Want an early start on the 2022-2023 opera season? Let me bring an upcoming event to your attention because it is unusual in timing and filled with charm, and it is one of the niftiest ideas for beginning a season that I have run into - An Evening at Café Momus.
An Evening at Café Momus poster image, courtesy of Annapolis Opera.
As I have been listing opera company schedules in the Seasonal List section of OperaGene, I was surprised to see that Annapolis Opera will kick things off early, in August even. Their production of La bohème runs August 26 (Friday) and 28 (Sunday), but that’s not all. To get you prepared and in the mood for a return to opera, the company has arranged a preview for Saturday, August 13 titled, “An Evening at Café Momus”. General Director Kathy Swekel describes “this colorful and opening event” as a “vivid recreation of Café Momus”. She further reports:
“The decor is, of course, 19th century Parisian café. Guests will enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres as National Gallery of Art Curator of French Painting, Kimberly Jones transports them to the world of 19th century France. Maestro Craig Kier speaks about Puccini's composition of the opera, and a cast member brings selections of La bohème's music to life. The evening also features the unveiling of the Annapolis Opera’s 50th Anniversary collectable poster.”
If you remember, Café Momus is featured in act 2 of La bohème, as the fun gathering spot for young bohemian artists who have come upon an enabling bit of cash. During the evening, Mimi and Rodolfo continue to fall in love, and Musetta stokes Marcello’s jealousy in a hilarious attempt to reignite their love affair. For fun, this scene is one of the best that opera has to offer. An Evening at Café Momus arranged by Annapolis Opera gives fans a chance to experience the scene from the inside, and with Curator Jones and Maestro Kier speaking, it also promises to be both enlightening and deepening of one’s appreciation for La Bohème, many people’s favorite opera.
Annapolis Opera appears to be undergoing a renaissance under Artistic and Music Director and Conductor Craig Kier who joined AO in 2020, just as the COVID pandemic arrived. My wife and I attended last year’s AO production of Into the Woods and greatly enjoyed the performance. We were also highly impressed with the quality of the performance; we experienced the opera house as a true Broadway Stage. Director Kier comments on the 2022-2023 season:
“Welcome to the Annapolis Opera's 50th anniversary season! What a thrill it is to present a season that captures the full breadth of operatic storytelling as we celebrate our past 50 years and look to the future. Our season features composers spanning nearly 200 years with mainstage performances of a new co-production of Puccini's beloved classic, La bohème, the company premiere of Kurt Weill's musical tragedy, Lost in the Stars, and the return of Mozart's comedic masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro. In addition, we welcome artists in concert with our annual Voices of Our Time performance alongside our 35th Annual Vocal Competition and offer countless free events throughout the year with our popular Insight Series education programming.”
All’s well that ends well, but it doesn’t hurt to have a great beginning, and this year, Annapolis Opera does.
The Fan Experience: An Evening at Café Momus will be held in the Bowen Theater in the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis on Saturday, August 13. Tickets are available at this link. Parking at the Hall is free. Subscriptions for the 2022-2023 season are available. These days, still always check a company’s website to find out what COVID policies will be in effect for events you plan to attend.
In closing, let me add that Annapolis is a wonderful town to visit. It is the capital of Maryland and both the Naval Academy and St. John’s College are there. It has a waterfront, historic buildings, and great restaurants. In fact, just writing that sentence causes my mouth to water and long for another visit to Vin 909’s wine by the glass lists and gourmet cuisine, or chowing down on seafood at Boatyard Bar and Grill, or lunch at Eastport Kitchen with its creative menu, and fresh made donuts at breakfast at Ruth and Chick’s; I could go on and on. Make it a weekend and enjoy the town as well as the opera!