Opera Club presents two days of screenings
The Opera Club invites everyone to watch the joyful, youthful love story “L’Elisir d’Amore,” with Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon, on Nov. 1 at 1:30 p.m. in Clubhouse 3, Room 2.
Club member Lucy Poropat has studied this opera and will introduce the Vienna Staatsoper production about a love-struck farm worker Nemorino and his pursuit of wealthy young farm owner Adina, who is being courted by a dashing military leader.
In desperation, Nemorino finds himself scammed by a carnival huckster promoting an elixir that allegedly makes people irresistible to others.
Unknownst to him, however, he simultaneously inherits a vast sum from his deceased uncle, the news of which causes the village girls to surround him, making Adina jealous. The audience is called on to figure out if it’s the elixir (mostly red wine), the money, or something else that makes Nemorino attractive to Adina.
And the next day, Nov. 2, at the same time and in the same location, club member Jan Berliner will present the filmed concert “Luciano Pavarotti: A Life In Seven Arias.” Best known for his 1990 performance as part of “The Three Tenors,” Pavarotti sings his signature arias from operas by Puccini, Verdi and Donizetti, as well as popular favorites such as “O Sole Mio” and “Mamma.”
His ability to project his voice above a full orchestra, seemingly effortlessly reaching a high C note multiple times, set a standard that few others have achieved. While Pavarotti is credited with introducing opera to the world through large stadium performances broadcast on TV, his humanitarianism was displayed in his partnership with Princess Diana to eliminate land mines and countless benefit concerts for UN causes encompassing Bosnia, Kosovo, Guatemala and Iraq.
Both presentations are sung in French and Italian with English subtitles. Attendees are requested to wear a mask, per Leisure World guidelines. No dues or fees are collected.
For more information, contact LW Opera Club President Beverly Emus at (562) 296-5586 or beverly90740@gmail.com.
