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COLUMN: Leopold’s coming! Opera at The Civic

You may think “I don’t know the opera,” but if you have watched even a moderate amount of Bugs Bunny, you already posses a solid foundation.
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Bugs Bunny impersonated conductor Leopold Stokowski in the Looney Tunes classic Long-Haired Hare (1949).

Many of you may think “I don’t know the opera, this isn’t for me,” but if you have watched even a moderate amount of Bugs Bunny, you already posses a solid foundation for diving into the next level of your opera education.

You will already be familiar with elements of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Wagner’s The Ring Cycle and of course, no one can forget the hushed awe when Bugs walks out on the Hollywood Bowl stage dressed as conductor Leopold Stokowski.

Expanding on the groundwork laid by Looney Tunes crew, the Civic Theatre would like to offer an opportunity to step up your education with our Opera For Everyone event. On Aug. 12, we will screen the latest 2015 Royal Opera House performance of La Boheme, open to the public for free, starting at 6:30 p.m.

The Civic Theatre has been programing monthly performance-on-screen presentations for almost a year and although our regulars can attest to the quality of these productions, there are still many who are unaware of the Opera, Dance and Art series. It is for this reason that we want to offer this summer treat before the launch of the new season beginning in September.

Those already initiated in the world of opera will surely know Puccini’s famous opera, but even if you haven’t, you most likely have already come across the storyline that has been adapted for screen in Rent, Moonstruck and Moulin Rouge. So If you really want your fill of Mimi, come to the free presentation of La Boheme and stay for the licensed screening of Baz Luhrman’s dazzlingly beautiful Moulin Rouge starting at 9:30 p.m. Virgin Moulin Rouge slushy cocktails will also be available.

Civic memberships and our brand new subscription options to the Opera and Dance series and flex passes that offer deep discounts at the box office will be available in the lobby at the event and anytime you visit the theatre.

Whether you come dressed in tails, look as though you’ve walked out of a Toulouse Lautrec painting or have large furry ears tucked under a striking shock of white hair, everyone will feel right at home at Opera For Everyone.

Jason Asbell is the programmer, theatre manager and lead can can dancer at the Civic Theatre.