Press Release: "Opera in Hialeah" Partnership Continues Throughout 2015-16

Florida Grand Opera to Perform 
National Anthem at Independence Day Celebration in Hialeah

Florida Grand Opera and the City of Hialeah extend “Opera in Hialeah” partnership for a second season

MIAMI – July 1, 2015 – Florida Grand Opera (FGO) is proud to announce the continuation of “Opera in Hialeah,” a popular performing arts alliance with the City of Hialeah. Now in its second season, “Opera in Hialeah” will officially kick off the 2015-16 Season with three incoming members of FGO’s prestigious Young Artist Program performing the National Anthem at Hialeah’s annual Independence Day Celebration at the Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment.

“We were both excited and honored to continue this meaningful partnership,” says Director of Education Cerise Sutton. “FGO has been active in Hialeah for some time now, and the community was incredibly responsive to all we did last year. We are looking forward to building upon these efforts.”

The artists chosen to sing at this year’s festivities are sopranos Sarah Payne and Laura Martinez León and tenor Edgar M. Abréu. These artists also happen to be recent FIU School of Music graduates, and were selected from more than 600 auditionees to participate in FGO’s 2015-16 Young Artist Program. For more information about Payne, León, Abréu, or any of FGO’s incoming Young Artists, please click here.

IF YOU GO

WHAT:  The City of Hialeah’s Independence Day Celebrations with special performance by Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artists

WHEN:  July 4, 2015

Gates open at 5pm

WHERE:            

Ted Hendricks Stadium at Milander Park

4700 Palm Avenue

Hialeah, Florida 33012

COST: Cost of entry is free. Food and activities available for purchase.

ABOUT “OPERA IN HIALEAH”

Beginning in the summer of 2014, FGO and the City of Hialeah began their joint efforts to program free and engaging community events throughout “The City of Progress.” The culmination of these efforts has resulted in the “Opera in Hialeah” (or “El ópera en Hialeah”) festival: a series of Florida Grand Opera concerts and community outreach events programmed exclusively for Hialeah residents.

This partnership was initiated by members of the City of Hialeah’s Department of Education and Community Services in early 2014. Within the first few weeks of discussion, it was identified that over the past decade FGO had actively expanded its offerings to Miami-Dade’s Spanish-speaking community: projecting supertitles in both Spanish and English, publishing bilingual program books, and advertising its productions in Spanish-language media. In addition, for the past several years FGO’s Education and Community Outreach programs have been regularly engaging students from Hialeah’s most underserved schools through FGO’s Opera Lab and Read Along, Sing a Song programs. It was this already-established connection between FGO and the Hialeah community that served as the groundwork for this new, long-term cultural alliance.

The cultural alliance officially began on July 4, 2014, when Florida Grand Opera tenor Martin Nusspaumer performed the National Anthem at the City of Hialeah’s July 4^th fireworks show.

Below are a number of the free, bilingual events that Hialeah residents can look forward to throughout FGO’s 2015-16 Season:

NEW THIS SEASON: Busing from Hialeah to the Arsht Center

FGO is pleased to announce complimentary round-trip shuttle transportation from the Milander Center for the Arts and Entertainment in Hialeah to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami for the company’s first and last productions of its 2015-16 Season.

Hialeah residents interested in enjoying Rossini’s The Barber of Seville or Donizetti’s Don Pasquale are welcome to park their vehicles at the Milander Center for free and travel down to Miami in comfort. Milander Center security and FGO volunteers will be on site to assist patrons.

This round-trip shuttle service will be provided for the Sunday matinee performance of The Barber of Seville (Sunday, November 15, 2015) and the Friday evening performance of Don Pasquale (Friday, May 15, 2016). This service is complimentary but reservations will be required. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Spanish-Language Concerts

On Friday, October 23, 2015, members of Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artist Program will perform ¡Ópera Viva, Viva Ópera!, a concert consisting of musical selections from FGO’s upcoming 2015-16 Season. Audiences can look forward to hearing their favorite pieces from The Barber of Seville, Norma, The Passenger, and Don Pasquale. This concert will take place at Hialeah’s Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment and is tentatively scheduled for 7:30pm.

On Friday, February 12, 2015, FGO’s Young Artists will return to the Milander Center to perform Opera Amore, a concert composed of Spanish- and English-language love songs. This concert will be ticketed. More details regarding this event will be announced at a later date.

Random Acts of Opera

To increase community awareness of Florida Grand Opera, members of FGO’s Young Artist Program will perform Random Acts of Opera at specific “landmarks” in Hialeah, including the Hialeah Racetrack, Westland Mall, and the John F. Kennedy Library. Random Acts of Opera are “pop-up operas” in everyday locations—such as malls, airports, or restaurants—to provide surprise bursts of entertainment. Dates for Random Acts of Opera are TBD.

Opera Lab

Opera Lab, a “laboratory of learning through opera,” is a 10 month in-school residency program that demonstrates the application of academic subjects through a creative, arts-based medium. Through their demonstrations at various high schools throughout Hialeah and Miami-Dade County, Director of Education Cerise Sutton and Director of Production Kevin Mynatt stress the importance of basic academic subjects—such as math, history, and science—as they build scenery and props for the stage. Above all, Sutton encourages students to pursue their passions and explore many career opportunities. Occurs continuously throughout 2015-16 Season.

Read Along, Sing a Song

This season-long program serves 14 community libraries in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Read Along, Sing a Song engages children and families with interactive sessions that combine reading with playing instruments, dancing, and singing at important parts of children’s storybooks, making reading even more fun!

Read Along, Sing a Song is open to all elementary students. Sessions are free, but space is limited to 25 children. Read Along, Sing a Song dates and book selections are TBD.

Family Day

FGO Family Day brings the grand world of opera into South Florida community venues. To be held at Hialeah’s Milander Park, this free public program allows children to explore many different aspects of opera production at hands-on activity stations. Past activities have included an Instrument Petting Zoo, face painting, and craft projects led by members of FGO’s costume and wig shop.

Participants receive an activity sheet with questions based on information learned during each station, along with a survey. Completed sheets can be turned in to FGO staff in exchange for a Young Patronesses of the Opera Funtime Book to remember their day. Children of all ages are welcome.

This season, Family Day in Hialeah will take place in early 2016. Dates and locations will be announced at a later date.

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