Happenings at Skylark - October 2021

Amahl and the Night Visitors to Showcase All-Minnesota Cast

We are excited to bring Gian Carlo Menotti’s wonderful opera and its magical story to you with a cast that combines familiar and new Minnesota-based vocal artists, including a pair of actual Minnesota twins alternating in the title role.

Amahl: Oskar Helle-Morrissey and Henry Helle-Morrissey
Mother: Vicki Fingalson
The Kings: Maje Adams, Wesley Frye and Rob Riordan
The Page: Loki Embrys Graham
Dancers: Penelope Freeh and Sam Johnson
Shepherds and Villagers: Jim Ahrens, Emma Arachtingi, Thore Dosdall, Joshua Eidem, Kaitlin Klemencic, Jennifer LeDoux, Seth Russell and Shang Zhang

Follow our production progress and watch for announcements of ticket sales on Facebook and here on the website. We hope to see you and your family and friends there!

Announcing Skylark Opera Theatre’s Spring Production

Skylark Opera Theatre’s production season will continue with Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis, March 25-27 and April 1-3, 2022. This beautiful pairing of production and venue is sure to be a hit. Artistic and Stage Director Bob Neu’s vision is an exciting take on this story of spurned young love and its aftermath.

Skylark For Seniors Continues into the Fall

Nine Skylark Opera Theatre performers participated in Skylark for Seniors presentations this summer. These intimate performances of opera and music theater selections have been enthusiastically received by senior audiences: “Absolutely fabulous!” “The opera entertainment was wonderful and playful.” We are pleased to announce that they are continuing this fall with six additional performances at senior residences in the Twin Cities and Mankato.

Skylark Memories Available on Vimeo and Facebook

This is the sixth and final week of Skylark Memories---three bite-size glimpses every week of memorable moments from Skylark's first 40 years. You can see them on Skylark's Facebook page or, to view them all conveniently on the same page, Vimeo.

Support Skylark on Give to the Max Day in November

Skylark Opera Theatre can offer its unique take on opera and music theater because of our wonderful donors and sponsors. We are grateful to each and every one of you. Our donors know that ticket sales alone do not cover the expense of a production like Amahl and the Night Visitors in the beautiful Andy Boss Thrust Stage at Park Square Theatre or community outreach like Skylark for Seniors.

Give to the Max Day on November 18th is another great opportunity to support Skylark Opera. Help us reach our fundraising goal by promoting Skylark Opera Theatre as a great non-profit worthy of support!

Skylark Connections

Skylark’s artistic director, Bob Neu, was featured in a Minneapolis Star Tribune article about the return of the arts to live productions. The September 19th special section, “Fall Arts,” is a look at how the arts and entertainment organizations in Minnesota are regrouping and planning to face an uncertain 2021-2022 performance season. For Bob it isn’t just a question of “what’s next with our art forms,” it is “what should be next.” You can read more of Bob’s thoughts in the Star-Tribune article and you can become friends with Skylark Opera Theatre on Facebook to find out more about Bob's and Skylark's activities and events!

Two Skylark Opera Theatre alums are performing in Opera Idaho’s production of Franz Lehár’s beloved operetta, The Merry Widow on October 8 and 9. Soprano Cecilia Violetta López is Hanna, the fabulously wealthy widow, and Grammy Award winning baritone Gabriel Preisser is Danilo, a reluctant, potential husband. There’s another Skylark connection, too--Skylark’s artistic director, Robert Neu, is the Stage Director for the production.

Andrew Wilkowske, another Skylark alum, is currently with the Eugene Opera rehearsing Lucy, a contemporary monodrama by John Glover and Kelley Rourke. Andrew will also be bringing his groundbreaking show, Guns N' Rosenkavalier, to the Sheldon Theatre in Red Wing on Oct. 16.

Skylark was proud to introduce the Twin Cities to tenor Won Whi Choi’s thrilling voice and artistry in 2015’s La Rondine. You can catch him again as Don Jose in Carmen at the Minnesota Opera in May 2022.

The Twin Cities arts community lost a great supporter and astute critic with the sudden death of Pamela Espeland in September. Her knowledgeable, beautifully written critiques in MinnPost and her personal graciousness will be greatly missed. Skylark sends its deep condolences to Pam’s family and friends.