For Immediate Release
Madison Opera’s Annual Opera in the Park set for Saturday July 22
Free concert in Garner Park celebrates its 22nd year and gives sneak peek of upcoming season
Madison Opera’s Opera in the Park celebrates its twenty-second year on Saturday, July 22 at 8pm in Garner Park on Madison’s West Side. A Madison summer tradition, the free concert of opera and Broadway favorites draws audience members from across Wisconsin and beyond to pack a picnic, gather friends, and share a beautiful night of music under the stars.
Opera in the Park 2023 stars soprano Katerina Burton, mezzo-soprano Emily Fons, tenor Martin Luther Clark, and baritone Weston Hurt. Burton makes her Madison Opera debut in the concert; recent credits include Washington National Opera and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Fons sang Rosina in The Barber of Seville with Madison Opera, a role she has recently sung for the Santa Fe Opera and is singing at Cincinnati Opera this summer. Clark makes his Madison Opera debut in this concert and returns to the company as the title role in Candide in April; other recent credits include Lyric Opera of Chicago and Tulsa Opera. Hurt sang an acclaimed Germont in La Traviata with Madison Opera in 2019; other recent credits include Arizona Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
The four soloists are joined by the Madison Opera Chorus and Madison Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John DeMain. The evening is hosted by Madison Opera’s General Director Kathryn Smith and WKOW-TV’s Wake Up Wisconsin co-anchor Mark Charter.
The repertoire at Opera in the Park 2023 spans over 300 years of music, from an opera that premiered in 1711 (Handel’s Rinaldo) to one that premiered in 2023 (The Factotum by Will Liverman and DJ King Rico). Madison Opera’s upcoming 23/24 season is highlighted with selections from Puccini’s Tosca, Bologne’s The Anonymous Lover, and Bernstein’s Candide. The program also features pieces from Don Carlo, La Clemenza di Tito, The Tales of Hoffmann, La Bohème, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, and more. As always, this spectacular evening will include one number conducted by the audience with light sticks.
WHAT
• Opera in the Park, an annual free outdoor concert produced by Madison Opera, featuring arias and songs from opera and Broadway.
• The performance will last approximately two hours, including one intermission.
• The complete repertoire list is available at madisonopera.org/oitp23.
WHEN
Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 8pm (Rain date: Sunday, July 23 at 8pm)
Madison Opera’s Opera in the Park 2023 | 2 of 4
WHERE
Garner Park, 333 S. Rosa Road, Madison
WHO
Katerina Burton*, soprano
Emily Fons, mezzo-soprano
Martin Luther Clark*, tenor
Weston Hurt, baritone
John DeMain, conductor
*Madison Opera debut
WITH
Madison Opera Chorus and Madison Symphony Orchestra
HOSTED BY
Kathryn Smith, General Director of Madison Opera
Mark Charter, WKOW TV’s Wake up Wisconsin co-anchor
HOW
• Parking is available in University Research Park lots.
• Attendees are encouraged to bring picnics, blankets, and chairs. Alcohol is permitted but not sold in the park.
• On the day of the concert, Garner Park will open at 7am. Audience members may not leave items in the park prior to this time.
While Opera in the Park is free to attend, it would not be possible without the generous support of many foundations, corporations, and individuals who believe in the importance of music in the community. Madison Opera is grateful to the sponsors of Opera in the Park 2023:
• Presenting Sponsor: The BerbeeWalsh Foundation
• Sponsors: Kato & David Perlman, Full Compass, University Research Park, Carla & Fernando Alvarado, Vivian Ruth Brigham, Martha & Charles Casey, Patricia & Stephen Lucas, Lynn & Gary Mecklenburg, MGE Foundation, Raymond B. Preston Family Foundation
• Media Sponsors: WKOW, La Movida, Wisconsin Public Radio, Madison Magazine, Magic 98, WKOW-27 News
RELATED EVENTS
Prelude Dinner at Opera in the Park | July 22, 2023 | 6pm
This annual fundraiser to benefit Opera in the Park helps support Madison Opera’s free gift to the community. The event includes dinner catered by Upstairs Downstairs, VIP seating at the concert, and a reception with the artists following the performance. Tickets are $170 per person or $1,300 for a table of eight. Reservation deadline is July 7, 2023. More information is available at https://www.madisonopera.org/prelude/
Inclement Weather
Should Opera in the Park need to be postponed to Sunday, July 23 due to inclement weather, Madison Opera will make the decision by 5:00 pm on Saturday July 22. Any postponement will be announced on madisonopera.org and via all Madison Opera social media channels.
Published on June 23, 2023
