Happenings at Skylark - October 2022
Fun, Opera and Beer—a benefit event for Skylark Opera Theatre
There’s witchcraft, science, murder and mayhem brewing for Skylark Opera Theatre. Join in the fun on October 11th, 2022 for our annual benefit event. We will present the US premiere of Infinite Opera’s short opera, Besse, about a female brewer in 14th century England. It is an evening of friends, fun and beer. Our Oktoberfest! event begins at 5:30pm at Fat Pants Brewing Company in Eden Prairie. Gather a few friends and get your tickets now. They are available at skylark.booktix.com, at EventBrite, or at the door. Help keep Skylark Opera Theatre singing!
Amahl and the Night Visitors Tickets on Sale Now
Skylark Opera Theatre will present nine performances of Amahl and the Night Visitors on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul. December 3&4; 10&11; and 17&18. Make Gian Carlo Menotti’s magical story part of your holiday entertainment plans. This year’s production is under the stage direction of Jeffrey Madison and the music direction of Carson Rose Schneider and a returning cast that delivered a “breathtaking” and “powerful” performance last year. Visit skylark.booktix.com to purchase your tickets.
Be an advocate for the arts—use your voice and your vote
The mid-term elections are approaching. We need state and federal legislators who understand the importance of performing arts organizations like Skylark Opera Theatre to communities. Minnesota Citizens for the Arts has been hard at work making the case for arts funding; your voice, and your vote, are important, too, not only to the success of Skylark Opera Theatre but other performing arts organizations throughout Minnesota. When candidates come knocking at your door, please let them know of your support of the arts and ask them for theirs in the 2023 legislative session. To learn more about the efforts to garner legislative support, visit MCA’s website https://artsmn.org/.
Support Skylark while doing your holiday shopping
Holiday shopping season is already here for early birds and will soon be upon the rest of us. Want a painless way to support Skylark while doing the shopping you’re going to do anyway? Click here to learn how to designate Skylark to support through the Amazon Smile program. Amazon will donate to Skylark for every purchase you make on the Smile website, at no cost to you.
Skylark Connections
On Saturday, October 8th, Skylark Connection Melanie Ashkar will be competing in the semi-finals of the Camille Coloratura Awards competition held in Towson, Maryland. Melanie’s portrayal of Olga in Skylark’s production of Eugene Onegin added a characterization that was full of “emotional intimacy” and “a tender touch to Tchaikovsky's music (Minneapolis Star-Tribune).
The Twin Cities Opera Guild will be holding their annual Candlelight Dinner on October 8th at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul. Skylark Connections Siena Forest and Brian Wallin will lend their voices and talent to the evening’s entertainment. Learn more about the event and the work of the Guild promoting opera to young audiences at their website, twincitiesoperaguild.org.
The Opera Reading Project will host its first official event of Season 5, Opera is Alive! on October 17th. It will be an evening of revenge, spooky or mysterious arias—a great pre-Halloween event. Skylark Connection Colleen O’Shaugnessy, the Opera Reading Project’s executive director, portrayed Madame Larina in Skylark’s production of Eugene Onegin. Learn more at operareadingproject.com.