Pacific Opera Project Announces 2019 Season Productions

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katy Salomon | Morahan Arts & Media
katy@morahanartsandmedia.com | 863.660.2214

 

 PACIFIC OPERA PROJECT ANNOUNCES 2019 SEASON PRODUCTIONS 

Including a Mario Bros. Themed The Magic Flute at El Portal Theatre, Madama Butterfly sung in Japanese and English at The Aratani Theatre, The Mikado at The Highland Park Ebell Club, and POP’s signature take on La bohème “The Hipsters” 

Los Angeles, CA (October 2, 2018) — Pacific Opera Project (POP) announces its 2019 season productions, curated by Artistic Director Josh Shaw. 

POP opens its 2019 season with Mozart’sThe Magic Flute as you’ve never seen it before – set in the classic Nintendo game, Mario Bros. – in a return to the El Portal Theatre. Performances take place on March 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10, 2019, including two matinees. The “super” production transports Papageno, Tamino, and the gang to the land of 90s video games resembling Mario Bros. and Zelda with a new English libretto by Josh Shaw and Scott Levin. Edward Benyas conducts. 

On April 6, 13, and 14, 2019, POP presents its most ambitious project to date: a brand new production of Madama Butterfly, sung in Japanese and English. Realizing his long-time dream of a bilingual Madama Butterfly, Josh Shaw poses, “What if a brash American naval officer and a young Japanese girl met and fell in love? How would they communicate? Certainly not in Italian!" All Japanese roles will be sung in Japanese by Japanese-American artists and all American roles will be sung in English. Eiki Isomura, Artistic Director of Opera in the Heights, conducts and writes the Japanese sections of the libretto. The production is co-produced with Houston’s Opera in the Heights and performed in Houston, TX on April 26, 28 and May 2,4, 2019. 

POP’s season continues with its highly acclaimed 2013 production of Gilbert and Sullivan’sThe Mikado on August 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 28, 30, and 31at The Highland Park Ebell Club. CultureSpotLA described the production as “Gaudy, flashy and with eye-popping colors... the Technicolor herald of a new cultural gun in town.”

POP’s modern take on Puccini’s La boheme AKA “The Hipsters” returns to The Highland Park Ebell Club on December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 2019 at 8pm. A new batch of hand-crafted, vegan, organically-sourced hipsters will take the stage for what is quickly becoming an annual Los Angeles holiday tradition. In POP’s production of La boheme: AKA “The Hipsters,” an 1830’s Parisian garret becomes a present day Los Angeles loft apartment during a particularly cold SoCal winter. LA's housing crisis comes to life on stage as the artist, poet, philosopher, musician, and seamstress become a graphic designer, screenplay writer, English major, indie-rocker, and fashion designer dealing with the timeless issues of life, love, jealousy, and overdue bills. This production is the inspiration behind POP’s signature logo, “Hipster Puccini.”

About Pacific Opera Project
Pacific Opera Project is dedicated to providing quality opera that is innovative, affordable, and entertaining in order to build a broader audience for the art form.  For more information, please visit pacificoperaproject.com, email info@pacificoperaproject.com or call 323-739-6122. 

Performance Information
THE MAGIC FLUTE
The El Portal Theatre | 5269 Lankershim Blvd. | North Hollywood, CA
Dates:Saturday, March 2 at 7pm; Sunday, March 3 at 3pm; Friday, March 8 at 8pm; Saturday, March 9 at 7pm; and Sunday, March 10 at 3pm 

MADAMA BUTTERFLY
Highland Park Ebell Club | 131 S. Ave. 57 | Los Angeles, CA
Dates:Saturday, April 6 at 7pm; Saturday, April 13 at 7pm; and Sunday, April 14 at 3pm 

THE MIKADO
Highland Park Ebell Club | 131 S. Ave. 57 | Los Angeles, CA
Dates: Friday, August 16 at 8pm; Saturday, August 17 at 2pm and 8pm; Thursday, August 22 at 8pm; Friday, August 23 at 8pm; Saturday, August 24 at 8pm; Wednesday, August 28 at 8pm; Friday, August 30 at 8pm; and Saturday, August 31 at 8pm. 

LA BOHEME AKA “THE HIPSTERS”
Highland Park Ebell Club | 131 S. Ave. 57 | Los Angeles, CA
Dates:Thursday, December 5 at 8pm; Friday, December 6 at 8pm; Saturday, December 7 at 8pm; Thursday, December 12 at 8pm; Friday, December 13 at 8pm; and Saturday, December 14 at 8pm 

Tickets
Tickets for each performance can be purchased by visiting pacificoperaproject.com or by calling 323-739-6122. All shows except La traviata offer seating at tables with food and wine included with ticket purchase.

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