2019 Past Events

92 adulls and 3 children were in attendance for this magnificent ballet recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London, for a 2018 performance of Tchaikovsky’s most celebrated ballet The Nutcracker. The ballet featured the Royal Ballet and starred Anna Rose O’Sullivan as Clara, Marcelino Sambe as Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker, Marianela Nunez as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Vadim Muntagirov as the Prince, and Gary Avis as Herr Drosselmeyer. Maestro Barry Wordsworth masterfully conducted the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, London. At intermission our guests enjoyed an outstanding Nutcracker-themed reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and our Friends of the Opera. The fantastic menu du jour featured platters of potato & cheese pan-fried pierogis w/carmelized onions, Black forest ham & roasted turkey mini-sandwiches w/horseradish and cheese, cream cheese & cucumber mini-sandwiches on pumpernickel cocktail bread w/ red pepper spread, Russian potato salad w/beets, and egg salad w/assorted cocktail crackers. The desserts included platters of Russian/German-style bread pudding, homemade Christmas cookies & cream puffs, fresh apple butter cake slices, assorted homemade holiday cookies, and chocolate Christmas candies. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our special Christmas punch, ‘Santa’s Little Helper’, made with pomegranate and cranberry juices, mixed with lemonade & orange juice concentrates w/sparkling diet lemon-lime soda, and garnished w/fresh lemon slices and cranberries, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In January 2020 we will proudly feature Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s greatest operatic masterpiece Don Giovanni. This will be an outstanding production, one you won’t want to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming year 2020.

72 opera fans were in attendance for this emotionally-charged performance recorded live at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 2016 of Giacomo Puccini’s celebrated opera Madama Butterfly. The opera featured soprano Maria Jose Siri in the title role of the tragic heroine Cio-Cio-San, with an international star cast of renowned singers, including mezzo-soprano Annalisa Stroppa as Suzuki, tenor Bryan Hymel as Lt. F. B. Pinkerton, and baritone Carlos Alvarez as Sharpless. Renowned Maestro Riccardo Chailly masterfully conducted the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. At intermission our guests enjoyed a magnificent Japanese-themed reception, celebrating our 10-year anniversary, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and our Friends of the Opera. The fantastic menu du jour featured platters of Tsukune (Japanese turkey meatballs in special sauce served w/rice), Gyoza (mini wontons pan-fried w/garlic & ginger oil), Japanese-style deviled eggs (made w/scallions, rice wine, wasabi paste, sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice flour, & mayo), and mini bowls of shelled edamame (soybeans). The desserts included platters of Matcha green tea cake w/white chocolate & cream cheese frosting, pumpkin mochi bars, assorted autumn cookies, and a special 10th anniversary Japanese cherry cake. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our special Japanese Dragon’s Blood punch, made with red fruits punch, apple and cranberry juices, and mixed with sparkling diet ginger ale, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In December 2019 we will proudly feature Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s timeless ballet masterpiece The Nutcracker. This will be an outstanding production, one you won’t want to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming year 2020.

62 opera fans were in attendance for this intense performance recorded live at the Sachsische Staatsoper Dresden Semperoper in Germany in June 2008 of Giuseppe Verdi’s dramatic tragedy Rigoletto. The opera featured Serbian baritone Zelijko Lucic in the title role of the vengeful jester, with renowned German coloratura soprano Diana Damrau as his daughter Gilda, and the incomparable Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez as the licentious Duke of Mantua. Maestro Fabio Luisi skillfully conducted the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Italy. Alfonso Antoniozzi directed this stunning and opulent production for the Teatro Carlo Fenice Opera. At intermission our guests enjoyed a fabulous Italian-themed reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and our Friends of the Opera. The fantastic menu du jour featured platters of sweet pea pesto on crostini topped w/red pepper & dill, Italian-style meatballs en croute w/fresh tomato sauce, and skewers of mozzarella balls, olives, salami, & sun-dried tomatoes. The desserts included platters of mini pumpkin cakes, pistachio cake slices, & ricotta lemon curd cupcakes. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our special Italian fruit punch, made with lemonade & limeade concentrate, strawberries, lemons, & fresh mint, and mixed with sparkling club soda & diet lemon-lime soda, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In November 2019 we will proudly feature our tenth anniversary gala with a performance of Giacomo Puccini’s majestic masterpiece Madama Butterfly. This will be an outstanding production, ten years in the making, and one you won’t dare to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the year..

60 opera fans were in attendance for this 2016 performance recorded live at the Teatro Carlo Fenice in Genoa in March 2016 of Gaetano Donizetti’s lyric tragedy Roberto Devereux. The opera featured the renowned Italian soprano Mariella Devia as Elizabeth, Queen of England, with mezzo-soprano Sonia Ganassi as Sarah, Duchess of Nottingham, tenor Stefan Pop in the title role as Robert Devereux, and baritone Mansoo Kim as the Duke of Nottingham. Maestro Francesco Lanzillotta masterfully conducted the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Italy. Alfonso Antoniozzi directed this stunning and opulent production for the Teatro Carlo Fenice Opera. At intermission our guests enjoyed a sumptuous British-themed reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and our Friends of the Opera. The fantastic menu du jour featured platters of Cornish pasties (ground turkey, onions, celery, carrots, & diced potatoes wrapped and baked in crescent roll dough), Bubble & Squeak (sautéed Brussel sprouts, mixed vegetables, & potatoes pureed and made into patties and fried in canola oil), and toasted cheddar cheese rounds on baguettes & gluten-free crackers. The desserts included platters of Old English bread pudding (dried fruits with orange peel & cream cheese), madeleines (French butter cookies), assorted homemade cookies, and apple bites. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our special British iced tea punch, made with sweet & unsweet teas, orange and pineapple juices, lemonade, and mixed with sparkling ginger ale, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In October 2019 we will proudly feature Giuseppe Verdi’s dramatic and tragic masterpiece Rigoletto. This will be an outstanding production, one you won’t want to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the year.

48 opera fans were in attendance for this 2015 performance recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London of Umberto Giordano’s heroic tenor opera Andrea Chenier. The opera featured the world-renowned German uber tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, with Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek as Maddalena, and Serbian bass-baritone Zeljko Lucic as Gerard, with Sir Antonio Pappano masterfully conducting the orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Sir David McVicar directed this stunning and opulent production for the Royal Opera. At intermission our guests enjoyed a sumptuous French and Italian-themed reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and our Friends of the Opera. The fantastic menu du jour featured platters of mini cheese pizzas, assorted skewers of tortellini & olives, mozzarella cheese balls (w/basil & sun-dried tomato w/balsamic dressing), and Italian mini club sandwiches (w/ ham, turkey, provolone cheese, & lettuce). The desserts included platters of cream cheese & pistachio-frosted cake slices, ricotta cake squares, assorted French butter cookies & chocolate brownies, and fresh grapes. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our special punch a la Francaise, made with orange, pineapple, & pear juices, mixed with sparkling diet ginger ale and fresh-sliced red navel oranges, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In September 2019 we will proudly feature Gaetano Donizetti’s majestic bel canto masterpiece Roberto Devereux. This will be an outstanding production, one you won’t want to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming year 2019.

59 opera fans were in attendance for this 2007 performance recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, of Gaetano Donizetti’s comic masterpiece La fille du regiment. The opera featured soprano Natalie Dessay as Marie, tenor Juan Diego Florez as Tonio, mezzo-soprano Felicity Palmer as the Marquise, baritone Alessandro Corbelli as Sulpice, and the hilarious Dawn French as the Duchess of Krakenthorp. The Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House were skillfully conducted by Maestro Bruno Campanella. The stage direction was by Laurent Pelly. At intermission our guests enjoyed a wonderfully French-themed reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and the fantastic menu du jour featured platters of chicken liver pate on crostini w/lemon zest, cheddar cheese gougeres, select Kalamata olives, petite spinach quiches, and sweet pepper rings. The desserts included platters of French butter cookies (madeleines), blueberry clafoutis, marble cake squares, and fresh mandarin oranges. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our special French lemonade (citron presse) punch, made with lemonade and fresh lemons & mint, and mixed with diet ginger ale & lemon-lime soda, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In August 2019 we will proudly feature the premiere performance of Umberto Giordano’s great tenor opera Andrea Chenier. This will be a momentous production from the Royal Opera House, featuring uber tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, and stage direction by David McVicar. This is one you won’t dare to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming

37 opera fans were in attendance for this 1991 performance recorded live at the Rokokotheater Schwetzingen from the Schwetzinger Festspiele of Mozart’s charming Turkish opera Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio). The opera singspiel featured Matthias Habich as the Pascha Selim, Ruth Ann Swenson as Konstanze, Malin Hartelius as Blonde, Hans Peter Blochwitz as Belmonte, Manfred Fink as Pedrillo, and Kurt Rydl as Osmin. Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti conducted the Stuttgarter Choristen and the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart. At intermission our guests enjoyed a sumptuous Turkish-themed reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and the fantastic menu du jour featured platters of Turkish meatballs (koftes) in sauce (w/peppers, parsley, garlic, & tomatoes), roasted eggplant on crostini topped w/goat cheese tahini mixed w/honey, Bavarian sausage en croute w/mustard dressing, and a platter of delicious Kalamata olives. The desserts included platters of cream cheese apple cake, Mediterranean bread pudding, and chai spice cookies. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our very special Turkish mint-lemonade punch, made with orange-pineapple, apple, & pineapple juices, lemonade, and mixed w/sparkling diet ginger ale soda and fresh-cut strawberries and fresh mint, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In July 2019 we will proudly feature Gaetano Donizetti’s delightful comic opera La fille du regiment (The Daughter of the Regiment). This will be an outstanding production, one you won’t want to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming year 2019.

128 opera fans were in attendance for this 2009 performance recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco of George Gershwin’s American folk opera Porgy and Bess. The opera featured the renowned American bass-baritone Eric Owens as Porgy, soprano LaQuita Mitchell as Bess, baritone Lester Lynch as Crown, tenor Chauncey Packer as Sportin’ Life, and soprano Karen Slack as Serena. The Orchestra and Chorus of the San Francisco Opera was conducted by maestro John DeMain with stage direction by Francesca Zambello. At intermission our guests enjoyed a sumptuous American-themed reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and the fantastic menu du jour featured platters of down-home deviled eggs, country grits casserole with turkey bacon, Cajun chicken salad on fresh-baked buttermilk biscuits topped with a special home-made mayonnaise dressing, and red beans, rice & turkey sausage (made with soul). The desserts included platters of sweet cornbread pudding, red velvet mini-cupcakes, Woolworth cheesecake squares, and assorted home-made pudding cups (lemon, chocolate, pistachio & vanilla). Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our special watermelon-lemonade punch, made with sparkling diet lemon-lime soda and fresh organic strawberries, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In June 2019 we will proudly feature W. A. Mozart’s delightful comedy singspiel Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio). This will be an outstanding production, one you won’t want to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming year 2019.

70 opera fans were in attendance for this 2006 performance recorded live at the Los Angeles Opera of Giuseppe Verdi’s tragic masterpiece La traviata. The opera featured soprano Renee Fleming as Violetta, tenor Rolando Villazon as Alfredo, and bass Renato Bruson as Germont. The Orchestra and Chorus of the Los Angeles Opera was conducted by maestro James Conlon. At intermission our guests enjoyed a wonderfully sumptuous reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and the fantastic menu du jour featured platters of mini spinach quiche, mini cheese rolls with tomato sauce, and mushroom tortellini skewers w/olives and sun-dried tomatoes. The desserts included platters of lemon cake slices, cannoli tarts, and oatmeal-date cookies. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of our special faux champagne punch, made with apple juice and sparkling apple cider, and mixed with apple-flavored sparkling water, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In May 2019 we will proudly feature the premiere performance of George Gershwin’s great American opera Porgy and Bess. This will be a momentous production from the San Francisco Opera featuring Eric Owens and Laquita Mitchell, one you won’t dare to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming year 2019.

110 devoted opera fans were in attendance for this 2008 taped-live production by Francesca Zambello of Georges Bizet’s darkly passionate opera Carmen, filmed live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. The opera featured Italian soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci in the title role of the gypsy Carmen, German uber-tenor Jonas Kaufmann as Don Jose, Italian bass-baritone Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as the dashing toreador Escamillo, and French soprano Norah Amsellem as the peasant girl Micaela. The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House was conducted under the baton of its Music Director Antonio Pappano, driving Bizet’s memorable score and tragic story forward. At intermission our guests enjoyed a wonderfully sumptuous reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and the fantastic menu du jour featured platters of pimento de atun (mini peppers filled with tuna), vegetable empanadillas (made with onions, peppers, mushrooms, peas, & tomatoes), deviled eggs Spanish style (with green olives & smoked paprika), goat cheese tapas (with carmelized onions & goat cheese on baguette drizzled with honey), and assorted cheese cubes, yellow pepper rings, green olives and red grapes. The desserts included platters of sopadillas (Spanish style cheesecake squares), anise borrashio cookies (butter cookies with anise seed), chocolate zucchini cake with pepitas, and an assorted cake and cookie platter. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of delicious non-alcoholic sangria, made with apple, grape, and cranberry-apple juices, mixed with diet lemon-lime sparkling soda, mixed with fresh orange, lemon, lime, and green apple slices, and fresh sliced strawberries, all to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In March 2019 we will proudly feature Puccini’s personal favorite opera La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West), and will feature Jonas Kaufmann, Nina Stemme, and Tomasz Konieczny, with Franz Welser-Most conducting the Orchestra and Chorus of the Vienna State Opera. This will be an outstanding production, one you won’t want to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming year 2019.

44 opera fans were in attendance for this recorded-live production from the 2015 Salzburg Easter Festival that featured German tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the leading tenor roles in both operas. He was supported by a star-studded international supporting cast, including Liudmyla Monastyrska, Maria Agresta, and Dimitri Platanias. Our conductor was Christian Thielemann who skillfully lead the Staatskapelle Dresden in both works. At intermission our guests enjoyed a splendid Italian reception, prepared by our very own chef-in-residence Roslyn Blitzer, and the fantastic menu du jour featured platters of Italian meatballs en croute with marinara sauce, spinach & cheddar cheese balls, cheese tortellini skewers with olives & sun-dried tomatoes, and sweet pea & pesto crostinis. The desserts included platters of ricotta cookies, oatmeal Florentine lace cookies, assorted cake slices, and cannoli-filled black & white cake. Our guests also enjoyed a refreshing cup of punch, made with cranberry & black cherry juices, and mixed with black cherry-flavored sparkling water, to enjoy with their chosen delicacies. In February 2019 we will proudly feature Georges Bizet’s Carmen with the renowned soprano Grace Bumbry in the title role, with Jon Vickers as Don Jose, Mirella Freni as Micaela, and Justino Diaz as Escamillo. Herbert von Karajan will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for this historic performance. This promises to be an outstanding production, one you won’t dare to miss, and as always, we look forward to bringing you many more outstanding operatic and special performances every month throughout the upcoming year 2019.