Happenings at Skylark - November 2021

Reserve your Seat for Amahl and the Night Visitors

Be sure to reserve your seat for Amahl and the Night Visitors, Gian Carlo Menotti’s tale of a young boy and his mother as they encounter the three kings following the star leading them to Bethlehem. It will become a new holiday tradition for you and your family.

Amahl and the Night Visitors will be presented on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage at Park Square Theatre in the historic Hamm Building on December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 for a total of nine performances.

Tickets are on sale now. Visit skylark.booktix.com to purchase your tickets.

Gary Briggle Directing Amahl and the Night Visitors

Skylark Opera Theatre is thrilled to announce that nationally-renowned singer-actor and drama coach, Gary Briggle, will be stage director for Amahl and the Night Visitors. Gary brings over 45 years of professional experience to Skylark. He has worked with Dayton Opera, Minnesota Opera, Sacramento Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Carolina, Anchorage Opera, Skylight Opera, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, LOON, Skylark Opera Theatre and Nautilus Music-Theatre. In addition, Gary has been a principal artist and artistic director for Lyric Opera Cleveland, guest director at the National Theatre of Hungary, Director of Opera at the University of Iowa and chairman of the Music-Theatre department at St. Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts.

Bob Neu Heading to Utah

Skylark Opera Theatre’s Artistic Director, Bob Neu, has joined the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera as Vice President of Artistic Planning. Bob’s last day with Skylark was October 31st. As Skylark's Artistic Director, Bob has directed numerous critically-acclaimed productions, breathing fresh life into classics such as The Tragedy of Carmen and Cosi fan Tutte and staging powerful contemporary works like As One. All of us at Skylark Opera Theatre are wishing him well in this new venture.

Skylark for Seniors Performances Set for Fall/Winter

The Fall and Winter Skylark for Seniors performances kicked off October 30th at Cherrywood Pointe of Minnetonka, continuing through January, 2022. Support from UCare has made it possible to continue bringing the spectacular musical talents of Skylark Opera Theatre’s performers to senior audiences throughout the Twin Cities.

Welcoming Allyson Tolbert Richert to Skylark’s Board of Directors

We are pleased to welcome Allyson Tolbert Richert to our Board of Directors. Allyson’s stage and theater experience will be a welcome addition to our board. Originally from St. Petersburg, FL, Allyson received her BFA in Musical Theater Performance from the University of Florida. Her previous Broadway national tours include Catch Me If You Can, Mel Brooks’ The Producers and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. In the Minneapolis area she has appeared in productions at the Old Log Theatre and the Guthrie. In Minnesota, Allyson discovered a dance home at Platinum Dance Center where she was Assistant School Director for 5 years and has recently taken on the Program Director role at GREAT Theatre in St. Cloud.

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

Having just performed together as Hanna and Danilo in Opera Idaho’s The Merry Widow, Skylark alums Cecilia Violetta López (La Rondine, 2015) and Gabriel Preisser (Wonderful Town, The Fantasticks, Putting It Together, Don Giovanni), teamed up again for Opera Orlando’s production of La Traviata October 29th and 31st. Cecilia, an internationally renowned soprano, performed the lead role of Violetta for the company, of which Gabe is the General Director.

Two Skylark alums, Siena Forest and Justin Spenner, will be featured in Puccini’s La Bohème at Theater Latté Da for performances from Jan 20-Feb 27th 2022. See more about this production at Theater Latté Da’s website. Siena’s work with Skylark Opera includes a performance in Cosi fan Tutte and Justin’s recent Skylark performance was in The Most Happy Fella. Both Siena and Justin have lent their voices to Skylark for Seniors performances.

Another Skylark alum, Jennifer Eckes, will be performing a selection of 1960’s Broadway showtunes, movie theme songs, and pop hits on November 6th at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, WI. Ticket information is available here. Like other Skylark alums, Jennifer has been part of our Skylark for Seniors performances.