In honor of its season opener, Mission Opera will present two short made-for-TV operas by Gian Carlo Menotti, Friday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Sept. 12, at The MAIN in Newhall. The Old Maid & The Thief will be sung in English with Spanish subtitles and will feature special guest, Rich Capparela, while El Teléfono (known as “The Telephone”) will be sung as a World Premiere in Spanish with English subtitles.

“The Telephone” premiered 74 years ago in New York City. It was originally a short opener for “The Medium” and both ran on Broadway for a short period in 1947. It revolves around a young GI who has been drafted but wants to propose to his girlfriend before going to service. He is nervous but quickly gets upset when he cannot seem to get her off the phone long enough to pop the question.

“The Old Maid & the Thief” was originally created as a radio opera. It will be staged in chapters of small scenes with a narration between as was presented at its premiere in 1939 on NBC Radio with the NBC Symphony Orchestra playing. In this show, we find two women living together, vying for the attentions of a man suspected of being an escaped convict. Both women go to absurd lengths to win his heart, while keeping gossiping neighbors at bay. Mission Opera Artistic & Executive Director Dr. Joshua Wentz directs this comedic double bill.

“Presenting opera in the United States can be difficult,” Wentz said.  “So we tend to focus on American operas written in English for our audiences to enjoy.”

Both shows highlight Menotti’s masterful musical language and comedic storytelling. El Teléfono runs for 25 minutes and The Old Maid & The Thief runs for 50 minutes. There will be a 15 minute intermission between shows.

Premiere times and dates:

• 7:30 p.m.  – Friday, Sept. 10

• 2:00 p.m.  – Saturday, Sept. 11

• 7:30 p.m.  – Saturday, Sept. 11

• 2:00 p.m. – Sunday, Sept. 12

Creative team:

• Dr. Joshua R. Wentz, artistic director

• Christie Lynn Lawrence, assistant director

• Timothy León, music director

• Aaron Miller, audio designer/engineer

• Stephan Nieman, lighting designer

• Shawn Taylor, set designer

• Stephanie Aravelo, stage manager

• Lisa Poleshek, hair/makeup/costume designer

• Dori Jurican, technical director

El Teléfono cast:

• Alejandra Martinez as Lucy

• Esteban Rivas-Perez as Ben

The Old Maid & The Thief:

• Christie Lynn Lawrence as Miss Todd (evenings)

• Alexis Wesley as Miss Todd (matinees)

• Brooke Iva Lohman as Laeticia (all)

• Carol Winston as Miss Pinkerton (9/10, 9/11 eve, 9/12)

• Constanze Bonelli as Miss Pinkerton (9/11 mat)

• Joshua Wentz as Bob (9/10, 9/11 eve, 9/12)

• Eric Castro as Bob (9/11 mat)

Tickets

Tickets are $30 for general admission, and $25 for seniors and students. Our ticket registration is hosted by The MAIN. Please call the Box Office at (661) 290-2255 for more information. Group discounts available.

Donations:

Benefits available for individual or corporate sponsors. Donations are 100% tax deductible and can be made online at www.missionopera.com.