Downtown Raleigh Alliance

Scott MacLeod, Publicity Director
The Opera Company of North Carolina
919.792.3855
scott.macleod@operanc.com

Raleigh, NC (March 2, 2007) – The Opera Company of North Carolina (OCNC) is pleased to announce an exciting festival of events, celebrating the final production in OCNC’s 10th anniversary season, La Bohème (April 13, 7:30 p.m., and 15, 2:00 p.m., Memorial Auditorium at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts). The following is a sampling of events to come:

• Rehearsals at the Sir Walter Apartments ballroom, open to the public for viewing (March 30-April 7). This is a chance to bring elegance and fine art back into this historic building, and create a unique opportunity for the low-income residents of this facility. Those rehearsals open to the public will be announced on our website (www.operanc.com), and will give area residents the ability to see firsthand a professional production in progress.

• A lunchtime music series, in collaboration with the NC Theatre Conservatory, along with the Downtown Alliance. Area businesses will be invited to dine outdoors and hear live opera and musical theatre's "greatest hits" on Fayetteville Street, starring opera singers Daniel and Stephanie Stein and featuring singers from the NCT Conservatory. Vendors will be on hand. March 28 and 30, April 4 and 11, 12:00. Wednesday events will be held outside of the Sheraton Hotel, Friday’s event will be at the Capitol.

• Puccini Wine & Opera Dinner, supporting The Opera Company of North Carolina, is scheduled for April 3, 2007, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at The Grape at Cameron Village. Tickets are $100, which includes a $50 tax-deductible donation to OCNC. An evening of fabulous Italian Opera perfectly paired with gourmet cuisine and wine at The Grape will include four courses and five wines paired with five arias for the ultimate experience in wine and song. An aria will be sung with each wine pouring. A “Meet the Opera” reception will follow the dinner and allow guests and media to mingle with the Opera stars. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are available.

• Opera About Town. Opera singers Daniel and Stephanie Stein present “Opera About Town”, an introduction to the art of opera and preview of The Opera Company of North Carolina’s upcoming production of La Bohème, April 13 and 15 at Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. From March 26 to April 7, they will visit area schools, businesses, assisted living facilities, and libraries, and provide a unique opportunity for the public to view live opera singers face-to-face. They will then be on hand for question and answer sessions. Narrated by veteran opera singer Scott MacLeod and filled with recognizable sections of famous operas and musicals, this is a program that promises to be fun, educational, and enriching. Check our website at www.operanc.com for details.

• Student dress rehearsal, Thursday, April 12, 11:00 am, Memorial Auditorium at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $10, scholarships are available for financial hardship.

• John Fowler Masterclass, NC Theatre Conservatory. La Bohème leading man John Fowler will lead an instructional masterclass with students of the NC Theatre Conservatory, March 28 at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Fowler is a veteran of the Metropolitan Opera and the world's leading houses, and a voice professor at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. This is a unique opportunity to get an insider’s view on the art of great singing. Open to the public.

Details about these and other events are forthcoming. Be sure to check the website (www.operanc.com) often for updates.
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