The Israeli Opera presents a revival of Franco Zeffirelli's opulent production of Puccini's ultimate love story, La Boheme in 14 performances at the Opera House of the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, March 20 to April 5, 2009. Canadian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson will make her local debut when she leads the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion and three choirs – The Israeli Opera Chorus, The Tel Aviv Philharmonic Choir and the Efroni Choir in a lavish production featuring over 400 participants. The opera will be sung in Italian with Hebrew and English surtitles by a cast that includes Israeli and international opera singers.
The Israeli Opera House joins a distinguished list of leading international opera houses which have hosted Franco Zeffirelli's production over the last 50 years, including La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna Staatsoper. This is the third Zeffirelli production to be featured by the Israeli Opera and Zeffirelli's production of Verdi's Aida will be performed in Tel Aviv in July, as part of the city's centennial celebrations.
Inaugurated in 1985, The Israeli Opera is today one of the focal points of Israeli culture - a vibrant international company committed to presenting opera as a dramatic theatrical art form. The complex in which the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center is located, together with the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Beit Ariela and the Sha'ar Zion Library and the Piazza, has also become a major cultural attraction in Tel Aviv, Israel's cultural and entertainment capital.
Constantly expanding its audience base, the Israeli Opera has over 18,000 subscribers and mounts an average of eight productions each season. Israeli Opera productions feature young as well as established international and Israeli singers, supported by world-class production teams. The Israeli Opera collaborates regularly with leading opera houses all over the world and enjoys excellent critical reviews in the international opera press for its performances at home and abroad. All Israeli Opera productions are sung in the original language, accompanied with Hebrew and English surtitles. The Israeli Opera also presents dance, classical music, jazz and a children's music series at the Opera House.
Behind the scenes tours of the Opera House at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center offer English-speaking tourists the opportunity to explore the world of opera, visit the wardrobe store, workshops, foyer and auditorium. The 90 minute tour, which includes information about the opera house architecture, design and activities, ends with some musical delights and an opportunity to meet a young opera singer. Advance reservation for the Friday morning tours are necessary: 972-3-6927863
http://www.israel-opera.co.il/eng/
