From Buffalo to Saratoga

Lake George Opera at Saratoga is including in its summer season a performance of "Eleanor Roosevelt," a new opera by Buffalo composer Persis Parshall Vehar, pictured at left.

Advertised as a "developmental premiere," the opera will be presented as a workshop performance, accompanied by piano. "Be the first to hear this new opera based on the life and impact of Eleanor Roosevelt," the Opera at Saratoga brochure invites. "This unique workshop performance brings cast, composer and audience together for the first time to experience and guide an opera still in development. ... The opera explores an important period in American history which has many parallels to today."

Persis Vehar is well-known in Buffalo for her imaginative creations, which include a group of songs set to the raucous poetry of Charles Bukowski and a one-act opera based on the life of Chopin.

In case anyone is going to be in the neighborhood, the performance of "Eleanor Roosevelt" takes place at 1 p.m. July 11 at the Spa Little Theater at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The two opera on SPAC's main season are "Madama Butterfly" (on July 2, 5, 8, 10 and 12) and "Don Pasquale" (July 3, 7, 9 and 11).

Find information on Lake George Opera at Saratoga here.

And you can check out Buffalo bass baritone Valerian Ruminski giving an atmospheric performance of Vehar's "Spring Swan," set to the poetry of Charles Bukowski, here. 

-- Mary Kunz Goldman

Comments

[Dan]

As a native Buffalonian now living in the Spa City, I "will be in the neigjust may make that event on the 11th. Thanks for writing about it, and I linked your entry on my blog which can be found here: http://funsaratoga.typepad.com/funsaratoga/2009/05/buffalo-connections.html.