Lyric Opera San Diego

Last updated

Lyric Opera San Diego was a San Diego, California-based theatre company specializing in Comic opera, Operetta, and Musical theatre. The company was founded in 1979, primarily for the purpose of performing Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. At the time it was known as the San Diego Gilbert and Sullivan Company.

Contents

The focus of the company changed in 1990 when Leon Natker was hired as General Director; the artistic director was J. Sherwood "Jack" Montgomery. [1] [2] The company was renamed San Diego Comic Opera. [3] The company expanded its repertoire from Gilbert and Sullivan to include musical theatre, song revue programs, comic operas, and operettas. [3] [4] The mission statement was revised: “To provide a regional model for the production of Comic Opera, Operetta, and Musical Theater that develops new generations of artists and audiences by producing a season of fully mounted productions and education programs.” In 2003 the name was changed again, to Lyric Opera San Diego.

The company was a member of Opera America, the national organization for opera companies. Driven by their commitment to find and develop new talent, the company helped launch the careers of several young San Diego artists, of whom many are now performing on national and international stages. In summer 2006 Lyric Opera San Diego launched its Summer Academy, created to train middle and high school students in the arts of the stage, including acting, singing, dancing and theatre production.

In 2011 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and it has produced no shows since that time. [5]

North Park Theatre restoration

In 2001 the company was offered the opportunity to take part in the restoration of the historic North Park Theatre, located at 2891 University Avenue. Originally built in 1928, this once-thriving 1,200 seat movie theater closed in 1989. After lying vacant for more than 15 years, the North Park community and the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Diego were undertaking a revitalization campaign for the community. The centerpiece of their plan was the restoration of the North Park Theatre as an 800-seat live performance venue. [6] [7] A 390-space parking garage was also built to accommodate the increased traffic. [8]

Entering into a partnership with developer Bud Fischer, the company embarked on a two-year fundraising campaign to raise $8 million toward the renovation of the theater. In 2003 the final name change was effected and the company became Lyric Opera San Diego, to better reflect its goals, its accomplishments, and its future plans. The fully renovated, state-of-the-art theater opened in October 2005 as The Stephen and Mary Birch North Park Theatre, with Lyric Opera San Diego as its managing tenant. [9] This made the company one of only twelve opera companies in the United States that own or operate their own venues, and the only one in California. However, mortgage and other costs proved an enormous financial strain on the company. Lyric Opera put the property up for sale in January 2011, but was unable to find a buyer. In October 2011 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. [9] [10] There were no productions in 2012, and as of November 2012 their website offered only advertising links to shows by other companies. [11] The Birch North Park Theatre was still in use for occasional film festivals and musical or theatrical performances. [12] As of October 2013 the web page was a dead link.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operetta</span> Form of theatre and a genre of light opera

Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its shorter length, the operetta is usually of a light and amusing character. It sometimes also includes satirical commentaries.

<i>Showtune</i> (musical) Musical revue from 2003

Showtune is a musical revue celebrating the words and music of Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman. Its title was inspired by Herman's autobiography of the same name. The revue's original title was Tune the Grand Up. After its 1985 San Francisco premiere and several regional productions through the 1990s, the piece played in the West End in 1998 under the title The Best of Times, and Off-Broadway in 2003, titled Showtune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comic opera</span> Sung drama of a light or comedic nature

Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Oyly Carte Opera Company</span> British theatre company

The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company which, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. The company was revived for short seasons and tours from 1988 to 2003, and since 2013 it has co-produced four of the operas with Scottish Opera.

Skylight Music Theatre, known until January 2012 as Skylight Opera Theatre, is a professional light opera and musical theatre company located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1959, Skylight performs in the 358-seat Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee. Offering a broad spectrum of works, including Gilbert and Sullivan and other light opera, small-scale operas and musicals, the company is known for its all-English repertoire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Savoyards</span> Former light opera company in New York City

American Savoyards was an Off-Broadway and touring repertory theatre company that produced light operas, principally the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, in New York City and on tour between 1948 and 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. C. Williamson</span> Actor and theatre manager (1845–1913)

James Cassius Williamson was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players</span> Repertory theatre

New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players is a professional repertory theatre company, based in New York City that has specialized in the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan for over 40 years. It performs an annual season in New York City and tours extensively in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of San Diego</span> Overview of the culture of San Diego

The culture of San Diego, California is influenced heavily by American and Mexican cultures due to its position as a border town, its large Hispanic population, and its history as part of Spanish America and Mexico. San Diego's longtime association with the U.S. military also contributes to its culture. Present-day culture includes many historical and tourist attractions, a thriving musical and theatrical scene, numerous notable special events, a varied cuisine, and a reputation as one of America's premier centers of craft brewing.

Lara Teeter is an American dancer, actor, singer, theater director and college professor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Kraus</span> American opera singer

Philip Kraus is an American operatic baritone and stage director known for his performances with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, starting in 1991, and for his co-founding of Light Opera Works, a professional light opera company in Chicago, in 1980.

Christopher Alden is an American theater and opera director. He is the twin brother of David Alden, also an opera director. Both brothers belong to a generation of modernist directors that includes Robert Wilson and Peter Sellars. and are known for staging revisionist productions of opera.

Lamplighters Music Theatre is a semi-professional musical theatre company based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1952 by Orva Hoskinson and Ann Pool MacNab, the Lamplighters specialize in light opera, particularly the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as such works as The Merry Widow, Die Fledermaus, Of Thee I Sing, My Fair Lady, Candide, and A Little Night Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casino Theatre (New York City)</span> Former theatre in Manhattan, New York

The Casino Theatre was a Broadway theatre located at 1404 Broadway and West 39th Street in New York City. Built in 1882, it was a leading presenter of mostly musicals and operettas until it closed in 1930.

Charles Albert Cannon, a singer, theater performer and co-founder of Starlight Opera in San Diego, California, was born in the coastal town of San Quintín, Baja California, near Ensenada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marguerite Sylva</span>

Marguerite Sylva was a Belgian born mezzo-soprano who achieved fame not only on the opera stage but also in operetta and musical theatre. She was particularly known for her performances in the title role of Bizet's Carmen, which she sang over 300 times in the course of her career. Sylva was a pioneering recording artist for Edison Records and made many recordings for the company between 1910 and 1912.

<i>Trial by Jury</i> 1875 comic opera by Gilbert & Sullivan

Trial by Jury is a comic opera in one act, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was first produced on 25 March 1875, at London's Royalty Theatre, where it initially ran for 131 performances and was considered a hit, receiving critical praise and outrunning its popular companion piece, Jacques Offenbach's La Périchole. The story concerns a "breach of promise of marriage" lawsuit in which the judge and legal system are the objects of lighthearted satire. Gilbert based the libretto of Trial by Jury on an operetta parody that he had written in 1868.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Bracy</span> Welsh opera singer, director and producer (1846–1917)

Henry Bracy was a Welsh opera tenor, stage director and opera producer who is best remembered as the creator of the role of Prince Hilarion in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera Princess Ida. Bracy often played the leading tenor role in the works in which he appeared, becoming one of the most popular comic tenors of the Victorian era. His wife, Clara, was an actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Jansen</span> American actress and singer

Marie Jansen was an American musical theatre actress best known for her roles at the end of the 19th century. She starred in a number of successful comic operas, Edwardian musical comedies, and comic plays in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and London during the 1880s and 1890s.

References

  1. ↑ Herman, Kenneth (September 12, 1990). "New S.D. Opera Company Is on Different Tack: Music: Reincarnation of Gilbert & Sullivan Company as the Comic Opera Company broadens the group's horizons". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ↑ Herman, Kenneth (March 21, 1992). "The Songs of Sondheim Star in S.D. Comic Opera's Revue". Los Angeles Times.
  3. 1 2 Churnin, Nancy (March 14, 1990). "Gilbert & Sullivan Company Decides It Will Branch Out". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ↑ Herman, Kenneth (March 30, 1991). "Comic Opera's 'Rose Marie' Is Calling Youuuuuuuuu". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ↑ "Iconic North Park Theatre Has New Owners: Renovations will offer concert and cinema productions". San Diego Metro. October 30, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  6. ↑ Ensor, Deborah (October 24, 2002). "Theater could cost neighbors free parking - North Park residents weigh issue at forum". San Diego Union-Tribune.
  7. ↑ cinematreasures.org
  8. ↑ "The North Park Theatre" Archived 2008-11-16 at the Wayback Machine . North Park Main Street, accessed August 30, 2010
  9. 1 2 Anderson, John P. (March 3, 2013). "The Curtain Closes on Birch North Park Theatre?". San Diego Free Press. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  10. ↑ Max, Nathan (October 14, 2011). "Lyric Opera to file for bankruptcy protection". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "Lyric Opera San Diego website" . Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "Events Calendar". Birch North Park Theatre. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.