Photo Flash: The Dicapo Opera Theatre’s 30th Anniversary

The Dicapo Opera Theatre opened its 30th season with Giacomo Puccini's
Tosca. The sold out production was followed by a gala dinner at The
Columbus Club. The evening started with a champagne toast to Dicapo
Opera founders: Executive Director, Michal Capasso, and Artistic
Director, Diane Martindale. A documentary about the history of Dicapo
was shown and included footage of the construction of the 250 seat
theater in the basement of the St. Jean Baptiste Chuch.

After the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera, Dicapo Opera
Theatre is the only opera company in New York to present an entire
season of opera productions, musical theatre, concerts, family fare,
and other events, and it does so in a gem of a facility tucked away on
the Upper East Side.

No other American Opera Company has devoted itself so passionately to
the entire oeuvre of the Italian master Giacomo Puccini. In October
1981, Michael Capasso produced his first Tosca. Now, to celebrate
Dicapo's 30th season, Mr. Capasso applies his imagination and intimate
knowledge of the Puccini idiom to a new production of this tale of
fervent love, duplicity, and tragic death.

Among those celebrating at the gala were opera greats; Renata Scotto,
Elaine Malbin, Licia Albanese, conductor Pacien Mazzagatti, broadway's
Stewart F. Lane, Bonnie Comley, gala chair; Sharen Benenson, and board
and gala committee members: Dr William & Marissa Priester, Carol
Black, Karen Unterberg Diane Britz-Lotti, Barbara O'Dwyer Lopez,
Judith Reid, Judy Iovino, Jeffrey Lawrence, Father John Kamas, Maria
Bell, John Hartje, David Kutz, Paul Koningsberg and Bernardo Paradise.

The dinner guests were entertained by back stage stories from the
Tosca cast members who included: Kirsten Sampson, Branden Coleman,
Richard Cassell, Peter Gage Furlong, Guido LeBron, George Kassarjian,
Nicholas Connolly, Bryce Smith and Leah Lane.

For more information on The Dicapo Opera Theatre see:
www.dicapo.com

Photo Credit: Rob Rich/Societyallure.com