The OperaDelaware Festival celebrates the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Puccini’s Il Trittico (The Triptych) at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington from April 28 to May 6. The festival, which debuted in 2016, has garnered glowing reviews (The Washington Post described it as “not only a success story but an inspiration”).
For this year’s festival, the tragedies Il Tabarro (The Cloak) and Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica), which make up the first two acts of Il Trittico, are presented together (April 28 and May 6). The trilogy’s final opera, the comedy Gianni Schicchi, is paired with Buoso’s Ghost, a contemporary sequel to Schicchi by composer Michael Ching (April 29 and May 5). Soprano Eleni Calenos, lauded by The Wall Street Journal for her vocal range and “stamina and fire,” stars as Giorgetta in Il Tabarro and in the title role of Suor Angelica.
In addition to the fully staged festival productions, OperaDelaware’s “A Flight of Puccini” makes for a good taste test of Puccini’s famous melodies for opera newbies. The event features festival cast members performing Act I of La Bohème, Act II of Tosca and Act III of Madama Butterfly—each paired with a wine tasting. “A Flight of Puccini” is scheduled for May 3 and 4 at the company’s Riverfront Studios (4 S. Poplar St., Wilmington). Tickets for festival events start at $29.
Main festival events are at The Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, Delaware; 302-442-7807, operade.org