April 28 and May 6, 2001 in the San Francisco Area will feature singers from Festival Opera and San Francisco Opera's Merola Program
Legendary tenor, Mario Lanza, will be remembered in two concerts to be held this spring in the Bay Area. The first will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, 30 miles east of San Francisco.The second will be at 2 p.m.on Sunday, May 6 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, 401 Van Ness Avenue, adjacent to the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House.
Both concerts are produced and presented by Festival Opera. A special video presentation highlighting Mario's career will open the performances. Kathryn Grayson who who co-starred with Mario Lanza and is a close friend of the Lanza family will be a special guest at both performances.
The concerts will feature talented singers from the Festival Opera and San Francisco Opera's Merola program and the Festival Opera chorus. The orchestra will be conducted by by Michael Morgan, director of the Festival Opera Orchestra and conductor of the Oakland East Bay Symphony. The program will include opera arias associated with Mario Lanza as well as such popular Lanza songs as "Be My Love" and "Because You're Mine".
Tickets for the April 28th concert in Walnut Creek are selling for $35, $50 and $65. The May 6th San Francisco concert are $35 and $55.
The concerts are being produced by Bob Rezak, a member of The Lanza Legend. For more details, visit the Festival Opera web site at www.festivalopera.com or write RRRezak@aol.com
