GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire Opera Festival's second season features a new production of Richard Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos" this weekend. 

 

Performances will be Saturday, Aug. 26; Tuesday, Aug. 29; and Friday, Sept. 1, all at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. This follows the opera's successful inaugural 2016 season, in which its production of "Madama Butterfly" debuted to widespread acclaim.

 

The production is conducted by Artistic Director Brian Garman.  

 

"Brian and I are thrilled with the critical and financial success of Berkshire Opera Festival's inaugural season, and grateful to everyone who helped us achieve it," General Director Jonathon Loy, who also serves as stage director, said. "We're delighted in our second season to present 'Ariadne.' Producing it makes good on our founding mission to explore the entire operatic repertoire and to bring less familiar, magnificent pieces to the Berkshire public."  

 

Garman said, "Ariadne accomplishes the very rare feat of being hilariously funny in one moment and breathtakingly beautiful in the next ...  

 

"Our internationally-acclaimed cast will make this a real treat both for people already familiar with the opera and for those experiencing Strauss for the first time."

 

The title role features American soprano Marcy Stonikas, who is highly in demand in this country and abroad for her performances; tenor Kevin Ray will tackle the demanding role of Bacchus, while Nicole Haslett scales the heights of the coloratura role Zerbinetta. As the Young Composer, mezzo-soprano Adriana Zabala adds another Strauss role to her wide-ranging repertoire. Filling out the roles of Zerbinetta's burlesque troupe and Ariadne's nymphs is a supporting cast of up-and-coming young stars.  All performances feature the Berkshire Opera Festival Orchestra.

 

The opera, first performed in Vienna in 1916, runs 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission. 

 

"Ariadne auf Naxos" will be sung in German with projected English translations.  Tickets are priced from $20 to $98. Tickets to each recital are priced at $30. For more information, visit www.berkshireoperafestival.org.

 

This production of "Ariadne auf Naxos" is made possible by a generous gift from Adrian and Christine Slywotzky.