and orchestral concerts throughout the Midwest.
"Of course, much of the greatest music for the opera is sung by men, not women, but as you can see, we have no male soloist on the concert. You can trust us, however, to solve this problem in our own unique way," promises conductor Najar.
All seats for 'This is Opera?' are reserved and cost $30, $25 and $20 depending upon location. Student tickets are $10.
Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.BijouOrchestra.org by phone at (989) 892-4200 or in person at the Bay Musical Arts Box Office: 917 Washington Avenue, Bay City, Michigan, 48708.
Box-office hours are 1-5PM Tuesday through Friday. Tickets are also
available at the door.
The Bijou Orchestra takes its name from the Bijou Theater, one of the earliest Bay City theaters, which later became known as the Bay and eventually the State. The ensemble is composed of thirteen outstanding musicians drawn from Michigan and beyond to perform in this challenging medium in which every player is a soloist.
The orchestra is supported in part by grants from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Russell H. & Maxine E. Smith Foundation, and the Bay Area Community Foundation. Major corporate contributors include the SC Johnson Corporation, Dow Corning, Bay Regional Medical Center, OmniSource and Thelen Auto Group.