"Cosi fan tutte" by Skylark Opera Theatre at the Historic Mounds Theatre

The last (and only) time I saw Mozart's comic opera Cosi fan tutte was 24 years ago when I was studying abroad in his lovely hometown of Salzburg, at the Marionettentheater during the week celebrating his birthday (a big deal in Salzburg). I remember nothing about it, other than that I saw it. No better way to experience it, for basically the first time in memory, than with Skylark Opera Theatre, which specializes in performing both new and classic operas in an accessible way, including performing in English. For an opera that roughly translates as "women are like that," Cosi fan tutte could be a difficult one to present in 2019. But Skylark has managed to make it modern and fun, with the jerks not getting away with the nasty tricks they play on their fiances. Performed in the small intimate space at the Historic Mounds Theatre in just over two hours, it's a fun and accessible way to experience the work of this gifted composer.

"Don Giovanni" by Skylark Opera Theatre and Angels & Demons Entertainment at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis

For five years, I spent one or two nights at Concordia University's E.M. Pearson Theatre watching opera/operetta/musical theater as part of Skylark Opera's Annual Summer Festival. Last year, the festival was abruptly cancelled as the company went through financial and leadership challenges. I'm happy to report that Skylark is back, rebranded as Skylark Opera Theatre, now with their second show under new Artistic Director Robert Neu. The Summer Festival has not returned, but Skylark's commitment to presenting accessible opera in English hasn't changed. Their second production (after The Tragedy of Carmen earlier this year) is a site-specific production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, with new English translation by Robert Neu and Gabriel Preisser, who also plays the title character. It bears more than a little resemblance to last summer's site-specific Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro in the James J. Hill House) by Robert Neu's other company, Angels and Demons Entertainment, a co-producer of this show. Like Marriage of Figaro, this Don Giovanni is an intimate, immersive experience that one doesn't usually get with opera.

"The Tragedy of Carmen" by Skylark Opera Theatre at the Midpointe Event Center

Welcome back, Skylark Opera! After cancelling their annual summer festival last year, something I had thoroughly enjoyed the previous five summers, they're back in 2017. Newly rebranded as Skylark Opera Theatre, but still committed to making opera accessible to neophytes like me (they always perform in English, for one thing), they've got a couple of shows on the schedule early this year (although no word on the summer festival). First up is The Tragedy of Carmen, a 90-minute English adaptation of one of the most well known and frequently performed operas, Georges Bizet's Carmen. With just six actors and a three-piece orchestra, performed in a small space, it's an intimate and thrilling up-close-and-personal take on a classic opera, even for those of us who maybe aren't that into opera.

"The Marriage of Figaro" by Angels and Demons Entertainment at the James J. Hill House

One of Mozart's most beloved operas, performed by nationally renowned opera singers and local favorites, set in the perfect and intimate location of the grand and beautiful James J. Hill House? I'm in! In by the skin of my teeth, that is. I consider myself very lucky to be one of the 140* people (4 shows x 35 audience members per show) to have had the wonderful experience that was Angels and Demons Entertainment's production of The Marriage of Figaro (with support from the Twin Cities Opera Guild). I'm not much of an opera-goer, unless it's made more accessible by companies like Skylark Opera (who always perform in English, and whose Summer Festival will hopefully return next year). But this was perhaps the most accessible and engaging opera I've ever attended. Sung in English in four different locations within the house that perfectly suited the story, it truly felt like I was in the midst of this crazy upstairs/downstairs story. I only regret that the audience was so limited, and I hope that they bring the production back sometime and expand it so that more people can know this truly lovely and special experience.