Opera in the Rock, the nonprofit determined to give the capital city a bit of professional opera on a semi-regular basis, made about $9,000 at its Fools Rush In fundraising performance inside the Junior League of Little Rock's headquarters downtown April 1.
The nonprofit's second full performance, La Boheme, goes off May 13 and 15 in the new performance space at Pulaski Technical College.
The pianist (Kristin Harwell) has twin 1-year-old sons, and she said the reason she was there '"is because I want my children to be able to hear opera, and this is how all of us feel about it,"' relayed artistic director and voice coach Arlene Biebesheimer.
The program began with "that drinking song," "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from La Traviata. It was followed by several numbers from La Boheme, Don Giovanni, Carmen, Die Fledermaus, A View From the Bridge and others. Maria Fasciano-DiCarlo, Ekaterina Kotcherguina and Kelley Ponder sang soprano with tenor Vernon DiCarlo and baritone Matthew Carey.
"They want to sing opera because they are professional opera singers. Without this company, they don't have that; they have to go to New York or St. Louis or somewhere else to sing," Biebesheimer said.
Opera in the Rock is one of the fledgling nonprofits that rent space from the Junior League to operate on the third floor of the old Women's City Club, although that didn't afford them rent-free use of the second floor.
For tickets to La Boheme, visit OITR.org.
-- Story and photos by Bobby Ampezzan
High Profile on 04/10/2016