Singer

Mad Scenes are among the most exciting moments in opera! Characters express their mental distractions with high notes, low notes, fast notes, and passionate conviction. In the hands of Baroque masters like Handel and Vivaldi, those moments create pinnacles of drama that tear at your heartstrings as if the characters are people that we know. Sarah Coit and Hadleigh Adams will bring you unforgettable experiences as they move throughout the room and among the audience, delivering gripping theatrics from only an arm's distance away. Of course, specialty cocktails will be designed for the night's theme, and casual cafe-style seating offers easy mingling with the performers.

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Madness & Mayhem

San Francisco War Memorial

Opera Birmingham proudly presents the world premiere of "TOUCH," a groundbreaking new opera that delves into the life of Helen Keller, the celebrated 20th-century deaf and blind author, activist, and her confidant and friend, Anne Sullivan Macy. This compelling narrative picks up where the play "The Miracle Worker" ends, exploring the intricate relationship between Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan Macy, John Macy (Anne’s husband), and Peter Fagan (Helen’s interpreter and star-crossed lover).

Set to captivate audiences on Friday, January 19, 2024, at 7:30 P.M., and Sunday, January 21, 2024, at 2:30 P.M., the opera will be staged at the RMT Arts Campus - Main Theatre, presented by Opera Birmingham. This two-act chamber opera, sung in English with projected English text and interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL), features a score orchestrated for seven players and includes three principal singing roles, an actor playing Helen Keller, and an ensemble of six singers. The production showcases the talents of Alie B. Gorrie as Helen Keller and Michelle Allie Drever as Anne Sullivan Macy, alongside the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

"TOUCH" addresses themes of disability, agency, and the human condition, representing Opera Birmingham’s commitment to telling diverse stories and ensuring accessibility for all audience members. The opera includes ASL interpreters, Braille program notes, assisted listening devices, and audio description services to accommodate low-vision and low-hearing patrons.

The opera opens as Helen Keller prepares to graduate from Radcliffe College in 1904, with Anne Sullivan by her side. It explores their extraordinary connection, the challenges they face, and the impact of Helen's advocacy work on their relationship. The narrative unfolds through moments of triumph, struggle, and the complexities of love and loss, culminating in a poignant conclusion that captures the essence of their enduring bond.

For tickets, accessibility services, and more information about the "TOUCH" world premiere, visit Opera Birmingham's website or contact the box office. Join us for this highly anticipated event and help bring the story of Helen and Anne to life on the stage.

Touch

Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus

Witness one of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s most beloved holiday traditions! A fixture of the holiday season, Handel’s Messiah features the iconic Hallelujah chorus and sweeping solos portraying one of the greatest stories ever told. Gary Thor Wedow returns to lead the orchestra in a historically informed performance. This will be his first time back on the beautiful Alys Stephens Center stage since 2012

Handel’s Messiah

UAB’s Alys Stephens Center

Never before seen by Toledo Opera audiences, the beloved tale of Cinderella meets operatic delight in this Rossini hit. Based on the iconic children’s story, Angelina (Cinderella) sweeps the floors while her farcical stepsisters try on dresses, vying for the extremely eligible Prince Ramiro’s hand in marriage. With a twist of fate, Angelina meets Prince Ramiro. Charmed by her goodness, he knows he has found his soulmate. Amid household chaos, squabbling family members, and mistaken identities, Angelina’s honesty and forthrightness bring this story to its rightful and hilarious conclusion. Rossini’s charming take on the classic Cinderella story will delight audiences of all ages in this family-friendly opera. Cinderella stars mezzo-soprano Sarah Coit as Angelina, tenor David Walton as Prince Ramiro, and BGSU voice professor Keith Phares as Count Dandini.  Maestro Douglas Kinney Frost conducts Rossini’s sparkling score as director Marc Verzatt brings this enchanting story to life.

Cinderella (La Cenerentola)

Valentine Theatre

Bach’s Mass in B Minor is the pinnacle of Baroque repertoire and ABS’s now renewed annual performances draw audiences to San Francisco from around the world.

Under the meticulous and insightful direction of Jeffrey Thomas, these performances of the Mass in B Minor — Johann Sebastian Bach’s consummate masterwork — bring eye-opening revelations of Bach’s score that draws upon 35 years of his compositions.  

Recognized worldwide as one of the foremost interpreters of the music of Bach and the Baroque, Maestro Thomas continues to inspire audiences and performers alike through his keen insights into the passions behind musical expression. Fanfare Magazine proclaimed that “Thomas’ direction seems just right, capturing the humanity of the music… there is no higher praise for Bach performance.” 

Mass in B Minor

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco

Beauty. Sacrifice. Resilience. Seattle Opera World Premiere. Set against Afghanistan’s volatile history, this new opera tells the breathtaking story of Mariam and Laila, two Afghan women. Brought together under the brutal Taliban rule, the bond between Laila and Mariam leads to unthinkable sacrifices, and ultimately, one family’s survival. Based on Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel, this story has captured the hearts of millions including American composer Sheila Silver and librettist Stephen Kitsakos who adapted the novel for the opera stage. Directing the production is Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat, whose trailblazing work as one of Afghanistan’s first female film directors has garnered more than 20 international film awards, including the 2021 Kim Dae-jung Nobel Peace Film Award and the 2018 International Women of Courage Award presented by the United States Department of State.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Seattle Center

Long known as a work calling for humanity to unite as “brothers,” Beethoven’s mighty Ninth Symphony has stirred whole societies to lofty ideals since its premiere in 1824. Los Angeles based composer Reena Esmail epitomizes the many facets of being and having a sister in her radiant work that joins Western Classical Music and Hindustani Classical Music traditions. The California Lutheran University Choir and Pepperdine University Concert Choir join leading vocal soloists under the direction of Michael Christie.

Ode to Joy

Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Kavli Theatre Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza

A dramatic account of the fall of Babylon at the hands of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the first Persian empire, and the ensuing freeing of the Jewish nation as told by Daniel, the noble youth of Jerusalem, is the subject of Handel's oratorio, composed during the peak of his creative life. After falling into neglect after Handel's death, 21st-century revivals of this splendid music have been presented in Zurich and Aix-en-Provence. A central and guiding character of Queen Nitocris, the mother of Belshazzar, encourages the story's triumphant ending.

Belshazzar

War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

The galant styles of High Baroque and Rococo music join hands in the mature works by Bach and Rameau. The Missa in A Major is a curious amalgam of the traditional and contemporary, featuring a pair of a relatively “new” instrument on the scene, the flauto traverso. And the ornate wizardry of Rameau's theatrical Dardanus brought the opera acclaim as one of his greatest compositions. A glance back to the Italian roots of the Baroque is revealed in Handel's and Vivaldi's concertos.

Barococo

In 48 BC, Rome has just taken Egypt. Upon arrival in the country, Julius Caesar finds himself in the midst of a struggle between sibling rulers that begins the destruction of the Roman triumvirate and ends in a great love with Cleopatra, who would become the most successful and beloved ruler in the history of Egypt.
Intense moments of pathos and riotous comedy mixed with some of Handel’s best, most beloved music make Julius Caesar an opera not to be missed.

Julius Caesar

Oakland Scottish Rite Center

At our "A Baroque New Year's Eve at the Opera" concert in 2019, Sarah Coit brought the house down with her dazzling performances of arias from Handel's Giulio Cesare, Riccardo I ré d’Inghilterra, Theodora, and Ariodante. Two months later, she became the recipient of the 2020 Jeffrey Thomas Award, and she will be heard in December 2021 in ABS's concerts of Handel's Messiah in Grace Cathedral and the Green Music Center. A prize-winner from the George London Foundation and the Handel Aria Competition, her repertoire ranges from the Baroque to operas including The Marriage of Figaro with Michigan Opera Theatre (Cherubino) and The Barber of Seville with Utah Opera (Rosina). An experienced and captivating recital artist, Sarah will present a varied program of some of her favorite works ranging from bravura arias from Baroque opera and musical drama — including Handel's Ariodante and Hercules, Monteverdi's L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Vivaldi's Juditha Triumphans — to the deeply moving song cycle by Dominick Argento, "From the Diary of Virginia Woolf."

ABS Artist Showcase Series

A cast of young stars brings the operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s beloved play to life including tenor Pene Pati as Romeo and soprano Nicole Cabell as Juliet, both in exciting Company debuts. Joining them is baritone Yunpeng Wang as Mercutio and mezzo soprano Sarah Coit as Stephano also in house debuts. San Diego Opera principal guest conductor Yves Abel brings his mastery of the French repertoire to lead the musicians for these performances and stage director Matthew Ozawa brings his unique visionary style to the stage.

Roméo et Juliette

San Diego Civic Theatre

Join us for Opera Santa Barbara’s first mainstage baroque opera!  Santa Barbara native, Jana McIntyre (Norina, Don Pasuale ’21) sings the title role, who is in love with the God, Jupiter, sung by Robert Stahley making his Opera Santa Barbara debut. Also making their company debuts are countertenor Logan Tanner in the role of Athamas, Semele’s mortal betrothed, and mezzo soprano Sarah Coit, singing the goddess Juno, the spurned wife of Jupiter. Director Sara E. Widzer (Carmen in your Car, ’20) returns to bring the escapades and foibles of both mortals and Gods alike to the Lobero stage in this production set in the roaring 20’s. This production will feature lighting design by Helena Kuukka and projections designed by Yuki Izumihara. Rounding out our creative team, Maestra Emily Senturia leads the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra through this journey of love, lust, jealousy, and revenge!

Sarah Coit

Mezzo-soprano

Events

Jan 26, 2024

Madness & Mayhem · American Bach Soloists

19 - 21 Jan, 2024

Touch · Opera Birmingham

22 - 23 Dec, 2023

Handel’s Messiah · Alabama Symphony Orchestra

6 - 8 Oct, 2023

Cinderella (La Cenerentola) · Toledo Opera

Jul 30, 2023

Mass in B Minor · American Bach Soloists

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