NEWS RELEASE
APRIL 8, 2020
CONTACT:
Ryan Scott Lathan, Manager of Marketing and Communications, 817-288-1218; RLathan@fwopera.org Paulina Magdaleno, Audience Development and Special Events Manager, 817-288-1225; Paulina@fwopera.org
FORT WORTH OPERA ANNOUNCES YOUTUBE PREMIERES AND FACEBOOK WATCH PARTIES OF FAMILY OPERA FRIDA KAHLO AND THE BRAVEST GIRL IN THE WORLD
AND HILARIOUS ONE-ACT COMEDY FEEL THE TANGO
FORT WORTH, TX — Fort Worth Opera (FWO) is excited to announce today that the company will host free YouTube Premieres and Facebook Watch Parties of the operas Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World on April 16 and 18, and Feel the Tango on April 23 and 25, 2020. As the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to shape the lives of families across the United States, Fort Worth Opera is committed to bringing educational programs like our new FWO Arts-In-Place digital curriculum into homes, and sharing our love of opera and theater with the global community. Opera fans who missed these fantastic performances during our past seasons will now be able to enjoy them from the comfort of their couches.
In November of 2019, the company presented the world premiere of FWO Artistic Director and composer Joe Illick and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Mark Campbell’s Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World. Based upon the highly acclaimed book by award-winning English author and illustrator Laurence Anholt and directed by Octavio Cardenas, this charming new work with delightful pet puppets follows the real-life story of Marianna Morillo Safa and her friendship with famed painter Frida Kahlo. Through the magic of opera, Frida’s parrot, dog, and monkey all sing, and the audience is invited to join in on the fun as well.
During the company’s 2018 Festival, FWO presented Brief Encounters, a trio of 20-minute pocket operas about love and marriage by Jake Heggie, Mark Adamo, and Joe Illick. Later this month, we will show one of the three operas, Feel the Tango, composed by Illick, with a delightfully witty libretto by Susan Westfall. This one-act comedy paints the portrait of a jaded married couple whose Friday night takes an unexpected turn once they step into their favorite Spanish restaurant. Fort Worth Opera will be presenting the original world premiere from Performance Santa Fe’s Festival of Song, featuring the same terrific cast as the company’s 2018 production at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden auditorium.
FRIDA KAHLO AND THE BRAVEST GIRL IN THE WORLD
(35 minutes; Ages 3+)
Thursday, April 16 from 4-5 PM; YouTube Premiere
Saturday, April 18 from 2-3 PM; Facebook Watch Party
CAST: Robin Steitz (Marianna) Kayla Nanto (Frida) Christopher Curcuruto (Diego | Father | Parrot) Lwazi Hlati (Brother | Dog) Megan Koch (Grandmother | Monkey)
FEEL THE TANGO
(20 minutes; Ages 10+)
Thursday, April 23 from 7-8 PM; YouTube Premiere
Saturday, April 25 from 7-8 PM; Facebook Watch Party
CAST: Maren Weinberger (Sandy) Samuel Schultz (Joe) Javier Abreu (Carlos) Kate Tombaugh (María)
ABOUT FORT WORTH OPERA: Founded in 1946, Fort Worth Opera is the oldest continually-performing opera company in Texas, and one of the 14 oldest opera companies in the United States. The organization has received national acclaim from critics and audiences alike for its artistic excellence. Beginning in 2017, Fort Worth Opera launched Noches de Ópera (Nights of Opera), a groundbreaking campaign designed to introduce powerful operas to the community, each reflecting the diverse cultures of American audiences.
Fort Worth Opera is sponsored in part by awards from The Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County, The City of Fort Worth, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and OPERA America. Additional Fort Worth Opera sponsors include: the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; The Burnett Foundation; the Amon G.Carter Foundation; the Sid W. Richardson Foundation; Visit Fort Worth; Adeline & George McQueen Foundation, J.P. Morgan, Trustee; SmallwoodFoundation, J.P. Morgan, Trustee; Hattie Mae Lesley Foundation, Bank of America, Trustee; Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust, Simmons Bank, Trustee;Garvey Texas Foundation; Mary Potishman Lard Trust; Fifth Avenue Foundation; The Thomas M. Helen McKee and John P. Ryan Foundation; R4Foundation; Red Oak Foundation; The Rea Charitable Trust, Wells Fargo Trustee; Wells Fargo Foundation; and Autobahn. American Airlines is theOfficial Airline of Fort Worth Opera. Arts and Culture Texas Magazine is the Official Media Sponsor of Fort Worth Opera