Opera in the Park

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© Fay Fox

A close-up of Katerina Burton.

Katerina Burton

media release: Madison Opera’s Opera in the Park returns on Saturday, July 20, at 8pm in Garner Park on Madison’s West Side.  A Madison summer tradition since 2002, the free concert of opera and Broadway favorites draws audience members from across Wisconsin and beyond to pack a picnic, gather friends, and share a beautiful night of music under the stars.

Opera in the Park 2024 stars soprano Katerina Burton, mezzo-soprano Emily Fons, tenor Joshua Sanders and baritone Weston Hurt.  Burton will make her Madison Opera debut at the concert, and will join the company as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni in May 2025.  Fons sang Rosina in The Barber of Seville with Madison Opera, a role she has recently sung for Santa Fe Opera and Cincinnati Opera, and will return to the company’s mainstage as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni next spring.  Sanders made his debut with Madison Opera while still a High School Apprentice in 2011’s La Traviata; the past year has seen him singing with Nashville Opera, Opera San Jose, and the Metropolitan Opera. Hurt sang an acclaimed Germont in La Traviata with Madison Opera in 2019; other recent credits include Arizona Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

The four soloists are joined by the Madison Opera Chorus and Madison Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John DeMain. The evening is hosted by Madison Opera’s General Director Kathryn Smith and WKOW-TV’s Wake Up Wisconsin co-anchor Mark Charter.

The repertoire at Opera in the Park 2024 spans centuries and continents, from Handel to Sondheim.  Madison Opera’s upcoming 24/25 season is highlighted with selections from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Piazzolla’s María de Buenos Aires, and Mozart's Don Giovanni. The program also features pieces from Don Carlo, The Elixir of Love, Tosca, La Clemenza di Tito, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, and more. As always, this spectacular evening will include one number conducted by the audience with light sticks.

Also:

Join us for a Prelude Dinner prior to the concert, in the tent next to the stage. Attendees receive a dinner catered by Upstairs Downstairs Catering, wine and beer, VIP seating at the concert, glow sticks, and an invitation to meet the artists at a post-concert reception. Beverage service for the evening will begin at 6pm in the white tent next to the stage, with dinner served promptly at 6:30pm. The performance will begin at 8pm.

Seats are $175 each or $1,350 for a table of eight; all but $85 per person is tax-deductible.

All proceeds benefit Opera in the Park. 

Reservation deadline is July 5, 2024. 

And:

This summer, you can have your picnic made for you and support Opera in the Park by purchasing a boxed dinner prepared by Upstairs Downstairs Catering.

Boxed dinners are $25 and feature multiple options for sandwiches and salads, each complete with a homemade cookie for dessert. Water or soft drinks may be added for $2 each.

A portion of the proceeds go directly to fund Opera in the Park and help keep this community tradition free for all to attend. 

Place your order online now, pick it up starting at 6pm the night of the concert in Garner Park, and enjoy it at your favorite spot in the park. 

Orders must be placed by July 12, 2024; boxed dinners will not be available for purchase at the concert.